Smeringopina armata (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 : 28

Smeringopina armata (Thorell, 1899)

Figs. 391–395 , 427–431

Smeringopus armatus Thorell 1899: 22 (♂).

Smeringopina armata: Kraus 1957: 234 –236, figs. 41–42 (♂).

Type. ♂ holotype from Cameroon, no further locality data, 1891 (Y. Sjöstedt), in NHRS (282), examined.

Other material examined. CAMEROON: Southwest Region: Mamfe [5°45’N, 9°19’E], 7.–11.i.1949 (B. Malkin), 1♂ in CAS.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (small species with male horns in ocular area) by modification of male clypeus ( Fig. 427 ; small median process and pair of longer processes at rim), male chelicerae ( Fig. 431 ; without modified hairs, without frontal ridges), and by shapes of procursus and embolus ( Figs. 428– 430 ).

Male (Mamfe). Total body length 4.1, carapace width 1.2. Leg 1: 10.4 + 0.5 + 11.0, metatarsus broken, tibia 2 missing, tibia 3: 5.0, tibia 4: 7.0; tibia 1 L/d: 96. Distance PME-PME 175 µm, diameter PME 135 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 105 µm. Carapace pale ochre with brown mark posteriorly and brown lateral margins; ocular area not darkened, clypeus distally slightly darkened, sternum brown; legs pale ochre, darker rings barely visible; abdomen ochre-gray with dark pattern dorsally, ventrally with pair of dark bands in posterior half and irregular spots in anterior half. Habitus as in Figs. 391–392 , ocular area slightly elevated, each triad on additional hump, with one pair of pointed horns above ALE ( Fig. 427 ), ‘pseudo-lenses’ not visible; clypeus with short (30 µm) median process and pair of longer (105 µm) processes at rim ( Fig. 427 ); deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 431 , with lateral proximal apophyses, without distal apophyses, without modified hairs. Palps as in Figs. 393–395 ; coxa with retrolateral apophysis; trochanter with short rounded retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur with weakly sclerotized retrolateral flap and large whitish area ventrally, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint strongly shifted toward ventrally; tarsus with some longer but only slightly stronger hairs dorsally; procursus without hinge, with brush of hairs retrolatero-ventrally near tip; bulb with distinctive embolus ( Fig. 430 ; sperm duct apparently opens near basis in membranous area). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs (most hairs missing), retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible.

Variation. Tibia 4 in holotype: 7.3 (tibia 1 missing). The holotype is in fair condition, entire specimen artificially gray, both palps and chelicerae detached, right palp missing (illustrated by Kraus 1957).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known from only one locality in Southwest Region, Cameroon (apart from unspecified type locality; Fig. 390 ).

Figures

FIGURE 390. Known distribution of the cornigera species group. Question marks denote unidentified females deposited in CAS (Bioko, probably new species) and ZFMK (southern Cameroon, possibly S. kala).

FIGURES 391 – 400. Smeringopina armata (Thorell) (391 – 395) and S. bamenda n. sp. (396 – 400). 391 – 392, 396 – 397. Males, dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. 393 – 395, 398 – 400. Left male palps, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views.

FIGURES 427 – 431. Smeringopina armata (Thorell). 427. Male clypeus and ocular area, oblique frontal view. 428 – 429. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views. 430. Left embolus, prolateral view. 431. Male chelicerae, frontal view. Scale lines: 0.3 (430), 0.5 (427 – 429, 431).