Festucula haddadi, Azarkina & Foord, 2014

Azarkina, Galina N. & Foord, Stefan H., 2014, A revision of the Afrotropical species of Festucula Simon, 1901 (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 55 (2), pp. 351-351 : 362-364

Festucula haddadi sp. n.

Figs 17, 24 , 61–76

Festucula lawrencei : WesoΙowska & Haddad 2009: 35, figs 50—52 (misidentified)̹

Etymology: This species is named after Dr̹ Charles Haddad, South African arachnologist and chairman of the African Arachnological Society, who collected some of the paratypes. Diagnosis: F. haddadi sp. n. resembles F. festuculaeformis . The male can be distinguished by the shape of tibial apophysis, with its broad VTA, almost without any swelling distally (Fig̹ 65) and with a dorsally straight LTA (Fig̹ 64), instead of the more swollen distal part of the VTA (Fig̹ 48) and dorsally concave LTA in F. festuculaeformis (Fig̹ 49)̹ The female can be distinguished by the structure of spermathecae, with the short, broad middle part of the insemination ducts (Fig̹ 68)̹

Description:

Male.

Measurements: Carapace: 1.80 long, 1.20 wide, 0.55 high. Abdomen: 4.20 long, 1̹10 wide̹ Eye field: 0̹80 long, anterior 1̹00 wide, posterior 1̹05 wide̹ Cheliceral length 0.60. Clypeal height 0.10. Diameter of AME 0.30. Length of leg segments (holotype): I 1̹60+1̹30+2̹00+1̹20+0̹50; II 0̹90+0̹45+0̹55+0̹40+0̹30; III 0̹75+0̹40+0̹45+0̹50+0̹40; IV 1̹10+0̹50+0̹90+0̹70+0̹40̹

Leg spination: I: Tb v 0-1-1-1-0; Mt v 0-2-2ap. II: Mt v 1-2ap. III: Mt v 0-1ap. IV: Mt v 0-1ap.

Coloration ( Figs 69—72 ): Carapace low, flat, dark brown with median brownish-yellow longitudinal stripe, slightly broader in posterior part of ocular area, with two lateral yellow bands, covered with white adpressed hairs. Ocular area black, with brown-yellow patch behind AME. Clypeus brown, very low, covered with white hairs (Fig̹ 72)̹ Chelicerae dark brown̹ Sternum yellow-brown̹ Abdomen yellowish-grey, with lateral brownish longitudinal stripes dorsally and median brown stripe ventrally ( Figs 69—71 )̹ Booklungs yellow̹ Spinnerets yellow-brown̹ Legs I long and robust, brown, the rest of the legs yellow. Palps brown. All legs and palps covered with long thin bristles. Palpal structure as in Figs 61–65 .

Female.

Measurements: Carapace: 1.80–2.05 long, 1.00–1.20 wide, 0.50–0.60 high. Abdomen: 4.60–5.30 long, 1.10–1.20 wide. Eye field: 0.75–0.85 long, anterior 0.90–1.00 wide, posterior 0.95–1.05 wide. Cheliceral length 0.40–0.50. Clypeal height 0.10. Diameter of AME 0.35. Length of leg segments (female from KwaZulu-Natal, ISEA 000̹851): I 1̹10+0̹85+1̹00+0̹70+0̹40; II 0̹80+0̹40+0̹50+0̹45+0̹35; III 0̹70+0̹35+0̹40+0̹50+0̹40; IV 1̹10+0̹50+0̹75+0̹75+0̹40̹

Leg spination: I: Tb v 0-1-1-1-0 or 1-0-1-1-0; Mt v 0-2-2ap. III: Mt v 0-1ap.

Coloration ( Figs 73—76 ): Coloration same as in the male ( Figs 73—76 )̹ Structure of epigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 66–68 .

Holotype Ô SƟUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Ndumo G.R., c. 26°52'S 32°15'E, dense grass, 14.i.1980, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 81 /54)̹

Paratypes:SƟUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga: 1Ô c. 35 km SE of Sabie, White River, 25°07'S 31°55'E, beating, 31̹viii̹1991, E̹ Visagie ( NMBA 5433 ) ; 1 Ô Nelspruit (caravan park), 25°20'S 31°46'E, sweeping, mixed grass, 19̹i̹1977, L̹ Burger ( NCA 77 /287)̹ KwaZulu-Natal: 1♀ Ndumo G ̹R̹, 26°54'S 32°18'E, sweeping, grass, broadleaf woodland, 13̹vi̹2005, C̹ Haddad ( NCA 2008 /2037); 2♀ Tembe Elephant Park, 27°01'S 32°25'E, beating short shrubs, open woodland, 10̹i̹2002, C̹ Haddad ( ISEA 000̹851); 1 Ô Kosi Bay, c. 26°54'S 32°52'E, coastal bush, 6̹x̹1977, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 98 /734); 1♀ Pongola, c. 27°23'S 31°37'E, sweeping, grass, 5̹iv̹1977,A̹S̹ Dippenaar-Schoeman ( NCA 98 /644); 1♀ Ulundi, Ɵphathe G̹R̹, Ɵphathe R̹, 28°24'S 31°23'E, sweeping, grass on R̹ bed, 2̹x̹2008, C̹ Haddad ( NCA 2008 /4185); 1♀ Umgeni Valley, c. 27°28'S 30°16'E, sweeping, grass, LR 1661, 4̹i̹1997, A̹ Leroy ( NCA 98 /274); 2 Ô Ntumeni, Ngoje Forest , 28°52'S 31°22'E, herb layer, 1̹xii̹1977, P̹ Reavell ( ISEA 000̹852); 1 Ô Mtubatuba, Dukuduku Forest Reserve , St ̹ Lucia, c. 28°21'S 32°18'E, grassland, sweeping, AR038, 2̹iv̹2009, J̹ Pryke ( NCA 2010 /5782); 1 Ô Charter ̕s Bay, Charter ̕s Creek Camp, c. 28°12'S 32°24'E, sweeping, grass, 2̹iii̹2007, P̹ van Niekerk ( NCA 2007 /2394); 1 Ô Empangeni, c. 28°45'S 31°54'E, sweeping, grass, 12̹iii̹1981, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 98 /742); 1Ô same locality, KwaDlangezwa, University of Zululand , 28°51'S 31°49'E, active search, on bush, 8.iii.1977, P. Reavell ( NCA 84 /646); 1♀ same locality, 28°51'S 31°49'E, grassland, 20̹xi̹1980, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 81 /92); 1♀ same locality, Nyala Game Ranch, 28°43'S 31°52'E, sweeping, grass, 16̹xi̹1980, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 81 /69); 1♀ same locality, 28°51'S 31°49'E, sweeping on grass, 17̹ii̹1981, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 81 /203); 1 Ô Richards Bay , c. 28°46'S 32°06'E, active search, 10̹iv̹1980, P̹ Reavell ( NCA 81 /664); 1♀ Richards Bay , c. 28°46'S 32°06'E, sweeping, 1̹xii̹1995, T̹ Wassenaar ( NCA 2007 /2541); 1♀ Vlei, nr Charter̕s Creek, nr St̹ Lucia, c. 28°12'S 32°26'E, 18̹i̹1980, Collector unknown ( NMSA) ; 1Ô iSimangaliso Wetland Park, St ̹ Lucia National Park , Charter ̕s Creek Camp , 28°12'S 32°24'E, sweeping, grass, 2̹iii̹2007, P̹ & G̹ van Niekerk, X ̹ Combrink, J ̹ Warner ( NCA 2010 /3350)̹

Distribution: Eastern part of South Africa (Fig̹ 26)̹

Figures

Figs 8–25. Festucula spp̹: (8) palpal tibia of F. leroyae sp. n., ventral view; (9) ditto, retrolateral view; (10) palpal tibia of F. robustus sp̹ n̹, ventral view; (11) ditto, retrolateral view; (12) palpal tibia of F. australis Lawrence, 1927, retrolateral view; (13) palpal tibia of F. lineata Simon, 1901, basalretrolateral view; (14) ditto, F. australis Lawrence, 1927; (15) ditto, F. lawrencei Lessert, 1933; retrolateral view;(16) palp of F.festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925),ventral view; (17) ditto, F.haddadi sp̹ n̹; (18) epigyne of F. robustus sp̹ n̹, dorsal view view; (19) ditto, F. leroyae sp̹ n̹; (20) ditto, F. australis Lawrence,1927, ventralview; (21) ditto, F. haddadi sp̹n̹; (22) spermathecaeof F. australis Lawrence, 1927, dorsal view; (23) ditto, F. vermiformis Simon, 1901 (from Prószyṅski, 1987; with modification); (24) ditto, F. haddadi sp̹ n̹; (25) ditto, F. festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925)̹

Figs 61–68. Festucula haddadi sp̹ n̹: (61) male palp, ventral view; (62) ditto, retrolateral view; (63) tibial apophysis, dorsal view; (64) ditto, ventro-retrolateral view; (65) ditto, retrolateral-apical view; (66) diagrammatic course of theinsemination ducts; (67) epigyne,ventral view;(68) spermathecae,dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figs 69–76. Festucula haddadi sp̹ n̹, general appearance: (69) male, dorsal view; (70) ditto, ventral view; (71) ditto,lateral view;(72) male “face”;(73) female,dorsal view; (74) ditto, ventral view;(75) ditto, lateral view; (76) female “face”̹ Scale bars: (69—71, 73—75) 1 mm, (72, 76) 0̹2 mm̹