Smeringopus roeweri Kraus, 1957

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2012, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 3461 (1), pp. 1-138 : 122-124

Smeringopus roeweri Kraus, 1957

Figs. 745–746, 749–750 , 757–758 , 765–773 , 791–800

Smeringopus roeweri Kraus 1957: 226–228 , pl. 21, figs. 23–27.

Type. Male holotype from Rwanda, no further data, in SMF ( RII 7770 ), examined .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar species with proximal and distal cheliceral apophyses ( S. carli , S. sambesicus , S. lubondai ) by shapes of procursus (distal blade-shaped apophyses, Figs. 765–767 ), bulb (processes of embolus, Figs. 768–770 ), and cheliceral apophyses ( Figs. 771, 772 ); from S. carli and S. sambesicus also by shorter frontal epigynal plate ( Fig. 757 ).

Male (Bendera). Total body length 6.9, carapace width 2.1. Leg 1: 51.3 (14.3 + 0.9 + 13.7 + 19.7 + 2.7), tibia 2: 9.9, tibia 3: 7.5, tibia 4: 10.1; tibia 1 L/d: 52. Habitus as in Figs. 745 and 746 . Carapace ochre-yellow with brown median and lateral marks, clypeus with pair of brown stripes, sternum brown with light marks near coxae 2–4 and more medially, legs light brown, tips of femora and tibiae lighter, darker rings on femora and tibiae distally and in patella area, abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dorsal and ventral pattern. Distance PME-PME 205 µm, diameter PME 175 µm, distance PME-ALE 60 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 170 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with small ‘pseudo-lenses’ ( Fig. 796 ); deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae as in Figs. 771 and 772 , with prominent proximal apophyses and small distal apophyses. Palps as in Figs. 749 and 750 , coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis and shallow wide furrow, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with ventrally distinct rim, procursus with distinctive distal blade-shaped processes ( Figs. 765–767 , 792, 793 ), bulb with distinctive complex embolus ( Figs. 768–770 , 794 ). 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 ( Fig. 795 ).

Variation. Tibia 1 in 41 males: 9.6–15.2 (mean 12.2). The holotype is in fair condition but chelicerae and right palp are missing; tibia 1 missing, tibia 2: 9.3; color pattern indistinct (light areas artificially darkened).

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 80 females: 8.4–13.2 (mean 9.8). Epigynum a simple plate, round pockets posteriorly deeper but also anteriorly with distinct rim ( Figs. 757 , 798 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 758 and 773 . ALS with eight spigots each ( Fig. 799 ); PMS with two spigots each ( Fig. 800 ). Females from Tatanda ( Tanzania) remind of S. peregrinus (anterior rim indistinct, pockets closer together) and are assigned tentatively.

Distribution. Known from Rwanda, southeastern Congo D.R. (Tanganyika), western Tanzania, and Malawi ( Fig. 718 ).

Material examined. RWANDA: 1♂ type above .

CONGO D.R.: Tanganyika Prov. : Terr. d’Albertville, Bendera [5°03’S, 28°54’E], 950 m a.s.l., in Macrotermes nest, x.1958 (N. Leleup), 2♂ 2♀ in MRAC (112886). Kapona [7°11.0’S, 29°08.7’E], iii.1966 (J. Bafort), 1♂ 2♀ 2 juvs. in MRAC (129785 part). Albertville [=Kalemie, 5°56’S, 29°11’E], 1959 (J. Verhoustraete), 1♂ 2♀ in MRAC (115067 part). Mpala , bord lac Tanganika [~ 6°44’S, 29°30’E], 11.vii.1953 (H. Bomans), 45♂ 79♀ in MRAC (75869–918).

TANZANIA: Rukwa Region: Sumbawanga Distr., Tatanda , 80 km S of Sumbawanga (8°29.6’S, 31°30.2’E), 1800 m a.s.l., around houses, 3.–4.ii.1997 (P.P. Bjørn, L. Sørensen), 2♂ 4♀ 1 juv. (females assigned tentatively; see above) in ZMUC .

MALAWI: Northern Region : Mzimba Distr., 10 mi N Mzimba [~ 11°45’S, 33°35’E], 1610 m a.s.l., 23.ii.1958 (E.S. Ross, R. E. Leech), 1♂ 1♀ in CAS . 41 mi N Mzimba [~ 11°30’S, 33°30’E], 1360 m a.s.l., 23.ii.1958 (E.S. Ross, R. E. Leech), 1♀ in CAS . Southern Region: Mpepwe near Monkey Bay [~ 14°05’S, 34°55’E], 24.ii.1976 (R. Jocqué), 1 ♀ in MRAC (148103).

Figures

FIGURE 718. Known distributions of the thomensis and roeweri groups. “?”: unknown type locality of S. roeweri in Rwanda. Squares: further undescribed species.

FIGURES 745–756. Smeringopus roeweri group, habitus and left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views. 745–746. S. roeweri, male, dorsal and ventral views. 747. S. lubondai, male, dorsal view. 748. S. carli, male, dorsal view. 749–750. S. roeweri. 751–752. S. lubondai. 753–754. S. carli. 755–756. S. sambesicus.

FIGURES 757–764. Smeringopus roeweri group, epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 757–758. S. roeweri. 759–760. S. lubondai. 761–763. S. carli. 764. S. sambesicus.

FIGURES 765–773. Smeringopus roeweri. 765. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. 766–767. Left procursus, prolateral and dorsal views. 768–770. Left embolus, prolateral, prolatero-ventral, and prolatero-dorsal views. 771–772. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 773. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 791–804. Smeringopus roeweri (791–800) and S. carli (801–804). 791. Male prosoma, frontal view. 792–793. Left procursus, prolateral and dorsal views. 794. Left embolus. 795. Male gonopore. 796. Male ocular area. 797. Cymbial macrotrichia. 798. Epigynum. 799. Female ALS. 800. Female PMS. 801. Epigynum. 802. Left palp, retrolateral view. 803–804. Male and female ALS. Scale lines: 20 µm (799–800, 803–804), 50 µm (797), 80 µm (792–793), 100 µm (794–795), 200 µm (796, 798, 801–802), 500 µm (791).