Smeringopus atomarius Simon, 1910

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2012, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 3461 (1), pp. 1-138 : 83-85

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.5256541

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FBB532-FFD7-1757-FF6A-0D2E399CFB13

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Smeringopus atomarius Simon, 1910
status

 

Smeringopus atomarius Simon, 1910 View in CoL

Figs. 432–433 View FIGURES 424–437 , 442 View FIGURES 438–450 , 453–454 View FIGURES 451–458 , 469–470 View FIGURES 459–474 , 505–508 View FIGURES 505–513 , 520–525 View FIGURES 514–525

Smeringopus atomarius Simon 1910: 190–191 View in CoL . Kraus 1957: 229–230, figs. 46–52.

Types. 1♀ syntype (?) from Botswana, Kalahari, no date (L. Schultze), in MNHN ( AR 10491 View Materials ), examined. GoogleMaps Unspecified number of female syntypes from Namibia, Erongo Region, Rooibank near Walvis Bay [23°10.7’S, 14°39.0’E] and GoogleMaps Otjimbingwe [22°21.3’S, 16°08.0’E] and from Botswana, Kgalagadi District, GoogleMaps Lehututu [23°54.9’S, 21°49.7’E] GoogleMaps and Kang [23°40.8’S, 22°47.0’E], not examined (not in MNHN) GoogleMaps .

Notes. Simon (1910) based his description on females from Namibia and Botswana and did not designate a holotype. Slight differences in epigynum shape among the specimens examined suggest that two species might be involved. I follow Kraus (1957) in considering the Namibian specimens as S. atomarius , but further collecting (especially of males in Botswana) is necessary to solve this problem.

I have not seen the female from Neudamm ( Namibia, 22°30’S, 17°22’E) assigned by Kraus (1957) to S. hypocrita but the distribution patterns in this species group ( Fig. 475 View FIGURE 475 ) strongly suggest that it was in fact S. atomarius .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners by shapes of procursus (distal structures, Fig. 505 View FIGURES 505–513 ), bulb (processes of embolus, Figs. 506, 507 View FIGURES 505–513 ; similar S. uisib ), cheliceral apophyses (similar S. sederberg and S. hypocrita ; cf. Figs. 478, 479 View FIGURES 476–486 ), shape of epigynum ( Fig. 469 View FIGURES 459–474 ; wide plate with small round pockets; similar S. uisib ), and spotted leg femora (not only proximally as in S. uisib ).

Male (Windhoek, CAS). Total body length 4.8, carapace width 1.6. Leg 1: 44.4 (11.7 + 0.7 + 10.6 + 19.5 + 1.9), tibia 2: 7.6, tibia 3: 5.7, tibia 4: 8.5; tibia 1 L/d: 56. Habitus as in female (cf. Figs. 432, 433 View FIGURES 424–437 ). Carapace ochreyellow with brown median and lateral marks, clypeus with pair of dark stripes, sternum ochre-yellow with brown pattern, leg femora with many brown spots, femora and tibiae with whitish tips and dark subdistal rings, abdomen ochre-gray with indistinct dorsal and ventral pattern. Distance PME-PME 140 µm, diameter PME 140 µm, distance PME-ALE 45 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 140 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with small ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae similar S. hypocrita (cf. Figs. 478, 479 View FIGURES 476–486 ), apophyses slightly closer together and shorter; each apophysis with one modified hair at tip ( Fig. 520 View FIGURES 514–525 ). Palps as in Figs. 453 and 454 View FIGURES 451–458 , coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with distinct proximal rim, procursus with distinctive distal processes ( Fig. 505 View FIGURES 505–513 ; retrolateral view as in S. uisib , cf. Fig. 509 View FIGURES 505–513 ), bulb with distinctive complex embolus ( Figs. 506, 507 View FIGURES 505–513 ; very similar S. uisib ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 2.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1. Gonopore with two epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 523 View FIGURES 514–525 ); ALS with eight spigots each ( Fig. 524 View FIGURES 514–525 ).

Variation. Tibia 1 in 9 other males: 6.9–13.2 (mean 10.5).

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 11 females: 7.3–11.5 (mean 10.0). Epigynum a wide plate with pockets ( Figs. 469 View FIGURES 459–474 , 525 View FIGURES 514–525 ; very similar S. uisib ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 470 View FIGURES 459–474 and 508 View FIGURES 505–513 .

Distribution. Widely distributed in central Namibia ( Fig. 475 View FIGURE 475 ). Records from Botswana need to be checked. The females from Grootfontein assigned by Kraus (1957) to S. atomarius are here assigned to S. uisib .

Material examined. NAMIBIA: Khomas: Windhoek [22°34’S, 17°05’E], iii.1991 (V. & B. Roth), 1♂ 1♀ in CAS GoogleMaps ; same locality, date and collector not given, 3♂ 7♀ + juvs (4 vials) in SMF ( RII 3734 , 5970 View Materials , 6317 View Materials , 6618 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; same locality, 24.iv.–9.v.1911 (W. Michaelsen), 1♀ in ZMH GoogleMaps . Windhoek, Regenstein [22°43’S, 17°02’E], 9.xi. and 3.xii.1974 (3 vials) (S. Endrödy-Younga), 3♀ in TMP (18754, 18773, 18775) GoogleMaps . Hardap: 50 km E Gobabeb [~ 23°40’S, 15°25’E], in pitfall traps, iv.–vi.1979 (B. Wharton), 1♂ in CAS GoogleMaps ; same data but 28.iii.–22.iv.1979, 1♂ in CAS GoogleMaps . Omaheke: Gobabis [22°27’S, 18°58’E], date and collector not given, 1♂ (only 1 palp, chelicerae missing) in SMF ( RII 5189 ) GoogleMaps . Otjozondjupa: Okahandja [21°59’S, 16°55’E], v.1955 (Gaerdes), 1♀ in SMF (RII 11728 ex RII 11056) GoogleMaps . Bona near Okahandja , 2.vi.1911 (W. Michaelsen), 1♂ 1♀ in ZMH . Erongo: Karibib [21°56’S, 15°51’E], 23.–26.iv.1911 (W. Michaelsen), 1♂ 2♀ 1 juv. in ZMH GoogleMaps .

SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape Prov.: Kalahari, Gemsbok Park [~ 25°55’S, 20°15’E], 4.ii.1987 (E.A. Ueckermann), 1♂ 2♀ 2 juvs in NCP (87/422) GoogleMaps .

BOTSWANA: Kgalagadi District: Kalahari , 1♀ syntype (?) above .

MNHN

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle

CAS

California Academy of Sciences

SMF

Forschungsinstitut und Natur-Museum Senckenberg

ZMH

Zoologisches Museum Hamburg

TMP

Transvaal Museum

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Smeringopus

Loc

Smeringopus atomarius Simon, 1910

HUBER, BERNHARD A. 2012
2012
Loc

Smeringopus atomarius

Kraus, O. 1957: 229
Simon, E. 1910: 191
1910
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