Stenaelurillus modestus Wesołowska, 2014

Logunov, Dmitri V. & Azarkina, Galina N., 2018, Redefinition and partial revision of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 (Arachnida, Araneae, Salticidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 430, pp. 1-126 : 81-84

Stenaelurillus modestus Wesołowska, 2014

Figs 352–368 , 513

Stenaelurillus modestus Wesolowska, 2014b: 608 , figs 8A–E (D♂ ♀); ♂ holotype in NCA, not examined.

Diagnosis

This species can easily be distinguished from all other described species of Stenaelurillus by the spiralled embolus, resembling that of the males in Phlegra species ( Figs 354–355 ), and by the characteristic deep notch of the rear edge of the epigynal plate in which the deep epigynal pocket is situated ( Fig. 359 ).

Material examined

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, KwaZulu-Natal Prov., uMkhuze GR, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, ca 27°40′ S, 32°15′ E, active search, 13 Jul.–2 Aug. 2008, X. Combrink leg. ( NCA 2011/2544, NCA 2011/2550);

2 ♂♂, same prov., Modimolle/Nylstroom Distr., Jubaweni GR, 24°46′ S, 28°44′ E, 1065 m a.s.l., base of grass tussocks, by hand, 6 Oct. 2012, C.R. Haddad leg. ( NCA).

Description

Male

Measurements: carapace: 2.20 long, 1.75 wide, 1.20 high. Abdomen: 2.00 long, 2.00 wide. Ocular area: 0.85 long, 1.40 wide anteriorly, 1.30 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.55. Clypeal height 0.25. Diameter of AME 0.40. Length of leg segments: I 1.10 + 0.50 + 0.60 + 0.50 + 0.40 (3.10); II 1.10 + 0.60 + 0.70 + 0.55 + 0.40 (3.35); III 1.50 + 0.80 + 0.90 + 1.10 + 0.60 (4.90); IV 1.50 + 0.70 + 0.80 + 1.10 + 0.65 (4.75). Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1-1-5; Tb pr 1-0, v 1-1-2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, rt 0-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 1-2-5; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. III: Fm d 1-2- 5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 2-2-0, pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 1-1-2ap. IV: Fm d 1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 2-2-0, pr 1-1-2ap, rt 1-0-2ap, v 0-2- 2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 361–363, 365 ). Carapace brown, with dark brown (almost black) eye field, dorsally with two narrow longitudinal stripes of white scales running from PLEs to the rear margin of the carapace; each side with a white spot of scales near coxae III. Sternum yellow-brown. Labium and endites brown. Chelicerae brown, covered with dark brown hairs. Clypeus and cheeks brown, with two transverse stripes of white hairs connecting cheeks and short symmetric narrow stripes of white hairs

originating from ALEs. Abdomen: dorsum dark brown, with three pairs of symmetric large lateral pale yellow spots (one pair on the anterior half and two others on the posterior one) and two paired dorsal median white spots; venter brown-yellow. Book-lung covers yellow-brown. Spinnerets: ventral pair yellow, dorsal pair brown. All legs dark brown. Palpal Fm and Pt brown, Tb and cymbium dark brown, covered with brown hairs. Palpal structure as in Figs 352–358 : VTA bulge-shaped; RTA straight, thornshaped; the cymbium simple, without a cymbial lateral process; the tegulum small, poorly marked, with a visible, finger-shaped tegular process (TP); the functional tegulum narrow-elongated, with welldeveloped proximal (PP) and distal (DP) projections; the embolus thick and spiralled, with a wide flat base (as in some Phlegra species).

Female

Measurements: carapace: 2.40 long, 1.90 wide, 1.30 high. Abdomen: 2.80 long, 2.65 wide. Ocular area: 0.85 long, 1.40 wide anteriorly, 1.40 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.50. Clypeal height 0.20. Diameter of AME 0.40. Length of leg segments: I 1.20 + 0.60 + 0.70 + 0.55 + 0.35 (3.40); II 1.20 + 0.70 + 0.70 + 0.50 + 0.45 (3.55); III 1.70 + 0.80 + 1.10 + 1.20 + 0.60 (5.40); IV 1.70 + 0.70 + 1.15 + 1.30 + 0.65 (5.50). Leg formula IV,III,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1-1-5; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, rt 0-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 1-1-5; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, rt 0-1ap, v 2-2ap. III: Fm d 1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 2-2-0, pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 0-2-2ap. IV: Fm d 1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 2-2-0, pr 1-1-2ap, rt 1-0-2ap, v 1-1- 2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 364, 366–368 ). Carapace brown, with dark brown eye field, dorsally with two longitudinal stripes of white scales running from PLEs to the rear margin of the carapace; sides of the thorax with marginal stripes of white scales. Clypeus and cheeks light brown, sparsely covered with short brownish hairs. Sternum brown-yellow. Endites and labium brown-yellow. Chelicerae brown. Abdomen: dorsum light brown, with a Y-shaped median brownish yellow stripe on its rear half; venter yellow. Book-lung covers yellow. Spinnerets brownish yellow. All legs and palps yellowish brown. Epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 359–360 ; the epigynal plate transverse-ovoid, its rear edge with a deep notch in which the narrow and deep epigynal pocket is situated; the copulatory openings widely separated, facing laterad; insemination ducts short, running towards each other and then joining and running distad (see also Wesołowska 2014b: fig. 8E); the primary spermathecae bean-shaped.

Distribution

A few localities in South Africa ( Fig. 513 ).

Figures

Figs 352–360. Stenaelurillus modestus Wesołowska, 2014, from South Africa (uMkhuze GR). 352. Male palp, ventral view. 353. Male palp, retrolateral view. 354–357. Embolic division. 354. Retrolateral view. 355. Dorsal view. 356. Median view. 357. Ventral view. 358. VTA and RTA, retrolateral view. 359. Epigyne, ventral view. 360. Spermathecae, dorsal view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 361–368. Stenaelurillus modestus Wesołowska, 2014, from South Africa (uMkhuze GR), general appearance. 361–363, 365. ♂. 364, 366–368. ♀. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 513. Collecting localities of six African species of Stenaelurillus Simon, 1885.