Hortipes, A Huge Genus Of Tiny Afrotropical Spiders (Araneae, Liocranidae)

• Published in: Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History Vol. 256; no. 1; pp. 4 - 108
• Main Authors: Bosselaers, J, Jocque, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.2000
• ISSN: 0003-0090
• DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090(2000)256(0004:HAHGOT)2.0.CO;2

Hortipes Bosselaers and Ledoux (type species Hortipes luytenae Bosselaers and Ledoux from South Africa) is a genus of small (1.5-4 mm), pale, mainly soil-dwelling spiders from sub-Saharan Africa. The genus, which is tentatively placed in the Liocranidae, is characterized by the presence of a peculiar ellipsoidal array of setae on the dorsal side of metatarsi I and II and by the large anterior median eyes with a dark retina restricted to the median portion. Sixty-three additional Hortipes species are described here as new: H. platnicki ([female]), H. castor ([male][female]), H. pollux ([male][female]), H. fastigiensis ([male][female]), H. ostiovolutus ([male][female]), H. salticola ([male][female]), H. exoptans ([male][female]), H. scharffi ([male][female]), H. cucurbita ([male][female]), H. hesperoecius ([female]), H. klumpkeae ([female]), H. aurora ([male][female]), H. echo ([female]), H. stoltzei ([male]), H. creber ([male][female]), H. orchatocnemis ([male][female]), H. contubernalis ([male][female]), H. mesembrinus ([female]), H. coccinatus ([male][female]), H. wimmertensi ([male] [female]), H. irimus ([female]), H. licnophorus ([female]), H. schoemanae ([male][female]), H. aelurisiepae ([female]), H. hyakutake ([male]), H. rothorum ([male]), H. griswoldi ([male]), H. oronesiotes ([male][female]), H. penthesileia ([female]),H. zombaensis ([male][female]), H. atalante [female]), H. merwei ([male] [female]), H. leno ([male][female]), H. mulciber ([female]), H. libidinosus ([male][female]), H. delphinus ([male][female]), H. bjorni ([male]), H. amphibolus ([female]), H. hastatus ([male] [female]), H. horta ([female]), H. angariopsis ([female]), H. falcatus ([male][female]), H. lejeunei ([male][female]), H. narcissus ([male][female]), H. auriga ([male]), H. puylaerti ([female]), H. chrysothemis ([female]), H. machaeropolion ([male] [female]), H. centralis ([female]), H. tarachodes ([male][female]), H. terminator ([male]), H. baerti ([male]), H. robertus ([male] [female]), H. abucoletus [female], H. alderweireldti ([male]), H. architelones ([male][female]), H. calliblepharus ([male]), H. fortipes ([male]), H. bosmansi ([male][female]), H. sceptrum ([male] [female]), H. anansiodatus [female], H. hormigricola ([male] [female]), and H. depravator ([male]). The genus has a vast Afrotropical distribution, occurring from as far south as East London in South Africa to Sierra Leone in western Africa. So far, no specimens are available from northeastern tropical Africa. Apart from H. merwei, which seems to prefer grassland, all species are found in leaf litter or the canopy of different kinds of forests and dense thickets. In captivity, H. contubernalis readily fed on Collembola. Specimens raised from cocoons obtained in the laboratory reached adulthood after three molts. A cladistic analysis of the 34 species for which both sexes are known, largely based on secondary genitalic characters, is proposed.