Hortipes exoptans, 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 exoptans , new species Figures 9m , 10g, h , 35c ; Map 2

TYPES: Male holotype in pitfall trap in montane rain forest, elev. 1600–1650 m, Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve , above Chita village , Iringa region, Uzungwa Mountains , Tanzania (8–13 November , 1984; N. Scharff) ( ZMUC). Paratypes: 86, 10♀, three juveniles from litter and logs, elev. 1800 m, Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve , 11 km SE Masisiwe, Kihanga Stream, Uzungwa Mountains, Tanzania S8°22'5.7″, E35°58'41.6″ (17–27 May, 1997; N. Scharff) ( ZMUC)

ETYMOLOGY: The species is called exoptans , longing for, because most males found had partly expanded palps.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of H. exoptans are recognized by the thin, slender RTA, clearly pointing outward, a feature that distinguishes them from the closely related H. cucurbita and H. scharffi . Females can be recognized by the gourd­shaped ST1 and the simple, almost straight ID. Females can be distinguished from those of the closely related H. cucurbita and H. scharffi by the absence of loops in ID.

MALE: Measurements. Total length 2.46; carapace 1.08 long, 0.92 wide; length of fe: I 0.95, II 1.00, III 0.81, IV 1.11. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 6; mt: III plt 0 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 1 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace, sternum, and legs orange yellow, chelicerae pinkish yellow. Abdomen pale pink with a median longitudinal white stripe on the anterior half. Palp. RTA simple, fairly narrow at base and gradually tapered toward sharp tip, distal part at right angle with axis of segment; cymbium fairly elongate, with shallow, narrow retrolateral concavity but without series of curved hairs; sperm duct fairly broad over entire course, restricted to anterior half of tegulum except for last loop, slightly narrowed just before entering embolus; MA originating in frontal part of tegulum, fairly broad at base, curved curved down in distal part, tip reaches beyond base of RTA; embolus originating on prolateral part of tegulum, whiplike, fairly short, distal part appressed against MA (figs. 10g, h).

FEMALE: Measurements. Total length 3.92; carapace 1.08 long, 0.92 wide; length of fe: I 0.95, II 1.00, III 0.81, IV 1.11. Leg spination. Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0–1; ti: I, II vsp 6–7; mt: III plt 0 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 1–2 rlt 1. Coloration. Carapace and legs yellow ochre; sternum and chelicerae yellow. Abdomen greyish yellow with a median longitudinal lighter stripe on the anterior half. Genitalia. Epigyne a transversal slit with an elongated hole, coinciding with ID entrances, at each end (fig. 9m). Vulva: ID short and almost straight, running in posterior direction; entrance associated with glandular structure connected with the lumen through a series of pores. Spermathecae gourd shaped, very large (fig. 35c).

VARIABILITY: The number of fe IV terminal spines, mt IV vt spines (1 or 2) and tibial vsp (6 or 7) in females are variable.

DISTRIBUTION: Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, Uzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, elev. 1600–1800 m.

Figures

Map 2. Distribution of Hortipes species in Tanzania. Hortipes angariopsis z, H. bjorni v, H. castor •, H. creber h, H. cucurbita ^, H. delphinus., H. exoptans, H. fastigiensis #, H. narcissus Δ, H. leno, H. libidinosus * H. mulciber, H. ostiovolutus n, H. platnicki D, H. pollux O, H. salticola V, H. scharffi, and H. stoltzei y.

Fig 35. a. Hortipes hormigricola, new species, vulva, ventral view. b. Hortipes anansiodatus, new species, vulva, ventral view. c. Hortipes exoptans, new species, vulva, ventral view. Scale line: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 9. a. Hortipes platnicki, new species, epigyne. b–e. Hortipes pollux, new species. b. Male palpal pa and ti, dorsal view. c, d. Male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. e. Epigyne. f–i. Hortipes castor, new species. f. Male palpal pa and ti, dorsal view. g, h. Male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. i. Epigyne. j–l. Hortipes salticola, new species. j, k. Male right palp, ventral and retrolateral views. l. Epigyne. m. Hortipes exoptans, new species, epigyne. Scale lines: 0.25 mm.

Fig. 10. a–c. Hortipes fastigiensis, new species. a, b. Male left palp, ventral and retrolateral views. c. Epigyne. d–f. Hortipes ostiovolutus, new species. d, e. Male right palp, ventral and retrolateral views. f. Epigyne. g, h. Hortipes exoptans, new species, male right palp, ventral and retrolateral views. i–k.