Heliophanus (Heliocapensis) maluti, Wesołowska & Haddad, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2014, An overview of the jumping spiders of Lesotho (Araneae: Salticidae), with descriptions of six new species, African Invertebrates 55 (2), pp. 229-229 : 241-242

Heliophanus (Heliocapensis) maluti sp. n.

Figs 28, 29 , 41–47

Etymology: The species name is a noun in apposition of the Maluti Mountains that dominate the topography of Lesotho.

Diagnosis: This species is similar to H. charlesi Wesołowska, 2003 from South Africa. The male is easily separable by the larger tibial apophyses of the palp, but the female is difficult to recognise, but has longer accessory glands.

Description:

Measurements (♂ / ♀): Cephalothorax: length 1.7–1.9/1.8–2.1, width 1.3–1.4/1.4–1.5, height 0.7–0.8/0.7. Eye field: length 0.7–0.8/0.7–0.8, anterior width 1.0–1.1/1.0–1.2, posterior width 1.1–1.2/1.1–1.2.Abdomen: length 1.9–2.4/2.3–3.6, width 1.3–1.8/1.7– 2.3.

Male.

General appearance as in Fig. 28 . Carapace dark brown with metallic lustre, eye field black, delicately pitted. Faint colourless hairs cover carapace, with some long bristles near eyes. Mouthparts and sternum dark. Abdomen black, clothed in delicate shiny hairs; anterior edge of abdomen with narrow white line, with traces of a pair of light spots at centre and second submarginal pair near posterior of abdomen. Venter dark grey. Spinnerets black. Legs dark brown to black, with some white hairs on femora I and II. Pedipalps dark, white scales forming a narrow band on dorsal surfaces of palpal patella, tibia and cymbium ( Fig. 43 ). Bulb triangular, embolus very short; palpal tibia with two apophyses, one laterally and the other ventrally directed ( Figs 41–43 ).

Female.

General appearance as in Fig. 29 , similar to male. Some white hairs on slopes of carapace. Abdominal pattern composed of white band at anterior margin and two pairs of transverse spots, in some specimens joined to form bands ( Fig. 29 ); abdominal pattern variable due to white hairs often rubbing off. Legs dark, pedipalps yellowish orange. Epigyne oval, with V-shaped posterior margin and two large shallow rounded depressions ( Figs 44, 45 ); internal structure as in Figs 46, 47 .

Holotype: ♂ Maseru district: Bushman’s Pass, near Ha Ralitseko , 29°26'S 27°52'E, 2435 m, montane grassland, 9.iii.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3044).

Paratypes: 2♂ 9♀ Same data as holotype ( NCA 2013 /3045). Leribe district : 1 subadult. ♂ 1♀ Bokong Nature Reserve , 29°06'S 28°26'E, 1890 m, under rocks, 10.iii.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3051). Maseru district : 3♀ Mohale Dam, Islands , 29°25'S 28°06'E, 13.xii.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3052) ; 2♂ 4♀ Same locality, 14.xii.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3053). Qacha’s Nek district : 1♀ Qacha’s Nek, 30°07'S 28°41'E, 1800 m, sweep-netting, weedy vegetation, 8.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3047) ; 1♀ Sehlabathebe National Park , 29°53'S 29°07'E, 2500 m, under rocks, sandstone mountain, 9.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3046). Quthing district : 1♂ 9♀ Ha Lazaro , 30°18'S 28°08'E, 2355 m, under rocks on hillside, 12.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3048) ; 1♂ 8♀ Letšeng-la-Letsie , 30°19'S 28°10'E, 2360 m, under rocks along lakeside, 12.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3049) ; 1♂ 4♀ Same data ( MRAC) ; 1♀ Near Ha Thlaku village, 30°09'S 28°14'E, 2120 m, under rocks near Qhoali River , 14.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 /3050) .

Distribution: Widespread in central and southern Lesotho ( Fig. 48 ).

Figures

Figs 26–33. Digital microscope photographs of the dorsal (26–31, 33) and dorsolateral (32) habitus of Heliophanus spp. from Lesotho: (26, 27) H. furvus sp. n., ♂ (26) and ♀ (27); (28, 29) H. maluti sp. n., ♂ (28) and ♀ (29); (30, 31) H. patellaris, ♂ (30) and ♀ (31); (32) H. proszynskii, ♂; (33) H. sororius, ♂.

Figs 41–47. Heliophanus maluti sp. n., paratype ♂ (41–43) and ♀ paratypes (44–47): (41) palpal organ, ventral view; (42) same, retrolateral view; (43) same, dorsal view; (44, 45) epigynes, ventral view; (46, 47) internal structure of epigynes.

Fig. 48. Distribution of Salticidae from Lesotho.