http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/eit.2015.123
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2015 • Seiter M. & Wesolowska W.
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Research article
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AD8BF922-4B04-4A40-880F-0787FB32913D
Two new Thiratoscirtus species from Gabon
(Araneae, Salticidae, Thiratoscirtinae)
Michael SEITER 1 & Wanda WESOLOWSKA 2 *
1 Group of Arthropod Ecology and Behavior, Division of Plant Protection, Department of Crop
Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Peter Jordan Strafie 82, 1190 Vienna,
Austria. E-mail: [email protected]
2 Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Taxonomy, Wroclaw University, Przybyszewskiego
63/77, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland.
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
1 um:lsid:zoobank.org:author:457F47DC-3001-46AF-BEF4-1587BFCC9C4A
2 um:lsid:zoobank.org:author:E362DE8A-ECB7-4C6E-B373-9E1821D214F7
Abstract. Two new species of jumping spiders, Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri (c?) and Th. lamboji (§), are
described from Gabon, one of the least explored areas of the Afrotropics. Both species live in rainforest,
at the forest floor. They are members of a very poorly known subfamily of salticids, the Thiratoscirtinae.
Key words, arachnology, taxonomy, Afrotropical region
Seiter M. & Wesolowska W. 2015. Two new Thiratoscirtus species from Gabon (Araneae, Salticidae,
Thiratoscirtinae). European Journal of Taxonomy 123: 1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/eit.2015.123
Introduction
Thiratoscirtinae is a subfamily of jumping spiders that has been established by Bodner & Maddison
(2012) on molecular grounds. It includes a few genera distributed in Western and Central Africa. The
majority of the thiratoscirtines are forest-dwellers. They have a high cephalothorax, relatively large
anterior median eyes and an eye field that is wider at the first row of eyes than at the posterior row. Both
the species affiliations and the phylogenetic relationships within this subfamily are poorly understood
and require further studies.
The males of Thiratoscirtus Simon, 1886, the type genus of the subfamily, have a characteristic dense
tuft of long bristles on the prolateral surface of the palpal tibia. The tarsus of the female pedipalp is armed
with 1-3 spines. The diagnostic features of the genus have been summarized in Wesolowska & Russell-
Smith (2011) and Wisniewski & Wesolowska (2013). Currently, 21 species of Thiratoscirtus are known
(World Spider Catalog 2014). We here provide the descriptions of two new species of Thiratoscirtus
from Gabon.
Unfortunately, for each of the newly described species only one specimen of one sex was found.
Because the features of these species (especially the structure of their genitalia) are unique, their
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European Journal of Taxonomy 123: 1-9 (2015)
identification will not be problematic in the future. We think, their descriptions are important due to
our inadequate knowledge of the Western African salticids (Gabon is practically understudied) and our
poor understanding of the thiratoscirtines. Knowledge of the subfamily will probably be essential to
understanding the phylogenetic relations among jumping spiders of this part of Africa.
Material and methods
The specimens were collected by direct searching in different parts of Gabon during a field trip in
February 2011. For detailed information see the specific section below. All individuals have been stored
in ethanol (70% solution). Specimens were studied and measured under a stereo microscope (Nikon
SMZ1000), equipped with a camera and an ocular micrometer scale. A male pedipalp and the epigyne
were dissected for a more detailed study. The epigyne was macerated in 5% hot KOH for a few minutes,
dehydrated with 100% ethanol, cleared in xylene and put in eugenol in temporary mounts. After
examination, the genitalia were placed in micro-vials with ethanol and stored in the vials containing
the specimens from which they had been removed. Terminology is standard for Araneae. Species were
measured as in Metzner (1999), dimensions are given in millimeters. Descriptions of a colour pattern are
based on the alcohol-preserved specimens.
The type material is kept in the Natural History Museum of Vienna (NHMW).
Results
Class Arachnida Cuvier, 1812
Order Araneae Clerck, 1757
Family Salticidae Blackwall, 1841
Genus Thiratoscirtus Simon, 1886
Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov.
urndsid: zoobank, org; act: 69137100-27F 6-42ED-8FD0-65BC AA296B A3
Figs 1-3
Differential diagnosis
The male is distinctive in having a long anterior lobe of the bulb and in the presence of large terminal
apophysis. An anterior lobe of the bulb is also present in T. perspicuus Wisniewski & Wesolowska,
2013, but in the latter species it is clearly smaller and the embolus of that species is more delicate than
in T. oberleuthneri sp. nov. The habitus of the newly described species is similar to that of T. torquatus
Simon, 1903.
Etymology
The species name is a patronym dedicated to Anton Oberleuthner, who assisted during the field trip in
Gabon.
Type material
Holotype
GABON: close toMidzic, 0°49.78rN, 11°29.395 , E, 329 m a.s.l., handcatch, 10-25 Feb. 2011, leg.
M. Seiter (NHMW 21938).
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SETTER M. & WESOLOWSKA W., New Thiratoscirtus from Gabon
Description
Dimensions
Cephalothorax: length 3.3, width 2.6, height 1.8. Abdomen: length 3.4, width 1.8. Eye field: length 1.5,
anterior width 2.3, posterior width 2.1.
Male
General appearance as in Fig. 1A-B. Carapace oval, moderately high with gently sloping posterior part,
fovea sulciform, clearly visible. Eye field occupies almost half of carapace’s length, distance between
anterior lateral eyes slightly larger than between posterior laterals. Ocular area dark brown, almost
black near eyes, thoracic part light brown anteriorly, darkening to black at margins, striae radiating from
fovea. Carapace covered with fine light hairs, denser and longer on anterior part of eye field, a few long
brown bristles near anterior row of eyes and laterally from eye field. Clypeus low, brown. Chelicerae
large, with two teeth on promargin and single larger tooth on retromargin. Mouth parts brown. Sternum
light brown, darker at edges. Abdomen slightly elongated, narrower than carapace, blackish with mosaic
of small light dots, along dorsum wide serrated yellowish white band, tinged with brown anteriorly,
sigilla visible. Venter dark grey, with four lines formed by light dots. Dorsum of abdomen covered with
dense short brown hairs, with admixture of white in anterior part, a few brown bristles on anterior edge.
Spinnerets black. Legs generally brown with yellowish transverse stripes: coxae and trochanters pale
yellow, femora dark brown with two light rings, patellae light at base but dark distally, tibiae brown with
median light ring, metatarsi as patellae, tarsi light. Hairs on legs brown. Spination of leg I: femur 0-1-1
dorsally, patella with one spine on pro- and retrolateral side, tibia 1-1 retrolaterally and 2-1-2 ventrally,
metatarsus 1-1 pro- and retrolaterally and 2-2 ventrally. Pedipalp dark brown, clothed in dense long
brown hairs, especially on prolateral side of tibia and prolaterally at tip of cymbium (Fig. 1C). Bulb with
very long anterior membranous protuberance curtaining embolus (Figs 1C, 2A), long terminal apophysis
prolaterally from embolus (Fig. 2A-B), tibial apophysis long (Fig. 2B-D), cymbium narrow (Fig. 2D).
Fig. 1 . Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov., holotype, male. A. General appearance, dorsal view. B.
General appearance, lateral view. C. Palp, ventral view. Scale bars: A-B = 1 mm, C = 0.5 mm.
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European Journal of Taxonomy 123: 1-9 (2015)
Fig. 2. Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov., holotype, palpal organ. A. Ventral view. B. Ventrolateral
view. C. Lateral view. D. Dorsal view. Scale bar for all figures = 0.5 mm.
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SEITER M. & WESOLOWSKA W„ New Thiratoscirtus from Gabon
Fig. 3. Natural habitat of Thiratoscirtus oberleuthneri sp. nov. in Midzic, Gabon (photo by A. Lamboj).
Female
Unknown.
Distribution
This species is known only from the type locality in Gabon.
Habitat
The habitat is typical of a lowland rainforest in Gabon: sunlit, temperature around 33°C and high
humidity. The specimen was found on the underside of a leaf in the vicinity of a small river (Fig. 3).
Thiratoscirtus lamboji sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D14E2BlB-CFB0-4CA6-A70A-E96CB92BBB53
Figs 4-6
Differential diagnosis
The female can be recognized by the structure of the epigyne, which is similar to that in T. atakpa
Wesolowska & Edwards, 2012, but differs by having clearly longer, loop-forming, seminal ducts.
Etymology
The species name is a patronym dedicated to Anton Lamboj, who assisted during the field trip in Gabon
and contributed by taking the habitat pictures.
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European Journal of Taxonomy 123: 1-9 (2015)
Material examined
Holotype
GABON: §, 122 km south ofMakokou, 0°17.213 , N, 13°14.743’E, 500 m a.s.l., handcatch, 10-25 Feb.
2011, leg. M. Seiter (NHMW 21939).
Description
Dimensions
Cephalothorax: length 2.6, width 1.8, height 1.4. Abdomen: length 2.6, width 2.2. Eye field: length 1.1,
anterior width 1.7, posterior width 1.5.
Male
Unknown.
Female
General appearance as in Fig. 4A-B. Carapace oval, high, sloping abruptly behind eye field, fovea
sulciform. Distance between anterior lateral eyes slightly larger than between posterior laterals, eye
field black, iridescent. Thoracic part greyish brown, foveal area yellowish, yellow streak extending to
posterior edge of carapace. Carapace clothed in short light hairs, denser in anterior part of eye field,
hairs form small patch between anterior median eyes. Reddish fawn hairs surround anterior eyes from
above and form patches between median and lateral anterior eyes. Large red patches laterally from eyes
of the last row made by the same hairs. Clypeus moderately high, dark. Chelicerae with two teeth on
promargin and single larger tooth on retromargin, dorsal surface of chelicerae blackish. Mouth parts
brown, sternum yellow. Abdomen oval, slightly swollen, greyish brown with broad serrated median
streak, abdominal sides yellow marked with grey, venter whitish yellow. Dorsal surface covered with
Fig. 4. Thiratoscirtus lamboji sp. nov, holotype, female. A. General appearance, dorsal view. B. General
appearance, lateral view. Scale bar for all figures = 1 mm.
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SEITER M. & WESOLOWSKA W„ New Thiratoscirtus from Gabon
Fig. 5. Thiratoscirtus lamhoji sp. nov., holotype. A. Female palp. B. Epigyne. C. Internal structure of
epigyne. Scale bar for all figures = 0.2 mm.
Fig. 6. Natural habitat of Thiratoscirtus lamhoji sp. nov., 122 km south of Makokou, Gabon (photo by
A. Lamboj).
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European Journal of Taxonomy 123 : 1-9 ( 2015 )
short brown hairs. Spinnerets light. Legs yellow, first pair slightly darker, femora and tibiae tinged with
grey. Spination of leg I: femur with 1-1 dorsally and 0-1 prolaterally, tibia 4 pairs ventrally and 1-1-0
prolaterally, metatarsus 2 pairs ventrally (ventral spines on tibia and metatarsus long). Pedipalps yellow,
with single prolateral spine and two retrolateral spines on tarsus (Fig. 5A). Epigyne large with two oval
anterior depressions (Fig. 5B), partially plugged with waxy secretion, lips of the depressions strongly
sclerotized. Posterior epigynal edge strongly sclerotized, with oval convex process. Seminal ducts long,
forming loop, spermathecae small (Fig. 5C).
Distribution
This species is known only from the type locality in Gabon.
Habitat
The specimen was found in a sandy habitat (Fig. 6) in the vicinity of a secondary lowland rainforest. It
was exposed to very high temperatures.
Discussion
Gabon belongs to the least explored areas of the Afrotropics, and the salticid fauna of this country is
poorly known. Proszynski (2013) lists only 19 species from Gabon, ten of them as species inquirendae.
These figures rather show the degree of our ignorance, than the biological reality. Taking into account
the considerable size of Gabon, its tropical localization and the fact that it remains one of the most
extensively forested countries in Africa (Le Houerou 2009), the number of salticid species, that might
be found there surely is much higher. The large forested areas of Gabon remain of great importance for
the study of the biodiversity. Therefore, any new data on the spiders of this area are valuable.
Our paper contributes to the knowledge of thiratoscirtines of Central Africa. Despite the fact that the
presented descriptions of the two species are based only on a single sex, we consider them important for
further studies, and hope that data on the other sex will be supplied in the future.
There is no doubt that many more species of Thiratoscirtus will be found in Gabon since the molecular
study ofBodner & Maddison (2012) mentioned no less than seven undescribed species from the country.
Acknowledgements
The first author is greatly indebted to Anton Lamboj (Austria) and Anton Oberleuthner (Austria) for
their assistance in the field and their contribution to jumping spider fauna research. This study would
not be possible without the help of Mario Freudenschuss (Austria). We would also like to thank the
anonymous reviewers for their help and co mm ents.
References
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Salticidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65: 213-240. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/i.
vmpev.2012,06.005
Le Houerou H.N. 2009. Bioclimatology and Biogeography of Africa. Springer-Verlag, Berlin &
Heidelberg.
Metzner H. 1999. Die Springspinnen (Arachnida, Araneae, Salticidae) Griechenlands. Andrias 14:
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Proszynski J. 2013. Monograph of Salticidae (Araneae) of the World 1995-2013 , online at http://www.
peckhamia.com/salticidae [accessed on 2 December 2014],
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SETTER M. & WESOLOWSKA W., New Thiratoscirtus from Gabon
Wesolowska W. &Russell-SmithA. 20 IE Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from Southern Nigeria.
Annales Zoologici 61 (3): 553-619.
Wisniewski K. & Wesolowska W. 2013. New Thiratoscirtus species from equatorial Africa (Araneae:
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World Spider Catalog. 2014. World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.
nmhe.ch version 15.5 [accessed on 2 December 2014],
Manuscript received: 17 December 2014
Manuscript accepted: 12 March 2015
Published on: 18 May 2015
Topic editor: Rudy Jocque
Desk editor: Kristiaan Hoedemakers
Printed versions of all papers are also deposited in the libraries of the institutes that are members of
the EJT consortium: Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Botanic Garden Meise,
Belgium; Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium; Natural History Museum, London,
United Kingdom; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium; Natural History
Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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