Hortipes hyakutake, 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 hyakutake , new species Figure 17a, b ; Map 4

TYPES: Male holotype: humus in Ingogo Forest Reserve, Port St. John’s District, South Africa S31°17', E29°54' (December 1961; N. Leleup) ( MRAC 202.492 ) .

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named after the great comet of 1996, which graced the skies while the first author was in the initial stage of his work on the genus Hortipes . Moreover, the elegantly curved MA of the male palp resembles a comet’s tail.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of H. hyakutake are recognized by the RTA with two sharp, diverging prongs pointing obliquely up in combination with the strongly curved MA, the extremity of which points up.

MALE: Measurements. Total length 1.89; carapace 0.86 long, 0.76 wide; length of fe: I 0.73, II 0.76, III 0.62, IV 0.95. 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 dark yellow, lighter at the fovea. Legs and chelicerae yellow, sternum pale yellow. Abdomen pale yellow, no

62 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NO. 256 2000 BOSSELAERS AND JOCQUÉ: HORTIPES 63 64 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NO. 256

diverging prongs pointing obliquely up, the external one pointing outward, thicker than internal one pointing inward; 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 tegular part at base of embolus; MA originating in center of tegulum, with base fairly narrow, short, slightly curved forward; proximal part flattened, sharply curved forward, then backward, sharply twisted before entering in equally flattened, strongly curved distal part with tip pointing up; embolus originating on triangular extension on posterior part of tegulum, whiplike, looped over slightly less than 360° (fig. 17a, b).

FEMALE: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Map 4. Distribution of Hortipes species in South Africa. Hortipes aelurisiepae V, H. atalante h, H. coccinatus •, H. contubernalis O, H. griswoldi., H. hyakutake, H. irimus, H. licnophorus D, H. luytenae Δ, H. merwei *, H. mesembrinus, H. rothorum v, H. schoemanae n, and H. wimmertensi ^.

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.