Vendaphaea lajuma, Haddad, 2009

Haddad, Charles R., 2009, Vendaphaea, a new dark sac spider genus apparently endemic to the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae), African Invertebrates 50 (2), pp. 269-269 : 272-275

Vendaphaea lajuma sp. n.

Figs 1–27

Etymology: The species name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Description:

Male.

Measurements: CL 3.40–3.45, CW 2.73–2.80, AL 3.18–3.50, AW 2.05–2.55, TL 6.03– 6.68, FL 0.37–0.39, SL 1.39–1.43, SW 1.30–1.36. Distances between eyes:AME–AME 0.11, AME–ALE 0.07, ALE–ALE 0.56, PME–PME 0.06, PME–PLE 0.19, PLE–PLE 0.79. MOQAW 0.43, MOQPW 0.41, MOQL 0.51, PERW 1.02.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.48+1.25+2.35+ 2.05+0.60=8.73; II 2.25+1.17+1.85+1.85+0.58=7.70; III 1.73+0.98+1.25+1.35+0.55= 5.86; IV 2.40+1.05+1.93+2.20+0.71=8.29.

General appearance as in Fig. 1 . Carapace somewhat flattened, elevating slightly from eye region, highest at 3/4 carapace length; eye region distinctly narrowed and bulging; surface covered in short straight white setae medially and short black setae laterally; fovea long, distinct, at 2/3 carapace length; carapace uniform deep red, with slightly darker striae radiating from fovea ( Fig. 1 ). All eyes with brown rings, lateral eyes on slightly raised tubercles;AER procurved, laterals slightly larger than medians;AME separated by distance slightly larger than their diameter;AME separated from ALE by 2/3AME diameter; clypeus height equal to 1.5×AME diameter; PER slightly procurved, nearly straight, medians slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance equal to 2/3 their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance approximately equal to 1.5× PME diameter; CW:PERW = 2.75:1. Chelicerae orange-red, with scattered long black setae on anterior surface; three teeth on promargin, proximal tooth smallest, median tooth largest; median and distal teeth closer to each other than to proximal tooth; retromargin with two widely separated teeth, distal tooth close to fang base, slightly smaller than proximal tooth; endites rounded on anterior prolateral margin, straight laterally and truncated posteriorly; labium 1.5 times broader than long; sternum shield-shaped, narrowed anteriorly, as broad as long, dark orange-red, brown along lateral margins. Legs stoutly built, particularly anterior pairs; all legs densely covered in short straight grey setae, particularly dorsum of patellae, tibiae and metatarsi; anterior tibiae and metatarsi strongly spined ventrally; coxae brown; femora I uniform dark red-orange, slightly darker distally; femora II dark orange-red, with grey distal band; femora III and IV yellow-orange, with narrow proximal and broad distal bands; patellae orange, with grey bands medially; tibiae I and II dark orange dorsally, grey ventrally; tibiae III and IV orange with grey markings dorsally and ventrally; metatarsi I–III orange dorsally with grey distal band; metatarsi IV yellow-orange dorsally with median and distal grey bands, grey ventrally; all tarsi dark brown; leg spination: femora: I plv 2 rlv 2; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I plv 8– 9 rlv 7–8, II plv 7–8 rlv 6, IV rl 1 plv 1 vt 1; metatarsi: I plv 5 rlv 5, II plv 5 rlv 5, III pl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 2, IV plv 2 vt 3. Abdomen oval, dorsal scutum absent; dorsum grey-brown, densely covered with short straight black and grey setae; five short paired black chevron markings slightly lateral of midline in posterior half of abdomen, each ending in small cream spot; single median cream spot above spinnerets; venter unsclerotised, pale grey with darker grey mottling, densely covered in short straight grey setae. Male palp bright orange, without spines; cymbium broad, with dense setal mat medially and modified clavate setae along prolateral and distal margins ( Figs 18, 19 , 22, 25 ); palpal tibiae with rounded ventral-retrolateral bump, curved dorsal-retrolateral apophysis (proximal position, at approximately 60° to dorsal position), directed dorsally, and dorsal lobe ( Figs 22, 25 ); tip of apophysis with three distinctive denticles ( Figs 18 , 23, 25 ); tegulum broad, pale orange, with thick embolus originating prolaterally, curving anticlockwise towards distal margin, with translucent conductor situated retrolaterally of embolus ( Fig. 23 ); median apophysis spike-like, situated medially on tegulum within membranous section with a proximallydirected lobe ( Figs 20 , 22–24 ).

Female.

Measurements: CL 3.35–3.73, CW 2.60–2.83, AL 4.05–4.80, AW 3.10–3.90, TL 6.85– 7.85, FL 0.35–0.45, SL 1.38–1.50, SW 1.30–1.45. Distances between eyes:AME–AME 0.11, AME–ALE 0.06, ALE–ALE 0.59, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.19, PLE–PLE 0.84. MOQAW 0.48, MOQPW 0.44, MOQL 0.59, PERW 1.08.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.63+1.39+2.44+ 2.15+0.60=9.21; II 2.35+1.25+1.90+1.88+0.57=6.95; III 1.82+1.08+1.30+1.44+0.55= 6.19; IV 2.45+1.30+2.20+2.40+0.70=9.05.

General appearance, morphology, colouration and markings as for male ( Fig. 2 ); anterior eye row procurved, laterals very slightly larger than medians;AME separated by distance slightly larger than their diameter; AME separated from ALE by 3/4 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly larger than AME diameter; PER slightly procurved, nearly straight, medians slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance equal to 2/3 their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance approximately equal to 1.5× PME diameter; CW:PERW = 2.62:1. Chelicerae with three teeth on promargin, proximal tooth smallest, median tooth largest; median and distal teeth closer to each other than to proximal tooth; retromargin with two subequal teeth, distal tooth close to fang base. Leg spination: femora: I plv 2 rlv 2; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I plv 9 rlv 8–9, II plv 7–8 rlv 6–7; metatarsi: I plv 5 rlv 5, II plv 4–5 rlv 5, III pl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 2, IV plv 3 rlv 1 vt 2. Epigyne with broad posterior lobe, with diamond-shaped median septum; copulatory openings situated laterally of septum ( Fig. 26 ); spermathecae curved, projecting into body ( Fig. 27 ), distinctly visible through integument ( Fig. 26 ).

Holotype: ơ SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Soutpansberg Mountains , Lajuma Mountain Retreat, Woodland , 23°02.528'S: 29°26.866'E, 3.xi.2004, M. Mafadza, sifting leaf litter (NCA 2008/562).

Paratypes: all from the same locality as holotype: Island 2, 23°01.921'S: 29°26.193'E, 23.xi.2004, M. Mafadza, active searching, 2ơ (NCA 2005/2016), 1ơ 2^(NCA 2008/563); Island 3, 23°01.890'S: 29°26.167'E, 23.xi.2004, M. Mafadza, active searching,1ơ 1^(NCA 2005/2015);Grassland patch, 23°02.414'S: 29°26.687'E, 6.ii.2008, C. Haddad, base of grass tussocks, 1ơ 7^(NCA 2008/514); same locality, 3–11.ii.2008, C. Haddad, base of grass tussocks, 2^(MPEG 15441) .

Distribution:Apparently endemic to the western Soutpansberg Mountains in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. It was not collected during published surveys of the Kruger National Park ( Dippenaar-Schoeman & Leroy 2003), Makalali Game Reserve ( Whitmore et al. 2001), Nylsvley Nature Reserve ( Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2009), Polokwane Nature Reserve ( Dippenaar et al. 2008), or the Sovenga Hill inselberg near Polokwane ( Modiba et al. 2005); all of these conserved areas fall within the Limpopo Province. It was also not collected at any of ten sites sampled as part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida in the Limpopo Province (S. Foord & A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman, pers. comm): Bewaarkloof, Blouberg, Entabeni, Lekgalameetse, Leopard Creek Private Conservation Reserve, Marakele, Mogalakwena, Pafuri, Tshulu, and Wonderkop. This strongly suggests that V. lajuma sp. n. is a Soutpansberg endemic.

Habitat preferences: V. lajuma sp. n. was initially collected by Foord et al. (2008) from leaf litter of mixed woodland habitats in the Soutpansberg, where subsequent samples were also collected from montane savannah. The material collected by the author (NCA 2008/514), including 20 additional specimens that were sent to various colleagues for morphological and genetic studies, were all collected from the bases of grass tussocks in montane savannah.

Figures

Figs 1, 2. Dorsal habitus of Vendaphaea lajuma sp. n., male (1) and female (2). Scale bars = 2 mm.

Figs 3–14. Scanning electron micrographs of Vendaphaea lajuma sp. n., male (3, 9, 10) and female (4–8, 11–14): (3) eye region, anterior view; (4) eye region, anteroventral view; (5) chelicerae, anterior view; (6) same, enlarged; (7) labium and endites; (8) serrula, enlarged; (9) leg I, retrolateral view; (10) tibia I, ventral view; (11) tibia and metatarsus I, retrolateral view; (12) tibia I, spine base; (13) tibia and metatarsus II, prolateral view; (14) tibia II, spines enlarged. Abbreviations: CH – chilum, MHT – maxillar hair tuft, SER – serrula, SS – shaggy seta.

Figs 15–17. Scanning electron micrographs of V. lajuma sp. n. ^spinnerets: (15) ALS, (16) PMS, (17) PLS. Abbreviations: Ac – aciniform gland spigot, Cy – cylindrical gland spigot, miAMP – minor ampullate gland spigot, Pi – piriform gland spigot.

Figs 18–21. Scanning electron micrographs of Vendaphaea lajuma sp. n. genitalia: (18) male palp, dorsal view; (19) cymbial setae, enlarged; (20) male palpal tegulum, ventral view; (21) female epigyne, ventral view. Abbreviations: CD – conductor, CO – copulatory opening, CS – clavate cymbial setae, DL – dorsal lobe of palpal tibia, DSM – dorsal setal mat, EM – embolus, EP – epigynal plug, MA – median apophysis, MS – median septum, PCR – proximal cymbial ridge, SS – setal mat setae, TA – tibial apophysis.

Figs 22–27. Vendaphaea lajuma sp. n., male (22–25) and female (26, 27) genitalia: (22) left palp, prolateral view; (23) same, ventral view; (24) same, retrolateral view; (25) same, dorsal view; (26) epigyne, ventral view; (27) same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.