Leptopilos digitus, Haddad & Booysen, 2022

Haddad, Charles R. & Booysen, Ruan, 2022, The ground spider genera Leptodrassex Murphy, 2007 and Leptopilos Levy, 2009 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) in southern Africa, including the description of a new genus and seven new species, Zootaxa 5194 (1), pp. 1-32 : 26-27

Leptopilos digitus sp. nov.

Figures 89, 90 , 93–120 , 126–130

Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: Namaqua National Park, Koeroebees , 30°08.683’S, 17°42.177’E, 240 m a.s.l., 27.III.2022, leg. C. Haddad & R. Booysen (leaf litter, dry river bed) (NMBA 18534).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Free State: Erfenis Dam Nature Reserve , 28°30.134’S, 26°48.427’E, 22.XI– 23.XII.2005, leg. C. Haddad (pitfalls, burnt site 2), 1♂ (NMBA 13573) . Northern Cape: Namaqua National Park, Koeroebees, 30°08.683’S, 17°42.177’E, 240 m a.s.l., 27.III.2022, leg. C. Haddad, R. Booysen, L. Malope & S. Sibisi (leaf litter, dry river bed), 2♂ 3♀ (NMBA 18533); Prieska district , Green Valley Nuts, 29°34’S, 22°55’E, 950 m a.s.l., 15.I.2001, leg. C. Haddad (canopy fogging, pistachio orchard), 1♂ (NCA 2004/196) . Western Cape: Tankwa Karoo National Park, Tanqua Guesthouse , 32°23.911’S, 19°50.713’E, 355 m a.s.l., 19.I.2021, leg. C. Haddad & R. Booysen (hand collecting, at night around houses), 1♀ (NCA 2021/1016) .

Etymology. The species name is Latin for finger or toe (digit), referring to the shape of the apical tegular sclerite.

Diagnosis. This species is very distinct in the genus by the short finger-like apical tegular process ( Fig. 129 ) and the short, slender dorsal tibial apophysis ( Figs 120 , 130 ) of the male palp. Females can be distinguished from congeners by the paired, weakly sclerotized recurved ridges anteriorly in the epigyne, as opposed to a single median hood, and the paired longitudinal ridges forming the lateral margins of the atrium ( Fig. 126 ).

Description. Female (holotype, Namaqua, NMBA 18534). Colouration ( Fig. 89 ): carapace and chelicerae creamy-white; endites and labium pale yellow-brown; sternum creamy-white, margins brown at coxae; femora creamy-white, remaining segments creamy-yellow, metatarsi and tarsi slightly darker; abdomen white dorsally and ventrally.

Measurements: CL 1.06, CW 0.87, AL 1.71, AW 1.25, TL 2.80. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.07, PME 0.08, PLE 0.07, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.06, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.01. Leg measurements: I 0.86, 0.40, 0.67, 0.57, 0.44 = 2.94; II 0.81, 0.37, 0.62, 0.56, 0.43 = 2.79; III 0.67, 0.35, 0.49, 0.48, 0.30 = 2.29; IV 1.05, 0.40, 0.84, 0.97, 0.30 = 3.56.

Leg spination: femora: I do 1, II do 1, III do 1, IV do 2 rl 1; patellae spineless; tibiae: I plv 1, II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 1 rlv 1, II plv 1 rlv 1, III pl 2 rl 1 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 2 plv 2 vt 3; palp: femur do 1, patella pl 1 do 1, tibia plv 1, tarsus pl 1 rl 1 plv 3 rlv 2.

Epigyne with paired, recurved, weakly sclerotized ridges anteriorly, longitudinal ridges laterally forming margins of atrium, with further funnel-shaped ridges medially ( Fig. 126 ); copulatory openings small, beneath anterolateral corners of funnel-shaped ridges; copulatory ducts short, looping laterally, then anteriorly and posteriorly, entering teardrop-shaped spermathecae along their anterior margin ( Fig. 127 ); fertilization ducts on posterior margin of spermathecae, directed posteriorly.

Male (paratype, Prieska, NCA 2004/196). Colouration ( Fig. 90 ): carapace and chelicerae light yellow; endites and labium creamy-yellow; sternum creamy-yellow, margins brown at coxae; femora to tibiae creamy-yellow, metatarsi and tarsi slightly darker; abdomen creamy-white dorsally and ventrally.

Measurements: CL 1.05, CW 0.79, AL 1.81, AW 1.02, TL 2.98. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.11, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.05, PME–PLE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.01. Leg measurements: I 0.87, 0.38, 0.67, 0.57, 0.51 = 3.00; II 0.83, 0.37, 0.62, 0.56, 0.48 = 2.86; III 0.65, 0.32, 0.48, 0.46, 0.33 = 2.24; IV 1.06, 0.41, 0.83, 0.95, 0.33 = 3.58.

Leg spination: femora: I do 1, II do 1, III do 1 rl 1, IV pl 1 do 2 rl 1; tibiae: I plv 1 rlv 1, II spineless, III pl 2 rl 1 plv 1, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 vt 2; metatarsi: I rlv 1, II rlv 1, III pl 2 rl 1 plv 1 vt 3, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 vt 3; palp: femur do 1, patella and tibia spineless, tarsus plv 1 rlv 1.

Palpal tibia very slightly longer than broad, with small spike-like dorso-retrolateral apophysis ( Figs 115, 116 , 130 ); tegulum oval, with narrow finger-like prolateral apical tegular process, lobate mesal retrolateral tegular process with additional smaller subtriangular lobe, and slender strongly curved median apophysis ( Fig. 129 ); embolus very slender, originating proximally and entering S-shaped groove in prolateral subtegulum, continuing along prolateral margin distally ( Fig. 128 ), before entering groove in apical tegular process.

Additional material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: Namaqua National Park, Koeroebees , 30°08.683’S, 17°42.177’E, 240 m a.s.l., 14.I.2021, leg. C. Haddad, R. Booysen, R. Christiaan & A. Stander (leaf litter, dry river bed), 1♀ (NCA 2021/726; epigyne lost in preparation); Same locality, 27.III.2022, leg. C. Haddad, R. Booysen, L. Malope & S. Sibisi (leaf litter, dry river bed), 2♂ 2♀ (S.E.M. preparations) .

Variation. Total length: females 2.78–3.32 (average 2.98, n = 7); males 2.05–2.98 (average 2.36, n = 4).

Habitat and biology. All of the females collected had the epigyne plugged ( Fig. 114 ). Recorded from the Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo and Grassland biomes. At the type locality, it was a common species collected in the litter of short shrubs in a dry river bed, with adults far more common in autumn (March) than midsummer (January) or winter (July).

Distribution. Widespread in the western half of South Africa ( Fig. 136 ).

Figures

FIGURE 136. Distribution of Leptopilos butleri sp. nov. (circles), L. digitus sp. nov. (triangles) and L. vasivulva sp. nov. (stars) in southern Africa.

FIGURES 87–92. Dorsal habitus of Leptopilos species: 87, 88. L. butleri sp. nov. female (87) and male (88); 89, 90. L. digitus sp. nov. female (89) and male (90); 91, 92. L. vasivulva sp. nov. female (91) and male (92). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 93–101. Scanning electron micrographs of Leptopilos digitus sp. nov. male (93–96, 98–101) and female (97): 93. Carapace, dorsal view; 94. Eye region, anterior view; 95. Mouthparts, ventral view; 96. Distal ends of chelicerae, ventral view; 97, 98. Distal ends of chelicerae, posterior views, arrows indicating cheliceral teeth; 99. Serrula teeth; 100. Sternum, ventral view; 101. Dorsal abdominal setae.Abbreviations: PES—promarginal escort setae; RES—retromarginal escort setae; RS—rake setae.

FIGURES 102–113. Scanning electron micrographs of Leptopilos digitus sp. nov. female (102–104) and male (105–113): 102, 105. Anterior lateral spinnerets; 103, 106. Posterior median spinnerets; 104, 107. Posterior lateral spinnerets; 108. Patella IV, retrolateral view, arrow indicating lyriform organ at proximal end of patellar indentation; 109. Same, detail of LO; 110. Tarsus I, indicating chemosensory setae (CS), feathery setae (FS), tarsal organ (TO) and trichobothria (TR); 111. Same, detail of trichobothrium base; 112. Same, tarsal organ; 113. Same, tarsal claws, retrolateral-dorsal view, arrowheads indicating claw teeth. Abbreviations: Ac—aciniform gland spigot(s); CS—chemosensory setae; Cy—cylindrical gland spigot(s); FS—feathery setae; MAmp—major ampullate gland spigot(s); mAmp—minor ampullate gland spigot(s); mPi—modified piriform gland spigot(s); n—nubbin; Pi—piriform gland spigot(s); Ta—tartipore; TO—tarsal organ; TR—trichobothria.

FIGURES 114–120. Scanning electron micrographs of Leptopilos digitus sp. nov. female (114) and male (115–121): 114. Epigyne, ventral view, indicating plug (P); 115. Right palp, prolateral view; 116. Left palp, ventro-retrolateral view; 117. Right palpal patella, retrolateral view, arrowhead indicating lyriform organ; 118. Left palpal tibia, ventral view; 119. Distal end of palpal tegulum, ventro-retrolateral view; 120. Same, enlargement of anterior tegular process and embolus.Abbreviations:ATP— anterior tegular process; E—embolus; MA—median apophysis; P—plug; PTA—prolateral tibial apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; RTP—retrolateral tegular process.

FIGURES 126–130. Leptopilos digitus sp. nov., female epigyne in ventral (126) and dorsal (127) views, and male palp in prolateral (128), ventral (129) and retrolateral (130) views. Abbreviations: ATP—anterior tegular process; E—embolus; MA— median apophysis; RTP—retrolateral tegular process; sRTP—secondary lobe of RTP. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.