Hortipes zombaensis, 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 zombaensis , new species Figures 17m –o , 20b ; Map 1

TYPES: Male holotype: sieved from litter in montane forest, elev. 1700 m, Zomba Plateau, Malawi S15°20', E35°18' (27 December 1977; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC 153.687 ). Paratypes: 1♀ sieved from litter in montane forest, elev. 1500 m, Zomba Plateau, Malawi S15°20', E35°18' (13 November 13 1977; R. Jocque´) ( MRAC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The species is named after the type locality.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of H. zombaensis are recognized by the forward­directed RTA with two sharp, opposed prongs, one pointing up, the other one down. Females can be recognized by the second part of the ID making a ventrally oriented U­loop and describing a complete corkscrew turn before entering ST1.

MALE: Measurements. Total length 1.86; carapace 0.84 long, 0.65 wide; length of fe: I 0.68, II 0.70, III 0.57, IV 0.81. 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. licerae and legs yellow, sternum light yellow. Abdomen peach, no pattern. Palp. RTA a ventrolateral swelling, directed obliquely forward, extremity with two prongs, the external one pointing up, inferior one much short­ er, pointing down; 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 deep turn before entering oval swelling at base of embolus; MA originating in center of tegulum, with fairly narrow, transverse base, sharply curved backward and broadened, ending in evenly curved, gradually tapered distal part, pointing forward; embolus originating on posterior part of tegulum, whiplike, looped over slightly less than 360° (fig. 17n, o).

FEMALE: Measurements. Total length 2.30; carapace 0.95 long, 0.73 wide; length of fe: I 0.73, II 0.78, III?, IV 0.86. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 6; mt: III plt? vt? rlt?; IV plt 1 vt 1 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace orange with eight brown radial striae, lighter at the fovea. Chelicerae, sternum, and legs yellow. Abdomen peach, no pattern. Genitalia. Vulva: first stretches of IDs fused into one weakly sclerotized entrance chamber with entrance toward posterior side. Anterior end of this weakly sclerotized part split in two more heavily sclerotized, outward­pointing tips connected to second part of ID, which has sclerotized wall. The second part of ID first makes ventrally oriented U­loop and then runs in posterior direction, describing a complete corskscrew turn before entering the small, elongate ST1; a subglobular, stalked ST2 attached to ID at transition between thin­walled and sclerotized part (figs. 17m; 20b).

DISTRIBUTION: Zomba Plateau, Malawi, elev. 1500–1700 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. 20. a. Hortipes penthesileia, new species, vulva, ventral view. b. Hortipes zombaensis, new species, vulva, ventral view. c. Hortipes atalante, new species, vulva, ventral view. d. Hortipes mulciber, new species, vulva, ventral view. e. Hortipes merwei, new species, vulva, ventral view. f. Hortipes leno, new species, vulva, ventral view. g. Hortipes libidinosus, new species, vulva, ventral view. Scale line: 0.1 mm.