Jocquestus roeweri ( Lawrence, 1938 ) Lyle & Haddad, 2018

Lyle, Robin & Haddad, Charles R., 2018, Jocquestus, a new genus of trachelid sac spiders from the Afrotropical Region (Arachnida: Araneae), Zootaxa 4471 (2), pp. 309-333 : 324-326

Jocquestus roeweri ( Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov.

Figs 17, 18 , 61–65

Trachelas roeweri Lawrence, 1938: 502 , fig. 27 (Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Nkhandla [28°37'S, 31°05'E], leg. R.F. Lawrence, I.1937, NMSA 1383 —examined).

Remark. The female holotype is quite faded and damaged, with several legs missing ( Fig. 18 ). To avoid further damage to the specimen we did not dissect the epigyne, and only the ventral view is presented in the description, as no fresh material was available for study. We matched the male and female of J. roeweri comb. nov. based on the fact that they were the only other species of Jocquestus other than J. schenkeli comb. nov. occurring in northern KwaZulu-Natal, and that they were recorded in savanna habitats from localities approximately 70 km apart.

Diagnosis. Males of J. roeweri comb. nov. share with J. incurvus sp. nov. and J. capensis sp. nov. a RPA extending to the end of the palpal tibia ( Fig. 63 ), but the former species has a nearly perpendicular bend in the embolus ( Fig. 53 ), absent in J. roeweri comb. nov., and the latter has four strong spines at the distal end of the cymbium ( Fig. 42 ), which are absent in J. roeweri comb. nov.. The female of J. roeweri comb. nov. can be recognised by the combination of the ST I that are bilobed in ventral view, and the ST II that are narrower posteriorly than anteriorly, with a narrow ovoid space separating them along their mesal margins ( Fig. 64 ).

Male (Eshowe, NMSA 12114). Measurements: CL 1.70–1.80, CW 1.50–1.55, AL 1.80–2.00, AW 1.45–1.55, TL 3.50–3.70, FL 0.10–0.13, SL 0.98–1.00, SW 0.83–0.88, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.08, ALE–ALE 0.43, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.20, PLE–PLE 0.75.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 1.25 + 0.65 + 0.88 + 0.63 + 0.38 = 3.79; II 1.10 + 0.53 + 0.83 + 0.70 + 0.38 = 3.54; III 0.85 + 0.38 + 0.48 + 0.65 + 0.28 = 2.64; IV 1.03 + 0.43 + 0.75 + 0.85 + 0.30 = 3.36.

Carapace reddish-brown ( Fig. 17 ); surface finely wrinkled, covered with short fine setae; fovea short, fine, distinct, at two thirds CL. Ocular region brown to dark brown, with black rings surrounding eyes; clypeus height equal to approximately 1.5 times AME diameter; AME and ALE equal in size; AME separated by distance equal to 0.5 their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.75 AME diameter; PME and PLE equal in size; PME separated by distance equal to twice their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance more than twice PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, anterior surface with scattered long fine setae; three promarginal teeth, median tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; two retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest. Sternum brown, darker towards borders; surface finely granulate, with scattered short fine setae. Abdominal dorsum brown to mottled grey, with scutum covering almost entire length of abdomen; two pairs of sigilla present, first pair pale brown, anterior to midpoint, second pair darker, posterior to midpoint ( Fig. 17 ). Legs I to IV uniform brown, anterior legs slightly darker than posterior legs; leg spination: tibiae: I plv 5 cusps; metatarsi: I plv 5 cusps; tarsi: I plv 1 cusp ( Fig. 61 ). Palp brown; RPA long, extending to end of palpal tibia, curved ventrally, with truncated tip in retrolateral view; palpal tibia without RTA; embolus originating prolaterally at tegulum base, curving prolaterally along tegulum, narrowing gradually to sharp tip retrolaterally near cymbium tip ( Figs 62, 63 ).

Female (holotype, Nkhandla, NMSA 1383). Measurements: CL 1.05–1.95, CW 0.88–1.68, AL 1.35–1.95, AW 1.10–1.60, TL 2.30–4.10, FL 0.05, SL 1.10, SW 0.98, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.40, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.15, PLE–PLE 0.73.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 1.28 + 0.65 + 0.73 + 0.78 + 0.45 = 3.89; II 1.15 + 0.58 + 0.83 + 0.75 + 0.43 = 3.74; III 0.88 + 0.38 + 0.60 + 0.65 + 0.30 = 2.81; IV 1.15 + 0.48 + 0.88 + 0.83 + 0.33 = 3.67.

Carapace orange ( Fig. 18 ). Ocular region orange, with pale brown rings around eyes; clypeus height equal to AME diameter; ALE slightly larger than AME; AME separated by distance slightly less than their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to AME diameter; PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to 1.2 times PME diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae orange, slightly paler at fang base; three promarginal teeth, median tooth largest, proximal tooth smallest; two retromarginal teeth, proximal tooth largest. Abdomen grey dorsally, with bright yellow scutum covering most of dorsum; three paired pale markings, first anteriorly, second in front of midpoint, third smaller, posterior to midpoint, all separated by median and transverse grey lines; two pairs of sigilla present, first at onequarter abdomen length, second at midpoint ( Fig. 18 ). Leg I orange, II slightly paler, III and IV pale yellow, femora slightly darker than other segments. Other characters as for male. Epigastric region sclerotised, yellow; epigynal ridges at 45° angle to epigastric fold, with lateral copulatory openings; ST narrower basally than anteriorly, anterior part forming rounded head; narrow median ducts connecting ST II to bilobed ST I near epigastric furrow ( Fig. 64 ).

Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Eshowe , 28°54'S, 31°28'E, leg. L. Bevis, XI– XII.1943, 1 ♂ ( NMSA 12114 ) ; Eshowe, Dlinza Forest , 28°53'S, 31°27'E, leg. P. Reavell, 17.I.1984 (sweeping herbs), 1♂ ( NMSA) .

Distribution. Known only from northern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa ( Fig. 70 ).

Habitat and biology. A rare species sampled from savanna and Indian Ocean coastal belt forest habitats.

Figures

FIGURE 70. Distribution of the genus Jocquestus gen. nov. in the Afrotropical Region: J. capensis sp. nov. (black circles), J. griswoldi sp. nov. male (yellow circle), J. harrisi sp. nov. (black square), J. incurvus sp. nov. (yellow squares), J. obliquus sp. nov. (black star), J. roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. (yellow stars) and J. schenkeli (Lessert, 1923) comb. nov. (black triangles).

FIGURES 9–20. Digital microscope photographs of the dorsal habitus of Jocquestus gen. nov. species. 9. J. capensis sp. nov., male; 10. Same, female; 11. J. griswoldi sp. nov., male; 12. J. harrisi sp. nov., female; 13. J. incurvus sp. nov., male; 14. Same, female; 15. J. obliquus sp. nov., male; 16. Same, female; 17. J. roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov., male; 18. Same, female; 19. J. schenkeli (Lessert, 1923) comb. nov., male; 20. Same, female.

FIGURES 61–64. Jocquestus roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. male (61–63) and female (64): 61. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 62. Left palp, ventral view; 63. Same, retrolateral view; 64. Epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 65–69. Jocquestus schenkeli (Lessert, 1923) comb. nov. male (65–67) and female (68, 69): 65. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 66. Left palp, ventral view; 67. Same, retrolateral view; 68. Epigyne, ventral view; 69. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 52–55. Jocquestus incurvus sp. nov. male (52–54) and female (55): 52. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 53. Left palp, ventral view; 54. Same, retrolateral view; 55. Epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 41–46. Jocquestus capensis sp. nov. male (41–43) male and female (44–46): 41. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 42. Left palp, ventral view; 43. Same, retrolateral view; 44. Epigyne, ventral view; 45. Variation of epigyne, ventral view; 46. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.