Pachyballus transversus Simon, 1900

Wesolowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Wisniewski, Konrad, 2020, A revision of Pachyballus Simon, 1900 and Peplometus Simon, 1900 (Araneae, Salticidae, Ballini) with descriptions of new species, ZooKeys 944, pp. 47-98 : 47

Pachyballus transversus Simon, 1900 Figures 98-103 , 104-109 , 110-116 , 117-122 , 191 , 192 , 196

Pachyballus transversus Simon 1900: 399 (♂); 1901: 482, f. 570-571; 1910: 414; Berland and Millot 1941: 397.

Syntypes.

Congo • 2♂; Mayombe; E. Simon coll.; MNHN 7545; examined.

Other material examined.

Cameroon • 1♀; Maroua; 10°36'N, 14°19'E; col. C.F. Roewer (nr 12 678); SMF • 1♀; without precise locality; in 1950; J. Birket-Smith leg.; UCZM. Congo D.R. • 1♀; Mayombe, Bas Congo, Luki Forest Reserve; 5°37'S, 13°05'E; 28.IX.2007; D. De Bakker and J. P. Michiels leg.; primary rainforest, fogging; MRAC 226.109A • 3♂ 2 imm; Kivu N prov., Kaisola, Ruindi plain; 0°47'S, 29°17'E; 1100 m a.s.l.; 3.VII.1972; M. Lejune leg.; MRAC 144 487 • 1♂ 2♀ 1 imm.; Ruindi plain, Ndimo Hill; 1100 m a.s.l.; 28.VI.1972; P. M. Lejune leg.; MRAC 144 670 • 1♂; Kivu N prov., Rutshuru; 1°11'S, 29°27'E; III.1937; J. Ghesquière leg.; MRAC 30 583 • 1♂; Goma; 0°34'S, 28°42'E; 10.II.1952; E. Bertrand leg.; MRAC 78 975. Ethiopia • 3♂ 2 imm.; Gorgora; 12°14'N, 37°18'E; in 1961; F. Hartman leg.; MRAC 131 203 • 1♂; Yayu coffe forest plantation; 8°10'N, 36°00'E; in 2004; N. Aklilu leg.; MRAC 231 209 • 1♀; the same locality; beating; MRAC 230 736 • 1 imm.; the same locality; secondary forest, beating; MRAC 229 396. Ivory Coast • 1♀; Bingerville; 5°21'N, 3°54'W; VIII.1962; J. Decelle leg.; MRAC 122 004. Mozambique • 1♀; 'N Mozambique’; col. C.F.Roewer (nr 9715); SMF. Somalia • 1♀; Sinandogo; in 1946; R. Accigliaro leg.; MRAC 131 175 • 1♀; Giumbo; 0°14'S, 42°37'E; in 1946; R. Accigliaro leg.; MRAC 131 223. Tanzania • 2♂; ‘Zanguebar’ (=eastern coast of tropical Africa, probably Zanzibar); E Simon coll.; MNHN 7021. South Africa • 1♂; KwaZulu-Natal, Ulundi, Ophathe Game Reserve; 28°23'S, 31°24'E; 3.X.2008; C. Haddad leg.; beating, shrubs, overgrazed savanna; NCA 2008/4154 • 1♂; the same locality; 1.X.2008; NCA 2008/3971 • 9♂; the same locality; NCA 2019/1448 • 1♀; Mpumalanga Prov., Nelspruit, Agricultural College; 25°27'S, 30°59'E; 12.XI.1999; P. Stephen leg.; beating, citrus; NCA 2000/223.

Diagnosis.

The body proportions of this species are different than in other Pachyballus spp., namely width of carapace and width of abdomen are clearly greater than their length. Sigilla are strongly marked. Shape of the eye field is more trapezoid than in congeners, its width at posterior eye row is a quarter larger than anterior width.

Redescription.

Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.5-1.7, width 1.9-2.0, height 0.6. Eye field: length 0.8-1.0, anterior width 1.3-1.5, posterior width 1.9-2.0. Abdomen: length 2.4-2.9, width 2.8-3.2.

General appearance as in Figs 98-102 . Slightly larger than P. flavipes , body flattened, covered with hard integument, pitted. Carapace wide, dark brown to blackish, vicinity of eyes black. Eye field strongly trapezoid, more than in other Pachyballus spp. Its width at last row of eyes is a quarter larger than its anterior width. A few hairs and long bristles at anterior eyes. Clypeus low. Chelicerae with short fang, three small teeth on promargin and four teeth with fused base on retromargin (Fig. 110 ). Mouth parts brown, sternum oval, dark. Abdomen heart-shaped, wide, clearly wider than long. Colouration of abdomen usually light, orange brownish with blackish edge, sometimes yellowish or brown. Sigilla clearly visible. Venter brown, with typical scuta (Fig. 98 ). First pair of legs brown, slightly larger than other pairs, with femora and tibiae thickened, tibiae slightly flattened dorsally. All legs brownish with lighter tarsi. Palps dark, structure as in Figs 103 , 111 , 112 .

Female. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.4-1.6, width 1.6-2.0, height 0.7. Eye field: length 0.7-0.8, anterior width 1.2-1.5, posterior width 1.8-2.0. Abdomen: length 2.4-2.9, width 2.8-3.2.

General appearance as in Figs 104-106 . Similar to male, eye field strongly trapezoid. Abdomen wide, rounded, with visible sigilla. All legs yellow, sometimes femora, patellae and tibiae brownish. Palps dark. Epigyne typical, with horseshoe-shaped anterior depression (Figs 107-109 , 113-116 ). Copulatory ducts long, forming several loops, spermathecae strongly sclerotised (Figs 118-122 ).

Immature specimens. Shape of body as in adults, abdomen with two oval scuta, close to each other on dorsum (Figs 191 , 192 ). Ventral scuta absent.

Distribution.

Widely distributed in Africa (Fig. 196 ).

Remarks.

Simon (1900) described only the female of P. transversus . He recorded this species from Congo, Transvaal (South Africa) and Zanzibar ( Simon 1900, 1901). He found it also ( Simon 1910) later in Guinea Bissau and noted in this publication that this species had been described from Congo. This suggests that the Congolese specimens constitute the "type material". However, the two specimens from Congo, personally labelled by Simon and kept in the MNHN collection, are males. The fact was also mentioned by Berland and Millot (1941). Simon most probably described these specimens and apparently published the wrong data on sex of specimens. This description is very superficial and the structure of copulatory organs is not depicted. There are also some other males from Zanzibar in Simon’s collection in MNHN (but no female). Simon’s specimens from Natal, kept in MZC (examined) are immature and probably misidentified. Thus, it should be concluded that Simon’s description concerned the male and the female of this species is described here for the first time. The figure in Simon (1901) shows characteristic body proportions of P. transversus (width of carapace greatly exceeds its length, eye field is clearly trapezoid with long distance between eyes in the posterior row, and abdomen is rounded), which allows the proper species recognition.

Figures

Figures 98 - 103. Pachyballus transversus, male 98 habitus, ventral view 99 - 102 habitus, dorsal view, 103 palpal organ, ventral view (all specimens from Congo).

Figures 104 - 109. Pachyballus transversus, female 104 - 106 habitus, dorsal view 107 - 109 epigyne (dissected from specimens visible above) (104, 106 specimens from Congo 105 specimen from Ethiopia).

Figures 110 - 116. Pachyballus transversus 110 cheliceral dentition 111 palpal organ, ventral view 112 palpal organ, lateral view 113 - 116 epigyne (114 specimen from Ethiopia 115 specimen from Somalia 113, 116 specimens from Congo).

Figures 117 - 122. Pachyballus transversus, internal structure of epigyne 117 - 120 ventral view 121, 122 dorsal view (117 specimen from Ethiopia 118 specimen from Somalia, other specimens from Congo).

Figures 189 - 192. Dorsal scuta of abdomen, immature specimens. 189, 190 Peplometus biscutellatus 191, 192 Pachyballus transversus 189, 191 younger instar 190, 192 subadult.

Figures 193 - 198. Distribution maps of Pachyballus and Peplometus species. 193 circle - Pachyballus caelestis, square - P. castaneus, triangle - P. variegatus 194 P. flavipes 195 circle - P. miniscutulus, square - P. mombasensis, triangle - P. ornatus 196 P. transversus 197 circle - Peplometus biscutellatus, square - P. chlorophthalmus 198 circle - P. nimba, square - P. oyo, triangle - P. congoensis.