JUMPING SPIDERS (ARANEAE: SALTICIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN NIGERIA

Seventy three species of jumping spiders are listed from Nigeria in this paper. Among these, the following 26 species are described as new to science: Aelurillus joequei sp. nov. (male female), Ajaraneola mastigophora sp. nov. (male female), Brancus occidentalis sp. nov. (male), Evarcha grandis sp. nov. (female), Evarcha idanrensis sp. nov. (female), Habrocestum personatum sp. nov. (female), Hyllus remotus sp. nov. (male female), Icius olokomei sp. nov. (female), Langelurillus quadrimaculatus sp. nov. (male female), Menemerus nigeriensis sp. nov. (male), Neaetha maxima sp. nov. (female), Pachyballus oyo sp. nov. (male female), Schenkelia ibadanensis sp. nov. (male), Stenaelurillus glaber sp. nov. (male), Stenaelurillus iubatus sp. nov. (male female), Stenaelurillus pilosus sp. nov. (male female), Stenaelurillus striolatus sp. nov. (male), Thiratoseirtus alveolus sp. nov. (female), Thiratoseirtus bipaniculus sp. nov. (female), Thiratoseirtus gambari sp. nov. (male female), Thiratoseirtus harpago sp. nov. (male), Thiratoseirtus mirabilis sp. nov. (male female), Thiratoseirtus monstrum sp. nov. (female), Thiratoseirtus obudu sp. nov. (male), Thiratoseirtus vilis sp. nov. (female) and Thiratoseirtus yorubanus sp. nov. (male). A new species of Baryphas is described but not formally named here. One new genus, Ajaraneola gen. nov. is described and diagnosed. The female sex of Evarcha bakorensis, Heliophanus robustus, Phlegra gagnoa and Thyene hesperia is described for the first time. Brancus bevisi Lessert, 1925 is proposed as a junior synonym of Brancus muticus Simon, 1902. Two new combinations are proposed, Victoria besanconi Berland & Millot, 1941. and Viciria fuscimana Simon, 1903 are transferred to the genus Brancus. Baryphas albicinctus Berland & Millot, 1941 is removed from synonymy with B. jullieni Simon, 1902. Mithion hesperius Simon, 1910 is removed from synonymy with Modunda aperta Peckham et Peckham, 1903 and transferred to the genus Thyme. The composition of the salticid fauna of this region of West Africa is discussed and compared to that of other regions of Africa.