Thyenula vulnifica, Wesołowska & Azarkina & Russell-Smith, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Russell-Smith, Anthony, 2014, Euophryine jumping spiders of the Afrotropical Region-new taxa and a checklist (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae), Zootaxa 3789 (1), pp. 1-72 : 66-68

Thyenula vulnifica sp. nov.

Figs 233–240

Holotype: male, SOUTH AFRICA, Eastern Cape Province, Transkei coast, Mzimhlava river mouth, 31°22'S: 29°35'E, coastal evergreen forest, February 1980, leg. M. Baddeley ( MRAC 166 643).

Paratypes: together with holotype, 4 males ( MRAC) ; same data, 2 males, 5 females ( MRAC 166 642) ; Transkei coast, Ntafufu river, 31°33'S: 29°38'E, 2 males, February-March 1980, leg. M. Baddeley ( MRAC 166 732) .

Diagnosis. A distinctive species, the male is easily distinguished from other species by the stout chelicerae with the very large, es-shaped, bicuspid, retrolateral tooth. The male palp structure is similar to that in T. alotama described above, but palp is slender. The structure of the epigyne also resembles that in the latter species, but the width of the seminal ducts is the same along all their length (thinner towards spermathecae in T. alotama ).

Etymology. The specific name is Latin, meaning causing wounds, and refers to the strong armament of male chelicerae.

Description. Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax: length 3.1–4.5/3.1–3.7, width 2.4–4.0/2.3–3.0, height 1.7–2.3/1.6–1.7. Abdomen: length 3.0–5.0/3.8–4.6, width 1.9–3.4/2.6–3.3. Eye field: length 1.6–2.2/ 1.6–1.8, anterior width 2.1–3.1/1.8–1.9, posterior width 2.2–3.2/2.4–2.5.

Male. General appearance as in Fig. 233 . Medium to large spider. Carapace oval, dark brown, slightly lighter in foveal area, clothed in faint translucent and brown hairs. Anterior eyes encircled by fawn hairs, some long brown bristles at anterior eyes. Clypeus very low, dark. Chelicerae large, robust, blackish, with two teeth wide apart on promarginal edge and very large and broad tooth on retromarginal edge, also inner margin at the base of fang strongly sclerotized ( Figs 234, 235 ). Labium and endites brown with thin whitish line along tips; sternum light brown. Abdomen ovoid, dark, greyish brown, translucent hairs cover dorsum, among them scarce long bristles. Venter yellow tinged with grey. Spinnerets greyish. Legs dark brown, first pair almost black, stouter and longer than others, covered - especially ventral surfaces of tibiae - with dense long dark hairs. Pedipalps relatively small, dark, clothed in dense whitish grey hairs. Femur of palp long, embolus thin, with close basal loop ( Figs 236, 237 ).

Female. Similar to male, slightly lighter coloured, general appearance as in Fig. 238 . Yellowish median belt on thoracic part of carapace. Some whitish hairs on slopes. Chelicerae large, typical, promargin with two teeth, retromargin unident. Abdomen beige grey, sometimes with indistinct pattern composed of small brownish spots, covered with translucent hairs, among them scarce long brown bristles. Venter light beige. Legs light brown with darker patches. Epigyne as in Fig. 239 . Internal structure simple, spermathecae large ( Fig. 240 ).

Distribution. Known from Transkei coast in eastern South Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 233–240. Thyenula vulnifica sp. nov. 233 male paratype, dorsal view; 234, 235 cheliceral dentition; 236 palpal organ, ventral view; 237 palpal organ, retrolateral view; 238 female paratype, dorsal view; 239 epigyne; 240 internal structure of epigyne.