Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri, SELTER & WESOŁOWSKA, 2015

Michael Seiter & Wanda Wesolowska, 2015, Two new Thiratoscirtus species from Gabon (Araneae, Salticidae, Thiratoscirtinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 123, pp. 1-9 : 2-5

Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:69137100-27F6-42ED-8FD0-65BCAA296BA3

Figs 1–3

Differential diagnosis

The male is distinctive in having a long anterior lobe of the bulb and in the presence of large terminal apophysis. An anterior lobe of the bulb is also present in T. perspicuus Wiśniewski & Wesołowska, 2013 , but in the latter species it is clearly smaller and the embolus of that species is more delicate than in T. oberleuthneri sp. nov. The habitus of the newly described species is similar to that of T. torquatus Simon, 1903 .

Etymology

The species name is a patronym dedicated to Anton Oberleuthner, who assisted during the field trip in Gabon.

Type material

Holotype

GABON: ♂, close to Midzic, 0°49.781’ N, 11°29.395’ E, 329 m a.s.l., handcatch, 10–25 Feb. 2011, leg. M. Seiter ( NHMW 21938 ) .

Description

Dimensions

Cephalothorax: length 3.3, width 2.6, height 1.8. Abdomen: length 3.4, width 1.8. Eye field: length 1.5, anterior width 2.3, posterior width 2.1.

Male

General appearance as in Fig. 1 A–B. Carapace oval, moderately high with gently sloping posterior part, fovea sulciform, clearly visible. Eye field occupies almost half of carapace’s length, distance between anterior lateral eyes slightly larger than between posterior laterals. Ocular area dark brown, almost black near eyes, thoracic part light brown anteriorly, darkening to black at margins, striae radiating from fovea. Carapace covered with fine light hairs, denser and longer on anterior part of eye field, a few long brown bristles near anterior row of eyes and laterally from eye field. Clypeus low, brown. Chelicerae large, with two teeth on promargin and single larger tooth on retromargin. Mouth parts brown. Sternum light brown, darker at edges. Abdomen slightly elongated, narrower than carapace, blackish with mosaic of small light dots, along dorsum wide serrated yellowish white band, tinged with brown anteriorly, sigilla visible. Venter dark grey, with four lines formed by light dots. Dorsum of abdomen covered with dense short brown hairs, with admixture of white in anterior part, a few brown bristles on anterior edge. Spinnerets black. Legs generally brown with yellowish transverse stripes: coxae and trochanters pale yellow, femora dark brown with two light rings, patellae light at base but dark distally, tibiae brown with median light ring, metatarsi as patellae, tarsi light. Hairs on legs brown. Spination of leg I: femur 0-1-1 dorsally, patella with one spine on pro- and retrolateral side, tibia 1-1 retrolaterally and 2-1-2 ventrally, metatarsus 1-1 pro- and retrolaterally and 2-2 ventrally. Pedipalp dark brown, clothed in dense long brown hairs, especially on prolateral side of tibia and prolaterally at tip of cymbium ( Fig. 1 C). Bulb with very long anterior membranous protuberance curtaining embolus ( Figs 1 C, 2 A), long terminal apophysis prolaterally from embolus ( Fig. 2 A–B), tibial apophysis long ( Fig. 2 B–D), cymbium narrow ( Fig. 2 D).

Female

Unknown.

Distribution

This species is known only from the type locality in Gabon.

Habitat

The habitat is typical of a lowland rainforest in Gabon: sunlit, temperature around 33°C and high humidity. The specimen was found on the underside of a leaf in the vicinity of a small river ( Fig. 3 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov., holotype, male. A. General appearance, dorsal view. B. General appearance, lateral view. C. Palp, ventral view. Scale bars: A – B = 1 mm, C = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 2. Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov., holotype, palpal organ. A. Ventral view. B. Ventrolateral view. C. Lateral view. D. Dorsal view. Scale bar for all figures = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 3. Natural habitat of Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov. in Midzic, Gabon (photo by A. Lamboj).