Geraesta hirta Simon, 1889

Benjamin, Suresh P., 2015, On the African crab spider genus Geraesta Simon, 1889 (Araneae: Thomisidae), African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 309-309 : 313-315

Geraesta hirta Simon, 1889

Figs 9–11, 16 Geraesta hirta Simon, 1889: 7 , 225, figs 3–4; Benjamin 2011: 16, figs 7f, 39a–e, 40a–f, 41a–f; RamÍreZ

2014: 223, figs 151a–b, 172f. Geraesta bilobata Simon, 1897: 7 , fig. 5. Diagnosis: Males of G. hirta can be distinguished from congeners by the combined presence of the following characters: spiniform C with an acute tip, spoon-like MA with a tapered stalK, and an elongated filiform E that winds 0.5× around the tegulum.

Description: See Benjamin (2011).

New records: COMOROS: Grande Comore: Tsinimouapanga, Noumamilima , 11°50'S 43°26'E, 780 m, 1.vi.2003, leg. R. JocqUé & D. van den Spiegel, forest, beating, 1♀ (MRAC 239300); DjoUmoUadjongo, 11°48'S 43°17'E, 268 m, 30.v.2003, leg. R. JocqUé & D. van den Spiegel, forest, 1♀ (MRAC 239296); La Grille, S. de Ivembeni, Ferme GP, 11°27'S 43°20'E, 825 m, 22.Xii.1983, leg. R. JocqUé, sieving, 1♂ (MRAC 239301). MADAGASCAR: Toamasina Province: Station Forestière Analamazaotra, administered by Mitsinjo, 0.75 km N of Andasibe, 18°55.783'S 48°24.696'E, 964 m, 31.i–3.ii.2009, leg. C. Griswold et al., general collecting day and night, primary montane rainforest, 1♀ (CAS, CASENT 9035910); Same label data as previoUs, 1♂ 1♀ (CAS, CASENT 9035911); Same label data as previoUs, 1♂ 1♀ (CAS, CASENT 9035912) .

Distribution: Previously known only from Madagascar, recorded from the Comoros for the first time.

Figures

Figs 9–16.(9, 10, 11, 16) Geraesta hirta Simon,1889 and(12–15) G.congoensis (Lessert,1943), male from Côte d’Ivoire, MRAC 239297 (12) and syntypes, MRAC 239288 (13–15): (9, 10, 12–14) habitus, dorsal; (11) left palp, ventral view; (15) right palp, ventral view; (16) epigynum, ventral view.Scale bars: (11, 16) = 0.2 mm, (15) = 0.5 mm, (9, 10, 13, 14) = 1.0 mm, (12) = 2.0 mm.