Smeringopus blyde, Huber, 2012

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2012, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 3461 (1), pp. 1-138 : 58

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3461.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0704C43A-73D8-4A28-915A-7FF8611C8606

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5256527

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FBB532-FFBC-173A-FF6A-08A53F40F806

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Smeringopus blyde
status

sp. nov.

Smeringopus blyde View in CoL new species

Figs. 252 View FIGURES 243–255 , 268–269 View FIGURES 268–277 , 288–289 View FIGURES 278–297 , 331–335 View FIGURES 327–335

Type. Male holotype from South Africa, Mpumalanga, Blyde River Canyon [~ 24°31’S, 30°48’E], “Botaniese Reservaat”, in house, under roof, 9.iv.2001 (D. van den Spiegel), in MRAC (211081 part) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (other species of the natalensis group, especially S. lesnei , S. natalensis , S. florisbad , S. koppies , S. harare , S. badplaas ) by shapes of bulbal processes ( Figs. 333, 334 View FIGURES 327–335 ); from other close relatives by absence of process near palpal tarsal organ ( Fig. 331 View FIGURES 327–335 ), relatively straight procursus (ventrally), absence of prolateral process on procursus tip, and three black lines ventrally on abdomen (versus two).

Male (holotype). Total body length 7.0, carapace width 2.2. Leg 1: 54.2 (14.1 + 0.9 + 14.0 + 22.7 + 2.5), tibia 2: 9.6, tibiae 3 and 4 missing; tibia 1 L/d: 66. Habitus similar S. koppies (cf. Figs. 245, 246 View FIGURES 243–255 ). Carapace ochre-yellow with distinct dark pattern (median, lateral, and submarginal marks), clypeus with pair of dark marks widening distally, sternum brown with light marks, legs with barely visible darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae, abdomen dorsally with distinct dark pattern, ventrally with three dark lines in median part (median line narrow but distinct). Distance PME-PME 150 µm, diameter PME 175 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 145 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with very indistinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae as in S. badplaas (cf. Figs. 314, 315 View FIGURES 310–316 ; just slightly larger). Palps as in Figs. 268 and 269 View FIGURES 268–277 , coxa without retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with distinct rim proximally, cymbium without projection near tarsal organ, procursus ventrally almost straight, without prolateral process at tip ( Figs. 331, 332 View FIGURES 327–335 ), bulb with three distinctively shaped processes ( Figs. 333, 334 View FIGURES 327–335 ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs ventrally on metatarsi 1 and 2, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1: 9.7 (missing in other females). Epigynum a simple plate without pockets ( Figs. 288 View FIGURES 278–297 ), possibly not clearly distinguishable from close relatives ( S. lesnei , S. natalensis , S. florisbad , S. koppies , S. harare , S. badplaas ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 289 View FIGURES 278–297 and 335 View FIGURES 327–335 (longer than in close relatives).

Distribution. Only known from type locality in eastern South Africa ( Fig. 299 View FIGURE 299 ).

Material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga: Blyde River Canyon: 1♂ holotype above; same data, 2♀ 5 juvs, in MRAC (211081 part) ; same locality but under rocks, 5.iv.2001 (R. Jocqué), 1♀ in MRAC (210166).

MRAC

Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Smeringopus

GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF