Pachyballus mombasensis, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Wiśniewski, 2020

Wesolowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Wisniewski, Konrad, 2020, A revision of Pachyballus Simon, 1900 and Peplometus Simon, 1900 (Araneae, Salticidae, Ballini) with descriptions of new species, ZooKeys 944, pp. 47-98 : 47

Pachyballus mombasensis sp. nov. Figures 68-74 , 195

Holotype.

Kenya • ♀; Diani Beach, 30 km S to Mombasa; 4°19'S, 39°34'E; 5-19.III.1970; T. Palm leg.; MEU.

Paratype.

Kenya • 1♂; together with the holotype; +3 imm.

Diagnosis.

The male is indistinguishable from the males of P. flavipes and P. castaneus by body colouration; it differs from P. castaneus in having a wider bulb and wide and low embolic coil (cf. Fig. 70 with Fig. 25 ); from P. flavipes it can be distinguished by the palpal tibial apophysis adpressed to cymbium, (protruding in P. flavipes ).The latter character requires verification though, as only single male of P. mombasensis is known. The female has relatively short copulatory ducts, forming only a single loop (Fig. 73 ).

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the type locality.

Description.

Male. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.1, width 1.5, height 0.5. Eye field: length 0.6, anterior width 1.1, posterior width 1.5. Abdomen: length 2.1, width 2.1.

Body flattened, integument strongly sclerotised, clearly pitted. Colouration of carapace dark brown, some bristles by the first row of eyes. Mouth parts brownish with lighter tips. Chelicera with three retromarginal teeth. Abdomen very flat, heart-shaped, dark brown, venter with typical scuta. First pair of legs brown, tibia short, slightly thickened, its dorsal part a little flattened, two pairs of ventral spines and dense dark setae. Other legs yellowish, only femora brownish. Palpal organ as in Figs 70 , 71 , embolic coil wide and low, tibial apophysis adpressed to cymbium.

Female. Measurements. Cephalothorax: length 1.3, width 1.5, height 0.5. Eye field: length 0.7, anterior width 1.1, posterior width 1.5. Abdomen: length 2.1, width 2.1.

General appearance as in Figs 68 , 69 . Similar to male, first pair of legs not stouter than others, palps dark. Posterior ventral scutum large. Epigyne with semicircular depression (Fig. 72 ). Internal structure as in Figs 73 , 74 , copulatory ducts clearly shorter than in congeners, spermathecae comparatively large, strongly sclerotised.

Immature specimens. As adults, dorsum of abdomen covered with one large scutum.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 195 ).

Figures

Figures 68 - 74. Pachyballus mombasensis sp. nov. 68 female, holotype, habitus, dorsal view 69 female, habitus, ventralal view 70 palpal organ, ventral view 71 palpal organ, lateral view 72 holotype, epigyne 73 internal structure of epigyne, ventral view 74 internal structure of epigyne, dorsal view.

Figures 193 - 198. Distribution maps of Pachyballus and Peplometus species. 193 circle - Pachyballus caelestis, square - P. castaneus, triangle - P. variegatus 194 P. flavipes 195 circle - P. miniscutulus, square - P. mombasensis, triangle - P. ornatus 196 P. transversus 197 circle - Peplometus biscutellatus, square - P. chlorophthalmus 198 circle - P. nimba, square - P. oyo, triangle - P. congoensis.

Figures 22 - 28. Pachyballus castaneus 22 cheliceral dentition 23 - 25 palpal organ, ventral view (24 specimen from Zimbabwe) 26 palpal organ, lateral view 27 epigyne 28 internal structure of epigyne.