Smeringopina guineensis (Millot, 1941)

Figs. 4, 17, 46–52, 55, 96–113

Smeringopus guineensis Millot 1941: 22 –24, figs. 9A–H.

Smeringopina guineensis: Huber 1995: 299 (transfer to Smeringopina). Dimitrov, Astrin & Huber 2013 (DNA data).

Types. 3♂ 7♀ syntypes from Guinea, Macenta [8°32.5’N, 9°28.2’W], vii.1937 (J. Millot), in MNHN (Ar 10474, 10485, 10496), examined.

Note: The vials containing the male syntypes (Ar 10496, 10485) each have the same original label saying “ S. guineensis M., J. Millot rec. et. det., Macenta, Guinée fr., VII 37 ”. The vial with the female syntypes (Ar 10485) contains two labels, one just saying “Macenta”, the other “ S. guineensis M., ♀, J. Millot rec. et. det., Kindia [sic!], Guinée fr., VII 37 ”. Judging from Millot’s (1941) original description, “ Kindia ” on the second label is clearly a lapsus.

Other material examined. GUINEA: Guinée Forestière: Forêt Classée de Diéké (7°32.0’N, 8°49.9’W), 430 m a.s.l., 1.xii.2008 (B.A. Huber), 7♂ 12♀ (2 vials) in ZFMK (Ar 10185-86); same data, 1♂ 2♀ 3 juvs. in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Gui 60). Forêt Classée de Ziama (8°24.2’N, 9°19.3’W), 640 m a.s.l., 2.xii.2008 (B.A. Huber), 2♂ 2♀ in ZFMK (Ar 10187); same data, 1♂ in ZFMK (Ar 10188); same data, 1♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Gui 71). Mount Nimba (~ 7°41.5’N, 8°24.5’W), ~ 600 m a.s.l., forest, 29.xi.2008 (B.A. Huber), 1♂ 1♀ in ZFMK (Ar 10189); same data, 2♀ in pure ethanol, in ZFMK (Gui 76).

LIBERIA: Gbanga [Gbarnga, 7°00’N, 9°28’W], 1926 (G.M. Allen, R.P. Strong Expedition), 1♀ in MCZ (34041). Montserrado Co., Mt. Coffee [6°31.8’N, 10°33.6’W], 1896 (O.F. Cook), 1♂ 1♀ in USNM; same data but iii.1895, 2 ♂1♀ (2 vials) in USNM; same data but ii.1897, 1 ♀ in USNM. Grand Bassa Co. [~ 6°12’N, 9°48’W], “Beulah”, ii.1896 (O.F. Cook), 1♂ 2♀ in USNM.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from similar congeners ( S. bineti, S. pulchra) by absence of apophysis ventrally on procursus-tip (Fig. 97), by modified hairs on male chelicerae not all grouped at tips of apophyses (Fig. 99), by medially indented rim of male clypeus (Fig. 103), and by evenly bulged anterior epigynal plate (in lateral view); from S. bineti also by longer abdomen and longer legs, and by absence of dark lateral marks on carapace (only dark margin; Fig. 46); from S. pulchra also by pair of median apophyses proximally on male chelicerae (Figs. 103, 108), curved procursus (Figs. 52, 97), pointed bulbal apophysis (Fig. 98), and only weakly curved posterior margin of anterior epigynal plate (Figs. 49, 100). Millot (1941) mentioned further supposedly distinctive details in the abdominal pattern but these characters seem to vary too much within each species to be as useful as the structural characters.

Male (Forêt Classée de Ziama). Total body length 6.3, carapace width 1.6. Leg 1: 68.6 (15.7 + 0.7 + 15.6 + 33.7 + 2.9), tibia 2: 10.8, tibia 3: 7.2, tibia 4: 9.9; tibia 1 L/d: 104. Distance PME-PME 185 µm, diameter PME 150 µm, distance PME-ALE 70 µm, distance AME-AME 25 µm, diameter AME 150 µm. Carapace ochre-orange with brown triangular mark posteriorly and brown lateral margins; ocular area posteriorly brown, clypeus with pair of brown lines and brown rim, sternum light brown; legs ochre, tips of femora and tibiae whitish, dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae and in patella area; abdomen ochre-gray with distinct black pattern dorsally, laterally, and ventrally. Habitus as in Figs. 46–48, ocular area slightly elevated, secondary eyes with indistinct ‘pseudo-lenses’; clypeus unmodified except sclerotized rim, rim clearly indented medially (Fig. 103); deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging behind pit (Fig. 104). Chelicerae as in Fig. 99, with distinct median projections proximally, lateral proximal apophyses, large distal apophyses provided each with two modified hairs at tip and about six further hairs more proximally, with very small distal apophyses close to fang joints carrying single hair each at their tips (Fig. 111). Palps as in Figs. 50–52; coxa with rounded retrolateral hump; trochanter with simple retrolatero-ventral apophysis; femur with small retrolateral apophysis pointing dorso-distally, with large ventral bulge distally, without ventral or prolateral modification proximally; prolateral femur-patella joints only slightly moved toward ventrally; tarsus with about three or four stronger hairs; procursus without hinge, curved toward ventrally, with four long ventral hairs bent around procursus and directed toward dorsally, distally with moveable dorsal sclerite embedded in membranous cuticle, without ventral apophysis (Figs. 96–97); bulb with simple pointed apophysis with very small subdistal branch, arising from membranous basal projection (Fig. 98; sperm duct apparently opens at membranous basal projection at basis of pointed apophysis). Legs without spines and curved hairs, with few vertical hairs, retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 1.5%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegments barely visible. ALS with eight spigots each; gonopore with two epiandrous spigots (Fig. 110).

Variation. Number of modified hairs on male chelicerae slightly variable. Tibia 1 in 11 other males: 12.8–16.3 (mean 14.1). Male syntypes in fair condition, slightly bleached, some legs detached or missing, one pair of chelicerae and one palp missing.

Female. In general similar to male; sternum variably dark, sometimes almost black. Tibia 1 in 24 females: 9.6– 12.4 (mean 10.7). Epigynum as in Figs. 49 and 100, similar S. bineti but anterior plate without hump (evenly curved in lateral view); internal genitalia as in Figs. 55 and 102, with distinct globular structures between uterus externus and anterior epigynal plate more closely grouped together than in S. bineti (Fig. 101). ALS with eight spigots each (Fig. 112). Female syntypes in fair condition, slightly bleached, two abdomens and some legs missing.

Natural history. In Diéké and Ziama forests, S. guineensis built strongly domed webs (Fig. 17) between tree buttresses, among rocks and sometimes quite freely among the vegetation (especially juveniles). When disturbed it vibrated and/or ran away on the web.

Distribution. Known from several localities in southeastern Guinea (Guinée Forestière) and Liberia (Fig. 33).