Smeringopina mayebout, Huber, Bernhard A., 2013

Huber, Bernhard A., 2013, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Guineo-Congolian spider genus Smeringopina Kraus (Araneae, Pholcidae, Zootaxa 3713 (1), pp. 1-160 : 42-43

Smeringopina mayebout new species

Figs. 638–642 , 682–683 , 696 , 744–749

Type. ♂ holotype from Gabon, Ogooué-Ivindo, Monts de Belinga , forest near Mayebout (1°06.7’N, 13°06.6’E), 500 m a.s.l., 13.–14.viii.2011 (B.A. & S.R. Huber), in ZFMK (Ar 10291).

Other material examined. GABON: Ogooué-Ivindo: Monts de Belinga , forest near Mayebout , same data as holotype, 2♂ 6♀ 1 juv. in ZFMK (Ar 10292); same data, 1 juv. in pure ethanol (identity uncertain, possibly S. ogooue ), in ZFMK (Gab 195).

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (large species with long abdomen, cone-shaped modified hairs on male chelicerae, embolus with sclerotized proximal part) by combination of unmodified clypeus, shape of massive procursus (with ventro-distal apophysis; entire procursus similar S. simintang but more slender, Figs. 744– 745 ), sclerotized proximal part of embolus with distinct prolateral projection ( Figs. 641 , 747 ), relatively large modified hairs on male chelicerae ( Fig. 746 ; similar only in S. ebolowa ), and slightly angular anterior epigynal plate (in lateral view; Fig. 683 ).

Male (holotype). Total body length 7.5, carapace width 2.0. Leg 1: 73.8 (17.3 + 0.8 + 16.9 + 35.5 + 3.3), tibia 2: 11.5, tibia 3: 7.9, tibia 4: 10.5; tibia 1 L/d: 87. Distance PME-PME 210 µm, diameter PME 195 µm, distance PME-ALE 90 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 175 µm. Carapace ochre-yellow with brown mark posteriorly and wide brown lateral margins; ocular area brown, clypeus lower half darkened, sternum dark brown; legs light brown, dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct dark pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 638–639 , ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus unmodified except slightly longer hairs; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 746 , with lateral proximal apophyses and strong distal apophyses, the latter and frontal cheliceral face provided with large modified (cone-shaped) hairs. Palps as in Figs. 640–642 ; coxa unmodified; trochanter with simple retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral pocket bordered retrolaterally by strong sclerotized ridge, with small retrolateral apophysis, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint very prominent and strongly shifted toward ventrally (hidden by bulb in Fig. 640 ); tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally; procursus with distinct hinge between proximal and distal part, distally complex ( Figs. 744–745 ); bulb with widened and heavily sclerotized proximal part of embolus with distinct prolateral projection ( Figs. 641 , 747 ). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible.

Variation. Tibia 1 in two other males: 15.5, 16.5.

Female. In general similar to male. Tibia 1 in 5 females: 12.3–13.5 (mean 13.1). Epigynum large, consisting of wide, roughly triangular anterior plate slightly angular in lateral view and large posterior plate ( Figs. 682–683 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 696 and 749 .

Natural history. S. mayebout was found to share the forest at Mayebout with the superficially similar and widely distributed S. ogooue . While S. mayebout was rather found in hollow trees and cavities in the ground, S. ogooue was collected among tree buttresses.

Distribution. Known from type locality only ( Fig. 627 ).

Figures

FIGURE 627. Known distribution of the beninensis species group.

FIGURES 638 – 647. Smeringopina mayebout n. sp. (638 – 642) and S. simintang n. sp. (643 – 647). 638 – 639, 643 – 644. Males, dorsal and ventral views. 640 – 642, 645 – 647. 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 744 – 749. Smeringopina mayebout n. sp. 744 – 745. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 746. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 747. Left embolus, prolateral view. 748. Epigynum, ventral view. 749. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.5.