Rukuluk gramineus sp. nov.

Figs 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

Material examined.

Holotype. South Africa • ♂; Northern Cape Province; Witsand Nature Reserve, Brulsand; 28°34.688'S, 22°27.769'E; 1210 m a. s. l.; 23 Mar. 2023; C. Haddad & R. Booysen leg.; grass tussocks on sand dunes; NMBA 18616.

Paratypes. South Africa • 2 ♀; together with holotype NMBA 18616 • 1 ♂ 1 ♀; Northern Cape Province; Witsand Nature Reserve, Viewing Point; 28°33.584'S, 22°29.568'E; 1225 m a. s. l.; 25 Mar. 2023; C. Haddad & R. Booysen leg; grass tussocks on sand dunes; NMBA 18636 • 1 ♀; Witsand Nature Reserve, Rest Camp; 28°33.773'S, 22°29.095'E; 1195 m a. s. l.; 25 Mar. 2023; C. Haddad & R. Booysen leg.; grass tussocks, woodland; NMBA 18661 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; MACN .

Other material.

South Africa • 1 ♂ 2 ♀; Northern Cape Province; Witsand Nature Reserve, Rest Camp; 28°33.773'S, 22°29.095'E; 1195 m a. s. l.; 25 Mar. 2023; C. Haddad & R. Booysen leg.; grass tussocks, woodland; S. E. M. preparations .

Diagnosis.

As for the genus diagnosis.

Description.

Male (holotype, Witsand, NMBA 18616): Measurements: CL 1.53, CW 1.20, AL 1.72, AW 0.96, TL 3.06, FL 0.10, SL 1.36, SW 1.05, AME - AME 0.03, AME - ALE 0.02, ALE - ALE 0.23, PME - PME 0.08, PME - PLE 0.05, PLE - PLE 0.38, MOQ: AW 0.24, PW 0.26, L 0.25. Length of leg segments: I 1.30 + 0.62 + 1.13 + 0.90 + 0.45 = 4.40; II 1.07 + 0.51 + 0.88 + 0.77 + 0.42 = 3.65; III 0.70 + 0.41 + 0.50 + 0.63 + 0.33 = 2.57; IV 1.15 + 0.52 + 1.02 + 1.05 + 0.40 = 4.14. Carapace bright yellow-orange, with black mottled pentagonal marking in front of fovea (Fig. 21 A); fovea short and broad, distinct, at ⅔ CL. For eye arrangement see genus description. Chelicerae pale orange-brown, anterior and lateral surfaces covered with short, fine setae with small tuberculate bases; promargin with two slightly separated teeth, proximal tooth largest; retromargin with two larger subequal teeth placed closed together; endites and labium yellow-brown. Sternum creamy-yellow, yellow-brown at borders; surface smooth, covered with short, fine setae; precoxal triangles present, intercoxal sclerites only between coxae I and II and II and III. Abdomen oval, broadest at ⅖ its length; creamy-grey dorsally, with large scutum covering most of dorsum (Fig. 21 A); two pairs of distinct sigilla present, at ¼ and ½ AL; sides and venter mottled creamy-grey (Fig. 21 B, C), with two paired lines of indistinct tiny sclerites from epigastric furrow to spinnerets. Legs creamy-yellow, tibiae I with black mottling intensifying distally, metatarsi I black, tarsi I yellow-brown, with faint black mottling; leg II slightly darker than legs III and IV; numerous ventral cusps present on metatarsi and tarsi I and II. Palp (Figs 21 K – N, 26 A, B, 27 B, C) brown; tegulum broadly V-shaped, narrower proximally and broader distally; embolus very long, originating retrolaterally, forming a broad membranous ribbon in its basal section, curving once around tegulum transversely on palpal axis, gradually narrowing to a C-shaped membranous midsection, rapidly narrowing to long, slender, looping whip-like distal section with the tip directed ventrally; ventral RTA thumb-like, with rounded tip; dorsal RTA long, slender, slightly curved distally, closely associated with retrobasal cymbial groove (Figs 26 A, 27 C).

Female (paratype, Witsand, NMBA 18661): Measurements: CL 1.27, CW 1.06, AL 1.93, AW 1.15, TL 3.20, FL 0.11, SL 1.40, SW 1.05, AME - AME 0.03, AME - ALE 0.02, ALE - ALE 0.21, PME - PME 0.08, PME - PLE 0.05, PLE - PLE 0.37, MOQ: AW 0.22, PW 0.27, L 0.23. Length of leg segments: I 1.12 + 0.57 + 0.92 + 0.70 + 0.40 = 3.71; II 0.95 + 0.50 + 0.70 + 0.61 + 0.36 = 3.12; III 0.62 + 0.38 + 0.48 + 0.55 + 0.29 = 2.32; IV 1.10 + 0.51 + 0.97 + 0.98 + 0.36 = 3.92. Carapace yellow, with faint black mottled marking in front of fovea (Fig. 21 F); fovea short and broad, distinct, at ⅔ CL. For eye arrangement see genus description. Chelicerae yellow-brown, anterior and lateral surfaces covered with short, fine setae with small tuberculate bases; dentition as in male; endites and labium pale creamy-yellow. Sternum cream, yellow-brown at borders; surface smooth, covered with short, fine setae; precoxal triangles present, intercoxal sclerites only between coxae I and II. Abdomen oval, broadest at ⅖ its length; mottled creamy-grey dorsally, without scutum, with traces of faint medial grey line (Fig. 21 F); two pairs of indistinct sigilla present, at ¼ and slightly more than ½ AL; sides and venter mottled creamy-grey (Fig. 21 G, H), with two paired lines of indistinct tiny sclerites from epigastric furrow to spinnerets. Legs generally creamy-yellow, tibiae and metatarsi I with dense black mottling, tarsi I yellow-brown, with faint black mottling. Epigyne (Figs 26 E, 27 D, E, 28) very weakly sclerotized, with large keyhole-shaped atrium; copulatory openings large, situated at anterior of atrium, entering initially broad membranous copulatory ducts, each provided with two accessory glands; copulatory ducts curving laterally in progressively narrowing semicircle, folding back along their interior margin, forming narrow duct running along margin of atrium before entering transverse bilobed ST II near midpoint of epigyne, with short duct connecting them to posterior transversely ovoid ST I, with fertilization ducts originating posteromesally.

Etymology.

This species name is the Latin word meaning “ belonging to grass ”, referring to the microhabitat that the species was collected from.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality (Fig. 12).