On some new and poorly-known Chrysillini from arid western South Africa (Araneae, Salticidae)

Abstract

Following a rapid biodiversity assessment of spiders in the arid western interior of South Africa, we report on the occurrence of some poorly known and new species of chrysilline jumping spiders. 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 (Simon, 1901), 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 (Wesołowska, 1986), 𝘏. 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴 (Wesołowska, 1986) and 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪 Lawrence, 1927 are recorded from the Northern Cape Province for the first time, and 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪 (Wesołowska & Haddad, 2014) (Lesotho) and 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴 Wesołowska, 1986 (Angola) are recorded from South Africa for the first time, both also from the Northern Cape. The hitherto unknown females of 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴 (Wesołowska, 1986) and 𝘐𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011 and the male of 𝘔. 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪 are described for the first time. Three new species are described: 𝘐𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘪 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (♂), 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (♂) and 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (♂♀). One new combination, 𝘈𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 (Wesołowska, 2011), 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (ex 𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘴 Simon, 1885), is proposed. We present the first comprehensive molecular analysis of South Africa 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪 jumping spiders, based on the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene, which supports the monophyly of all but two genera (𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 Wesołowska, 1986 and 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘴 C.L. Koch, 1833), which we briefly discuss.