Iranattus principalis ( Wesołowska, 2000 )

Marathe, Kiran, Tripathi, Rishikesh, Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil V. & Maddison, Wayne P., 2024, Phylogenomic placement and revision of Iranattus Prószyński, 1992 jumping spiders (Salticidae, Plexippini, Plexippina), Zoosystematics and Evolution 100 (2), pp. 531-542 : 531-542

Iranattus principalis ( Wesołowska, 2000)

Figs 2 – 7 , 8 – 13 , 14–19

Monomotapa principalis Wesołowska, 2000: 160, 42 – 46.

Monomotapa principalis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2011: 581, 96 – 98, 229 – 230.

Iranattus principalis Prószyński, 2017: 36, 14 K, 17 F (transferred from Monomotapa).

Iranattus principalis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2022: 47, 29 A – D, 30 A – D.

Materials examined.

In NHMUK, lacking complete labels. These are likely from Parc Nacional Banco, Côte d’Ivoire (see “ Materials examined ” for explanation). 2 ♀♀ ( PNB 21 ) • 1 ♂ 1 ♀ ( PNB 146 ) • 3 ♀♀ ( PNB 156 ) • 2 ♀♀ ( PNB 159 ) • 2 ♂♂ ( PNB 167 ) • 2 ♀♀ ( PNB 181 ) • 1 ♂ 1 ♀ ( PNB 192 ) • 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ ( PNB 203 ) .

Diagnosis.

Larger than I. rectangularis , with an almost ovoid tegulum with a less prominent shoulder, RTA slightly bent near the tip (Figs 10 , 11 ), and a multi-chambered spermatheca sandwiched between copulatory ducts dorsally and the epigynal plate ventrally.

Description.

♂ ( DDKM 21.089). Measurements: Carapace 2.2 long, 2.1 wide. Abdomen length 1.7; width 1.4. Leg measurements: I – 11.2 (3.4, 2.2, 2.4, 1.8, 1.3); II – 10 (2.8, 2, 2.4, 1.5, 1.2); III – 16.6 (6.3, 2.9, 3.2, 2.5, 1.7); IV – 10.1 (3.7, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.3). Leg formula III-IV-II-I. Carapace wider than abdomen. Ocular area shaped like an isosceles trapezoid, narrow at the anterior eye row and wide at the PLEs. PLEs on tubercles. Thoracic area slopes acutely downward behind ocular area. Ocular area anteriorly golden yellow, and remaining carapace dark brown. Lateral sides posteriorly and back sparsely covered with pale hairs. Clypeus narrow, yellowish-brown sparsely covered with hairs. Chelicerae vertical, narrow, yellowish brown. Palp (Figs 2 – 5 , 8 – 11 ): Embolus medium-long, starting at 7 o’clock. RTA stout, short with blunt tip. Cymbium extends retrolaterally to form scoop-shaped apophysis. Tegulum prolaterally rounder; retrolaterally slightly angular at distal and proximal edges. Legs: III femur distinctly long. Femur golden yellow, distal segments yellowish-brown. Abdomen narrow, ovoid. Golden yellow with less prominent transverse pale bands. Spinnerets yellowish.

♀ ( DDKM 21.090). Measurements: Carapace 5.1 long, 5.1 wide. Abdomen length 6.4; width 4.8. Leg measurements: I – 11.7 (3.8, 1.8, 2.7, 2.1, 1.3); II – 11.6 (3.3, 2.8, 2.4, 1.8, 1.3); III – 19.7 (6.9, 3.3, 4.7, 3.1, 1.8); IV – 11.4 (2.9, 2.1, 2.3, 2.6, 1.5). Leg formula III-I-II-IV. Carapace shape similar to male, width about same as abdomen. Brown, sparsely covered with pale hairs. Clypeus similar to male. Chelicerae similar to male. Legs similar to male. Abdomen ovoid, bulky, yellowish, covered with brown hairs, and more posteriorly. Spinnerets yellowish. Epigyne (Figs 6 , 7 , 12 , 13 ): Medially located copulatory opening flanked by conical-shaped ECP.

Natural history.

Wesołowska and Russell-Smith (2022) report Iranattus principalis as collected from the branches of savannah shrubs. G. Azarkina (pers. comm.) has seen material of this species from canopy fogging in tropical savannas in Cameroon (2 ♀ 8.40 ° N, 12.80 ° E) and Côte d’Ivoire (1 ♀ 8.40 ° N, 12.80 ° E; 2 ♂ 2 ♀ 8 ° 44 ' N, 3 ° 49 ' W) in the Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale, collected from the trees Cola laurifolia , Combretum fragrans , Anogeissus leiocarpus , and Crossopteryx febrifuga .

Distribution.

Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon.

Figures

Figures 2 – 7. Iranattus principalis genitalia drawings. 2. Male left palp, ventral view (DDKM 21.089); 3. Ditto, oblique view (DDKM 21.089); 4. Ditto, oblique view, closeup of the cymbial apophysis (DDKM 21.089); 5. Ditto, retrolateral view (DDKM 21.089); 6. Epigyne, ventral view (DDKM 21.090); 7. Vulva, dorsal view (DDKM 21.089). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figures 8 – 13. Iranattus principalis genitalia photographs. 8. Male left palp, ventral view (DDKM 21.089); 9 Ditto, retrolateral view (DDKM 21.089); 10. Ditto, oblique view (DDKM 21.089); 11. Ditto, retrolateral view (DDKM 21.089); 12. Epigyne, ventral view (DDKM 21.090); 13. Vulva, dorsal view (DDKM 21.089). ECP, epigynal coupling pocket. CO, copulatory opening. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Arrows in Figs 10 and 11 point to the scoop-shaped retrolateral cymbial apophysis.

Figures 14 – 19. Iranattus principalis habitus. 14. Male, dorsal view (DDKM 21.089); 15. Ditto, lateral view (DDKM 21.089); 16. Ditto, ventral view (DDKM 21.089); 17. Female, dorsal view (DDKM 21.090); 18. Ditto, lateral view (DDKM 21.090); 19. Ditto, ventral view (DDKM 21.090). Scale bars: 1 mm. Arrows in Figs 15 and 18 point to the long third legs.