Smeringopina beninensis Kraus, 1957

Huber, Bernhard A., 2013, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Guineo-Congolian spider genus Smeringopina Kraus (Araneae, Pholcidae, Zootaxa 3713 (1), pp. 1-160 : 45

Smeringopina beninensis Kraus, 1957

Figs. 653–657 , 688–689 , 699 , 778–784

Smeringopina beninensis Kraus 1957: 236 –237, figs. 59–63.

Types. ♂ holotype 1♀ paratype from Benin, locality not further specified, 1907 (Manger), in ZMH, examined.

Other material examined. BENIN: Niaouli (6°44’N, 2°08’E), 20.xi.2008 (S. Tchibozo), 1♂ 2♀ in ZFMK (Ar 10297).

NIGERIA: Agege, Lagos Colony [6°37.2’N, 3°19.8’E], 5.xii.1948 (B. Malkin), 2♂ 5♀ 6 juvs. in AMNH. Iseri, Lagos Colony [6°32.4’N, 3°15.0’E], 27.–30.xii.1948 (B. Malkin), 2♂ 6♀ 4 juvs. (2 vials) in CAS.

Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from known congeners by unique long median projection on male clypeus ( Fig. 778 ); also by massive procursus with long distal apophysis ( Figs. 779–780 ), by strong pointed projection of basal sclerotized part of embolus ( Fig. 781 ), and by shape (longer than wide) and massive anterior protrusion of epigynum ( Figs. 688–689 , 783 ).

Male ( Benin, Niaouli). Total body length 10.2, carapace width 2.1. Leg 1: 84.2 (19.3 + 0.8 + 19.2 + 41.3 + 3.6), tibia 2: 12.9, tibia 3: 8.9, tibia 4: 11.7; tibia 1 L/d: 99. Distance PME-PME 170 µm, diameter PME 205 µm, distance PME-ALE 90 µm, distance AME-AME 35 µm, diameter AME 185 µm. Carapace ochre-orange with brown triangular mark posteriorly, brown lateral margins, whitish around ocular area; ocular area posteriorly brown, clypeus only laterally darker, sternum dark brown; legs ochre-yellow, slightly darker rings subdistally on femora and in patella area; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct black pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 653–654 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus with long median projection carrying at its slightly bifid tip some modified (claw-shaped) hairs ( Fig. 778 ); deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 782 , with lateral proximal apophyses and large distal apophyses, the latter and frontal cheliceral face provided with many modified (cone-shaped) hairs. Palps as in Figs. 655–657 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with simple retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral pocket bordered retrolaterally by strong sclerotized ridge, without prolateral and retrolateral projections; prolateral femur-patella joint very prominent and strongly shifted toward ventrally; tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally; procursus with distinct hinge between proximal and distal part, with distinctive long process distally ( Figs. 779–780 ); bulb with heavily sclerotized proximal part of embolus with strong pointed projection ( Fig. 781 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs (many hairs missing), retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible. Gonopore with two epiandrous spigots.

Variation. In most males (and in holotype) tip of clypeus projection not bifid. Tibia 1 in male from Agege: 19.9; missing in other males (femur 1 in holotype: 18.9).

Female. In general similar to male but clypeus unmodified; sternum and clypeus variably dark. Tibia 1 in 8 females: 13.7–16.0 (mean 14.9); in paratype: 15.2. Epigynum large, consisting of long anterior plate with massive anterior protrusion carrying pair of small pointed projections and large posterior plate ( Figs. 688–689 , 783 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 699 and 784 .

Distribution. Known from southern Benin and southwestern Nigeria ( Fig. 627 ).

Figures

FIGURE 627. Known distribution of the beninensis species group.

FIGURES 648 – 657. Smeringopina belinga n. sp. (648 – 652) and S. beninensis Kraus (653 – 657). 648 – 649, 653 – 654. Males, dorsal and ventral views. 650 – 652, 655 – 657. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views.

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.

FIGURES 694 – 702. Cleared female genitalia in dorsal view, beninensis group. 694. Smeringopina ebolowa n. sp. 695. S. essotah n. sp. 696. S. mayebout n. sp. 697. S. simintang n. sp. 698. S. belinga n. sp. 699. S. beninensis Kraus. 700. S. kribi n. sp. 701. S. sahoue n. sp. 702. S. tchimbele n. sp.

FIGURES 778 – 784. Smeringopina beninensis Kraus. 778. Male clypeus and ocular area, oblique frontal view. 779 – 780. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 781. Left embolus, prolateral view. 782. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 783. Epigynum, ventral view. 784. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.5 (778 – 782), 1.0 (783 – 784).