Smeringopus principe, Huber, 2012

HUBER, BERNHARD A., 2012, Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 3461 (1), pp. 1-138 : 118-119

Smeringopus principe new species

Figs. 702–704, 707–708 , 725–728, 741–744

Type. Male holotype from São Tomé and Príncipe, Príncipe Island, forest on road to Sundi Plantation , 3.55 air km NW Santo Antonio de Príncipe (1°39.6’N, 7°23.7’E), 195 m a.s.l., sifting leaf litter, 21.iv.2001 (C.E. Griswold), in CAS .

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition, derived from the type locality.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (other species of the thomensis species group) by dorsal projection on procursus tip ( Figs. 725 , 742 ) and much wider pore plates ( Figs. 728 , 743 ); also by shape of embolus (only one rounded apophyses arising from embolus; Figs. 726, 727 ; similar S. mayombe ); from S. thomensis also by pair of sclerotized areas on posterior rim of epigynum ( Fig. 712 ). Easily distinguished from all other congeners by distinctive color pattern dorsally on abdomen (figure composed of three black elements on posterior half; in Fig. 703 the frontal part of this figure appears fragmented).

Male (holotype). Total body length 5.8, carapace width 1.9. Leg 1: 51.7 (14.0 + 0.8 + 12.4 + 21.7 + 2.8), tibia 2: 9.5, tibia 3: 6.8, tibia 4: 9.1; tibia 1 L/d: 54. Habitus as in Fig. 703 . Carapace ochre-yellow with median dark mark restricted to frontal part, wide lateral marks, clypeus distal half darker, with pair of lines also restricted to distal half, sternum dark brown with small light spots, legs ochre-yellow, femora and tibiae with dark subdistal rings and light tips, abdomen grey with distinctive dorsal pattern, ventrally with dark anterior and posterior plates and three indistinct bands in median section. Distance PME-PME 125 µm, diameter PME 175 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 45 µm, diameter AME 135 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with small dark ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae with pair of small distal apophyses as in S. thomensis (cf. Fig. 721 ). Palps as in Figs. 707 and 708 , coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with deep retrolateral furrow, proximal rim distinct, procursus with distinctive distal structures including semitransparent dorsal process ( Figs. 725 , 742 ), bulb with sclerotized embolus with one rounded dorsal process ( Figs. 726, 727 , 741 ). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, without curved hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1.

Variation. Tibia 1 in 6 other males: 11.1–12.4 (mean 11.9).

Female. In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 3 females: 9.5, 10.7, 11.2. Epigynum a simple, roughly triangular plate with pair of pockets and pair of sclerotized areas on posterior rim, with distinct transversal internal structure visible through cuticle, posterior plate semicircular ( Figs. 712, 713 ); internal genitalia as in Figs. 714 and 728 .

Distribution. Known from Príncipe Island only ( Fig. 718 ).

Material examined. SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE: Príncipe: forest on road to Sundi Plantation , 3.55 air km NW Santo Antonio de Príncipe: type above; same data, 1♂ 1♀ 1 juv. in CAS ; same data but without “sifting litter”, 4♂ 1♀ + juvs in CAS ; same data but beating/sweeping forest understory, 1♀ in CAS . Agua Doctor, degraded forest north of Santo Antonio de Príncipe on road to airport (1°39.3’N, 7°25.0’E), 19.iv.2001 (C.E. Griswold), 1♂ 1♀ + juvs in CAS . 1.72 air km 241° W of Santo Antonio de Príncipe town centre (1°38.0’N, 7°24.4’E), 120 m a.s.l., forest understory, 20.iv.2001 (C.E. Griswold), 1♂ 1♀ 2 juvs in CAS . Portinho, trail to Praia Salgada (1°37.9’N, 7°27.1’E), 16.v.2001 (J.M. Ledford), 1♂ 1♀ 2 juvs in CAS .

Figures

FIGURE 718. Known distributions of the thomensis and roeweri groups. “?”: unknown type locality of S. roeweri in Rwanda. Squares: further undescribed species.

FIGURES 699–708. Smeringopus thomensis group. S. thomensis (699–700, 705–706), S. principe (702–704, 707–708), and S. mayombe (701). 699, 701, 703. Males, dorsal views. 700, 702. Male prosomata, oblique frontal views. 704. Female, ventral view. 705–708. Left male palps, prolateral and retrolateral views.

FIGURES 725–731. Smeringopus principe (725–728) and S. mayombe (729–731). 725. Left procursus, prolateral view. 726–727, 729–730. Left emboli, prolateral and dorsal (slightly distal) views. 728, 731. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.

FIGURES 732–744. Smeringopus thomensis (732–740) and S. principe (741–744). 732. Left male palpal femur, retrolateral view. 733. Left procursus tip, prolateral view. 734. Male cheliceral apophysis. 735. Left embolus, distal view. 736. Male gonopore. 737. Female ALS. 738. Epigynum. 739. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. 740. Detail of pore plate. 741. Left embolus, distal view. 742. Left procursus tip, prolateral view. 743. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. 744. Detail of pore plate. Scale lines: 10 µm (734, 737), 20 µm (740), 30 µm (744), 80 µm (733, 735–736), 100 µm (739, 741–742), 200 µm (732, 738, 743).

FIGURES 709–717. Smeringopus thomensis group. Epigyna, ventral views and cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. 709–711. S. thomensis. 712–714. S. principe. 715–717. S. mayombe.

FIGURES 719–724. Smeringopus thomensis. 719. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. 720. Left procursus, prolateral view. 721. Male chelicerae, frontal view. 722–723. Left embolus, prolateral and dorsal (slightly distal) views. 724. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.