Pochyta pulchra ( Thorell, 1899 )

Wesołowska, Wanda & Szűts, Tamás, 2021, A revision of the genus Pochyta Simon, with descriptions of new species (Araneae: Salticidae: Thiratoscirtina), Zootaxa 5052 (1), pp. 1-41 : 25-29

Pochyta pulchra ( Thorell, 1899)

Figs 97–113

Viciria pulchra Thorell, 1899: 97 (D ♂).

Pochyta pulchra Simon, 1903d: 725 ; Prószyński 1984: fig. on p. 70.

Pochyta occidentalis Simon, 1902: 415 (D ♂), syn. n.

Type material. Holotype of V. pulchra , male: CAMEROON: Kitta , 4°20’N 9°24’E, 1891, leg. Sjöstedt ( NR 1797 ) . Holotype of P. occidentalis , male: GABON: without precise locality ( MNHN 20229 ) [MNHN-AR-AR15862] .

Other material examined. CAMEROON: without precise locality, 2♂ ( MNHN 22061 ) ; NIGERIA: Calabar, edge of Great Kwa river flood, 4°57′N 8°19′E, regrowth Raphia , on leaf, 1♂, 10.XII.1978, leg. J. Raid ( FSCA) ; 27 km N of Calabar, Akansoko road, 5°02’N 8°24’E, edge of mature rain forest, 1♂ 1 imm., 31.VIII.1980, leg. J. Raid ( FSCA) ; same locality, on aquatic vegetation, dry stream bed in rainforest, 1♂ 1♀, 26.I.1980, leg. J. Raid ( FSCA) ; GABON: Midzic , 0°50’N 11°29’E, 1♂, 22.II.2012, leg. M. Seiter ( NHMW, 21947) ; Estuaire, Mondah forest , 0°35’N 9°20’E, forest, 4♂ 3♀, 13.VI.2007, leg. W. Maddison, D. de Bakker, M. Bodner ( BBM) ; Estuaire, Cap Esterias , 0°37’N 9°20’E, beach, forest mangroves, 1♀, 24.VI.2007 ( BBM) ; Woleu-Ntem, Monts de Cristal, Tchimbélé , 0°38’N 10°23’E, stream valley, 2♂ 6♀, 19.VI.2007 ( BBM) ; same locality, 0°37’N 10°21’E, roadside, 2♂, 11.VI.2007 ( BBM) ; same locality, 0°37’N 10°24’E, forest, 600 m a.s.l., 5♂ 1♀, 10.VI.2007 ( BBM) ; Ngouniené, Waka Natural Park, near Oghoubi Camp , 1°07’S 11°05’E, 4♂ 9♀, 18.VI.2007 ( BBM) ; same data, 1♂ 1♀ ( MRAC) ; same locality, forest, clearings, 3♂ 7♀, 21.VI.2007 ( BBM) ; Waka Nat. Park , botanical garden, 1°08’S 11°09’E, 1♂ 2♀, 17-20.VI.2007 ( BBM) . All specimens from Gabon (except the first mentioned) collected by W. Maddison, D. de Bakker, M. Bodner.

Diagnosis. The male of this species is distinctive in having a unique form of the embolus, with a flag-shaped enlargement near its tip ( Figs 100 , 103 ). The female has an epigyne similar to that in P. fastibilis , but can be recognized by the very short seminal ducts vs very long in the latter species (compare Fig. 113 with Fig. 39 ).

Redescription. Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 2.4–3.1, width 1.9–2.4, height 1.3–1.6. Eye field: length 1.1–1.5, anterior width 1.7–2.1, posterior width 1.6–1.9. Abdomen: length 2.2–2.9, width 1.1–1.5. General appearance as in Fig. 97 . Carapace high, eye field brown, thoracic part dark yellow, sides dark brown. Eyes large, surrounded with black rings, anterior medians eyes framed with very small white scale-like hairs. Some delicate hairs on carapace, longer brown bristles near eyes. Clypeus with whitish hairs. Chelicerae large, with two small prolateral teeth and large retromarginal tooth ( Fig. 101 ). Endites and labium light brown to dark, sternum orange. Abdomen elongate, brown, with whitish-yellow median band, diffused posteriorly to adjacent patches ( Fig. 97 ). Spinnerets long, orange, with blackish ends. Legs light, whitish-yellow, with long femora. First leg longest, with numerous very long spines on ventral surfaces of tibia (four pairs) and on metatarsus (three pairs), shorter spines on lateral surfaces of these segments ( Figs 99 , 102 ). Single spine on prolateral surface of patella I. Pedipalp brown, with long hairs along prolateral surface its patella, tibia and cymbium. Tibia short ( Fig. 103 ) or very long ( Figs 104, 108 ), tibial apophysis short. Bulb oval, embolus broad basally, abruptly narrowing to thin tip ( Figs 103, 104, 107, 108 ).

Female. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 2.0–2.4, width 1.6–1.7, height 1.0–1.1. Eye field: length 1.0– 1.1, anterior width 1.5–1.6, posterior width 1.3–1.5. Abdomen: length 2.0–2.4, width 1.4–1.6. General appearance as in Fig. 98 . Slightly smaller than male. Carapace oval, broad, high, dark brown, with wide white streaks along lateral edges and large arrow-shaped patch on foveal area. Eyes large, surrounded by black rings. Carapace covered with fine hairs, few longer bristles at anterior eyes. Clypeus extremely low, some white hairs on it. Chelicerae dark brown, unidentati, with short fang. Endites and labium yellowish, sternum large, rounded, yellow. Abdomen oval, blackish, with pattern composed of yellow patches ( Fig. 98 ), clothed in delicate hairs, sparse brown bristles at anterior edge. Venter lighter than dorsum. Spinnerets yellowish-grey. Legs yellowish-orange, with grey marks, distal segments of legs I darker, leg hairs brown. Femora III and IV long. Tibia I with four pairs of long ventral spines, metatarsus with three pairs. Palp with long retrolateral tarsal spine. Epigyne with shallow depression divided by narrow elevated ridge ( Figs 110, 111 ). Two parallel troughs leading to copulatory openings ( Fig. 112 ), seminal ducts very short, spermathecae large, bean-shaped ( Figs 112, 113 ).

Distribution. Known from western Africa: Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon ( Fig. 159 ).

Remarks. The holotype of P. occidentalis differs from P. pulchra only in having of twice shorter palpal tibia. The length of this segment is very variable; among the specimens collected in Calabar area two individuals have short tibia, and one long. The majority of specimens have the palpal tibia medium-sized. Similar variation was observed also in other species, e.g. in Tusitala barbata Peckham & Peckham, 1902 and T. hirsuta Peckham & Peckham, 1902 (Wesołowska & Cumming 2008; Azarkina & Foord 2015). In our opinion these specific names are synonyms.

The female of this species is described here for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 159. Collecting localities of Pochyta pulchra (circle) and Pochyta major (square).

FIGURES 97–100. Pochyta pulchra (Thorell). 97 male, dorsal view; 98 female, dorsal view; 99 first leg of male; 100 palpal organ, ventral view.

FIGURES 101–109. Pochyta pulchra (Thorell) male. 101 chelicera; 102 first leg; 103, 104, 108 palpal organ, ventral view; 105 palpal organ, ventrolateral view; 109 palpal organ, lateral view; 106 tibial apophysis, dorsal view; 107 embolic division; 103 holotype of P. occidentalis.

FIGURES 110–113. Pochyta pulchra (Thorell) female. 110, 111 epigyne; 112, 113 internal structure of epigyne.

FIGURES 36–39. Pochyta fastibilis Simon female. 36, 37 epigyne; 38 internal structure of epigyne, dorsal view; 39 internal structure of epigyne, ventral view.