Rhene punctatus, Wesołowska & Haddad, 2013

Wesołowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2013, New data on the jumping spiders of South Africa (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 54 (1), pp. 177-177 : 225-226

Rhene punctatus sp. n.

Figs 146–148

Etymology: From Latin punctus (a point), in reference to the dotted pattern on the abdomen.

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished by the abdominal pattern, comprising of a series of black dots on a pale brown dorsum. The structure of the male palp is similar to that in another southern African congener, R. lingularis , but differs in having a clearly longer tibial apophysis and by the shape of the membranous apophysis accompanying the embolus. Female unknown.

Description:

Male.

Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.8, width 1.8, height 0.8. Abdomen: length 2.1, width 1.8. Eye field: length 1.0, anterior width 1.2, posterior width 1.8.

Very flat, stocky, hairy spider. Carapace flat, very broad, almost square; carapace dark brown, densely clothed in long whitish hairs. Eye field large, trapezoid; first and second rows of eyes close to each other. Clypeus very low, brown. Chelicerae unidentate; labium and sternum dark brown, endites with slightly paler tips. Abdomen rounded, strongly flattened, its anterior edge extending over posterior part of carapace; abdomen pale brown, with numerous black dots scattered on whole dorsum and large trapezoid black patch in anterior part; dense white hairs cover abdomen. Venter dark brown. Spinnerets dark. First pair of legs blackish, metatarsi and tarsi lighter, distinctly thicker than others, their tibiae slightly swollen, with long dense hairs on ventral surface; legs II–IV orange, only femora darker, distal ends of remaining segments with a dark ring. Metatarsi of first legs with two pairs of ventral spines. Pedipalps dark; bulb large, very convex ( Fig. 146); embolus long and broad, linguliform, with large accompanying membranous conductor ( Fig. 146); palpal tibia short, with hooked apophysis, longer than in congeners ( Fig. 147); cymbium with basal retrolateral cavity corresponding to the tibial apophysis ( Fig. 148).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve, Rainbow Gorge , 28°56.982'S 29°13.874'E, 1400 m, base of grasses and ferns, 19.i.2011, C. Haddad (NCA, 2010/2719).

Distribution: Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 155).

Habitat and biology: Found close to the soil surface in Afromontane grassland.