New Species and New Records of Jumping Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) from Central South Africa

Abstract

Examination of recently collected material of predominantly ground-dwelling jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) mainly from the Free State and Northern Cape provinces, South Africa, lead to the discovery of 15 new species, which are described here: Cembalea triloris sp. n., Evarcha brinki sp. n., E. flagellaris sp.n., E. vittula sp. n., Icius pulchellus sp. n., Langona hirsuta sp. n., L. lotzi sp. n., Microbianor globosus sp. n., Pseudicius dependens sp. n., P. gracilis sp. n., P. karinae sp. n., P. maculatus sp. n., P. solitarius sp. n., Rhene lingularis sp. n. and Tanzania meridionalis sp. n. The unknown male of Rhene konradi Wesołowska, 2009, and the unknown females of Pellenes bulawayoensis Wesołowska, 1999, P. modicus Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000, Phlegra etosha Logunov & Azarkina, 2006, P. karoo Wesołowska, 2006 and Thyene thyenioides (Lessert, 1925), are described for the first time. Nine species, Dendryphantes hararensis Wesołowska & Cumming, 2008, Menemerus pilosus Wesołowska, 2006, Pellenes geniculatus (Simon, 1868), P. modicus, Phlegra bresnieri (Lucas, 1846), P. etosha, P. karoo, Tanzania mkomaziensis (Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000) and T. thyenioides, are recorded from South Africa for the first time. Apart from two records in the Northern Cape Province, Cembalea triloris sp. n. is also recorded from southern Namibia. Additionally, new provincial records for species previously recorded from elsewhere in South Africa are presented: 19 species are recorded from the Free State for the first time, five from the North West, and two from the Northern Cape. Thyenula oranjensis Wesołowska, 2001, described from the eastern Free State, is recorded from KwaZulu-Natal for the first time.