Menemerus niangbo sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E16CDDB3-AF38-487E-82E6-9B017698AB7C

Fig. 35

Diagnosis

The female has a somewhat similar epigyne to that in Menemerus carlini (Peckham & Peckham, 1903), both species have very large atria forming deep ‘bowls’. Menemerus niangbo sp. nov. differs in having a double epigynal pocket (single in M. carlini) and bean-shaped spermathecae (spherical in the second species).

Etymology

The specific name is a noun in apposition, deriving from the name of the type locality.

Material examined

Holotype IVORY COAST • ♀; Mt Niangbo; 8°49′ N, 5°10′ W; 15–16 Oct. 1975; “sommet, ‘alpages’, dans l’herbes”; MNHN.

Description

Male

Unknown.

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 2.6, width 1.7, height 1.0. Eye field length 1.8, anterior width 1.3, posterior width 1.4. Abdomen length 2.9, width 2.2. General appearance as in Fig. 35A.

CARAPACE. Pear-shaped, flat, widest at coxae III, brown with blackish eye field, black line along margins. Whole carapace covered with dense brown hairs, long bristles near anterior eyes, some white hairs on slopes. Chelicerae and sternum brown, labium and endites with whitish tips.

ABDOMEN. Dark grey with poorly contrasted lighter spots (Fig. 35A), venter yellowish with broad grey streak. Dorsum of abdomen clothed in dense brown hairs. Spinnerets grey.

LEGS. Brownish grey with lighter rings, leg hairs brown.

EPIGYNE. With two oval depressions and wide double pocket at epigastric fold (Fig. 35B). Internal structure as in Fig. 35C, long accessory glands connected to seminal ducts, spermathecae bean-shaped.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality, Mt Niangbo, Ivory Coast.