Afrarchaea ansieae, Lotz, 2015

Lotz, Leon N., 2015, A new species of Afrarchaea (Araneae: Archaeidae) from South Africa, African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 409-409 : 411-413

Afrarchaea ansieae sp. n.

Figs 1–7

Etymology: The species is named in honour of Dr Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman, for her dedication to the study of South African spiders.

Diagnosis: Afrarchaea ansieae sp. n. is similar to A. cornutus (Lotz, 2003) in the relatively long neck ( CH /CL ratio> 1.55; <1.4 in most other Afrarchaea species), and by the two pairs of distinct horns on the pars cephalica (in most other Afrarchaea species represented by stout setae or stout setae on slight mounds), but can be distinguished by the more triangular keel of the female genitalia, and the smaller apophysis of the male palp ( Figs 4–7 ). The males can also be distinguished by the absence of an indentation in the distal part of the chelicerae ( Fig. 3 ).

Description: Female: Size: TL=2.5; CW=0.8; CH =1.8; CL=1.1.

Cephalothorax ( Fig. 1 ): Two pairs of distinct horns on pars cephalica and a large tubercle next to each AME; neck between pars cephalica and pars thoracica with a CH /CL ratio of 1.64. Chelicerae with 28 peg teeth.

Length of leg segments:

I II III IV Palp

Femur 2.1 1.6 1.1 1.7 0.5

Patella 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2

Tibia 1.9 1.4 0.8 1.3 0.4

Metatarsus 1.0 0.7 0.5 0.7 -

Tarsus 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3

Total length 6.1 4.4 3.1 4.4 1.4

Abdomen ( Fig. 1 ): round, lower than pars cephalic region; yellowish brown with mottled black markings.

Epigynum ( Figs 4–5 ): triangular rounded; internal structure with two oblong secretary pore pouches meeting in the middle; keel-like structure, dorsal of secretary plate, triangular, broadly inverted T-shaped.

Male: Size: TL = 2.5; CW = 0.7; CH = 1.7; CL = 1.1.

Cephalothorax: as in female ( Figs 2–3 ); CH /CL ratio = 1.55. Chelicerae with 28 peg teeth.

Length of leg segments:

I II III IV Palp Femur 2.0 1.6 1.2 1.7 0.5 Patella 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 Tibia 1.6 1.5 1.0 1.3 0.2 Metatarsus 1.1 0.6 0.5 0.7 - Tarsus 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.3 Total length 5.8 4.5 3.3 4.4 1.2

Abdomen ( Fig. 2 ): as in female.

Palps ( Figs 6 –7 ): Femur slightly longer than patella plus tibia; cymbium rounded, longer than wide; bulb large, rounded; embolus short, with short, rounded, sclerotised apophysis (referred to by Wood (2008) as the bulb dorsal sclerite, BDS); her bulb lateral sclerite (BLS) hidden under rim of bulb. Side of bulb with long, hooked, sharp extension (referred to by Wood (2008) as bulb proapical process, BPAP).

HolotYpe ♀ anD AllotYpe ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Hlabisa, Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, Eastern Shores Nature Reserve , 28°21'S 32°25'E, 3.vii.2007, leg. C. R. Haddad ( NMBA 10466 ) .

Distribution: Known only from the type locality in KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Habitat: Collected from grassland, in litter at the base of grass.

Phylogenetic relationships: Wood et al. (2015) included sequences from the holotype female (as Afrarchaea sp. 4 , extraction hw0027) in their molecular phylogeny of predominantly Afrotropical Archaeidae . Their dated phylogeny and the total evidence phylogeny based on Bayesian analysis indicates with strong branch support that A. ansieae sp. n. is basal in a clade including all other Afrarchaea species, which were shown to be endemic to South Africa.

Figures

Figs 1–3. Afrarchaea ansieae sp. n.: (1) female, lateral view; (2–3) male, lateral and frontal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figs 4–7. Afrarchaea ansieae sp. n.: (4–5) female internal genitalia, (4) dorsal view, (5) lateral view; (6–7) male palp, (6) lateral view, (7) ventral view. Abbreviations: A=apophysis; BE=bulb extension; E=embolus; K=keel; SPP=secretary pore pouches. Scale bars: (4–5)=0.3 mm; (6–7)=0.5 mm.