Smeringopus Simon, 1890

Smeringopus is currently the most species-rich African pholcid genus (55 species). It is widespread in Central Africa (Fig. 33), but only seven species are known from the area: the pantropical synanthropic S. pallidus (Blackwall, 1858), which is common in the area but whose previous records from Central Africa are all dubious; the widespread S. cylindrogaster (Simon, 1907), which covers at least the western subregions of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest (Upper and Lower Guinea) (Huber 2012), and its close relative S. luki Huber, 2012; the widespread S. lesserti Kraus, 1957, which covers at least the eastern subregions of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest (Lower Guinea and Congolia) (Huber 2012); and the three species of the thomensis group ( S. thomensis Simon, 1907; S. mayombe Huber, 2012; S. principe Huber, 2012), all of which are small scale endemics (Huber 2012).