Smeringopina africana (Thorell, 1899)

Huber, Bernhard A., 2013, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Guineo-Congolian spider genus Smeringopina Kraus (Araneae, Pholcidae, Zootaxa 3713 (1), pp. 1-160 : 36-37

Smeringopina africana (Thorell, 1899)

Figs. 494–498 , 519–520 , 530 , 581–586

Smeringopus africanus Thorell 1899: 21 –22 (♀).

Smeringopina africana: Kraus 1957: 236 , figs. 43–45 (♀). Misidentification: Simon (1907); see S. etome n. sp. above.

Types. ♀ lectotype (designated by Kraus 1957) from Cameroon, no further locality data, 1891 (Y. Sjöstedt), in NHRS (284b), examined. Two probably misidentified juvenile (subadult male) paralectotypes (see Note below) from Cameroon, Kitta [4°39’N, 8°58.8’E], 1891 (Y. Sjöstedt), in NHRS (284a), examined.

Note. Considering the distributions of closely related species whose juveniles cannot be distinguished from those of S. africana ( S. etome , S. simplex , S. camerunensis ; Fig. 468 ), it seems quite probable that the juvenile paralectotypes are not conspecific with the female lectotype.

Other material examined. CAMEROON: South Region: between Kribi and Campo, “site 1” (2°42.2’N, 9°51.8’E), 10 m a.s.l., near ground, 10.iv.2009 (B.A. Huber), 5♂ 10♀ in ZFMK (Ar 10276); same data, 3♀ 2 juvs. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Cam 83). “Campo 2” [near Campo; 2°20’N, 9°52’E], forest, by hand, 11.iii.2004 (R. Jocqué), 1♂ in MRAC (214959).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (large species with long abdomen, cone-shaped modified hairs on male chelicerae, simple unbranched procursus) by shape of pointed procursus ( Figs. 581–582 ; similar S. bioko but without proximal ventral process), shapes of male cheliceral apophyses ( Fig. 584 ; similar S. camerunensis but distal apophyses not rounded), and anterior epigynal plate with distinctive central projection in lateral view ( Fig. 520 ; larger than in S. camerunensis ; similar to S. essotah whose epigynum is very different in ventral view, compare Figs. 519 and 680 ).

Male (between Kribi and Campo). Total body length 7.2, carapace width 1.6. Leg 1: 74.6 (17.1 + 0.7 + 16.7 + 36.9 + 3.2), tibia 2: 10.9, tibia 3: 7.7, tibia 4: 10.4; tibia 1 L/d: 114. Distance PME-PME 175 µm, diameter PME 150 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 30 µm, diameter AME 135 µm. Carapace ochre-yellow with brown mark posteriorly and brown lateral margins; ocular area posteriorly brown, clypeus distally brown, sternum dark brown; legs ochre-yellow, slightly darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct black pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 494–495 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus unmodified except longer than usual hairs; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 584 , with lateral proximal apophyses and distal apophyses with median process, distal apophyses and frontal cheliceral face provided with several modified (cone-shaped) hairs. Palps as in Figs. 496– 498 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral sclerotized ridge, without or with very indistinct shallow pocket, with barely visible retrolateral hump, low dorsal process proximally, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint shifted toward ventrally (though not extremely); tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally; procursus without or with extremely indistinct hinge between proximal and distal part, with pointed sclerotized tip ( Figs. 581–582 ); bulb with widened but weakly sclerotized proximal part of embolus ( Fig. 583 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible.

Variation. Number of modified hairs frontally on male chelicerae slightly variable (especially on frontal face: about 1–4) on each side. Tibia 1 in four other males: 14.0, 14.5, 14.7, 16.3.

Female. In general similar to male; clypeus with shorter hairs; clypeus variably dark. Tibia 1 in 10 females: 10.7–13.3 (mean 11.5). Epigynum relatively small, consisting of trapezoidal anterior plate with distinct central projection and large posterior plate ( Figs. 519–520 , 585 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 530 and 586 . The lectotype is in fair condition; tibia 1 missing; epigynal projection even more distinct than in newly collected specimens (cf. fig. 44 in Kraus 1957).

Natural history. At “site 1” between Kribi and Campo, this species was found together with the superficially very similar S. kribi . Both seemed to occupy the same microhabitat, i.e. sheltered spaces close to the ground.

Distribution. Known from two localities in southwestern Cameroon (apart from unspecified type locality; Fig. 468 ).

Figures

FIGURE 468. Known distribution of the simplex species group. The square in western Cameroon denotes the probably misidentified juvenile paralectotypes of S. africana (Thorell) from Kitta in NHRS.

FIGURES 489 – 498. Smeringopina etome n. sp. (489 – 493) and S. africana (Thorell) (494 – 498). 489 – 490, 494 – 495. Males, dorsal, ventral, and lateral views. 491 – 493, 496 – 498. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Arrow points at ventral sclerotized ridge.

FIGURES 509 – 524. Female abdomens in ventral and lateral views, simplex group. 509 – 510. Smeringopina camerunensis Kraus. 511 – 512. S. djidji n. sp. 513 – 514. S. ogooue n. sp. 515 – 516. S. bioko n. sp. 517 – 518. S. etome n. sp. 519 – 520. S. africana (Thorell). 521 – 522. S. simplex Kraus. 523 – 524. S. bwiti n. sp.

FIGURES 525 – 533. Cleared female genitalia in dorsal view, simplex group. 525. Smeringopina camerunensis Kraus. 526. S. djidji n. sp. 527. S. ogooue n. sp. 528. S. bioko n. sp. 529. S. etome n. sp. 530. S. africana (Thorell). 531. S. simplex Kraus. 532. S. bwiti n. sp. 533. S. luki n. sp.

FIGURES 581 – 586. Smeringopina africana (Thorell). 581 – 582. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 583. Left embolus, prolateral view. 584. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 585. Epigynum, ventral view. 586. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 (581 – 583), 0.5 (584 – 586).

FIGURES 678 – 693. Female abdomens in ventral and lateral views, beninensis group. 678 – 679. Smeringopina ebolowa n. sp. 680 – 681. S. essotah n. sp. 682 – 683. S. mayebout n. sp. 684 – 685. S. simintang n. sp. 686 – 687. S. belinga n. sp. 688 – 689. S. beninensis Kraus. 690 – 691. S. kribi n. sp. 692 – 693. S. sahoue n. sp.