Smeringopina simplex Kraus, 1957

Figs. 15–16, 499–503, 521–522, 531, 587–602

Smeringopina simplex Kraus 1957: 237 –240, figs. 66–69, 72.

Other material examined. CAMEROON: Southwest Region: Mt. Koupé above Nyasoso (4°49.6’N, 9°41.1’E), ~ 1600 m a.s.l., near ground, 22.–23.iv.2009 (B.A. Huber), 26♂ 19♀ (2 vials) in ZFMK (Ar 10277-78); same data, 1♂ 2♀ (2 vials) in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Cam 93, 148); same locality, forest at 4°50’N, 9°41’E, 800–1200 m a.s.l., 16.–19.ii.1992 (Griswold, Scharff, Wanzie, Larcher, Masongo), 2♀ 10 juvs. in USNM.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners (large species with long abdomen, cone-shaped modified hairs on male chelicerae, simple unbranched procursus) by shape of pointed procursus (with distinctive pointed process ventrally; Figs. 587–588), shapes of male cheliceral apophyses (Fig. 589; similar to S. bwiti but distal apophyses directed more downwards), and anterior epigynal plate strongly protruding and weakly sclerotized in posterior half (Figs. 521–522; similar S. bioko).

Male (Mt. Koupé). Total body length 8.0, carapace width 2.0. Leg 1: 81.1 (18.9 + 0.8 + 18.5 + 39.3 + 3.6), tibia 2: 13.2, tibia 3: 9.5, tibia 4: 12.3; tibia 1 L/d: 91. Distance PME-PME 240 µm, diameter PME 185 µm, distance PME-ALE 90 µm, distance AME-AME 35 µm, diameter AME 180 µm. Carapace ochre-orange with brown mark posteriorly and brown lateral margins; ocular area posteriorly brown, clypeus with pair of brown marks at rim, sternum dark brown; legs ochre-yellow, slightly darker rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area, tips of femora and tibiae whitish; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct black pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 499–500, ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with distinct ‘pseudo-lenses’ (Fig. 593); clypeus unmodified except longer than usual hairs; deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit. Chelicerae as in Fig. 589, with lateral proximal apophyses and distal apophyses; distal apophyses and frontal cheliceral face provided with several modified (cone-shaped) hairs (Figs. 594–595). Palps as in Figs. 501–503, 596, 599; coxa unmodified; trochanter with ventral apophysis; femur proximally with ventral sclerotized ridge but without pocket, with small retrolateral apophysis, without prolateral modification; prolateral femur-patella joint shifted toward ventrally (though not extremely); tarsus with some stronger hairs dorsally (Fig. 597); procursus with very indistinct hinge between proximal and distal part, with pointed sclerotized tip and small pointed process ventrally (Figs. 587–588); bulb with widened but weakly sclerotized proximal part of embolus (Fig. 590). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs (many hairs missing), retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible. ALS with seven spigots each (Fig. 600). Gonopore with two epiandrous spigots (Fig. 598).

Variation. Tibia 1 in 16 other males from Mt. Koupé: 14.0–17.6 (mean 16.2). The male types are very bleached, legs partly broken or missing, right palp of holotype detached; tibia 1 in holotype: 16.7, missing in paratype.

Female. In general similar to male; clypeus with shorter hairs and variably dark. Tibia 1 in 18 females: 10.5– 13.3 (mean 12.4). Epigynum with roughly triangular anterior plate, in posterior half strongly protruding and weakly sclerotized (Figs. 521–522, 602), often with one or two scars in membranous posterior area (Fig. 521), with large posterior plate; internal genitalia as in Figs. 531 and 592. The female paratype is in fair condition; tibia 1 missing.

Natural history. On Mt. Koupé, this species was found to be common in the well preserved forest, mainly among tree buttresses and rocks along a brook, but sometimes even among vegetation. The usual dome-shaped webs were often shared with small nematocerous flies.

Most females (15 of 20) had one or two scars in the membranous part of the anterior genital plate. This might be related to the pointed process ventrally on the procursus and might thus constitute a case of copulatory genital damage. There seems to be a tendency for scars to occur in larger females (but note) small sample size.

Distribution. Known from two localities (type locality and very nearby locality) in southwestern Cameroon (Fig. 468).