Haplodrassus occultus ( Benoit, 1965 ), 2025

Haplodrassus occultus ( Benoit, 1965) comb. nov. ( Figs 1A–H View FIGURE 1 )

Allodrassus occultus Benoit, 1965: 307 , figs. 12–15 ( ♀).

Echemella occulta View in CoL : Murphy & Russell-Smith, 2007: 16.

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( RMCA 128.449 View Materials ), Plateau des Bateke [= Batéké Plateau], 65 km E. de Leopoldville [= Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo] dans nid de [= in the nest of] Cubitermes sankuruensis Wasmann , 19 August 1964, leg. A. Bouillon.

Diagnosis. The female of Haplodrassus occultus comb. nov., a small species, is characterized by the epigyne with a narrow fovea ( sensu Bosmans et al. 2018) with straight lateral margins and lateral pockets placed anterior to them, forming an introductory opening wider than the fovea’s width, a well-developed incurved hood, and large triangular spermathecae. This combination of characters distinguishes it from all other known females of Haplodrassus .

Description of epigyne and vulva. Epigyne ( Figs. 1F–G View FIGURE 1 ) longer than wide with central fovea narrow with straight margins, atrium U-shaped; lateral pockets placed above lateral margins, forming an introductory opening wider than the fovea’s width, in front of spermathecae; hood about 0.75 times the width of the epigyne, with anterior margin procurved. Vulva ( Fig. 1H View FIGURE 1 ) with spermathecae large, triangular.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, Batéké Plateau, 65 kilometres East of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Remarks. We present photographs of the habitus, the eyes region and one undissected chelicera ( Figs. 1A–E View FIGURE 1 ). The description of somatic characters (e.g. cheliceral teeth, spination) by Benoit (1965) is accurate and we therefore do not repeat any of these data in the text. As can be seen from the genitalia ( Figs 1F–H View FIGURE 1 ), the U-shaped atrium is characteristic of Haplodrassus , which now contains a variety of African species ( Marusik & Haddad, 2025). Therefore, based on its genital morphology, we propose the transfer of Echemella occulta to Haplodrassus creating the new combination Haplodrassus occultus comb. nov.