Re‐description of the lycosiformis species group of Anyphops Benoit and description of two new species (Araneae, Selenopidae)

Anyphops Benoit is a heterogeneous genus with 62 known species restricted to the Afrotropical region. It is split into four species groups using the number of ventral spine pairs on tibiae I–II. The lycosiformis species group ( = B‐B1 species group of Lawrence) is characterized by four ventral pairs of spines and includes Anyphops lycosiformis (Lawrence), A. natalensis (Lawrence) and A. parvulus (Pocock). In this paper, I revise this species group and include here A. mumai Corronca, A. lawrencei (Roewer) and two new species: Anyphops ngome n. sp. and A. lucia n. sp. from South Africa. Drawings of the female and male genitalia and some somatic characters are given, in some cases for the first time. A key for the lycosiformis species group and a map showing the distribution of each species are provided.


Introduction
Benoit (1968) first described Anyphops and it now consists of 62 known species (Platnick 2003) endemic to the Afrotropical Region. This genus includes the original Selenops species described and considered by Lawrence (1940) in his B-B1, B-B2, B-B3 and B-B4 species groups plus many species described by Benoit (1968Benoit ( , 1972Benoit ( , 1975 and Corronca (1998aCorronca ( , 2000. These species groups were characterized by the presence of four, five, six, or seven pairs of ventral spines on the leg tibiae I-II.
The separation into species groups was arbitrary and did not imply any phylogenetic relationships between them. However, for taxonomic purposes, its use is a good framework until a complete revision of all Anyphops species can be finished. It may permit recognition of new characters to re-define species or to propose a new taxonomic outline.
At present, the B-B1 Anyphops species group includes three species: A. lycosiformis (Lawrence, 1937), A. natalensis (Lawrence, 1940) and A. parvulus (Pocock, 1900). In all the cases, the type material was the only specimen studied and A. natalensis is the only species known by both sexes. Pocock (1900) described A. parvulus and he did not give any drawing of the female epigynum, in despite of it and the short original description it is clear enough and sufficient to identify this species. Lawrence (1937Lawrence ( , 1940 gave drawings of the ventral view of the female epigynum of A. lycosiformis and A. natalensis, but he did not give any of the dorsal view, showing spermathecae and internal ducts. Lawrence (1940) drew only the tibial apophysis of the palp of the male of A. natalensis but he did not give any drawings of the bulb, important in recognizing species.
The aim of this paper is to review the here-named lycosiformis species group of Anyphops spiders (5B-B1 species group of Lawrence 1940); after a revision of the type material and a large number of species belonging to this genus deposited in different museums. It permits me to include other known species in this species group, to describe two new species and to provide a key for the identification of the species.

Material and methods
The specimens used in this study were made available by ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, National Collection of Arachnida, Pretoria, South Africa (NCA), National Collection Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa (NMBA), Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (NM), South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa (SAM) and California Academy of Science, San Francisco, USA (CAS).
The procedure to dissect and clear the genitalia, and the format of the abbreviations and the terminology of the genitalia follow Corronca (2002). Measurements are in millimetres. A Nikon Coolpix 990 digital camera was mounted on an Olympus binocular microscope to obtain pictures of the body and the genitalia. The final figures were prepared according to Piel (2001). A key for the species of the lycosiformis species group and a map showing the distribution records are provided.
Diagnosis. Anyphops differs from other selenopid genera in the arrangement of the eyes, the number of ventral spines on tibiae I-II, the shape of the median apophysis of the male palp, the general structure of the female epigynum and the leg formulae. The anterior median eyes (AME) and posterior median eyes (PME) are in a strongly recurved line, with PME larger than AME. The posterior lateral eyes (PLE) are the largest, behind the anterior lateral eyes (ALE), the smallest. Leg IV.leg II and leg formulae, normally 4321. Tibiae I-II with four to seven pairs of ventral spines. Male palp with a retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) with two branches similar in size or the dorsal (dRTA) longer than the ventral branch (vRTA), in few cases one or both branches bifurcated. Median apophysis (ma) well developed and with different grades of complexity from a simple S-shape to twisted with several ending points. Female epigynum with a middle field reduced or well developed, represented by a depression or a septum, the lateral lobes of the epigynum well distinguished or not and, in very few cases, with slight secondary epigyneal pockets.
Description. Prosoma brown to reddish brown, usually with lateral dark bands or spots. Chelicerae brown to orange, normally with black or grey bands. Labium and sternum usually paler in colour. Opisthosoma normally grey or yellowish with brown or black dorsal defined patterns. Venter of the opisthosoma yellowish, without markings; lateral-posterior margins with dark spots, lines or bands. PLE largest, situated over a postero-lateral tubercle behind the ALE, the smallest. Prosoma wider than long or as wide as long. Chelicerae with distinct lateral condyles and cheliceral furrows, with three prolateral and two retrolateral teeth. Labium as wide as or wider than long. Sternum circular, sometimes slightly bifurcated in its posterior part. Palpi, usually with tibia longer than patella. Legs long, laterigrade, with the fourth pair longer than the second. Tarsi two-clawed; trichobothria on femora, tibiae, metatarsi, and tarsi. Leg spination variable but femora I-IV with dorsal, prolateral and retrolateral spines, many whitish; tibiae I-II with v2. 2 (Lawrence 1940;Benoit 1968;Corronca 1996a). Males with more spines than females. Anterior portion of the opisthosoma truncated. Palp of male with a retrolateral tibial apophysis with two branches, and sometimes the dorsal branch or both bifurcated. Cymbium elongated or rounded with dorsal cymbial scopula well developed, and sometimes the paracymbium too. Embolus long and slender, and the conductor sclerotized or hyaline. Median apophysis simple or complex but always well developed. Epigynum with middle field as a septum or a depression; lateral lobes of the epigynum either united or not in the midline, or absent; slight secondary epigyneal pockets present in very few cases; spermathecae and internal epigynal ducts simple or complex.  Diagnosis. The median apophysis of the palp of the male of A. lawrencei (Figure 1e) closely resembles that of A. natalensis, but it differs in complexity; the RTA of A. lawrencei is characteristic because the ventral branch is well developed and almost similar in size with the dorsal branch ( Figure 1d). The female of A. lawrencei shares with A. ngome n. sp. and A. parvulus the presence of a middle field, but the general shape of the epigynum of A. lawrencei is unique because the sclerotized area is only around the genital openings ( Figure 1b). Anyphops lawrencei shares with A. lucia n. sp. the presence of two prolateral dark grey parallel lines limiting a pale and narrow band on Fe IV, but A. lawrencei also has it on Fe III (Figure 1a). The colour pattern of the opisthosoma (Figure 1a, f) Figure 1a. Chelicerae orange-brown; legs pale orange-brown with markings on femora I-II forming two incomplete rings and femora III-IV with two prolateral dark grey parallel lines limiting a pale and narrow band. Dorsum of opisthosoma dark brown with yellowish spots as in Figure 1a Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition referring to the type locality.
Diagnosis. Anyphops lucia n. sp. shares with A. lawrencei the presence of a prolateral and longitudinal pale band limited by two grey parallel lines on Fe IV, but the rest of the colour pattern of the body is different (Figure 1g). The middle field of the epigynum as a depression is shared with A. lycosifomis and A. natalensis, but in A. lucia n. sp. it is larger and the lateral lobes of the epigynum are undistinguished (Figure 1h); the copulatory ducts are long and cross above the spermathecae length as in Figure 1i.  Figure 1g. Chelicerae red-brown with a wide longitudinal inner dark brown band. Legs orange-brown, mottled dark grey. Patellae II and IV with dark basal band and Fe IV with a prolateral and longitudinal pale line limited by grey parallel lines. Metatarsus IV with a dark terminal spot. Dorsum of opisthosoma whitish, dotted by grey irregular spots, lateral and posterior portion darker, as in Figure 1g. Venter of the opisthosoma pale yellow-grey. Epigynum and internal structures as in Figure 1h, i.

Note. Specimen without legs I and III.
Male. Unknown.
Distribution. Only type locality.
Anyphops lycosiformis (Lawrence, 1937) (  Anyphops lycosiformis: Benoit 1968, p 116. Diagnosis. The colour pattern of the opisthosoma of A. lycosiformis is different to that of A. ngome n. sp., but the colour pattern of the prosoma is similar, and it resembles that of many lycosid spiders. The shape of the epigynum and spermathecae (Figure 2b, c) (Figure 2a). Chelicerae orange-brown with dark marking in distal portion. Legs pale orange-yellow with markings: three incomplete rings on femora and two on tibiae; metatarsi and tarsi pale yellowish. Dorsum of opisthosoma pale brown with light yellowish central area; venter light yellow. Epigynum and internal structures as in Figure 2b, c.

Male. Unknown.
Distribution. Only type locality.
Anyphops mumai (Corronca, 1996) ( Diagnosis. The vRTA shorter than dorsal is shared by A. mumai, A. ngome and A. natalensis, but in the former species the median apophysis is simple and narrow (Figure 2e) and the embolus is longer than in the rest of the species of this Anyphops species group, and goes almost all the way around the bulb (Figure 2d, e).
Diagnosis. The shape of the median apophysis of the palp of male A. natalensis (Figure 2k) resembles A. lawrencei, but the shape of the RTA is different with the ventral branch short and wide (Figure 2j), as in A. mumai. The epigynum of the females of A. natalensis are characterized by the presence of genital openings very widely spaced and near the anterior margin of the epigynum (Figure 2h), and by the shape of the copulatory ducts and spermathecae (Figure 2i). Note. Corronca (1998b, p 179) identified a male from Kenya (NCA 81/620) as A. natalensis. After the revision of the type specimens, recently available, the conclusion is that it was an erroneous identification. In fact, that male is a new, undescribed species and belongs to B-B2 species group.
Distribution. Only type locality. Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition referring to the type locality.  Figure 3a.
Chelicerae orange-brown with a slight light grey marking. Legs orange-brown without markings. Dorsum of opisthosoma with a whitish, large, sub-rectangular marking on anterior and middle portion of the opisthosoma, as in Figure 3a; laterals dark brown with yellowish spots. Venter light yellow-grey. Epigynum and internal structures as in Figure 3b, c. Distribution. South Africa: Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.