Messapus natalis ( Pocock, 1898 ) Pocock, 1898

Haddad, Charles R., 2013, Taxonomic notes on the spider genus Messapus Simon, 1898 (Araneae, Corinnidae), with the description of the new genera Copuetta and Wasaka and the first cladistic analysis of Afrotropical Castianeirinae, Zootaxa 3688 (1), pp. 1-79 : 20

Messapus natalis ( Pocock, 1898) comb. n.

Figs 4, 5 , 29, 30

Corinna natalis Pocock, 1898: 221 , pl. 8, fig. 14 (Ƥ Holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: Durban [29°50'S, 31°00'E], 15.XII.1890, leg. H.A. Spencer, BMNH—examined by Haddad, 2005); Haddad, 2005: 28, figs 1–6.

Diagnosis: see M. martini above.

See Haddad (2005) for description of both sexes. General appearance of females in Figs 4 and 29 and males in Figs 5 and 30 .

Remarks: The recently redescribed and illustrated Corinna natalis is a very large corinnine spider ( Haddad 2005) that shares a number of characters with Messapus martini and other undescribed Messapus , as detailed in the generic description above. Particularly, the similarities in leg spination, abdominal sclerotisation and male palpal morphology, together with support from the phylogenetic analyses ( Fig. 26 ), confirms that C. natalis is congeneric with M. martini , and its transfer to Messapus is hereby proposed.

New records: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, Cape Vidal, 28°10'S, 32°34'E, leg. A. Leroy, J. Leroy & L. Prendini, 18.IV.1992 (thick silk retreats over holes in tree trunks), 23 1Ƥ (NCA 2007/1141); Ndumo Game Reserve, Main Camp, Broadleaf woodland, 26°54.581'S, 32°18.798'E, leg. C. Haddad, 5.XII.2009 (in silk retreat in Strynchos spinosa tree), 1Ƥ (NCA 2010/2743); same locality, Shokwe Pan, 26°52.424'S, 32°12.652'E, 43m a.s.l., leg. A. Kirk-Spriggs, 30.XI–4.XII.2009 (Malaise traps), 13 (NCA 2010/ 2749). Mpumulanga: Nelspruit district, Crocodile River Gorge, 25°32'S, 31°13'E, leg. A. Leroy, 18.XI.2007 (hole in tree with strong papery silk covering hole), 1Ƥ (NCA 2008/2911). Limpopo: Soutpansberg Mountains, Vivo district, Lajuma Mountain Retreat, 23°02.454'S, 29°27.205'E, 1200m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, 3–11.II.2008 (under bark, Afromontane forest), 13 (MPEG 19101). MOZAMBIQUE: Bilene, Praia do Bilene, 25°15.649'S, 33°17.659'E, 27m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, R. Lyle & R. Fourie, 20.XII.2007 (leaf litter, coastal forest), 1Ƥ (NCA 2008/211).

Distribution: Previously known only from the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa ( Haddad 2005). Newly recorded from the Mpumulanga and Limpopo Provinces, and from southern Mozambique ( Fig. 40 ).

Biology: The biology of this species was briefly discussed by Haddad (2005). This species constructs a silken retreat in fissures of bark or cerambycid exit holes in the trunks of trees ( Fig. 6 ). The structure of the retreat is similar to that of M. martini , described above, comprising a silk mat covering the substrate surface, a mat closing the two opposite walls of the fissure, a folded silk opening on the upper side of the retreat, and an attachment line extending to the substrate above the retreat.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Strict consensus tree obtained under equal weighting in TNT using the traditional search function. Numbers on nodes are Bremer Weights calculated in TNT. Tree rooted with the gnaphosid Drassodes sesquidentatus Purcell, 1908.

FIGURE 40. Distribution of Messapus martini Simon, 1898 (black circles), M. natalis (Pocock, 1898) (white circles) and Merenius secundus (Strand, 1907) (black star) in the Afrotropical Region.

FIGURES 1 – 6. General habitus photographs of Messapus martini Simon, 1898 (1 – 3) and M. natalis (Pocock, 1898) (4 – 6) from Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa: 1, 4. Females. 2, 5. Males. 3, 6. Retreats. Arrows indicate anchor lines of retreats.

FIGURES 27 – 33. Digital microscope photographs of Messapus martini Simon, 1898 from South Africa (27, 28), M. natalis (Pocock, 1898) from South Africa (29, 30) and Merenius secundus (Strand, 1907) from Tanzania (31 – 33): 27, 29, 31. Female, dorsal habitus. 28, 30. Male, dorsal habitus. 32. Cephalic region of female in dorsal view. 33. Female epigyne in ventral view. Scale bars: 27 – 31 = 2.0 mm, 32 = 0.1 mm, 33 = 0.25 mm.