Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesolowska & Russell-Smith 2000
Creators: name: Logunov, Dmitri V.
name: Azarkina, Galina N.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Salticidae
Stenaelurillus
Stenaelurillus mirabilis

description: Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000
Figs 338–351, 514
Stenaelurillus mirabilis Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000: 102, figs 281–289 (D♂ ♀); ♂ holotype in MRAC, examined.
Diagnosis
This species can easily be distinguished from all other species of Stenaelurillus by the presence of a proximal spur-shaped process on the functional tegulum (Figs 338–339) in the male, and by the characteristic conformation of both the epigyne and the spermathecae (Figs 342–343).
Material examined
Holotype
TANZANIA: ♂, Mkomazi GR, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, pitfall traps in grassland, Feb. 1994, A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 207.987).
Paratypes
TANZANIA: 2 ♀♀, together with the holotype (MRAC 207.988); 10 ♂♂, together with the holotype (MRAC 207.988; in Wesołowska & Russell-Smith (2000: 102), the sample under this accession number is mentioned as containing the single female allotype (not available); 1 ♂, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp, 04°00′ S, 38°00′ E, Feb. 1994, A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 207.996); 2 ♀♀, same locality, cadada plot, 1–2 Feb. 1996, A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 208.004).
Other material
TANZANIA: 1 ♂, Mkomazi GR, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, pitfall traps in grassland, Feb. 1994,A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 207.947); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Mkomazi GR, 3°58′ S, 37°46′ E, burnt grassland, 27–28 Nov. 1991, A. Russell-Smith leg. (MRAC 215.577); 55 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Mkomazi GR, Ibaya camp, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, degraded bushland, 25 pitfalls, hillside E of gulley, 10–11 Aug. 1993, M. Ritchie and R. Makusi leg. (MRAC 215.574); 30 ♀♀, same reserve, ca 7 km SE of Ibaya, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, 19–20 Aug. 1993, M. Ritchie and R. Makusi leg. (MRAC 215.573); 100 ♂♂, 38 ♀♀ (MMUE G7571.51,59), 10 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ (OUNHM), 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (ISEA, 001.7891), 10 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ (ZMMU), same reserve, Ibaya camp, 4°00′ S, 38°00′ E, burned bushland, pitfall traps, 1994–1996, A. Russell-Smith leg.; 1 ♂, same reserve, above Ibaya Camp, 03°59′ S, 37°47′ E, in litter of montane forest, 7 May 1996, H.G. Robertson leg. (NCA 2010/4840); 1 ♂, same reserve, valley behind Ibaya Camp, 3°58′ S, 37°48′ E, leaf litter, next to stream, 2 Dec. 1995, H.G. Robertson leg. (NCA 2010/4843); 2 ♂♂, South Pare Forest, 04°07′ S, 37°52′ E, Winkler-trap, 28 Nov. 1995, H.G. Robertson leg. (NCA 2010/4845).
KENYA: 20 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Kenya Coast, Tsavo, Taita Discovery Centre, ca 3°25′ S, 38°46′ E, pitfall traps, 8 Jan.–24 Feb. 2002, E. Selempo leg. (MRAC 212.923, MRAC 212.957, MRAC 212.923); 7 ♂♂, same locality, 1 Nov.–15 Dec. 2001, E. Selempo leg. (MRAC 213.126, MRAC 213.084, MRAC 213.064).
Description
Male (Tanzania, Mkomazi GR; MMUE G7571.51)
Measurements: carapace: 1.75 long, 1.33 wide, 0.95 high. Abdomen: 2.00 long, 1.23 wide. Ocular area: 0.88 long, 1.08 wide anteriorly, 1.03 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.50. Clypeal height 0.15. Diameter of AME 0.30. Length of leg segments: I 0.88 + 0.38 + 0.53 + 0.40 + 0.40 (2.59); II 0.95 + 0.45 + 0.48 + 0.43 + 0.38 (2.69); III 1.45 + 0.65 + 1.00 + 1.04 + 0.50 (4.64); IV 1.20 + 0.53 + 0.85 + 1.10 + 0.63 (4.31). Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-0- 2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1-1, v 2ap; Mt pr and rt 1-2ap, v
2-2ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 1-1-0, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-4; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-2ap, v 0-1-1-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 344–347). Carapace yellow, densely covered with long brown recumbent scales; there are two longitudinal white stripes on the thorax and two wide white marginal stripes; clypeus and cheeks yellow, with long sparse orange hairs. Sternum light yellow, densely covered with white hairs. Endites and labium light yellow. Chelicerae light yellow. Abdomen: dorsum brown, with five white spots as shown in Fig. 345; sides yellow, with orange longitudinal stripes; venter light yellow. Book-lung covers yellow, tinged with brown. Spinnerets whitish, but the dorsal pair with dark brown tips. Legs: coxae and trochanters light yellow; remaining segments yellow, with brownish patches and (semi)rings. Palps light yellow. Palpal structure as in Figs 338–341; VTA bulgeshaped, poorly marked; RTA straight, thorn-shaped; the cymbium simple, without a cymbial lateral process; the tegulum small, poorly marked, without marked tegular process; the functional tegulum narrow-elongated, with no distal projection and a poorly-developed proximal projection (PP); instead there is a very long, spur-shaped proximal process; the embolus short, thin and slightly bent apically, with a large, flat, spoon-shaped base.
Female (Tanzania, Mkomazi GR; MMUE G7571.59)
Measurements: carapace: 2.05 long, 1.65 wide, 1.10 high. Abdomen: 2.90 long, 1.95 wide. Ocular area: 0.95 long, 1.20 wide anteriorly, 1.15 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.65. Clypeal height 0.18. Diameter of AME 0.46. Length of leg segments: I 1.00 + 0.50 + 0.55 + 0.40 + 0.40 (2.85); II 1.00 + 0.53 + 0.55 + 0.53 + 0.30 (2.91); III 1.75 + 0.85 + 1.1.3 + 1.25 + 0.53 (5.51); IV 1.60 + 0.70 + 1.05 + 1.38 + 0.55 (5.28). Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination: I: Fm d 0-1-1-4; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt pr 2ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. III: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-2ap; Mt d 1-1, pr and rt 1-2ap, v 0-0-2-2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-3; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt pr 1-1-2ap, rt 1-1-1-2ap, v 0-1-1-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 348–351) as in the male, but differs as follows: abdominal dorsum with two wide brown longitudinal stripes; abdominal sides yellow, with orange longitudinal lines and brown speckles; all spinnerets yellow, tinged with brownish. Epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 342–343; the epigynal plate flat, without fossae, its rear edge visibly sclerotized; the copulatory openings widely separated, resembling a pair of sclerotized round plates; insemination ducts short and slightly bent, running proximad, visible through the integument as a pair of dark bent figures directed towards each other; the primary spermathecae round.
Distribution
Tanzania and Kenya (Fig. 514) (Wesołowska & Russell-Smith 2000; Wesołowska 2014b; present data).
description: Published as part of Logunov, Dmitri V. & Azarkina, Galina N., 2018, Redefinition and partial revision of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886 (Arachnida, Araneae, Salticidae), pp. 1-126 in European Journal of Taxonomy 430 on pages 78-81, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.430, http://zenodo.org/record/3787622