Smeringopus dehoop, 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 : 83

Smeringopus dehoop new species

Figs. 430–431 , 441 , 451–452 , 467–468 , 500–504

Type. Male holotype from South Africa, Western Cape Province, De Hoop National Reserve (34°22.5’S, 20°32.0’E), Potberg, Eucalyptus forest, searching under bark, 6.iv.2004 (C. Haddad), in NCP .

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

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from similar congeners by shapes of procursus (prolateral flap and other distal structures, Figs. 500, 501 ) and bulb (processes of embolus, Figs. 502, 503 ); from some close relatives also by cheliceral armature ( Fig. 441 ; similar S. uisib and S. peregrinus ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 8.3, carapace width 2.5. Leg 1: 49.9 (13.7 + 1.1 + 12.7 + 19.7 + 2.7), tibia 2: 9.7, tibia 3: 7.9, tibia 4: 10.8; tibia 1 L/d: 42. Habitus as in Figs. 430 and 431 . Carapace ochre-yellow with brown median and lateral marks, clypeus with pair of black stripes, sternum dark brown with light marks, leg femora and tibiae with subdistal dark rings, abdomen with distinct dorsal and ventral pattern. Distance PME-PME 150 µm, diameter PME 175 µm, distance PME-ALE 80 µm, distance AME-AME 55 µm, diameter AME 140 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae with one pair of distal apophyses similar S. peregrinus (cf. Figs. 614, 615 ). Palps as in Figs. 451 and 452 , coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with distinct proximal rim, procursus with distinctive distal processes ( Figs. 500, 501 ), bulb with distinctive complex embolus ( Figs. 502, 503 ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1 and 2; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Gonopore with two epiandrous spigots.

Variation. Second male from type locality lighter but with same pattern. Males from Le Roux River with dark lines on clypeus reaching border of clypeus, and shapes of bulbal apophyses minimally different in dorsal view. Tibia 1 in 4 other males: 11.9, 14.7, 16.3, 17.7.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1: 10.1. Epigynum a simple plate with pair of pockets ( Fig. 467 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 468 and 504 .

Distribution. Known from two localities in southern South Africa ( Fig. 475 ).

Material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Prov.: De Hoop National Reserve : 1♂ type above; same data, 1♂ 1♀ 1 juv. in ZFMK (Ar 8507) . Le Roux River , 10 km W Cango Caves (33°30’S, 22°10’E), 4.ii.1991 (V. D. & B. Roth), 3♂ in CAS .

Figures

FIGURE 475. Known distribution of the hypocrita group. Squares: further undescribed species.

FIGURES 424–437. Smeringopus hypocrita group, habitus. 424–425. S. hypocrita, male, dorsal view and female, ventral view. 426–427. S. sederberg, male, dorsal and ventral views. 428–429. S. lotzi, male, dorsal and ventral views. 430–431. S. dehoop, male, dorsal view and female, ventral view. 432–433. S. atomarius, female, dorsal and ventral views. 434–435. S. uisib, female, dorsal and ventral views. 436–437. S. tombua, male, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 438–450. Smeringopus hypocrita group, male prosomata, oblique frontal views and left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views. 438. S. hypocrita. 439. S. sederberg. 440. S. ubicki. 441. S. dehoop. 442. S. atomarius. 443–444. S. hypocrita. 445–446. S. sederberg. 447–448. S. lotzi. 449–450. S. ubicki.

FIGURES 451–458. Smeringopus hypocrita group, left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views. 451–452. S. dehoop. 453–454. S. atomarius. 455–456. S. uisib. 457–458. S. tombua.

FIGURES 459–474. Smeringopus hypocrita group, epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 459–460. S. hypocrita. 461–462. S. sederberg. 463–464. S. lotzi. 465–466. S. ubicki. 467–468. S. dehoop. 469–470. S. atomarius. 471–472. S. uisib. 473–474. S. tombua.

FIGURES 494–504. Smeringopus ubicki (494–499) and S. dehoop (500–504). 494, 501. Left procursi, dorsal views. 495–496, 502–503. Left emboli, dorsal and prolateral views. 497–498. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 499, 504. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 500. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 609–616. Smeringopus peregrinus. 609. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. 610. Left procursus, prolateral view. 611–613. Left embolus, prolateral, dorsal, and ventral (slightly prolateral) views (arrow points to variable structure; see text). 614–615. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 616. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.