Anansus atewa, Huber, Bernhard A. & Kwapong, Peter, 2013

Huber, Bernhard A. & Kwapong, Peter, 2013, West African pholcid spiders: an overview, with descriptions of five new species (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 59, pp. 1-44 : 21-24

Anansus atewa sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9EC8FF7E-F56B-4FAD-9B48-730CE2795474

Figs 9-10 , 23 , 35-47

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from known congeners by distinct pair of projections on male clypeus ( Figs 35, 39 ; other known species with single tiny median process); also by male cheliceral apophyses (more proximal, wider apart, and more pointed than in other known species; Figs 39 , 45 ), by shape of procursus (large ventral curved sclerite; without retrolateral sclerite provided with brush of long hairs; without ventral pointed projection; Figs 38 , 44 ), and by more anterior position of epigynal pockets ( Figs 41 , 46 ).

Etymology

The species name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Type material

Holotype ♂, in ZFMK ( Ar 10513 ) .

Type data

GHANA: Eastern Region: Atewa Hills, Atewa Atwirebu Reserve (6°13.8’N, 0°33.5’W), 740 m a.s.l., 25 Feb. 2013 (B.A. Huber).

Other material examined

GHANA: Eastern Region: 4 ♀♀ together with holotype ; 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ in ZFMK ( Ar 10514 ), same data, specimens taken alive and died from heat ; 2 ♀♀ 5 juvs in pure ethanol in ZFMK ( Gha 137 ), same data .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 1.5, carapace width 0.6. Leg 1: 5.2 (1.3 + 0.2 + 1.4 + 1.6 + 0.7), tibia 2: 0.9, tibia 3: 0.7, tibia 4: 1.1; tibia 1 L/d: 22. Distance PME-PME 25 µm, diameter PME 80 µm, distance PME-ALE 20 µm, no AME.

COLOR. Carapace ochre-grey, slightly darker medially, sternum with four pairs of dark lines extending from behind labium to bases of leg coxae, legs pale ochre-yellow, without rings, abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dark median dorsal mark.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 35-36 ; ocular area barely elevated; carapace without median furrow; clypeus with distinct pair of projections at rim ( Fig. 35 ); sternum wider than long (0.40/0.35), unmodified. Chelicerae as in Fig. 45 , with pair of lateral processes proximally and pointed frontal apophyses, without stridulatory ridges.

PALPS. As in Figs 37-38 and 43-44 , coxa unmodified, trochanter with indistinct ventral projection, femur small relative to tibia, with small retrolatero-ventral process and larger prolatero-ventral process set with tubercles, procursus complex, entire distal part apparently hinged against basis, without elements distinctive for other known species (retrolateral sclerite provided with brush of long hairs; ventral pointed projection), bulb with single weakly sclerotized process (embolus).

LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 25%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with about ten indistinct pseudosegments.

VARIATION. Tibia 1 in 2 other males: 1.3, 1.4.

Female

In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 6 females: 1.2-1.4 (mean 1.3). Epigynum consisting of large anterior plate provided with pair of pockets and narrow posterior plate ( Figs 40, 41 , 46 ); internal genitalia as in Figs 42 and 47 .

Natural history

The spiders were found in the leaf-litter under leaves that are curved in a way to produce protected space on the underside. Two eggsacs contained 13 and 15 eggs respectively.

Distribution

Known from type locality only ( Fig. 23 ). Further juvenile specimens from near Mpraeso and from Tagbo Falls (Ghana; in ZFMK) might also belong to this species.

Figures

Figs 1 - 13. 1. Pholcus doucki Huber, 2011 from Doucki, Guinea. 2 - 3. Pholcus kakum Huber, 2009 from Forêt Classée de Ziama, Guinea (2) and Kakum N. P., Ghana (3). 4. Leptopholcus kintampo sp. nov. from Kintampo, Ghana. 5. Leptopholcus tipula (Simon, 1907) from Kakum N. P., Ghana. 6. Nyikoa limbe Huber, 2007 from Kakum N. P., Ghana. 7 - 8. Pehrforsskalia conopyga Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001 from Atewa, Ghana. 9 - 10. Anansus atewa sp. nov. from Atewa, Ghana. 11 - 13. Spermophora akwamu sp. nov. from Kakum N. P., Ghana (13: web). Photos BAH.

Figs 23 - 24. Known distributions of the genera Anansus Huber, 2007 and Artema Walckenaer, 1837 in West Africa. Question marks denote uncertain identifications (Anansus ewe: two localities with females only) or impossible identifications [“? (j) ”: juveniles only].

Figs 35 - 42. Anansus atewa sp. nov. 35 - 36. ♂, dorsal and lateral views. 37 - 38. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 39. ♂ prosoma and right palp, oblique frontal view. 40. ♀, ventral view. 41 - 42. Cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 35 - 36, 40 = 1 mm; 37 - 39, 41 - 42 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 43 - 47. Anansus atewa sp. nov. 43 - 44. Left ♂ palp, prolateral and retrolateral views. 45. ♂ chelicerae, frontal view. 46 - 47. Cleared ♀ genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 43 - 44, 46 - 47 = 0.3 mm; 45 = 0.2 mm.