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.

A pattern that has emerged from these studies is that the in these biomes, a pattern that has been regularly observed in savannah (e.g. Whitmore et al. 2002;Haddad et al. et al. et al. et al. 2010), a structurally more complex vegetation type.
During sampling in these biomes over the last three decades, including studies forming part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), several species of species of Heliophanus Thyenula Simon, 1902, and one of each Rhene a, b Haddad 2002). In the current contribution an additional 15 species are described, several previously described in the papers listed above.
in preserved specimens and are sometimes missing as a result.

tri-lorum
Male. is tentative and is based on the toothless chelicerae and the similarities of the male to members of this genus.
Langona lotzi sp. n. specialist in Miturgidae spiders and curator of Arachnida at the NMBA.
posterior edge of the epigynal depression.

Embolus short, its basal part
Female.
montane grassland at ca Male. .

Female.
procurved posterior depressions, their rims forming shields above the gonopores ( time (Fig. 101). Microbianor Logunov, 2000 are morphologically similar to the genus Bianor distinguished by their very small size. The males have a diminutive process at the external margins of the maxillae, and a characteristically curved embolus tip. The females have distinctly shorter seminal ducts than in Bianor.
(globose), referring to the shape of the bulb.

Male.
and three pairs of small patches on lateral sides (last pair, placed at spinnerets, largest). bulb, its tip thin and colourless, curved (Fig. 99). Orange River.
proposed that the genus originated in Africa and speciated on the Indian Ocean islands Oriental Harmochireae are necessary to more thoroughly assess the biogeography of Microbianor.
(slender), referring to the shape of the spider's body.
(single in ). Also similar to P. karinae in front of the copulatory openings (at the lateral edges of the epigyne in ).

Male.
Female.  accessory glands entering into the initial part of the seminal ducts.
forming small patches in front of posterior lateral eyes and median stripe on thoracic haematodocha clearly separated, embolus short (Fig. 203).  meridionalis (southern), referring to the southern distribution of the species relative to that of the previously described congeners.

Tusitala Tusitala barbata
The genus includes nine species, all distributed in the Afrotropical Region. The males

Tusitala barbata
Figs 220, 221  et al. 2004, b). In the only study in a natural habitat in collected in a stand of undisturbed Nama Karoo grassland at the same locality (Haddad Theridiidae and Linyphiidae are richer) and on the ground (richness dominated by provides a taxonomic base for further investigations into the ecology, distribution and conservation importance of the family in this area.
provided permits for collecting spiders in Erfenis Dam Nat. Res., Sandveld Nat. Res., comments and suggestions that helped improve the manuscript. Pellenes 56