Bianor Peckham et Peckham, 1885

Logunov, Dmitri, 2009, Further notes on the Harmochireae of Africa (Araneae, Salticidae, Pelleninae), ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 265-290 : 270

Bianor Peckham et Peckham, 1885

Bianor is the largest genus of the Harmochireae, consisting of 21 valid species ( Table 1 ), with the majority of them occurring in the Ethiopian or Oriental Regions. Six additional species have uncertain taxonomic status or are invalid ( Table 2 ). In the light of findings of a new Bianor species from Madagascar and of new records of B. kovaczi from Botswana (see below), of which females are practically identical to those of B. albobimaculatus (cf. Figs 13-14 and figs 19-27, 36- 46 in Logunov 2001), it is worth reconsidering the taxonomic status of B. rusticulus Peckham et Peckham, 1903 (known from the ♀ holotype), which was synonymized with B. albobimaculatus by Logunov (2001). Yet, such reconsideration will only be possible pending collection of a series of both sexes from the type locality of B. rusticulus , given on the original label as ‘Clanwilliam, Cape Colony’.

With a few exceptions (e.g., B. biocellosus Simon, 1902 ), species of Bianor cannot be reliably diagnosed from the female copulatory organs alone because of a wide range of intraspecific variation (for details, see Logunov 2001: p. 222). Therefore, descriptions based on single females are hardly sufficient for proper diagnoses of Bianor species. Yet, such descriptions continue to appear ( Jastrzębski 2007; Wesołowska and van Harten 2002).

Figures

Figures 10-14. Bianor paulyi sp. n., male holotype (10-12) and female paratype (13-14). 10 left male palp, ventral view 11 ditto, retro-lateral view 12 left male chelicera, ventral view 13 epigyne, ventral view 14 spermathecae, dorsal view. (scale bars: 0.1 mm).