Thyene volombavatanany, Murray & Escobar-Toledo & Pett, 2024

Murray, Katie I., Escobar-Toledo, Jaime & Pett, Brogan L., 2024, Three new species of plexippine jumping spiders (Salticidae, Salticinae, Plexippini) from dry forest in Boeny region, north-western Madagascar, African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 61-74 : 61-74

Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov.

Figs 26–31

Material examined.

Holotype • ♂ Madagascar; Mahajanga province, Mariarano classified forest ; 15.468°S, 46.741°E; 28 June 2017, 20: 25; “ long grass, net sweep ”, Brogan L. Pett leg. ( BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara.247708 ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, amalgamating the Malagasy words for “ arm ” (tanany) and “ moustache ” (volombava). Reference is made to the extensive hairs on the ventral part of the femur and tibiae.

Diagnosis.

Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov. resembles T. aperta (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1903) ( Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Zimbabwe) by the elongated body, large legs I and in general palpal conformation. Both share a bulb rounded, twice surrounded by embolus running clockwise with narrow, long, flat tegular expansion prolaterally at base. Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov. is distinguished by: (i) an abdomen that is generally uniform in colouration with black mottling without white spot (vs. large black area divided into three parts with distinct white spot); (ii) RTA that is approximately the length of the tibia with an apex that is about 1 / 3 basal tibia width (vs. ½ length of tibia and apex under).

Description.

Male ( holotype). Measurements. CL 2.52, CW 1.94, CH 1.04, SL 1.02, SW 0.48, AL 2.82, AW 1.12. AME 0.44, ALE 0.20, PME 0.09, PLE 0.15. Leg I: 1.22, 0.80, 1.16, 0.76, 0.40. Leg II: 0.88, 0.64, 0.68, 0.42, 0.28. Leg III: 1.04, 0.66, 0.68, 0.76, 0.40. Leg IV: 1.28, 0.64, 0.78, 0.74, 0.40.

Colouration: carapace generally light orangish brown, eyes ringed with dark brown patches, pale streak from fovea to posterior margin; chelicerae orange; sternum, coxae generally pale orange; legs II – IV pale orange-beige with faint brown retro lateral and prolateral patches; labium, maxillae, legs I orangish brown with black ventral femoral setae; abdomen beige with some brown-black mottling; pedipalp orangish-brown. Carapace: low and flat, highest at PLE, shallow depression midway between lateral eyes; patches of short thick white setae around fovea, posterior to AME, ventral to PLE, ventral lateral part of carapace; ventral lateral sparse strip of long thin black setae. Sternum: broadly oval-shaped, widest between coxae II & III, margin darker orange than centre. Legs: Legs I much broader and darker; dense long black ventral setae interspersed with longer sparser white ventral setae on femur, patella, tibia. Abdomen: long and thin, more than twice as long as wide; beige with brown-black mottling; long brown lateral setae; brown and white tuft of setae at anterior face. Pedipalp: femur slightly longer than patella and tibia together, patella and tibia about the same length; RTA thumb- like, short and rounded; SD arises medially and loops around tegulum for half its length; embolus moderately short and straight, directed prolaterally tapering to a sharp point. Leg spination: I: F d 3 pl 2, P pl 1, Ti v 4-3, Mt v 2-2; II: F d 2 pl 3, P pl 1 (small), Ti pl 2 v 1-2, Mt v 2-2.

Figures

Figures 26–33. Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov. 26–31 male holotype habitus 32, 33 pedipalp 26 frontal 27 lateral 28 dorsal 29 ventral 30 - leg I 31 femur I detail 32 retrolateral 33 ventral. Scale bars: 1 mm (26–31); 0.5 mm (32, 33).