Belippo attenuata, 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 : 233-234

Belippo attenuata sp. n.

Figs 8–10 , 12–19

Etymology: From Latin attenuatus (thin, slender), refering to the body shape.

Diagnosis: The male is characterised by the structure of the palpal organs, particularly by a small acute process at the base of the cymbium on the retrolateral side ( Figs 13–15 ). The female has a characteristic epigyne with two nearly transverse oval depressions and large primary spermathecae ( Figs 17–19 ).

Description:

Measurements (♂ / ♀): Cephalothorax: length 1.9–2.0/1.8–2.2, height 0.8/0.6–0.7. Eye field: length 0.9–1.0/0.8–1.0, anterior width 0.9–1.0/0.9–1.1, posterior width 1.1–1.2/1.0–1.2. Abdomen: length 1.9–2.2/2.1–2.8, width 0.9–1.0/1.0–1.4.

Male.

General appearance as in Figs 8, 9 . Ant-like spider with elongate body. Carapace with shallow constriction, slightly higher in cephalic part; surface with punctured sculpture; carapace dark brown with black eye field; covered in thin long colourless hairs, with scattered white scales among them and long bristles near eyes; two long trichobothria in constriction. Chelicerae long, brown; promargin toothless, retromargin with four teeth, fang long ( Fig. 12 ). Endites, labium and sternum dark brown.Abdomen elongate, black, dorsum covered with two scuta separated by fissure; dorsum clothed in long fine hairs, with white scales on anterior half ( Figs 8, 9 ). Venter and spinnerets black. Legs slender; legs I and II with dark brown femora, distal segments lighter, with dark streaks on sides, tarsi yellowish; legs III and IV dark brown, only tarsi yellowish. Four pairs of long ventral spines on tibiae I and two pairs on metatarsi. Pedipalps as in Figs 13–15 , with a characteristic tooth-like process on retrolateral edge of cymbium at base.

Female.

General appearance as in Fig. 10 . Similar to male, abdomen without scuta. Chelicerae not elongated, with 4–6 slightly separated promarginal teeth and five contiguous teeth on retromargin ( Fig. 16 ). Palps flattened. Epigyne with two nearly transverse oval grooves anteriorly and two rounded light areas in posterior part ( Figs 17, 18 ); seminal ducts membranous, forming loop laterally; primary spermathecae large, thick-walled ( Fig. 19 ).

Holotype: ♂ Qacha’s Nek district: Qacha’s Nek , 30°07'S 28°41'E, 1830 m, leaf litter, Eucalyptus tree, 8.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 / 3012 ).

Paratypes: 2♀ Same data as holotype ( NCA 2013 / 3013 ). Maseru district: 1♀ Mohale Dam, Islands , 2060 m, 29°25'S 28°06'E, 13.xii.2003 ( NCA 2013 / 3018 ). Qacha’s Nek district: 2♀ Near Maghoareng village, 30°03'S 28°53'E, 2200 m, under rocks on mountainside, 6.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 / 3015 ) ; 2♀ Sehlabathebe National Park , 29°53'S 29°07'E, 2500 m, under rocks, sandstone mountain, 9.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 / 3017 ). Quthing district: 1♂ Ha Limapa , 30°11'S 28°17'E, 2100 m, grasses along river bank, 13.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 / 3016 ) ; 1♂ 4♀ Letšeng-la-Letsie , 30°19'S 28°10'E, 2360 m, under rocks along lakeside, 12.xi.2003 ( NCA 2013 / 3014 ).

Distribution: Known only from southern and central Lesotho ( Fig. 48 ).

Figures

Figs 8–11. Digital microscope photographs of the dorsal (8, 10, 11) and lateral (9) habitus of jumping spiders from Lesotho: (8–10) Belippo attentuata sp. n., ♂ (8, 9) and ♀ (10); (11) Dendryphantes acutus sp. n., ♂.

Figs 12–19. Belippo attenuata sp. n., paratype ♂ (12–15) and ♀ paratypes (16–19): (12, 16) chelicera, retromarginal view; (13) palpal organ, ventral view; (14) same, retrolateral view; (15) same, dorsal view; (17, 18) epigynes, ventral view; (19) internal structure of epigyne.

Fig. 48. Distribution of Salticidae from Lesotho.