Bioacoustics of Spermophora akwamu

Description Male ( holotype ) MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 2.1, carapace width 0.7. Leg 1: 22.3 (5.3 + 0.4 + 5.4 + 9.2 + 2.0), tibia 2: 3.1, tibia 3: 2.0, tibia 4: 3.0; tibia 1 L/d: 76. Distance PME-PME 115 µm, diameter PME 95 µm, distance PME-ALE 35 µm, no AME. COLOR. Carapace pale gray with narrow black margins and indistinct median line ( Fig. 77 ), ocular area and clypeus dark brown to black, sternum pale gray ( Fig. 79 ), legs ochre-yellow, with indistinct dark rings subdistally on femora and tibiae, abdomen mostly pale gray, with black transversal mark at posterior tip, further black marks posteriorly above spinnerets and near gonopore. BODY. Habitus as in Figs 77-79 ; ocular area slightly elevated, each triad on low hump; carapace without median furrow (only dark line); clypeus with distinctive pair of dark processes, about 100 µm long ( Fig. 80 ); sternum wider than long (0.55/0.45), unmodified. Chelicerae as in Fig. 89 , with pair of weakly sclerotized processes proximally, distally without modification, without stridulatory ridges. PALPS. As in Figs 83-84 and 87-88 , coxa with indistinct ventral process, trochanter with long ventral and shorter retrolateral apophyses, procursus with ventral sclerotized flap, prolatero-dorsal hinged process and thin distal flagellum; bulb with hooked apophysis and long weakly sclerotized embolus. LEGS. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 8.5%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other tibiae; tarsus 1 with>20 indistinct pseudosegments. VARIATION. Tibia 1 in 35 other males: 4.3-5.6 (mean 4.8). Some males from type locality with additional small black marks dorsally on abdomen; in both males from Atewa Hills, these marks are present and larger; in males from Ankasa N.P. the abdomen is almost monochromous, without ventral marks, without marks above spinnerets, only mark at posterior tip. Female In general similar to male but sternum in most females dark brown or black ( Fig. 81 ), abdomen dorsally with more and larger black marks ( Fig. 82 ), clypeus unmodified, carapace with small median process acting against indistinct sclerotized plate above pedicel. Tibia 1 in 42 females : 3.5-4.4 (mean 3.9). Epigynum simple rectangular plate, anteriorly with dark transversal internal structure, without pockets ( Figs 85 , 90 ); internal genitalia as in Figs 86 , 91 . Relationships Judging from the very similar morphology, this species is probably closely related to S. dieke from Guinea (cf. figures in Huber 2009 ) as well as to a further very similar (undescribed) species from Congo DR (in MRAC). Natural history The spiders were found both under green leaves where they built slightly domed sheets that extended beyond the leaves ( Fig. 13 ; with the spider resting under a leaf), and in the leaf litter, under curved dead leaves, in small webs apparently not extending beyond the leaf.