Smeringopus lesnei Lessert, 1936

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2012, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 3461 (1), pp. 1-138 : 55-57

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3461.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0704C43A-73D8-4A28-915A-7FF8611C8606

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5256523

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FBB532-FFB3-173B-FF6A-0F683BDEFECB

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Smeringopus lesnei Lessert, 1936
status

 

Smeringopus lesnei Lessert, 1936 View in CoL

Figs. 264–265 View FIGURES 256–267 , 286–287 View FIGURES 278–297 , 322–326 View FIGURES 317–326

Smeringopus lesnei Lessert 1936: 234–235 View in CoL , figs. 29–30.

Type. Male holotype from Mozambique, Manica Province, Vila Pery [=Chimoio, 19°07’S, 33°27’E], date not given, leg. P. Lesne, in MHNG, examined GoogleMaps .

Note. The type specimen above is in poor condition. It seems to have been dry at some point and the chelicerae are missing. It originates from the type locality but may not even be the actual type for two reasons: first, there are two left (!) palps in the vial (but no further trace of a second male), suggesting that this may (partly?) be material collected later than the holotype. Second, a female accompanies the male but Lessert did not describe a female specimen. Either he erroneously considered the female a juvenile or the specimen was collected later than the holotype. In any case, Lessert’s (1936) good drawings of the bulb clearly indicate that the specimen above is at least correctly identified.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (other species of the natalensis group, especially S. natalensis , S. florisbad , S. blyde , S. koppies , S. harare , S. badplaas ) by shapes of bulbal processes ( Figs. 324, 325 View FIGURES 317–326 ); from other close relatives by absence of process near palpal tarsal organ ( Fig. 322 View FIGURES 317–326 ), relatively straight procursus (ventrally), absence of prolateral process on procursus tip, and three black lines ventrally on abdomen (versus two).

Male (holotype). Total body length ~4.0, carapace width ~1.4. Leg 1: 34.3 (9.1 + 0.5 + 8.8 + 14.0 + 1.9), tibia 2: 5.9, tibia 3: 4.4, tibia 4: 6.3; tibia 1 L/d: 58. Habitus similar S. natalensis (cf. Fig. 243 View FIGURES 243–255 ). Coloration difficult to see in type specimen but apparently very similar S. natalensis and other close relatives (cf. Figs. 243–246 View FIGURES 243–255 ). Distance PME-PME 125 µm, diameter PME 140 µm, distance PME-ALE 55 µm, distance AME-AME 25 µm, diameter AME 110 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with very indistinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae missing, according to Lessert (1936) as in S. peregrinus (with one pair of distal apophyses; cf. Figs. 614, 615 View FIGURES 609–616 ). Palps as in Figs. 264 and 265 View FIGURES 256–267 , coxa without retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with retrolateral furrow with distinct rim proximally, cymbium without projection near tarsal organ, procursus ventrally almost straight, without prolateral process at tip ( Figs. 322, 323 View FIGURES 317–326 ), bulb with three distinctively shaped processes ( Figs. 324, 325 View FIGURES 317–326 ). All hairs missing on legs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1.

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 2 females: 9.0, 11.1. Epigynum a simple plate without pockets ( Fig. 286 View FIGURES 278–297 ), not clearly distinguishable from close relatives ( S. natalensis , S. florisbad , S. blyde , S. koppies , S. harare , S. badplaas ); females from Nova Choupanga and Zimbabwe are thus assigned tentatively; internal genitalia as in Figs. 287 View FIGURES 278–297 and 326 View FIGURES 317–326 (also very similar to close relatives).

Distribution. Known from type locality in central Mozambique and from two females that are assigned tentatively from Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe ( Fig. 299 View FIGURE 299 ).

Material examined. MOZAMBIQUE: Manica Prov.: Vila Pery [=Chimoio]: 1♂ holotype above, together with 1♀. GoogleMaps Sofala Prov.: Nova Choupanga [near Chemba?, ~ 17°10’S, 34°53’E], date not given, leg. P. Lesne, 1♀ in MHNG GoogleMaps .

ZIMBABWE: Manicaland: 54 mi S Umtali [= Mutare ] [~ 19°25’S, 32°34’E], 560 m a.s.l., 18.iii.1958 (E.S. Ross, R. E. Leech), 1♀ in CAS GoogleMaps .

MHNG

Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

CAS

California Academy of Sciences

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Pholcidae

Genus

Smeringopus

Loc

Smeringopus lesnei Lessert, 1936

HUBER, BERNHARD A. 2012
2012
Loc

Smeringopus lesnei

Lessert, R. de 1936: 235
1936
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