Micariatersissima Simon, 1910

Booysen, Ruan & Haddad, Charles R., 2021, Revision and molecular phylogeny of the spider genus Micaria Westring, 1851 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) in the Afrotropical Region, Zootaxa 4940 (1), pp. 1-82 : 67-68

Micariatersissima Simon, 1910

Figs 36 , 167 – 168 , 170

Micariatersissima Simon, 1910: 203 (♂)

Type material. Holotype ♂, SOUTHAFRICA: Northern Cape: Komaggas, leg. L. Schultze, VII.1904 (ZMB 28241—examined).

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: Komaggas , under rocks, hand collecting, 29°40.000’S, 17°35.415’E, leg. R. Booysen, L. Whitehead, R. Christiaan & Z. Mbo, 25.IV.2019, 1 ♂ (NCA 2019/412) .

Diagnosis. Micaria tersissima can be distinguished from other Afrotropical Micaria in having dark brown legs and carapace and a black abdomen with two white spots medially. The anterior margin of the abdomen is truncated and legs III and IV have a white longitudinal median stripe. The sperm duct in the males has a characteristic kink in the retrolateral basal section of the duct and three elongate spines anterior to the embolus. Females are still unknown.

Description. Male (non–type specimen from Komaggas, NCA 2019/412): Measurements: TL 3.10, CL 1.45, CW 0.95, CL:CW 1.53, CLH 0.10, CLH:AME 2.38. Eyes: ALE 0.05, AME 0.04, PLE 0.04, PME 0.04, AME–AME 0.04, PME–PME 0.07, MOQAW 0.14, MOQPW 0.16, MOQL 0.21. SL 0.76, SW 0.56, AL1.55, AW 0.90. Leg measurements: Palpal segment lengths: 0.48, 0.24, 0.25, 0.40. Leg I: 1.05, 0.46, 0.89, 0.78, 0.70. II: 0.92, 0.41, 0.73, 0.64, 0.70. III: 0.83, 0.33, 0.68, 0.71, 0.54. IV: 1.29, 0.44, 0.98, 1.19, 0.65. TLoflegs (I–IV): 3.88, 3.40, 3.09, 4.55; leg formula: 4123.

Colouration: carapace and abdomen dark brown or black; legs Iand II with only femora darkened; legs III and IV with femora up to metatarsi darkened, with dorsal white longitudinal median stripes, tarsi light in colour; sternum, labium, endites and chelicerae similar in colour to carapace ( Fig. 36 ). Carapace: smooth in texture; decorated with squamose setae; broad, somewhat rectangular dark pattern present medially, with radiating dark lines; posterior margin wide and straight; fovea absent; anterior margin narrowing slightly from coxa I; PER procurved in dorsal view, AER recurved in anterior view. Chelicerae: decorated with plumose setae. Labium: triangular in shape, rounded at tip, cluster of setae present apically. Endites: oblique; anterior margin rounded; cluster of setae present on inner–apical margin; black anterior margin. Sternum: shield-like; broadest between coxa Iand II; posterior margin tapered behind coxa IV; decorated with aculeate setae. Legs: femora laterally flattened, highest at base, leg Imore pronounced in this fashion; rest of legs normal, thin. Leg macrosetae: Palps: 1do, 1do, 1pl, 1pl, 2plv, 2vt. Leg I: 1do, 1pl. II: 1do, 1pl. III: 1do, 1pl, 1rl, 1pl, 1plv, 2vt, 1plv, 1rlv, 4vt. IV: 1do, 2plv, 2vt, 1pl, 2plv, 1rlv, 4vt. Scopulate setae on tarsi of legs I–IV. Abdomen: cylindrical in shape; decorated with squamose setae; truncated anteriorly; two small spots visible on midline dorsally, small white spot present just above spinnerets; venter similar in colour to dorsum; sigilla not visible. Palp: retrolateral tibial apophysis absent; median apophysis present, curved prolaterally, thin; sperm duct present on retrolateral surface of tegulum, kink in retrolateral basal portion of sperm duct; embolus tip thin, slanted retrolaterally; cymbium pear-shaped; two small spines present on tip of cymbium; three long ventral terminal spines present in front of embolus ( Figs 167, 168 ).

Distribution. Micaria tersissima is only known from its type locality ( Map 5 ).

Figures

MAP 5. The distribution of 13 Micaria species in the Afrotropical Region .

FIGURES 27–36. Stereomicroscope photographs of the dorsal habitus of Afrotropical Micaria species: 27 M. parvotibialis sp. nov. male; 28 M. plana sp. nov. female and 29 male; 30 M. quadrata sp. nov. female; 31 M. quinquemaculosa sp. nov. female and 32 male; 33 M. rivonosy sp. nov. female; 34 M. sanipass sp. nov. male; 35 M. scutellata sp. nov. male; 36 M. tersissima Simon, 1910 male. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 165–168. Genital morphology of Micaria scutellata sp. nov. (165, 166) and M. tersissima Simon, 1910 (167, 168): 165, 167 male palp, ventral view; 166, 168 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 169–172. Habitus photographs of Micaria quinquemaculosa sp. nov. (169), M. tersissima Simon, 1910 (170) and M. felix sp. nov. (171, 172). Photographs by: Ruan Booysen (169, 170), Ondřej Michálek (171) and Christian Bro (172).