Selenops littoricola Strand, 1913

Corronca, J. A., 2002, A taxonomic revision of the afrotropical species of Selenops Latreille, 1819 (Araneae, Selenopidae), Zootaxa 107, pp. 1-35 : 20

Selenops littoricola Strand, 1913 ( Figs. 43­45 )

Selenops littoricola Strand, 1913 . Wiss. Ergebn. D. Zentr. Afr. Exp., 4: 398. Female holotype from Rwanda, Kissenyi (Kivu Lake), in ZMB, examined.

Orops littoricola ( Strand, 1913) : Benoit, 1968. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 77(1­2):139, figs. 2, 30­31, described male of the species.

S. littoricola .­ Corronca, 1996a. Neotrópica, La Plata, 42(107­108):60.

Diagnosis. S. littoricola differs from all known afrotropical Selenops species by the shape of the well­developed retrolateral tibial apophysis of the male palp ( Fig. 45 ); the median apophysis with only one branch and the short and wide embolus and conductor ( Fig. 45 ). The females have the lateral lobes of the epigynum well­developed with posterior projections ( Fig. 43 ). This character is unique in the afrotropical Selenops species, but is known from S. spixii Perty , a widespread species in South America ( Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina).

Female. The female was described by Strand (1913) and redescribed by Benoit (1968). Epigynum and spermathecae as in Figs. 43­44 .

Male. The male was described by Benoit (1968). Palp as in Fig. 45 .

New records. ZAÏRE: Route Lubero­Butembo, région de Lukanga, 2000m (fauchage), 15 females, 4 males, 1 immature, 11/XII/74 ­ I/75, M. Lejeune Col., MRAC 168.273; Route Lubero­Butembo, région de Lukanga, 2000m (fauchage), 26 females, 9 males, XII/74 ­ I/75, M. Lejeune Col., MRAC 168.125; Route Lubero­Butembo, région de Lukanga, forest of Muvale, 2030m (fauchage), 1 male, XII/74 ­ I/75, M. Lejeune Col., MRAC 168.098; Route Lubero­Butembo, région de Lukanga, sur le Verkengete, 2050m (dans une bananeraie), 2 females, XII/74 ­ I/75, M. Lejeune Col., MRAC 168.103; Route Lubero­Butembo, Lukanga, 2000m (fauchage), 46 females, 7 males, 2 immatures, XII/74 ­ I/75, M. Lejeune Col., MRAC 166.202.

Known distribution. Rwanda and Zaïre ( Benoit 1968).

Figures

FIGURES 43 ­ 50. 43 ­ 45. Selenops littoricola (Strand), female holotype, 43. Epigynum, ventral view. 44. Vulva, dorsal view. 45. Male palp, ventral view. 46 ­ 48. Selenops lucibel sp. nov., female holotype, 46. Colour pattern of opisthosoma, dorsal view. 47. Epigynum, ventral view. 48. Vulva, dorsal view. 49 ­ 50. Selenops lobatse Corronca, female holotype, 49. Epigynum, ventral view. 50. Vulva, dorsal view. 51 ­ 52. Selenops lumbo Corronca, female, 51. Epigynum, ventral view. 52. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale: genitalia = 0.25 mm, other drawings = 1 mm.