Mystaria lata ( Lawrence, 1927 ) Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014

Honiball Lewis, Allet S. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S., 2014, Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3873 (2), pp. 101-144 : 120-121

Mystaria lata ( Lawrence, 1927) comb. n.

Figs 17–19 , 53–56 , 118

Paramystaria lata Lawrence 1927: 32 , pl. 1 fig. 20, pl 2 fig. 42 (descr. ♀).

Type material: Lectotype (by present designation): ♀, NAMIBIA: Kunene Region, Kunene river (Kaokoland) bordering Namibia and Angola [17°15’S, 11°47’E], March 1923, R. F. Lawrence (SAM/ARAN 2463) (specimens not well-preserved, bleached) . Syntype series from SAM was examined. A female from the syntype series is elected as a new lectotype.

Paralectotypes: 3 ♀, same data as lectotype (SAM/ARAN 2463) . Other material listed by Lawrence in same publication (no type label) ( Lawrence, 1927), SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape, 2 ♀, Dunbrody [33°28’S, 25°33’E], 1901–1902, J. O’Neil (SAM/ARAN 2464) .

Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, 2 ♀, 4 ♂, Cwebe Nature Reserve [32°11’S, 28°55’E], beating coastal dune forests, 10 October–30 October 2006, R. Lyle & C. Haddad (NCA 2007/ 330, 2007/331, 2007/339) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 2 juvenile, Mazeppa Bay [32°27’S, 28°38’E], beating coastal dune forest, 28 October 2006, R. Lyle & C. Haddad (NCA 2007/434, 2007/435, 2007/437) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, between East London and Port Alfred [33°26’S, 26°55’E], sweeping in bushes (1 December 1977), A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman (NCA 77/ 1191) ; 3 ♀, 6 ♂, 1 juvenile, Kei River Mouth [32°41’S, 28°21’E], sweeping coastal forest, 8 December 2005, C. Haddad (NCA 2007/1441, 2007/1435, 2007/1429) . KwaZulu-Natal Province, 1 ♀, Vryheid Nature Reserve [27°53’S, 30°54’E], grassland and wooded grassland, beating and sweeping, 31 January 2007, A.P. Marais (NCA 2009/5845) .

Diagnosis. Female can be recognised by the distinct colour patterns on body ( Fig. 17–19 ); both sexes with infuscated bands on femora ( Figs 17–19 ) and a band on tibia IV, epigyne atrium small, teardrop-shaped to oval, closed anteriorly ( Fig. 55 ). Male with broad RTA base ( Fig. 53 ); resemble M. irmatrix sp. n. but copulatory organs and colour of body and legs different.

Re-description. Female. Size, measurements (n = 5). TL: 3.13 (1.91–3.68); CL: 1.01 (0.14–1.36); CW: 1.26 (1.14–1.36); CI: 0.81 (0.11–1.06); CH: 0.83 (0.70–0.96); CLL: 0.26 (0.23–0.26); MOQ-L: 0.29 (0.28–0.30). Colour. Carapace varies from mottled copper-brown to bright orange, copper-red or very dark copper, sometimes tinted with black, patterns and colour differ between individuals; clypeus either pale or with orange area extending onto cephalic area as a fine line; cheliceral tips may be dark; labium and mouth-parts dark; abdominal marks vary from dorsally uniformly pale to being decorated with a range of dark patterns ( Fig. 17 ): a thin longitudinal central band, a big patch covering the anterior region and most of abdomen, or a longitudinal central band expanding laterally into two parts with or without small white patches within the darker band; abdomen ventrally very pale or yellow with metallic, dark blue or purple striae; metatarsi and/or tarsi IV or only tibia IV proximally dark. Carapace. Broad; smooth. Sternum. SL: 0.56; SW: 0.59; SI: 0.95. Eye s. Eye area wide, with eyes wider apart from each other in comparison to M. occidentalis , eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.29; ALE–AME: 0.36; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.81; PME–PME: 0.43; PLE–PME: 0.33; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.35; ALE/AME: 1.26; PLE/PME: 0.75; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.67; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.43; Clyp/AME–AME: 0.90. Legs. All leg segments bearing dense setae; femora and tibiae with a few short spiniform setae; leg formula: II:I:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.88, Pat 0.30 Tib 0.68, Mt 0.57, Ta 0.43, total 2.86; II—Fe 0.89, Pat 0.31, Tib 0.69, Mt 0.59, Ta 0.40, total 2.88; III—Fe 0.65, Pat 0.26, Tib 0.45, Mt 0.38, Ta 0.29, total 2.02; IV—Fe 0.75, Pat 0.28, Tib 0.56, Mt 0.46, Ta 0.33, total 2.38. Abdomen. AL: 2.12; AW: 2.00; AI: 1.06. Epigyne. Atrium oval to teardropshaped with small flap posteriorly, closed anteriorly ( Fig. 55 ); differ from M. irmatrix sp. n. in that the rim of the latter species is more slender and longer whilst intromittent canals of M. lata sp. n. is thicker and more complex ( Fig. 56 ).

Male. Size, measurements (n = 2). TL: 2.86 (2.68–3.03); CL: 1.20 (1.16–1.25); CW: 1.09 (1.08–1.10); CI: 1.10 (1.07–1.13); CH: 0.55 (0.38–0.73); CLL: 0.21 (0.15–0.26); MOQ-L: 0.28 (0.26–0.30). Differ from female as follows: Colour. Carapace uniform dark copper-red or orange ( Fig. 19 ); sternum copper-brown; abdomen dorsally copper-red or dark with a narrow white or blue anterior border; ventrally pale cream or blue with shiny black to pinkish-blue metallic striae, sometimes with white spots on or between striae; eyes usually surrounded by a thin orange-red border; lateral eyes situated on small black tubercles; legs yellow-orange to copper-brown with dark infuscated bands dorso-ventrally on femora I, II and IV including patella, and on tibiae, metatarsi and/or tarsi IV. Carapace. Smooth. Sternum. SL: 0.49 SW: 0.56 SI: 0.89. Eyes. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.21; ALE–AME: 0.30; AME–AME/AME-ALE: 0.71; PME-PME: 0.36; PLE-PME: 0.28; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.31; ALE/AME: 1.40; PLE/PME: 0.76; MOQ-AW/PW: 0.59; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.49; Clyp/AME–AME: 0.94. Legs. Covered densely with setae, slightly longer spiniform setae present on femora and tibiae; leg formula: II:I:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.99, Pat 0.30, Tib 0.71, Mt 0.61, Ta 0.43, total 3.02; II—Fe 1.04, Pat 0.46, Tib 0.80, Mt 0.69, Ta 0.50, total 3.50; III—Fe 0.65, Pat 0.30, Tib 0.54, Mt 0.41, Ta 0.33, total 2.23; IV—Fe 0.75, Pat 0.26, Tib 0.55, Mt 0.52, Ta 0.35, total 2.43. Abdomen. With slightly granular scutum, dorsal view almost oval, anteriorly border straight, slightly pointed posteriorly; AL: 1.65; AW: 1.47; AI: 1.12. Palp. RTA base broad, tip extending diagonally ( Fig. 53 ); VTA almost equal in length to RTA ( Fig. 54 ); tutaculum present.

Natural history. Specimens were sampled by beating and sweeping vegetation in grass- and wooded grasslands of coastal dune forests, they were also found near rivers and estuaries. Adults were sampled between October and January and juveniles in December.

Distribution. Namibia and South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, new record: KwaZulu-Natal Province) ( Fig. 118 ).

Figures

FIGURES 10–24. Microscope photographs of dorsal and lateral views of Mystaria species. 10 Mystaria budongo sp. n. male from Rwanda, Ibanda Makera (dorsal view); 11–13 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. (11, 12 female from South Africa, Richards Bay antero-and postero-dorsal views, 13 male from South Africa, Punda Maria Camp dorsal view); 14–16 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n. (14, 15 female from Mozambique, Marracuene antero-and latero-dorsal views, 16 male form Marracuene postero-dorsal view); 17–19 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. (17, 18 female from South Africa, Kei River Mouth antero-and latero-dorsal view, 19 two males from South Africa, Mazeppa Bay dorsal views); 20–22 Mystaria lindaicapensis sp. n. (20, 21 female from South Africa, Jeffreys Bay antero-and latero-dorsal views (specimen damaged on carapace), 22 male from South Africa, Knysna dorsal view); 23–24 Mystaria mnyama sp. n. (23, 24 female from South Africa, Tembe Elephant Park antero-and latero-dorsal views).

FIGURES 43–56. Line drawings of copulatory organs in male and female Mystaria species, with ventral- (left) and retrolateral (right) views of male palps and ventral- (left) and dorsal (right) views of female epigynes. 43–44 Mystaria budongo sp. n. male left palp; 45–48 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. (45, 46 male right palp, 47, 48 female epigyne); 49–52 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n. (49, 50 male left palp, 51, 52 female epigyne); 53–56 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. (53, 54 male left palp, 55, 56 female epigyne). Scale lines = 10mm.

FIGURES 115–118. Recorded geographical distribution of Mystaria species. 115 Mystaria budongo sp. n.; 116 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n.; 117 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n.; 118 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. Scale lines = 1420 km (115), 1500 km (116), 1240 km (117, 118).