Revision and cladistic analysis of the Afrotropical endemic genus Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (Araneae: Pholcidae)
Author
HUBER, BERNHARD A.
text
Zootaxa
2012
2012-09-07
3461
1
1
138
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3461.1.1
journal article
53629
10.11646/zootaxa.3461.1.1
664d9cee-5b75-4788-a394-6b35a37de652
11755334
6415657
0704C43A-73D8-4A28-915A-7FF8611C8606
Smeringopus ubicki
new species
Figs. 440, 449–450
,
465–466
,
494–499
Type.
Male
holotype
from
South Africa
,
Western Cape Province
,
Oudtshourn
[
33°34’S
,
22°12’E
], at campground,
5.x.1999
(
D. Ubick
,
S. Prinsloo
), in
CAS
.
Etymology. The species is named for Darrell Ubick, arachnologist at
California
Academy of Sciences.
Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners by shapes of procursus (distal structures,
Fig. 494
; similar
S. lotzi
), bulb (processes of embolus,
Figs. 495, 496
), cheliceral armature (presence and position of proximal humps;
Figs. 497, 498
), and shape of epigynum (
Fig. 465
; round pockets; wider apart than in
S. lotzi
).
Male (
holotype
). Total body length 5.8, carapace width 1.9. Leg 1: 39.2 (10.5 + 0.8 + 9.9 + 15.9 + 2.1), tibia 2: 7.5, tibia 3: 6.0, tibia 4: 8.4; tibia 1 L/d: 43. Habitus similar
S. lotzi
(cf.
Figs. 428, 429
). Carapace ochre-yellow with brown median and lateral marks, clypeus with pair of dark stripes, sternum ochre-yellow with brown pattern, leg femora and tibiae with subdistal dark rings, abdomen with dorsal and indistinct ventral pattern. Distance PME-PME 125 µm, diameter PME 175 µm, distance PME-ALE 55 µm, distance AME-AME 30 µm, diameter AME 135 µm. Ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with ‘pseudo-lenses’; deep thoracic pit. Chelicerae with proximal and distal apophyses (
Figs. 497, 498
). Palps as in
Figs. 449 and 450
, coxa with distinct retrolateral apophysis, trochanter barely modified, femur with shallow retrolateral furrow with distinct proximal rim, procursus with distinctive distal processes in dorsal view (
Fig. 494
; retrolateral view as in
S. lotzi
; cf.
Fig. 487
), bulb with distinctive complex embolus (
Figs. 495, 496
). Legs without spines, few vertical hairs, with curved hairs on tibiae and metatarsi 1 and 2; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 3.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on tibia 1.
Variation. Sternum in some specimens monochromous; abdomen ventrally in some specimens with distinct pattern. Tibia
1 in
3 other males: 9.1, 12.9, 13.0.
Female. In general similar to male; tibia
1 in
3 females
: 10.2, 11.5, 12.0. Epigynum a simple plate with round pockets (
Fig. 465
); internal genitalia as in
Figs. 466
and
499
.
Distribution. Widely distributed in southern
South Africa
(
Fig. 475
).
FIGURES 494–504.
Smeringopus ubicki
(494–499) and
S. dehoop
(500–504). 494, 501. Left procursi, dorsal views. 495–496, 502–503. Left emboli, dorsal and prolateral views. 497–498. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 499, 504. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 500. Left cymbium and procursus, retrolateral view. Scale lines: 0.3 mm.
Material
examined.
SOUTH AFRICA
:
Western Cape Prov.
:
Oudtshourn
:
1♂
type
above; same data,
1♂
in
CAS
.
Karoo National Park
[~
32°19’S
,
22°30’E
], in burrow,
4.i.1996
(
A. Leroy
),
1♂
in
NCP
.
Knysna
,
Uitzicht Annex
(
34°00’S
,
23°20’E
),
28.xii.1988
,
6.xii.1989
and
18.xii.1989
(
L.N. Lotz
),
2♂
1♀
1 juv.
(3 vials) in
NMBA
(3134, 3309, 3342)
.
Eastern Cape Prov.
:
22 mi
W of Cofimvaba
[~
32°01’S
,
27°15’E
],
940 m
a.s.l.
,
14.iv.1958
(
E.S. Ross
, R.
E. Leech
),
2♂
in
CAS
.
Babiaan River
,
Bedford
[~
32°41’S
,
26°07’E
], date/collector not given/ unreadable,
2♂
2♀
in
BMNH
(03.6.25-26-29)
.
Grahamstown
[
33°18’S
,
26°32’E
],
xi.1900
(
Schonland
),
1♂
in
BMNH
.
Zebra National Park
near
Cradock
[~
32°15’S
,
25°33’E
], web in grass,
22.iii.1989
(
A. Leroy
),
1♂
in
NCP
(89/722)
.
Ecca Pass
,
15 km
NE of Grahamstown
direction
Bedford
[
33°15’S
,
26°36’E
], under stones,
16.i.1989
(R.
Jocqué
),
1♀
in
MRAC
(169731).