Chedimanops, Zonstein, Sergei L. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2017

Zonstein, Sergei L. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2017, Descriptions of the two-eyed African spider genera Chedimanops gen. n. and Hybosidella gen. n. (Araneae, Palpimanidae, Chediminae), African Invertebrates 58 (1), pp. 23-47 : 25-26

Genus Chedimanops gen. n.

Type species.

Chedimanops eskovi sp. n.

Etymology.

The generic name is combined from Chedima , the nominative genus of the Chediminae ( Palpimanidae ), resembling the studied genus habitually, and Nops , the well-known spider genus of the family Caponiidae , in which all members also have only two eyes. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis.

The new genus can be easily distinguished from all known genera of the Palpimanidae , except Hybosidella gen. n., by having only two eyes (all eyes except AME are lost, whereas other Palpimanidae have either 8 or 6 eyes). Chedimanops gen. n. can be distinguished from Hybosidella gen. n. by the shape of the thoracic fovea (a narrow bracket-shaped pit vs. a longitudinal groove), as well as by the structure of the abdominal scuta and the shape of male copulatory organ, and by possessing the characteristic mottled dorsal pattern of the abdomen (uniformly pale in Hybosidella gen. n.), etc. (cf. Figs 1-4, 6-10, 12, 32 and 41-43, 54, respectively). Male palp in Chedimanops gen. n. has a undivided claw-shaped process (Cp) of the embolic division (vs. a divided process with a different shape in Hybosidella gen. n. - cf. Figs 33-35, 49-52, 56-57 and 53, 64-66).

Description.

Body length 3.0-3.2 in males and 3.1-4.0 in females.

Carapace: very finely granulated, broad-oval in dorsal view and covered with fine setae - very small and appressed anteriorly and laterally, and with longer and thicker ones near the fovea. Cephalic part noticeably raised behind eye area in both sexes. Thoracic fovea narrow, transverse, converging and sharp-angled anteriorly, opened posteriorly (Figs 3, 4, 6, 12, 15). Two eyes, only AME present, other eyes lost. AME minute-sized, spaced by 0.4-0.7 of diameter and located on low tubercle. Clypeus 1.9-2.2 times higher than AME diameter (Figs 11, 13). Chelicerae downward-directed, slightly flattened frontally, twice longer than clypeus; stridulatory ridges absent; cheliceral furrow with several peg teeth (Figs 26-29). Sternum with fine reticulation; labium triangular with very deep median suture (Ms, Fig. 14), nearly as broad at base as it is long.

Legs: formula 1423. Leg cuticle almost smooth. Femur I considerably swollen in proximal part; patella as long as tibia, metatarsus and tarsus short and dilated. Tibia I subapically and metatarsus I with long (equal to width of these segments) and dense prolateral scopula. Leg tarsi straight and ascopulate. Claw tufts weakly developed. Leg tarsi with two narrow and dentate claws (Figs 23-25).

Abdomen: ovoidal, slightly extended anteriorly and obtuse posteriorly, with dorsal pattern of numerous small and dense light spots on darker background (Figs 1, 3, 4, 6-10). Abdominal scuta conforming a very short pedicel tube (Pt); posterior part of epigastral scutum in females with with strongly sclerotized margins, widely concave near epigastral furrow, without lateral extensions. In males, posterior lateral parts of epigastric scutum with extensions (Ee) longer than wide, posterior part near epigastrum with thin concavity. Ventral (postgastral) scutum (Ps) entire, strip-like in female. Males with 2 pairs of scuta, thin strip-like lateral scuta (PsL) and small median scuta (PsM). Spinneret group with weakly sclerotised ring encircling spinnerets. AMS small but well-developed; PMS and PLS reduced to a few sessile spigots in females, absent in males (see Fig. 22).

Male palp: short, femur slightly swollen, shorter or subequal in length to cymbium; patella small, as long as wide, thinner than femur; tibia wide, strongly widened, almost 2 times wider than femur, extended dorsally so that ventral side 2-4 times shorter than dorsal arch; cymbium 1.5-1.7 times longer than basal width, with basal 1/3 wide, and fingerlike distal 2/3; retrolateral-basal part with sparse scopula (Figs 49, 51, 56, 57, 59, 60). Bulb large, tegulum as long as wide and lacking any processes (Figs 33, 34, 50, 52, 56, 58). Embolic division (Figs 32, 35) imbedded into large tegular cavity (Tc, diameter almost equal to tegulum diameter); embolic division composed by large, heavily sclerotized claw-shaped process (Cp), with tip directed to the tip of cymbium, inner part of claw-shaped process with accompanying membrane (Am) fused at the base with large membranous process (Mp) slightly chitinized in prolateral part (Em?) possibly serving as embolus. Accompanying membrane with barbed tip (Bl) in Chedimanops eskovi sp. n. Sperm duct (spermophore) not evident.

Female copulatory organs: epigastral scuta concave near epigastral furrow, receptacles oval, clearly visible through integument (Figs 2, 5, 36, 39), and separated from one another shorter than their diamater. Vulva: receptacles large, closely spaced, inner part of receptacle (chamber, Ch) is half of size of entire receptacle; grape-shaped glands (Gg) large and numerous (8-12), each gland with at least 2 pores each bearing one cilium. Fine threads (Ft) long, in Chedimanops rwenzorensis sp. n., their tips with very fine glands (Fg).

Species included.

Chedimanops eskovi sp. n. and Chedimanops rwenzorensis sp. n.

Distribution.

The genus is currently known only from the far eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Rwenzori Mts.).

Key to species of Chedimanops gen. n.