Mexcala synagelese is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Sudan. The spider was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. It mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized, with a dark brown carapace between 2.7 and 3.2 mm long and a pale brown to dark brown abdomen between 3.2 and 4.0 mm long. The male has three strips on its abdomen while the female has a more complex pattern of dark bands and light patches. The spider has long thin brown legs. It has good eyesight, which it uses when hunting and also during courtship. The male palpal bulb has a long tibial apophysis, or spike, that curves in towards the bulb. The female epigyne has two shallow depressions and short seminal ducts that lead to long receptacles.
Mexcala torquata is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that lives in Guinea and Ivory Coast. It was first defined in 2009 by Wanda Wesołowska, one of over 500 that the arachnologist described during her career. The spider is medium-sized, with a dark brown carapace that is between 3.0 and 3.3 mm long and a brown abdomen between 3.0 and 3.7 mm long. It has long thin legs and serrated chelicerae. Similar to other species in the genus, it mimics ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The female has a distinctive fillet on the back of its abdomen, after which the species is named. However, it can be most easily distinguished from other spiders in the genus by its relatively small copulatory organs, specifically its very small epigyne, seminal ducts and embolus.
Thiratoscirtus alveolus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. The holotype was found on Obudu Plateau, Cross River State at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft) above sea level. The spider is medium-sized, with a cephalothorax that is typically 2.8 mm long and an abdomen that is 2.8 mm in length. The body of the female is generally brown with a covering of delicate hairs. The mouthparts include powerful chelicerae with teeth that have multiple points and a short fang. It can be distinguished from other spiders in the genus by its copulatory organs, particularly the presence of two long and deep parallel troughs in the epigyne that lead to the gonopores. These are recalled in the name for the species, which can be translated "trough".
Thiratoscirtus bipaniculus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. The holotype was found on Obudu Plateau, Cross River State at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft) above sea level. Only the female has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a wider cephalothorax that is typically 2.6 mm long and a thinner abdomen that is 2.5 mm in length, both oval in shape. The mouthparts include powerful chelicerae with teeth that have multiple points and a short fang. It can be distinguished from other spiders in the genus by its copulatory organs, particularly the long thin insemination ducts and the presence of slightly sclerotized structures in the middle of the epigyne and two tufts of hair on the edges. The last of those features are recalled in the name for the species.
Thiratoscirtus gambari is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in the forests of Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. Female examples included at the time were later discovered to have been misidentified and so only a description of the male is available. It is a medium-sized spider, with a wider cephalothorax that is typically between 3.4 and 4.7 mm long and an abdomen that is 3.2 and 4.5 mm in length, both oval in shape. It is generally dark brown and grey on top and brownish-orange underneath, although some examples have a lighter underside to their abdomen, and has yellow to brown legs with brown hairs and spines. Its fang is unusual in having small angular features near its base. The spider also has distinctive copulatory organs that enable it to be distinguished from other members of the genus, particularly the relatively wide club-like tibial apophysis, or protrusion on its palpal tibia, and the wing-like appendages on its cymbium.
Thiratoscirtus harpago is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. Only the male has been identified. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax that is typically 3.9 mm long and an abdomen that is 2.7 mm in length, both oval in shape. The carapace is generally dark brown and the abdomen dark greyish-fawn on top. The clypeus, or face, has a triangular marking of white hairs. The mouthparts include large chelicerae and a short fang. Its copulatory organs are unusual, including the a very small palpal bulb enclosed in a cymbium that is shaped like a half-moon and a hook at the end of the embolus, which is recalled in the species name, a Latin word that can be translated "harpoon".
Thiratoscirtus monstrum is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. Only the female has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a wider cephalothorax that is typically between 3.4 and 3.6 mm long and an abdomen that is 2.6 and 3.5 mm in length, both oval in shape. It is generally dark brown and grey on top and yellow and orange underneath, apart from its legs, which are light yellow. It has particularly unusual copulatory organs that enable it to be distinguished from other spiders in the genus, particularly the design of its epigyne, which is recalled in the species name. The epigyne looks like a large triangle and has a triangular depression in its middle. It has a single copulatory opening and gonopore, one insemination duct and small tube-like spermathecae, or receptacles.
Thiratoscirtus obudu is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. The holotype was found at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft) above sea level. on Obudu Plateau, Cross River State, after which it is named. Only the male has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a wider cephalothorax that is between 2.7 and 2.8 mm long and a thinner abdomen that is 2.2 and 2.4 mm in length, both oval in shape. The mouthparts include robust chelicerae and a short fang. It can be distinguished from other spiders in the genus by its copulatory organs. It has a small pedipalp with a rounded palpal bulb and a small spike on its palpal tibia called a tibial apophysis The apophysis is smaller than that found on other species.
Thiratoscirtus vilis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. The holotype was found at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft) above sea level. on Obudu Plateau, Cross River State. Only the female has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax that is typically 3.4 mm long and an abdomen that is 3.5 mm in length, both oval in shape. The mouthparts include robust chelicerae and a short fang. It can be distinguished from other spiders in the genus by its copulatory organs, particularly the heart-shaped depression in the middle of the epigyne.
Thiratoscirtus yorubanus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Russell-Smith. The holotype was found at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft) above sea level. on Obudu Plateau, Cross River State. Only the female has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax that is typically 3.7 mm long and an abdomen that is 3.5 mm in length, both oval in shape. The mouthparts include large chelicerae and a short fang. Its copulatory organs are unusual, including the presence of a lobe that is shaped like the head of an axe on the palpal bulb and two protrusions on the palpal tibia, or tibial apophyses.
Thiratoscirtus atakpa is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2012 by Wanda Wesołowska and Glavis Edwards and named for an old name for Calabar, the city near where it was first found. Only the female has been described. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax that is typically 2.6 mm long and an abdomen that is 2.5 mm in length, both oval in shape. It is generally dark brown, apart from its abdomen, which is brownish-grey. This abdomen helps distinguish it from the otherwise similar Thiratoscirtus vilis. The position of the copulatory openings, in the middle of the spider's epigyne, is also distinctive.
Thiratoscirtus efik is a species of jumping spider in the genus Thiratoscirtus that lives in Nigeria. The species was first described in 2012 by Wanda Wesołowska and Glavis Edwards. The spider is named for the Efik people that live near where it was first found. It is a medium-sized spider, with a cephalothorax that is between 2.4 and 2.5 mm long and an abdomen that is 2.2 mm in length, both oval in shape. It is generally brown, apart from its abdomen, which is brownish-grey, with a covering of fine hairs. The male has pedipalps that are similar to the related Thiratoscirtus elgonensis and Thiratoscirtus obudu but differ in details, including the size of the spike on the palpal tibia known as the tibial apophysis.
Mexcala smaragdina is a species of jumping spider in the genus Mexcala that is endemic to Nigeria. The spider was first defined in 2012 by Wanda Wesołowska and G. B. Edwards. Spiders of the genus mimic ants and ant-like wasps, living alongside and preying upon them. The spider is medium-sized, with a cephalothorax typically 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long and an abdomen 2.7 mm (0.11 in) long. The male has a hooked embolus that is shorter than the related Mexcala caerulea but otherwise the male copulatory organs are similar. The female has not been identified. The spider is most easily distinguished by the green-metallic sheen on its body, which is referred to in the species name.
Hyllus nigeriensis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Hyllus that is endemic to Nigeria. It lives in rainforest. The spider was first described in 2012 by Wanda Wesołowska and G. B. Edwards. A medium-sized spider, it typically has a cephalothorax 4.1 mm (0.16 in) long and an abdomen 4.0 mm (0.16 in) long. The abdomen is reddish-brown and narrower than the light brown carapace. Originally tentatively allocated to the genus Brancus, the species was allocated to Hyllus in 2022. Only the female has been described.
Hyllus remotus is a species of jumping spider in the genus Hyllus that is endemic to Nigeria. It lives near rivers. The female of the species was first described in 2011 by Wanda Wesołowska and Anthony Russell-Smith. The male has not been identified, which means that the species is only tentatively included in the genus. It is large, with a brown carapace typically 2.9 mm (0.11 in) long and an abdomen 4.2 mm (0.17 in) long. The spider is brown and brownish-grey with a white pattern on its back. It is similar to Hyllus plexippoides, except for its longer seminal ducts and the way that the gonopores are positioned.
Bacelarella gibbosa is a species of jumping spider in the genus Bacelarella that is endemic to Nigeria. The spider has a distinctive shape to the carapace that gives the species its name, which can be translated hunchback. It was first described in 2012 by Wanda Wesołowska and Glavis Edwards. The spider is medium-sized with a cephalothorax that has a length between 3.1 and 3.8 mm and an abdomen that is between 2.6 and 3.4 mm long. The female is larger than the male. It is also generally lighter in colour, the male having a darker brown carapace, clypeus and legs. The species can be distinguished from others in the species by the male's round small palpal bulb and long thin embolus and the larger pocket in the female's epigyne.
Detalik anthonyi is the type species for the genus Detalik. It is a species of jumping spider that is endemic to Nigeria and was first described in 2021 by Wanda Wesołowska. A small spider like all those in the genus, it has a cephalothorax measuring between 1.7 and 2.2 mm long and an abdomen between 1.5 and 2.7 mm long. The cephalothorax has a brown top or carapace that has wide white stripes on its back and a yellow underside or sternum. The abdomen differs between the sexes. The female abdomen is brownish-grey with a lighter streak running down it while the male has a mosaic-like pattern of brown dots at the very rear. The spider has distinctive copulatory organs. The male has an irregular-shaped palpal bulb with characteristic spikes, or apophyses. One, that is attached to the bulb itself, is large and sickle-shaped; two others are much shorter. The female has copulatory openings to the sides of the epigyne that lead to particularly long insemination ducts.
Detalik ibadan is a species of jumping spider in the genus Detalik. It is endemic to Nigeria and was first described in 2021 by Wanda Wesołowska. A small spider like all those in the genus, it has a cephalothorax measuring between 1.9 and 2.0 mm long and an abdomen between 1.7 and 2.0 mm long. The cephalothorax has a brown top, or carapace, that has white patches on its back and a light brown underside, or sternum. The spider's eyes are large and set on short tubercles, or nodules. The spider has distinctive copulatory organs. The male has an irregular-shaped palpal bulb with characteristic spikes, or apophyses. One, that is attached to the bulb itself, is large and sickle-shaped, the other short and sharp. The female has not been described.
Detalik idanrensis is a species of jumping spider in the genus Detalik. It is endemic to Nigeria and was first described in 2021 by Wanda Wesołowska. A small spider like all those in the genus, it has a cephalothorax measuring typically 1.9 mm (0.07 in) long and an abdomen typically 1.7 mm (0.07 in) long. The cephalothorax has a brown top, or carapace, with a thin lighter line running down it and a light brown underside, or sternum. The abdomen is yellow underneath butalso brown on top with a lighter streak running down much of the surface. The spider has distinctive copulatory organs. The female has unusually large large spermathecae, or receptacles. The male has not been described.
Bacelarella dracula is a species of jumping spider in the genus Bacelarella that lives in Ivory Coast and Nigeria. It was first described in 2001 by Tamás Szűts and Rudy Jocqué based on a holotype found near Appouasso. The spider is medium-sized with a plain dark brown carapace that has a length between 2.3 and 3.0 mm and a mottled abdomen that is between 2.3 and 2.8 mm long. The female is larger than the male. The male has a prominent tooth, which gives the species its name, recalling the fictional Count Dracula. The male also has a distinctive long prong that extends from the palpal bulb and a long embolus that curves so far that it nearly ends at its start. The female can be distinguished by its epigyne, and particularly the tight coil at the end of the copulatory openings.
