Stenaelurillus nigricaudus Simon 1886
Creators: name: Logunov, Dmitri V.
name: Azarkina, Galina N.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Salticidae
Stenaelurillus
Stenaelurillus nigricaudus

description: Stenaelurillus nigricaudus Simon, 1886
Figs 1–2, 10, 14–15, 30–33, 369–405, 510
Stenaelurillus nigricauda Simon, 1886: 351 (D♂); ♂ holotype in MNHN, not examined.
Aelurillus sahariensis Berland & Millot, 1941: 301, fig. 1 (D ♀); ♀ holotype in MNHN, examined. Syn. nov.
Diagnosis
This species is most similar to S. senegalensis sp. nov., with both species having almost identical body coloration (cf. Figs 435–441). The only colour difference is that of the ventral sides of Tb and Mt I in the males: dark brown in S. nigricaudus (Figs 391–391) and yellow in S. senegalensis sp. nov. (Figs 435– 437). The males of both species can easily be distinguished by the conformation and relative length of the embolus, which is comparatively short, hook-shaped and situated on the functional tegulum apically at 12 o’clock in S. nigricaudus, and comparatively long (almost twice as long as the length of the tegulum) and straight, and situated on the functional tegulum at about 10 o’clock in S. senegalensis sp. nov. (cf. Figs 369, 378, 425). The female of S. nigricaudus can be separated from that of S. senegalensis sp. nov. by the presence of the deep epigynal pocket, which is absent from the latter species (cf. Figs 395–398, 429); the spermathecae of both species are virtually indistinguishable.
Material examined
Holotype
MALI: ♀, holotype of Aelurillus sahariensis Berland & Millot, 1941, Sahara, Aguelhok, 19°27′ N, 0°51′ E, Oct. 1937 (MNHN 2.662; the epigyne is lost!).
Other material
BURKINA FASO: 13 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, Sissamba, ca 13°30′ N, 2°28′ W, yellow plate, 9 Oct.–10 Nov. 1993, De Visscher & Balança leg. (MRAC); 32 ♂♂, 33 ♀♀, Soulou, ca 13°46′ N, 2°28′ W, yellow plate, 8 Jul.–10 Aug. 1993, De Visscher & Balança leg. (MRAC); 19 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Kouba, 13°34′ N, 2°30′ W, pitfall traps, 22 Sep.–30 Oct. 1993, De Visscher & Balança leg. (MRAC).
SENEGAL: 34 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, ca 20 km S of Richard Toll, 16°20′ N, 15°30′ W, savanna, pitfall traps, 23 Sep.–3 Oct. 1991, H. van der Valk leg. (MRAC).
Remarks
We have re-examined the male holotype of Aelurillus sahariensis and found that this species does not belong to Aelurillus as it possesses the main diagnostic characters of the genus Stenaelurillus: viz.,
the characteristic body shape and coloration (see Berland & Millot 1941: fig. 1A); the anterior row of eyes wider than the posterior one (as in all other species of Stenaelurillus); leg formula III,IV,II,I and the relatively long spinnerets, tarsal claws narrow, with well-developed and numerous teeth (all these characters are typical of Stenaelurillus). Although the holotype does not have the epigyne, it is safe to conclude that this species is to be treated as a junior synonym of S. nigricaudus because the body coloration of the holotype is identical to that of the latter species (cf. Figs 400–405 and Berland & Millot 1941: fig. 1A) and its epigyne, as illustrated by Berland & Millot (1941: fig. 1B), possesses a deep epigynal pocket, which is diagnostic of S. nigricaudus (cf. Figs 395–398). Finally, the record of A. sahariensis lies within the known range of S. nigricaudus (Fig. 510). Thus, the name Aelurillus sahariensis is here considered a junior synonym of S. nigricaudus.
Description
Male
Measurements (specimens from Burkina Faso, MRAC 225.270). Carapace: 2.00–2.30 long, 1.35–1.60 wide, 1.00–1.05 high. Abdomen: 2.00–2.40 long, 1.35–1.75 wide. Ocular area: 0.70–0.80 long, 1.10– 1.30 wide anteriorly, 1.00–1.20 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.50–0.60. Clypeal height 0.20. Diameter of AME 0.35. Length of leg segments (male from Senegal, MRAC 201.167): I 1.00 + 0.60 + 0.75 + 0.65 + 0.50 (3.50); II 1.00 + 0.60 + 0.70 + 0.70 + 0.40 (3.40); III 1.65 + 0.85 + 1.00 + 1.35 + 0.50 (5.35); IV 1.50 + 0.90 + 1.05 + 1.40 + 0.60 (5.45). Leg formula IV,III,I,II. Leg spination (specimen from Senegal, MRAC 201.167): I: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; Mt pr 1-1ap, v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, rt 0-1-0, v 1-0-2ap; Mt pr and rt 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 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 1-1-0, pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 0-2-2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 1-1-0, pr 1-1- 2ap, rt 1-0-2ap, v 1-2-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; specimens from MRAC 225.270 and MRAC 201.167;
Figs 382–394). Carapace brown, covered with dark brown scales; dorsally with two longitudinal yellow stripes running from ALEs to the rear end and covered with white scales. Sides of carapace with wide marginal yellow stripes covered with white scales. Sternum yellow. Endites and labium yellow. Chelicerae brown-yellow, covered with short white and brown hairs. Clypeus yellow to brownish yellow, cheeks light brown and covered with short whitish hairs. Abdomen yellow: dorsum brown, with a wide median longitudinal stripe covered with short brown scales and two narrow longitudinal lines of white hairs on each side of the median stripe; some specimens also have two transverse yellow spots along the median line (absent in the males from Burkina Faso); venter with thin, longitudinal median lines of brown hairs. Spinnerets yellow, with dark brown apexes. Book-lung covers yellow. All legs yellow. Tr I dark brown, Mt and Tb I ventrally dark brown. Specimens from Senegal have Fm I with a large pro- and retrolateral dark brown spot. Palps yellow to dark brown, densely covered with long white hairs; femora ventrally and all segments prolaterally dark brown and covered with long dark brown hairs. Palpal structure as in Figs 369–381: VTA bulge-shaped; RTA thick and relatively short, hook-shaped, visibly directed medioanteriad; the cymbium simple, without a cymbial lateral process; the tegulum small and elongated, with a well-developed tegular process; the functional tegulum wide and elongated, with a well-developed, pointed proximal (PP) projection and a wide distal (DP) projection, which is fused with the embolic base; the embolus hook-shaped, situated apically on the functional tegulum, at 12 o’clock, with a heavy base that is fused with the DP.
Female (specimens from Senegal, MRAC 201.167)
Measurements: carapace: 2.30 long, 2.00 wide, 1.35 high. Abdomen: 2.30–3.50 long, 2.40–2.90 wide. Ocular area: 1.00 long, 1.40 wide anteriorly, 1.35 wide posteriorly. Cheliceral length 0.65. Clypeal height 0.30. Diameter of AME 0.40. Length of leg segments (female from Burkina Faso, MRAC 225.270): I 1.10 + 0.65 + 0.55 + 0.50 + 0.35 (3.15); II 1.10 + 0.65 + 0.55 + 0.60 + 0.40 (3.30); III 1.75 + 1.00 + 1.15 + 1.45 + 0.60 (5.95); IV 1.55 + 0.60 + 1.10 + 1.50 + 0.60 (5.35). Leg formula III,IV,II,I. Leg spination (specimen from Burkina Faso, MRAC 225.270): I: Fm d 0-1-1-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; Mt v 2-2ap. II: Fm d 0-1-2-5; Pt pr 0-1-0; Tb pr 1-1, v 1-1-2ap; 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 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 1-1-0, pr and rt 1-0-2ap, v 0-2-2ap. IV: Fm d 0-1-1-4; Pt pr and rt 0-1-0; Tb d 1-0-0, pr and rt 1-1-1-1, v 1-0-2ap; Mt d 1-1-0, pr 1-1-2ap, rt 1-0- 2ap, v 0-2-2ap. Coloration (in alcohol; Figs 400–405). Carapace as in the male. Abdomen dorsally with wide longitudinal stripes covered with brown scales, medially with two transverse yellow spots, which in some specimens have dark brown dots inside them; median yellow stripe covered with white hairs and rare brown bristles, but in some specimens it is completely covered with brown hairs. Spinnerets yellow to brownish, brown apically. Legs yellow, with brown dots and semi-rings. Palps yellow, covered with white hairs, except for brown tarsi covered with dark brown hairs. Epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 395–399: the epigynal plate flat, its rear edge concave; epigynal pocket present and well-developed (narrow and deep); the copulatory openings widely separated, facing backwards; the insemination ducts short, wide and bent dorsally; the primary spermathecae large and round.
Distribution
NW part of the Afrotropical Region (Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso) and SW part of the Palaearcic Region (Algeria) (Fig. 510).
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 84-90, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.430, http://zenodo.org/record/3787622