Hyllus tuberculatus Wanless & Clark, 1975

Figs 24–25

Hyllus tuberculatus Wanless & Clark, 1975: 277, figs 6–9.

Diagnosis

The male differs from other Hyllus spp. in having a characteristic enlargement on the retrolateral side of the cymbium. The female has an epigyne with copulatory openings located laterally in the central depression and very short and wide seminal ducts (Fig. 25E).

Material examined

IVORY COAST • 1 ♂; Lamto; 18 Sep. 1975; “bosquet de savane, sur branches”; MNHN • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 21 Aug. 1975; “forêt galerie, sous-bois, sur branches”; MNHN • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 17 Sep. 1975; “forêt galerie à l’Est de virage glissant, sur branches”; MNHN.

Redescription

Male

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 3.3–4.2, width 2.9–3.6, height 1.9–2.0. Eye field length 1.8– 2.5, anterior width 2.1–2.9, posterior width 2.2–3.0. Abdomen length 3.5–5.1, width 1.9–2.8. General appearance as in Fig. 24A. Relatively large jumping spider, ca 10 mm in length.

CARAPACE. Rounded, reddish brown, eyes with black rings. Delicate white hairs on carapace, denser on slopes, anterior eyes framed with white scales. Clypeus low, brown. Chelicerae large, brown with white hairs on frontal surface, unidentate, retrolateral tooth large (Fig. 24B). Sternum light brown, endites and labium brown with whitish tips.

ABDOMEN. Oval, yellow with large darker area in center, sigilla clearly visible, sparse brown bristles on dorsum, venter light yellowish.

LEGS. Brown, hairy, hairs and spines brown. First pair of legs longest, bearing long dense blackish hairs on ventral surface of tibiae, patellae and metatarsi.

PEDIPALPS. Small, light brown, some white scales on base of cymbium and distal end of tibia. Cymbium with retrolateral enlargement, tibial apophysis thin and long (Figs 24C–D, 25A–C).

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 3.8, width 3.0, height 1.6. Eye field length 1.9, anterior width 2.7, posterior width 2.8. Abdomen length 4.9, width 2.9. General appearance as in Fig. 24E.

CARAPACE. Dark brown, eye field almost black, lighter crescent behind eye field. Anterior median eyes surrounded by white hairs. Sparse brown hairs on carapace, some white hairs between anterior eyes, at eyes of second row and on slopes. Mouthparts dark brown, endites with lighter tips, sternum light brown.

ABDOMEN. Brownish grey with whitish streak along anterior edge and wide median serrated yellowish band, two pairs of small white round patches in posterior part (Fig. 24E). Abdominal sides light. Sparse brown bristles on abdomen. Spinnerets grey.

LRGS. Brown, distal ends of segments darker, leg hairs and spines brown.

EPIGYNE. With large central depression (Figs 24F, 25D), copulatory openings placed in the depression posterolaterally, seminal ducts short and wide, spermathecae bean-shaped (Fig. 25E).

Remarks

The female is described here for the first time.

Distribution

Only known from Ivory Coast.