Selenogyrus foordi, Sherwood & Henrard & Van Den Spiegel, 2024

Sherwood, Danniella, Henrard, Arnaud & Van Den Spiegel, Didier, 2024, Selenogyrus foordi, a new species and the first record of the subfamily Selenogyrinae Smith, 1990 from Guinea (Araneae, Theraphosidae), African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 37-48 : 37-48

Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov.

Material examined.

Holotype: Guinea • 1 ♂; Keoulanta , Mount Nimba, Guinea, (7 ° 42 ' 23 " N, 8 ° 20 ' 48 " W; 515 m a. s. l.; 20 / 11 / 2017; C. Allard, P. Bumou, A. Henrard, D. Van den Spiegel, A. Samoura, and M. Bamba leg.; NIMBA-2017-088 ; BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara.246088 .

Paratype: Guinea • 1 ♀; Seringbara , Mount Nimba, Guinea, 7 ° 40 ' N, 8 ° 26 ' W; 599 m a. s. l.; gallery forest; 09 / 10 / 2008; D. Van den Spiegel leg.; BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara.222490 .

Diagnosis.

Males of Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. aureus by the thinner apical taper of the embolus (embolus wider at apex in S. aureus ) and the presence of darkened femora and white markings on the distal third tibiae in vivo (femora with golden tinge and lacking white markings on the distal third of the tibiae in S. aureus ). Females of S. foordi sp. nov. can be distinguished from S. africanus , S. austini , and S. caeruleus by the medially flared receptacles of the spermathecae (not medially flared in S. africanus , S. austini , and S. caeruleus ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is an eponym honouring our colleague the late Stefan Foord (1971–2023), in recognition of his significant contributions to African arachnology, and in remembrance of his kind and collaborative spirit.

Description of holotype male

( BE _ RMCA _ Ara. 246088). Total length including chelicerae: 26.7. Carapace: (damaged) length 12.0, width 10.5. Caput: slightly raised. Ocular tubercle: (damaged during capture, not measurable). Eyes (interpreted in life): AME> ALE, ALE> PLE, PLE> PME, anterior eye row procurved, posterior row slightly recurved. Clypeus: narrow; clypeal fringe: long. Fovea: deep, procurved. Chelicera: length 4.3, width 1.8. Abdomen: length 10.4, width 6.4. Maxilla with 100–150 cuspules covering approximately 32 % of the proximal edge. Labium: length 1.2, width 1.5, with 200–220 cuspules most separated by 0.5–1.0 × the width of a single cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds: separate, raised. Sternum: length 4.9, width 3.6, with three pairs of sigilla. Tarsi I – II and IV fully scopulate, tarsus III missing (but confirmed undivided in paratypes examined). Metatarsal scopulae: I 85 %; II 78 %; III 43 %; IV 17 %. Lengths of legs and palpal segments: see Table 1 , legs 4, 1, 2, 3. Spination: femur I d 0–0 – 1, II d 0–0 – 1, palp d 0–0 – 1, patella III p 0–0 – 1, tibia II d 0–2 – 1, v 2–1 – 3, III d 2–2 – 2, v 3–1 – 3, IV d 1–1 – 2, v 2–1 – 3, palp p 0–1 – 2, metatarsus I v 0–0 – 1 (apical), II v 2–0 – 3 (apical), III d 2–2 – 3, v 3–2 – 3 (apical), IV d 4–6 – 3, v 4–6 – 6 (3 apical). Tibia I with paired tibial apophysis, RB longer than PB, PB with 2 prolateral megaspines situated medially, almost as long as branch; RB with one prolatero-apical megaspine, much shorter than branch (Figs 4 A – F , 5 A – F ). Femur III: slightly incrassate. Palpal tibia: unmodified. Palpal cymbium: unmodified. Metatarsus I: straight, unmodified. Posterior lateral spinnerets with three segments, basal 1.1, median 0.5, digitiform apical (missing). Posterior median spinnerets with one segment. Palpal bulb with TH weakly developed; embolus filiform, tapering strongly in apical third; PS, RS, and A weakly developed, PS and RS apically fused (Figs 2 A – I , 3 A – D ). Stridulation organ: prolateral face of chelicera furnished with clavate stridulatory lyra. Colour in alcohol: brown (Figs 1 A – B ).

Description of paratype female

( BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 222490). Total length including chelicerae: 52.3. Carapace: length 20.0, width 18.0. Caput: raised. Ocular tubercle: slightly raised, length 3.3, width 1.5. Eyes: ALE> AME, AME> PLE, PLE> PME, anterior row procurved, posterior row recurved. Clypeus: narrow; clypeal fringe: short. Fovea: deep, procurved. Chelicera: length 12.3, width 8.3. Abdomen: length 24.0, width 15.5. Maxilla with 160–180 cuspules, covering approximately 40 % of proximal edge. Labium: length 2.7, width 3.4, with 130–160 labial cuspules most separated by 0.5–1.0 × the width of a single cuspule. Labio-sternal mounds: separate, raised. Sternum: length 8.7, width 7.8, with three pairs of sigilla. Tarsi I – IV fully scopulate. Metatarsal scopulae: I 83 %; II 65 %; III 49 %; IV 23 %. Lengths of leg and palpal segments: see Table 2 , legs 4, 1, 2, 3. Spination: femur palp d 0–0 – 1, tibia I v 0–0 – 3, II v 0–0 – 3, III v 2–1 – 2, p 0–1 – 0, r 0–1 – 0, IV v 1–1 – 3, p 0–1 – 0, r 0–1 – 1, palp p 0–2 – 2, r 0–0 – 2, metatarsus I r 0–0 – 3, II r 0–0 – 3, III d 0–0 – 2, v 2–2 – 4 (3 apical), p 1–1 – 2, r 1–1 – 0, IV v 3–4 – 5 (3 apical), r 1–1 – 0. Posterior lateral spinnerets with three segments: basal 2.2, medial 2.0, digitiform apical 3.3. Posterior median spinnerets with one segment. Spermathecae with two distinct and separate receptacles, basally wider than apex, medially with prolateral and retrolateral flaring, tapering gently thereafter to apex, each receptacle with a single indistinct lobe without neck constriction (Fig. 2 D ). Stridulation organ: prolateral face of chelicera furnished with clavate stridulatory lyra (Fig. 2 C ). Colour in alcohol: brown (Figs 2 A – B ).

Colour

in vivo. Male with carapace with turquoise pubescence, with alternating radial bands of fawn and dark green, lateral margins with bands of sepia-coloured bristles, anterior margin fawn. Chelicerae with tawny-brown bristles, endites with long red-brown bristles apically. Palp dark brown, apically with a white blotch. Legs: femora dark brown, with long brown bristles ventrally; patellae dark brown with some lighter bristles; tibiae brown in proximal half and white in distal half; metatarsi light brown with distal part paler; tarsi light brown; all legs with numerous long light bristles, more densely distributed on legs 3 and 4. Abdomen dark brown, with a slightly coppery sheen and light, long, brown bristles; spinnerets brown (Figs 6 A – C ). Female overall black, with orange-red hairs densely distributed on legs (Fig. 7 E ).

Distribution.

Known only from Mount Nimba, Guinea.

New distribution record

Figures

Figure 1. Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. holotype male (BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 246088) A close-up of carapace (damaged), dorsal view B close-up of maxilla, labium, and sternum, ventral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.

Figure 2. Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. holotype male (BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 246088), palpal bulb (left-hand side) A prolateral view B retrolateral view C dorsal view D ventral view E close-up of embolus, prolatero-dorsal view F close-up of embolus, retrolateral view G close-up of embolus, dorsal view H close-up of embolus, ventral view I close-up of embolus, ventro-retrolateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A – D); 0.1 mm (E – I).

Figure 3. Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. holotype male (BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 246088), micro-computed tomography of palpal bulb (left-hand side) A prolateral view B retrolateral view C dorsal view D ventral view.

Figure 4. Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. holotype male (BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 246088), tibial apophysis (left-hand side) A prolateral view B ventral view C retrolateral view D close-up, prolateral view E close-up, ventral view F close-up, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 2 mm (A – C); 0.5 mm (D – F).

Figure 5. Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. holotype male (BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 246088), micro-computed tomography of tibial apophysis (left-hand side) A prolateral view B prolatero-ventral view C ventral view D ventro-apical view E retrolateral view F dorso-retrolateral view.

Figure 6. Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. holotype male (BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 246088), habitus in situ at type locality A general view B same, on different background C frontal view, specimen in defensive posture.

Figure 7. Selenogyrus foordi sp. nov. paratype female (BE _ RMCA _ ARA. Ara. 222490) A habitus, dorsal view B habitus, ventral view C chelicera, prolateral view (inset: close-up of stridulatory lyra) D spermathecae, dorsal view E habitus in vivo. Scale bars: 10 mm (A – B); 0.5 mm (D); 0.1 mm (C).