Hyllus lwoffi Berland & Millot, 1941

Fig. 21

Hyllus lwoffi Berland & Millot, 1941: 337, fig. 41.

Diagnosis

The female of this species can be distinguished from congeners by the abdominal pattern with four pairs of white dots in the posterior part and by the structure of the epigyne with two lateral pockets with heavily sclerotized rims located at the epigastic furrow (Fig. 21B). The epigyne appears to have two small holes at the posterior border.

Material examined

IVORY COAST • 1 ♀; Lamto, Bandama Forest; 6 Oct. 1975; “sur branches”; MNHN • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 25 Nov. 1975; MNHN • 2 ♀♀; Cavally Forest; 6°05′ N, 7°36′ W; 14 Sep. 1975; “branches en litière de trouées”; MNHN .

Redescription

Male

Unknown.

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Cephalothorax length 4.6–4.7, width 3.5–3.7, height 2.0. Eye field length 2.0–2.1, anterior width 2.8–3.0, posterior width 2.9–3.1. Abdomen length 4.5–5.0, width 3.3–3.5. General appearance as in Fig. 21A. Large salticid, size ca 10 mm.

CARAPACE. Dark brown, eyes surrounded by black rings, long brown bristles near anterior eye row, some white hairs between anterior median eyes and lateral to posterior medians. Mouthparts and sternum brown.

ABDOMEN. Ovoid, greyish brown, with yellowish streak along anterior edge and large light patch occupying posterior half. Two pairs of white dots lying laterally from this patch and two pairs placed sub-marginally (Fig. 21A). Abdominal dorsum clothed in dense brown hairs, denser and longer at anterior edge. Venter brown with four lines composed by light dots. Spinnerets black.

LEGS. Dark brown, distal ends of tibiae and metatarsi black. Leg hairs dense, brown.

EPIGYNE. Strongly sclerotized, with two round depressions and two widely separated deep epigynal pockets at epigastric furrow (Fig. 21B–C). Seminal ducts semicircular, run mesially, spermathecae beanshaped, large, thick walled (Fig. 21D).

Distribution

Previously described on the basis of single female from Guinea. These are the first records from Ivory Coast.