Fuchiba capensis, Haddad & Lyle, 2008

Haddad, Charles R. & Lyle, Robin, 2008, Three new genera of tracheline sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae), African Invertebrates 49 (2), pp. 37-37 : 46-49

Fuchiba capensis sp. n.

Figs 2 , 7, 8 , 15–23 , 32–35 , 40

Etymology: This species is named after the Eastern and Western Cape provinces in South Africa, to which it is endemic.

Diagnosis: Males can be recognised by the fine embolus, which forms an incomplete coil with the tip angling slightly towards the base of the tegulum. Females can be recognised by the small obliquely orientated oval ST II and the copulatory openings located posteriorly in the circular ridges of the epigyne.

Description:

Male.

Measurements: CL 1.60–1.97, CW 1.28–1.60, AL 1.57–1.87, AW 1.30–1.33, TL 3.08– 3.70, FL 0.09–0.10, SL 0.82–0.93, SW 0.73–0.86, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.36, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.20, PLE–PLE 0.69. Length of leg segments: I 1.27+0.64+1.06+0.73+0.55=4.25; II 1.13+0.62+0.93+0.70+0.49=3.87; III 0.88+0.50+0.62+0.69+0.30=2.99; IV 1.17+0.56+1.00+1.07+0.37=4.17.

Carapace, including eye region, pale orange to dark orange-red, slightly darker laterally ( Figs 2 , 7 ); carapace gradually rounded with highest point at 2/3 its length, last quarter with steep decline; surface granular, covered in dense, short fine setae; fovea short, distinct, slightly thickened, at 2/3 carapace length. Eyes surrounded by black rings; AER procurved, eyes subequal; clypeus height approx. equal to 1.5× AME diameter; AME separated by 0.75× their diameter; AME separated from ALE by approx. 0.5× AME diameter; PER strongly recurved, median eyes slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by approx. 1.75× PME diameter. Chelicerae orange to orange-brown; anterior surface with scattered short, fine setae; promargin with three widely spaced teeth, median tooth largest, proximal tooth smallest; retromargin with three closely spaced teeth, median tooth largest, proximal and distal teeth subequal. Sternum pale to dark yellow, yellow-brown along border; surface smooth, covered in fine setae.Abdomen: pale grey dorsally with distinct dark grey dorsal chevron markings, branches extending laterally, converging at spinnerets ( Fig. 7 ); venter pale grey; oval, tapering posteriorly, broadest at half its length, longer than wide; dorsal scutum weakly sclerotised, covering posterior 3/4 of dorsum, pale orange; surface covered in short fine setae; two pairs of dorsal sigilla present; venter with small oval sclerites running in single paired lines from epigastric fold to spinnerets. Legs I to IV uniform orange; moderately dense scopulae on metatarsi and tarsi, remaining leg segments covered in fine, less dense setae; leg spines and cusps absent. Palp with small, subtriangular RTA with pointed tip ( Fig. 32 ); embolus distal on tegulum, forming single incomplete coil with tip angling slightly towards base of tegulum ( Figs 32, 33 ).

Female.

Measurements: CL 1.56–2.17, CW 1.33–1.93, AL 2.23–2.53, AW 1.83–2.10, TL 3.72– 4.68, FL 0.10–0.13, SL 0.83–1.19, SW 0.77–1.03, AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.06, ALE–ALE 0.42, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.26, PLE–PLE 0.87. Length of leg segments: I 1.37+0.73+1.03+0.83+0.57=4.53; II 1.28+0.69+0.97+0.80+0.53=4.27; III 1.05+0.57+0.72+0.83+0.33=3.50; IV 1.52+0.68+1.18+1.35+0.43=5.16.

Carapace, including eye region, bright yellow-brown to dark orange-brown, slightly darker laterally ( Fig. 8 ); carapace gradually rounded with highest point at 2/3 its length, last quarter with steep decline; surface granular, covered in dense, short fine setae; fovea short, distinct, slightly thickened, at 2/3 carapace length. Eyes surrounded by black rings; AER procurved, lateral eyes slightly larger than medians; clypeus height slightly larger than AME diameter; AME separated by 0.66× their diameter; AME separated from ALE by approx. 0.5× AME diameter; PER strongly recurved, eyes subequal; PME separated by distance lightly less than their diameter; PME separated from PLE by approx. 1.33× PME diameter. Chelicerae orange-brown to red-brown; anterior surface with scattered short, fine setae; promargin with three widely spaced teeth, median and distal teeth subequal, proximal tooth smaller; retromargin with three subequal teeth sharing single base. Sternum pale orange, yellow-brown along border; surface smooth, covered in fine setae. Abdomen: pale grey dorsally with distinct dark grey dorsal chevron markings, branches extending laterally, converging at spinnerets ( Fig. 8 ); cream laterally, with broad triangular dark grey marking in anterior half, sometimes fused to anterior dorsal chevron markings; venter pale grey with small pair of triangular dark grey markings anterior to spinnerets; oval, tapering posteriorly, broadest at half its length, slightly longer than wide; dorsal scutum absent; surface covered in short fine setae; dorsum with two pairs of sigilla present; venter with small oval sclerites, running in single paired lines from epigastric fold to spinnerets. Legs I to IV uniform orange; moderately dense scopulae on metatarsi and tarsi, remaining leg segments covered in fine, less dense setae; leg spines and cusps absent. Epigyne with copulatory openings situated posterolaterally in circular ridges ( Fig. 34 ); ST II initially broad following copulatory openings, narrowing medially before entering small obliquely orientated oval anterior receptacle; ST II connected to small globose ST I via narrow lateral tube ( Fig. 35 ).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: “R.S.A., Western Cape Prov. / De Hoop Nat. Res. / Lekkerwater Road / 34°24.002'S, 20°33.151'E / 26.ix.2007 / C. Haddad / Under Thamnochortis / grasses // Corinnidae / Fuchiba capensis / HOLOTYPE / NCA 2008/584 //” ( NCA, 2008/584 ).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 3♀Cape Town, Table Mountain, Orange Kloof Nat. Res. , 34°00'S: 18°23.7'E, alt. 125 m, 18.xii.1997, B. Fisher, sifted leaf litter, mold, rotten wood, Afromontane forest ( CASC) ; 2 ♂ Cape Town, Newlands Forest Reserve , SE of Table Mountain, 33°58'S: 18°28'E, 4.iv.2001, N. Larsen, K. Muller, S. Prinsloo, D. Ubick & S. Ubick, indigenous forest ( CASC) ; 2 ♂ De Hoop Nat. Res., Bitou number 2, 34°27.194'S: 20°24.250'E, 16.vii.2005, C. Haddad & R. Lyle, milkwood leaf litter, with ants ( AMNH) ; 2♀same locality, Cupido’s Kraal , 34°25.222'S: 20°37.904'E, 26.ix.2007, C. Haddad & R. Lyle, leaf litter, Eucalyptus forest ( NCA, 2007/3877 ) ; 1♀Fisherhaven, nr Hermanus , 34°21.430'S: 19°07.557'E, 12.i.2008, C. Haddad, sifting leaf litter ( NCA, 2008/455 ) ; 3♀Swellendam, Marloth Nat. Res. , 33°59.951'S: 20°27.419'E, 25.ix.2007, C. Haddad & R. Lyle, leaf litter, fynbos ( NCA, 2008/264 ).

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: 1♀Baviaanskloof , 13.i.1979, J. Breytenbach, pitfall traps ( NCA, 97/745 ). Western Cape: 1♀Cape Peninsula, Bergvliet , xii.1899, F. Purcell ( SAMC, 6168 ); 1♀Cape Peninsula, Table Mountain , Platteklip Gorge , vi.1901, W.Purcell ( SAMC, 12106 ); 1♀Cape Peninsula, sides of Kalk Bay Mountain , ii.1902, W. Purcell ( SAMC, 12315 ); 4 ♂ De Hoop Nat. Res., Potberg , 34°22.487'S: 20°31.980'E, 6.iv.2004, C. Haddad, sifting leaf litter, Eucalyptus forest ( NCA, 2008/571 ); 5 ♂ 1♀same locality, 8.iv.2004, C. Haddad, leaf litter and creepers, Eucalyptus forest ( NCA, 2008/570 ); 1♀Heidelberg, Witsand , 34°24'S: 20°50'E, 29.x.1987, Entomology Staff, under plants ( NMBA, 2380 ).

Distribution: Largely restricted to Western Cape, with a single record from the western part of Eastern Cape ( Fig. 40 ).

Biology: This species was collected from leaf litter in natural fynbos and Afromontane forest habitats, but at De Hoop Nat. Res. was more common in the leaf litter of exotic Eucalyptus plantations. In the latter habitat it showed further microhabitat selection, being considerably more common in areas with grass and creeper cover than in areas without it.

Figures

Figs 1–4. General habitus of Fuchiba gen. n. and Poachelas gen. n. from southern Africa: (1) F. aquilonia sp. n., female, Marracuene, Mozambique; (2) F. capensis sp. n., male, De Hoop Nat. Res., South Africa; (3) F. venteri sp. n., male, Jakobsbaai, South Africa; (4) P. striatus sp. n., male, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Figs 5–14. General habitus of Fuchiba gen. n. species: (5, 6) F. aquilonia sp. n., male, Ndumo Game Reserve, and female, Marracuene; (7, 8) F. capensis sp. n., De Hoop Nat. Res., male and female; (9, 10) F. montana sp. n., male, Mohale Lodge, and female, Mohale Dam; (11) F. similis sp. n., female, Ngome State Forest; (12) F. tortilis sp. n., female, Fisherhaven; (13, 14) F. venteri sp. n., Jakobsbaai, male and female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Figs 15–23. Scanning electron micrographs of Fuchiba capenis sp. n., male: (15) carapace surface and fovea; (16) dorsal view of eye region; (17) chelicera, indicating retromarginal cheliceral teeth (RT) and shaggy seta on anterior margin (SS); (18) serrula; (19) metatarsus I, ventral view; (20) tarsus I, ventral view; (21) tarsal claws; (22) palp, indicating tegulum (TE), subtegulum (ST) and embolus (EM); (23) embolus, enlarged.

Figs 32–35. Fuchiba capensis sp. n.: (32, 33) male palp, ventral and retrolateral views; (34, 35) female epigyne, ventral and dorsal views. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 40. Distribution of Fuchiba aquilonia sp. n., F. capensis sp. n. and F. montana sp. n.