Pochytoides lamottei sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:64040FFC-964C-424B-AB7B-55B1B64A7AD4

Figs 1–2

Etymology

The species is dedicated to Prof. M. Lamotte, an ecologist who collected many spiders in the Nimba Mts.

Type material

Holotype

GUINEA: ♂, Mts Nimba, Praira, 7°34′ N, 8°28′ W, 1600 m a.s.l., savanna with Andropogon, 20 Jun. 1942, M. Lamotte leg. (NHM).

Paratypes

GUINEA: 1 ♀, together with holotype (NHM); 1 ♀, Mts Nimba, savanna, 1952–1962, M. Lamotte leg. (NHM); 1 ♀, Mts Nimba, Seringbara forest, 606 m a.s.l., pitfall, 19 Mar. 2012, A. Hernard et al. leg. (MRAC 239 473B); 1 ♀, same locality, in litter, sieving, 13 Mar. 2012, A. Hernard et al. leg. (MRAC 239 034A); 1 ♀, same locality, in litter, sieving, 18 Feb. 2012, A. Hernard et al. leg. (MRAC 239 176A); 4 ♀♀, Mts Nimba, station de pompage Zié, 1250 m a.s.l., forest, litter under high grass, sieving, 11 Oct. 2011, Van den Spiegel and A. Hernard leg. (MRAC 237 944); 1 ♂, same locality, 1 Oct. 2011 (MRAC 238 094); 1 ♂, same locality, gallery forest, on vegetation, hand collecting, 1 Oct. 2011 (MRAC 237 901); 1 ♂, Mts Nimba, Gba valley, 880 m a.s.l., primary forest, hand collecting, 9 Oct. 2012, Van den Spiegel and A. Hernard leg. (MRAC 238 015A); 1 ♂, Mts Nimba, Newené, 545 m a.s.l., near river, dry litter, sieving, 25 Feb. 2012, A. Hernard et al. leg. (MRAC 238 900A).

Differential diagnosis

The male palp is similar to that of P. spiniger sp. nov. in having a sinusoid anterior lobe of the bulb, but may be recognized by the strongly sclerotized keel on the prolateral edge of this lobe and the absence of a spine at the base (compare Fig. 1A–C with Fig. 13A–C). The female slightly resembles those of P. securis sp. nov. and P. spiniger sp. nov. They share an epigyne in which the distance between the lateral edges of the atria is smaller than the distance between the lateral edges of the spermathecae. However, P. lamottei sp. nov. may be distinguished by the atria, which are cup-shaped (narrower in the other species, compare Fig. 2A–C with Figs. 12A–B and 15A–C). Pochytoides lamottei sp. nov. also differs from P. spiniger sp. nov. by the presence of epigynal pockets and from P. securis sp. nov. by clearly shorter seminal ducts.

Description

Male

DIMENSIONS. Cephalothorax: length 2.1–2.2, width 1.7–1.9, height 1.4–1.5. Eye field: length 1.0–1.1, anterior width 1.6–1.8, posterior width 1.7–1.4. Abdomen: length 1.8–2.0, width 1.3–1.5.

COLOUR AND BODY. Carapace and eyes as in genus description. Greyish brown with pale chevrons on posterior half. Legs yellow, ventral spines on tibia and metatarsus I very long.

GENITALIA. Palpal organ as in Fig. 1A–F. Cymbium very long, with prolateral edge slightly wrapped toward the ventral side of the palp. Bulb short, prolateral border of its anterior lobe heavy sclerotized, but not forming separate spine (Fig. 1A–B).

Female

DIMENSIONS. Cephalothorax: length 1.9–2.0, width 1.6–1.7, height 0.9–1.0. Eye field: length 1.1–1.2, anterior width 1.5–1.6, posterior width 1.3–1.4. Abdomen: length 2.1–2.4, width 1.5–1.7.

COLOUR AND BODY. Faint colourless hairs on carapace, anterior eyes encircled by small grey scales. Abdomen oval, dark, brownish grey with light chevrons posteriorly. Venter yellowish, sides with grey marks. Spinnerets pale. Legs brown, femora darker, tarsi slightly lighter. Pedipalps yellowish.

GENITALIA. Epigyne rounded, with pair of pockets (Fig. 2A–C). Internal structure as in Fig. 2D–E, copulatory openings hidden in large atria, seminal ducts short.