Lepthercus lawrencei, Ríos-Tamayo & Lyle, 2020

Ríos-Tamayo, Duniesky & Lyle, Robin, 2020, The South African genus Lepthercus Purcell, 1902 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) phylogeny and taxonomy, Zootaxa 4766 (2), pp. 261-305 : 280-282

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4766.2.2
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BA570D47-FE77-446C-B000-9208C9A6E957
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F11B20-FFCD-FF9D-8EE8-3961FCA1D669
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Lepthercus lawrencei
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lepthercus lawrencei sp. nov.

( Fig. 11 View FIGURE A–D, 24)

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:590720F3-F15E-406B-858F-CC8A3425A7E3

Material examined. Type material: Holotype ♀. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province: Silaka Nature Reserve GoogleMaps

[31°39’S 29°30’E], 25.xi.2014, du Preez, B. leg., ( NCA 2016 /1710). – Paratypes. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, Umtata, Kambi Forest [31°36’S 28°46’E], xi.1961, Lawrence GoogleMaps R.F. leg., 1 ♀ (NM8099); Port St Johns GoogleMaps [31°37’S 29°32’E], vii.1945, Lawrence GoogleMaps R.F. leg., 1 ♀ (NM4560).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case in honor of Dr. Reginald Frederick Lawrence for his contributions to arachnology in South Africa, and who collected many of the specimens examined for this study.

Diagnosis. Females of L. lawrencei sp. nov., can be differentiated from species of “Group dregei” by the shape of their spermathecae, which has a twisted stalk and circular receptacles ( Fig. 11D View FIGURE ). It is most similar to L. mandelai sp. nov., but differ in the twisted stalks of the spermathecase. It can also can be separated from all other species in having the highest number of cheliceral denticles (45). Males are unknown.

Description. Female holotype (NCA 2016/1710, Fig. 11 View FIGURE A–D). Total length 16.26. Carapace ( Fig. 11A View FIGURE ): length 6.02, width 4.59, with small marginal bristles. Cephalic region: length 3.80, clypeus small (almost absent) with 5 marginal bristles; 1 bristles in front of the OQ and 3 between the PME, line of bristles until fovea. Fovea: width 0.50, almost straight. Ocular measurements: AME 0.15, ALE 0.32, PME 0.20, PLE 0.22, OQ length 0.52, width 1.02; AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PLE 0.03, AME–PME 0.08, ALE–PLE 0.04, AME–AME 0.10, PME–PME 0.37. Chelicerae ( Fig. 11C View FIGURE ): length 3.54, width 2.30; with dorsal-retrolateral dark bristles. Fang groove with 9 promarginal teeth and 45 mesobasal denticles. Labium: length 0.46, width 0.97, dorsally slightly concave with 1 cusp. Maxillae: length 2.18, width 1.01, with 97 cuspules on posterior inner corner, prolateral face slightly curved, soft area small, with long uniformly distributed hairs, serrula present on anterior inner corner. Sternum ( Fig. 11B View FIGURE ): length 2.88, maximum width 2.39. Abdomen: length 8.38, covered with dark hairs and bristles. PMS: length 0.84; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 1.41:1.05:1.50; total length. Lengths of legs and palp: I: 3.69, 2.44, 2.23, 2.14, 1.46, 11.96. II: 4.00, 2.78, 2.78, 2.09, 1.61, 13.26. III: 3.23, 2.01, 1.93, 2.68, 1.47, 11.32. IV: 4.15, 2.38, 2.96, 3.83, 1.71, 15.03. Palp: 2.81, 1.77, 1.80, —, 1.87, 8.25.

Chaetotaxy: Leg I: femur, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1 P, 1-1-1-3 V (thins); metatarsus, 2-2-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg II: femur, 1-1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1-1 P, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 2-0-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg III: femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1-1 P, 1 R; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-2 D, 1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1 P, 1-1-1 D–P, 1-1 D–R (1:2 A), 1-1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Leg IV: femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d, 1-1 R A; patella, 1 R; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-1- 2-1 R, 2-2-3 V (thins); metatarsus, 1-1-1-1-1 P, 1-1-1-1 D–P, 1-1-1-1 D–R, 1-1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Palp: femur, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1-2 P, 2-2-4 V; tarsus, 2 V B.

Scopulae: Metatarsi: I, dense, uniformly distributed and divided by bristles; II, dense (3:4 A), and divided by setae; III–IV, 0. Tarsi: I–II dense, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of bristles; III–IV, sparse, uniformly distributed and divided by a wide band of setae. Trichobothria: Tibiae: palp 9-9; I 10-11; II 11-11; III 9-10; IV 13-13. Metatarsi: I (3)1(0)1(2)1(3)1; II (3)1(1)1(3)1(4)1; III (4)1(0)1(3)1(5)1; IV (5)1(2)1(4)1(5)1. Tarsi: palp 12; I-II 14; III-IV 13. Preening combs: metatarsus: II, 4 P V; III 4 P V–3 R V; IV 2 P V–3 R V. Spermathecae: as in Fig. 11D View FIGURE . Color: Overall brown–orange (chelicerae darker), sternum lighter. Abdomen brown mottled with posterior light bands, spinnerets light brown.

Distribution. Eastern Cape Province, South Africa ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE ).