Peplometus congoensis, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Wiśniewski, 2020

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

Peplometus congoensis sp. nov. Figures 133 , 172-176 , 177-183 , 198

Holotype.

Congo • ♂; Brazzaville, ORSTOM Park; 4°16'S, 15°17'E; 19.X.1963; J. Balogh and A. Zicsi leg.; HNHM.

Paratypes.

Congo • 1♀; together with the holotype. 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. Michiel leg.; primary rainforest, canopy fogging; MRAC 226 108.

Diagnosis.

The most characteristic feature of this species is colouration and shape of the first pair of legs. Tibia I in male is totally black, it is not flattened (Fig. 172 ), whereas in congeners tibia is flattened dorsally or laterally and has a light streak or patch. Tibia I of the female is light retrolaterally, with large dark patch at its basis (Figs 179 , 180 ). The abdomen of female is narrow, similar as in male, while females of other species have abdomen wider than males.

Etymology.

The species is named after its terra typica (Congo).

Description.

Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.7, width 1.8, height 0.6. Eye field: length 0.9, anterior width 1.3, posterior width 1.7. Abdomen: length 3.0, width 2.2.

General appearance as in Figs 172 , 173 . Body flattened, integument strongly sclerotised and clearly pitted. Carapace trapezoid, widest posteriorly, dark brown, black around eyes, a few bristles at eyes of first row. Chelicera with two small teeth on promargin and four-tip retromarginal tooth. Mouth parts and sternum light brown. Abdomen elongated, only slightly wider than carapace, venter also covered by scuta, posterior scutum large (Fig. 173 ). Legs I stout, brown, lateral side of femur slightly darker, tip of patella dark, tibia strongly thickened, black, with long dense black feather-shaped setae ventrally (Figs 133 , 172 ). Other legs yellowish brown, with distal small dark brown patches on patellae and tibiae II-III and proximal brown rings on patellae, tibiae and metatarsi IV, femora IV brown. Palpal organ as in Figs 177 , 178 , apical part of embolus long.

Female. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.2-1.3, width 1.1-1.3, height 0.4-0.5. Eye field: length 0.7, anterior width 1.0-1.1, posterior width 1.1-1.3. Abdomen: length 2.6-3.0, width 1.8-1.9.

General appearance as in Figs 174-176 . Carapace rounded, brown to black, strongly sclerotised and clearly pitted, eye field on half of its length. Some dark bristles at eyes of first row. Chelicerae yellowish brown, with short fang, two small teeth on promargin and three-tip tooth on retromargin. Mouth parts creamy. Sternum oval, blackish. Abdomen relatively narrow, elongated, widest anteriorly, anterior edge almost straight. Dorsum of abdomen totally covered by very strongly sclerotised, pitted, black scutum, turned back on its margin. Abdomen ventrally with hard scuta; anterior scutum narrow along anterior margin of abdomen, extending backwards, posterior scutum large, trapezoid. Numerous bumps on sides of abdomen venter (Fig. 175 ). Spinnerets dark. Legs generally light, creamy with blackish stains. Legs I the biggest (not so markedly as in males); femora with black patch distally on prolateral side, tibia thickened, prolaterally black, basal half of retrolateral part black (Figs 179 , 180 ). Dense long black setae on ventral side of tibia, two pairs of ventral spines. Dark line along dorsum of femora IV. Palps blackish. Epigyne large, rectangular, with small depression divided by median ridge, hardly visible horizontal crevices laterally (Fig. 181 ). Internal structure as in Figs 182 , 183 .

Distribution.

Known only from Congo and DR Congo (Fig. 198 ).

Figures

Figures 129 - 135. First leg of male 129 Pachyballus castaneus 130 Peplometus biscutellatus 131, 132 P. chlorophthalmus 133 P. congoensis 134 P. oyo 135 P. nimba 132 retrolateral view, others prolateral view.

Figures 172 - 176. Peplometus congoensis sp. nov. 172 male, holotype, habitus, dorsal view 173 male, habitus, ventral view 174 female, habitus, dorsal view 175 female, habitus, ventral view 176 female, habitus, lateral view.

Figures 177 - 183. Peplometus congoensis sp. nov. 177 palpal organ, ventral view 178 palpal organ, lateral view 179 first leg of female, prolateral view 180 first leg of female, retolateral view 181 epigyne 182 internal structure of epigyne, ventral view 183 internal structure of epigyne, dorsal view.

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.