Mexcala torquata Wesołowska, 2009

Fig. 37

Mexcala torquata Wesołowska, 2009: 181, figs 114–119.

Diagnosis

The male of this species is distinctive, and may be separated from congeners by the form of the embolus, which is very small, spike like and parallel to the palpal axis.

Material examined

IVORY COAST • 1 ♂; Lamto; 24 Aug. 1975; “savane, hautes des herbes”; MNHN • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 7 Sep. 1975; “petite savane incluse dans le forêt Bandama”; MNHN .

Description

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 3.0, width 1.9, height 1.3. Eye field length 0.9, anterior and posterior width 1.5. Abdomen length 3.0, width 1.7. Body slender.

CARAPACE. Medium high, widest posteriorly with short eye field. Colouration of carapace chocolate brown, anterior eyes encircled by black rings, long brown bristles near eyes, white hairs on lateral slopes anteriorly. Clypeus low, brown. Chelicerae long, pro- and retromargin with single very small tooth, thick short sharp setae and diminutive white scales on dorsal surfaces of chelicerae. Mouthparts and sternum brown.

ABDOMEN. Elongated, narrowing posteriorly, brown, sparse dark hairs on dorsum, long brown bristles at anterior edge of abdomen. Venter brown. Spinnerets dark.

LEGS. Long, thin, brown, distal segments lighter. Last pair longest (with long metatarsi).

PEDIPALPS. Yellowish, dark line along dorsal surface of its tibia and patella, Fig. 37B. Tibial apophysis very thin (Fig. 37B, D), embolus delicate, short, spine-like (Fig. 37A, C, E).

Female

See Wesołowska (2009).

Remarks

The male specimen is in poor condition, with some legs missing. A male of this species is also kept in the Museum of Natural History in London; however, the collecting locality is unknown (label: “A. V. u 24”). The genitalia of the male and the female are complementary (very short embolus and short seminal ducts in the female), so these specimens represent the same species. The male is described here for the first time.

Distribution

Known from Ivory Coast and Guinea.