Jocquestus incurvus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0472A8BB-B9DD-4B95-A3E3-BF667BAE23CD

Figs 13, 14, 52–55

Remark. The paratype female specimen is somewhat damaged, with several legs missing (Fig. 14). To avoid further damage to the specimen we did not dissect the epigyne, and only the ventral view is presented in the description. We considered the male and female described here as being conspecific, as they were both collected in Afromontane forests on the north-eastern escarpment of South Africa, while J. harrisi sp. nov. (known from the female only) was collected in true savanna to the west of the escarpment, although from a locality geographically closer to the male of J. incurvus sp. nov. .

Etymology. This species name is derived from Latin for “bent, crooked”, which refers to the sharp, almost perpendicular bend of the male embolus.

Diagnosis. The male of J. incurvus sp. nov. can be easily recognised from congeners by the sharp, almost perpendicular bend of the embolus (Fig. 53), while the other species have an embolus gradually curving towards the tip. The female shares with J. harrisi sp. nov. the recurved epigynal ridges, but can be recognized by the position of the ridges in the anterior quarter of the epigyne (Fig. 55) as opposed to at the midpoint (Fig. 50), and by the much broader ST II (narrow in J. harrisi sp. nov.).

Male (holotype, Entabeni, CAS). Measurements: CL 1.20, CW 1.10, AL 1.40, AW 1.03, TL 2.60, FL 0.05, SL 0.70, SW 0.65, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.35, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.13, PLE– PLE 0.55.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 1.00 + 0.53 + 0.68 + 0.63 + 0.43 = 3.27; II 0.93 + 0.45 + 0.73 + 0.70 + 0.48 = 3.29; III 0.68 + 0.38 + 0.43 + 0.58 + 0.28 = 2.35; IV 0.83 + 0.38 + 0.65 + 0.65 + 0.28 = 2.79.

Carapace orange-brown (Fig. 13); surface finely granulate, covered with short fine setae; fovea short, distinct, at two-thirds carapace length; ocular region orange; clypeus height equal to AME diameter; AME and ALE equal in size; AME separated by distance equal to 0.7 times their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.7 AME diameter; PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to 1.4 times their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.4 times PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, anterior surface with scattered short fine setae; two promarginal teeth, distal tooth largest; two retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest. Sternum orange, brown towards borders; surface smooth, covered with scattered short fine setae. Abdomen pale yellow, with brown dorsal scutum covering almost entire length of abdomen; two pairs of grey sigilla present, first pair smaller, anterior to midpoint, second pair posterior to midpoint (Fig. 13). Legs I to IV brown; anterior legs darker than posterior legs; leg spination: tibiae: I plv 3 cusps; metatarsi: I plv 3 cusps; tarsi: I plv 1 cusp (Fig. 52). Palp brown; RPA long, peg-like, almost parallel to longitudinal axis of tibia, reaching distal end of tibia; palpal tibia without RTA; embolus originating prolaterally, proximally on tegulum, wrapped prolaterally around tegulum, with almost perpendicular bend distally, tip at retrolateral margin of cymbium; cymbium with two large strong spines retrolaterally at distal end (Figs 53, 54).

Female (paratype, Pilgrim’s Rest, AMNH 85-275). Measurements: CL 1.23, CW 1.00, AL 1.60, AW 1.13, TL 2.70, FL 0.08, SL 0.75, SW 0.60, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.23, PME–PME 0.10, PME– PLE 0.08, PLE–PLE 0.40.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 0.78 + 0.40 + 0.53 + 0.45 + 0.35 = 2.51; II 0.65 + 0.33 + 0.35 + 0.38 + 0.30 = 2.01; III 0.60 + 0.35 + 0.63 + 0.63 + 0.25 = 2.46; IV 0.83 + 0.35 + 0.63 + 0.63 + 0.25 = 2.69.

Carapace reddish-brown (Fig. 14); ocular region brown; clypeus height approximately equal to AME diameter; ALE slightly larger than AME; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to AME diameter; PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance more than twice their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance more than twice PME diameter. Chelicerae pale brown; two promarginal teeth, distal tooth largest; three retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest, proximal tooth smallest. Sternum orange, brown towards borders. Abdomen grey, with cream back-to-back L-shaped markings in anterior half (Fig. 14). Legs I to IV uniform brown, anterior legs darker than posteriors; femora I darker than other segments; regular leg spines, cusps absent. Other characters as for male. Epigyne with broad, recurved epigynal ridges, placed in anterior quarter of epigyne; ST II broader than long, with narrow ducts leading to bilobed ST I, situated at three-quarters epigyne length (Fig. 55).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, with one non-type juvenile: SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Soutpansberg, Entabeni Forest, ca. 20 km N of Levubu, 22°59'S, 30°17'E, 1360 m a.s.l., leg. C.E. Griswold, 1–2.XII.1996 (CAS) .

Paratype: ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga: 11 km SE of Pilgrims Rest [24°57'S, 30°48'E], 1400 m a.s.l., leg. S. & J. Peck, 11–13.XII.1985 (relict native forest) (AMNH 85-275) .

Distribution. Known from two localities in north-eastern South Africa (Fig. 70).

Habitat and biology. Collected from Afromontane forest patches in the savanna biome of northern South Africa.