Hortipes, A Huge Genus Of Tiny Afrotropical Spiders (Araneae, Liocranidae)
Author
BOSSELAERS, JAN
Author
JOCQUÉ, RUDY
text
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
2000
2000-10-19
2000
256
4
4
http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1206%2F0003-0090(2000)256%3C0004%3AHAHGOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2
journal article
10.1206/0003-0090(2000)256<0004:HAHGOT>2.0.CO;2
0003-0090
5351417
Hortipes exoptans
,
new species
Figures
9m
,
10g
, h
,
35c
;
Map 2
TYPES:
Male
holotype
in
pitfall
trap in montane rain forest, elev.
1600–1650 m
,
Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve
, above
Chita village
,
Iringa region
,
Uzungwa Mountains
,
Tanzania
(8–13
November
, 1984;
N. Scharff
) (
ZMUC
).
Paratypes
: 86,
10♀
,
three juveniles
from litter and logs, elev.
1800 m
,
Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve
,
11 km
SE Masisiwe
,
Kihanga Stream
,
Uzungwa Mountains
,
Tanzania
S8°22'5.7″
,
E35°58'41.6″
(17–27
May
, 1997;
N. Scharff
) (
ZMUC
)
ETYMOLOGY: The species is called
exoptans
, longing for, because most males found had partly expanded palps.
DIAGNOSIS: Males of
H. exoptans
are recognized by the thin, slender RTA, clearly pointing outward, a feature that distinguishes them from the closely related
H. cucurbita
and
H. scharffi
. Females can be recognized by the gourdshaped ST1 and the simple, almost straight ID. Females can be distinguished from those of the closely related
H. cucurbita
and
H. scharffi
by the absence of loops in ID.
MALE:
Measurements.
Total length 2.46; carapace 1.08 long, 0.92 wide; length of fe: I 0.95, II 1.00, III 0.81, IV 1.11.
Leg spination.
Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0; ti: I, II vsp 6; mt: III plt 0 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 1 rlt 1.
Coloration.
Carapace, sternum, and legs orange yellow, chelicerae pinkish yellow. Abdomen pale pink with a median longitudinal white stripe on the anterior half.
Palp.
RTA simple, fairly narrow at base and gradually tapered toward sharp tip, distal part at right angle with axis of segment; cymbium fairly elongate, with shallow, narrow retrolateral concavity but without series of curved hairs; sperm duct fairly broad over entire course, restricted to anterior half of tegulum except for last loop, slightly narrowed just before entering embolus; MA originating in frontal part of tegulum, fairly broad at base, curved curved down in distal part, tip reaches beyond base of RTA; embolus originating on prolateral part of tegulum, whiplike, fairly short, distal part appressed against MA (figs.
10g
, h).
FEMALE:
Measurements.
Total length 3.92; carapace 1.08 long, 0.92 wide; length of fe: I 0.95, II 1.00, III 0.81, IV 1.11.
Leg spination.
Fe: I rv 2; IV plt 0 rlt 0–1; ti: I, II vsp 6–7; mt: III plt 0 vt 0 rlt 0; IV plt 1 vt 1–2 rlt 1.
Coloration.
Carapace and legs yellow ochre; sternum and chelicerae yellow. Abdomen greyish yellow with a median longitudinal lighter stripe on the anterior half.
Genitalia.
Epigyne a transversal slit with an elongated hole, coinciding with ID entrances, at each end (fig.
9m
). Vulva: ID short and almost straight, running in posterior direction; entrance associated with glandular structure connected with the lumen through a series of pores. Spermathecae gourd shaped, very large (fig. 35c).
VARIABILITY: The number of fe IV terminal spines, mt IV vt spines (1 or 2) and tibial vsp (6 or 7) in females are variable.
DISTRIBUTION: Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, Uzungwa Mountains,
Tanzania
, elev.
1600–1800 m
.