Hortipes oronesiotes, BOSSELAERS & JOCQUÉ, 2000

BOSSELAERS, JAN & JOCQUÉ, RUDY, 2000, Hortipes, A Huge Genus Of Tiny Afrotropical Spiders (Araneae, Liocranidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2000 (256), pp. 4-4 : 4-

Hortipes oronesiotes , new species Figures 17i–l , 18f ; Map 1

TYPES: Male holotype: Mt. Mulanje, Thuchila hut, Nambiti stream, elev. 2000 m, Malawi S16°00', E35°30' (11 November 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC 156.329 ). Paratypes: 2♀ together with holotype ; 16, 2♀ under Philippia and Setaria , 1 km E from the hut on the crossing of the Madzeka path with a small stream, Thuchila, Mt. Mulanje, Malawi S16°00', E35°30' (11 November 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC; 1♀ in AMNH) ; 2♀ from sweeping in Widdringtonia evergreen forest, elev. 2000 m, Lichenya Plateau , Malawi S16°00', E35°30' (7 November 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) ; 1♀ sifted from litter in bamboo forest, Lichenya Plateau , elev. 1750 m, Malawi S16°00', E35°30' (6 November 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The species’ epithet is derived from the classical Greek opos, mountain and νηơιωτηs, islander, referring to the type locality Mt. Mulanje, a typical Malawian inselberg (Porembski, 1996).

DIAGNOSIS: Males of H. oronesiotes are recognized by the RTA with three sharp, subequal prongs all pointing up in combination with the MA of which the base is obliquely pointing forward. Females can be recognized by the small, elongate ST1, the subglobular stalked ST2 lying close together, and the outward U­loop of the ID.

MALE: Measurements. Total length 1.62; carapace 0.78 long, 0.59 wide; length of fe: I 0.62, II 0.68, III 0.51, IV 0.76. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 5; mt: III plt 0 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 0 vt 1 rlt 0. Coloration. Carapace orange yellow, lighter at the fovea. Chelicerae and legs yellow, sternum pale yellow. Abdomen pale yellow, no pattern. Palp. RTA a ventrolateral swelling, its retrolateral side provided with three sharp, subequal, slightly diverging prongs pointing up; cymbium fairly elongate, without retrolateral concavity or series of long curved setae; sperm duct fairly narrow over entire course, slightly more narrowed toward embolus, with sharp turn before entering triangular swelling at base of embolus; MA originating in center of tegulum, with fairly long ally tapered part pointing down; embolus originating on flat triangular extension on posterior part of tegulum, whiplike, looped over slightly less than 360° (fig. 17i, j, l).

FEMALE: Measurements. Total length 2.19; carapace 0.97 long, 0.76 wide; length of fe: I 0.81, II 0.84, III 0.65, IV 0.95. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 6; mt: III plt 1 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 1 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace orange brown, with darker radial striae. Chelicerae yellow brown, sternum yellow. Legs I and II orange brown, legs III and IV yellow brown. Abdomen brownish yellow, no pattern. Genitalia. Vulva: first stretches of IDs fused into one weakly sclerotized entrance chamber with entrance toward posterior side, second part of ID with sclerotized wall, first making outward U­loop and then running in posterior direction and entering the elongate ST1. A subglobular, stalked ST2 attached to ID at transition between thin­walled and sclerotized part (figs. 17k, 18f).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Malawi: 1♀: Church of Central Africa Presbyterian ( CCAP) hut, elev. 2000 m, Lichenya Plateau , Mt. Mulanje S16°00', E35°30' (25 November 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) ; 1♀ from evergreen forest near forestry hut, elev. 1800 m, Lichenya Plateau , Mt. Mulanje S16°00', E35°30' (14 November 1981; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) .

VARIABILITY: The transparency of the vulva is variable.

DISTRIBUTION: Mt. Mulanje, Malawi, between elev. 1750 m and 2000 m.

Figures

Map 1. Distribution of Hortipes species described in this publication. Hortipes baerti n, H. centralis h, H. hesperoecius O, H. machaeropolion D, H. orchatocnemis ^, H. oronesiotes Δ, H. penthesileia v, H. silvarum •, H. tarachodes V, H. terminator, and H. zombaensis.. Rectangles enclose regions (hatched) where high numbers of Hortipes species were found (number of species in parentheses). See detailed maps 2–5.

Fig. 17. a, b. Hortipes hyakutake, new species, male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. c, d. Hortipes rothorum, new species, male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. e, f. Hortipes griswoldi, new species, male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. g. Hortipes aelurisiepae, new species, epigyne. h. Hortipes penthesileia, new species, epigyne. i–l. Hortipes oronesiotes, new species. i, j. Male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. k. Epigyne. l. Male palpal ti, dorsal view. m–o. Hortipes zombaensis, new species. m. Epigyne. n, o. Male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. Scale lines: 0.25 mm.

Fig. 18. a. Hortipes wimmertensi, new species, vulva, ventral view. b. Hortipes irimus, new species, vulva, ventral view. c. Hortipes schoemanae, new species, vulva, ventral view. d. Hortipes licnophorus, new species, vulva, ventral view. e. Hortipes aelurisiepae, new species, vulva, ventral view. f. Hortipes oronesiotes, new species, vulva, ventral view. Scale line: 0.1 mm.