Diploglena major Lawrence, 1928

Haddad, Charles R., 2015, A revision of the southern African two-eyed spider genus Diploglena (Araneae: Caponiidae), African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 343-343 : 357-360

Diploglena major Lawrence, 1928 , stat. n.

Figs 5–13 , 18, 24, 25 , 28–47 , 60–62

Diploglena capensis major Lawrence, 1928:225 (Holotype ♀: NAMIBIA: Kunene: Kaross [19°30'S 14°20'E],

leg. South African Museum Expedition, i.1925, SAMC B6736, SAM/Aran 1577 – examined).

Diagnosis: Males of D. major can be easily separated from congeners by the relatively short embolus, which is as long as broad (approximately twice as long as broad in other Diploglena ), and the orientation of the distal end of the tegular apophysis, which is directed slightly towards the distal end of the cymbium ( Figs 60–62 ). Females are distinct by the anterior margin of the epigastric furrow overlapping and entirely obscuring the transverse sclerotised strips ( Fig. 18 ), which can only be examined by pulling this lip anteriorly, while in the other species these strips are clearly visible.

Description:

Male (NCA 2010/5682).

Measurements: CL 2.20, CW 1.75, SL 1.38, SW 1.24, AL 2.77, AW 1.90, TL 4.95 (4.50–7.15, n=9), CLER 1:0.21 (1:0.18–1:0.24).

Length of leg segments, sequence from femur to tarsus, and total: I 1.55 + 0.75 + 1.13 + 0.74 + 0.42 = 4.59; II 1.25 + 0.70 + 0.95 + 0.73 + 0.45 = 4.08; III 1.07 + 0.58 + 0.74 + 0.80 + 0.55 = 3.74; IV 1.39 + 0.78 + 1.10 + 1.00 + 0.69 = 4.96.

Carapace bright yellow-orange, pits yellow; chelicerae orange-brown; sternum yellow, mouthparts orange, both darker around margins; leg I bright yellow, metatarsi and tarsi yellow-brown, legs II–IV creamy-yellow; abdomen cream dorsally and ventrally. Palpal femora and patellae bright yellow, tibiae and cymbium orange-brown; palpal tegulum with short embolus, as long as broad, directed prolaterally distally at approximately 11 o’clock; membranous conductor small, only covering tip of embolus; embolus and distal lobe of tegular apophysis perpendicular relative to one another; tegular apophysis comprising suboval basal lobe distally on tegulum, with claw-like distal lobe directed retrolaterally distally at approximately 2 o’clock; tip of tegular apophysis clearly more distal than tip of embolus ( Figs 60–62 ).

Female (NCA 2010/3204).

Measurements: CL 2.90, CW 2.35, SL 1.83, SW 1.65, AL 4.20, AW 3.03, TL 6.55 (6.00–9.30, n=5), CLER 1:0.19 (1:0.19–1:0.21).

Length of leg segments, sequence from femur to tarsus, and total: I 1.80 + 1.30 + 1.33 + 1.38 + 0.52 = 6.33; II 1.55 + 1.00 + 1.10 + 0.90 + 0.53 = 5.08; III 1.40 + 0.85 + 0.88 + 1.05 + 0.75 = 4.93; IV 1.73 + 1.08 + 1.35 + 1.25 + 0.82 = 6.23.

Carapace bright orange, pits yellow-orange; chelicerae orange-brown; sternum and mouthparts bright orange, darker around margins; legs I–IV bright yellow-orange, metatarsi and tarsi I and II slightly darker; abdomen cream dorsally and ventrally. Palpal femora and patellae bright yellow-orange, tibiae and tarsi orange. External genitalia with weakly sclerotised anterior plate, with broad arch-shaped unsclerotised patch in front of slightly recurved paired transverse sclerotised strips ( Fig. 18 ); ESTR 1 :0.52–1:0.56. Other material examined: BOTSWANA: North­East: Selkirk Mine, near Francistown, 21°19.494'S 27°45.030'E, leg. D.H Jacobs, 1.iii.2008 (pitfall traps), 1♂ (NCA 2010/5682); Same data but 6.iv–22.viii.2008, 1♀ (NCA 2010/3204), 1♂ 2 imm. (NCA 2009/3205), 1♂ 1♀ prepared for S.E. M.; Same locality, 21°10.2'S 27°31.2'E, leg. D. Jacobs, 6.v–22.vii.2008 (pitfall traps, EIA site 2), 4♂ (NCA 2010/3230). NAMIBIA: Erongo: Central Namib Desert , 16 km ESE of Swakopmund, 22°46.380'S 14°57.720'E, 394 m, leg. D. Jacobs & C. Deschodt, 7.vi.2013 (pitfall traps, Ongolo EIA site 06), 1sa ♀ (NCA 2014/2138); Central Namib Desert , 47 km ESE of Swakopmund, 22°46.380'S 14°58.860'E, 427 m, leg. D. Jacobs & C. Deschodt, 7.vi.2013 (pitfall traps, Ongolo EIA site 07), 1sa ♀ (NCA 2014/2094); Central Namib Desert , 49 km ESE of Swakopmund, 22°46.800'S 14°59.760'E, 441 m, leg. D. Jacobs & C. Deschodt, 7.vi.2013 (pitfall traps, Ongolo EIA site 09), 2sa ♀ (NCA 2014/2095); Central Namib Desert , 66 km E of Walvis Bay, 23°02.580'S 15°08.460'E, leg. D. Jacobs & C. Deschodt, 6–12.vi.2013 (pitfall traps, TUMAS site 09), 1♂ (NCA 2013/5533); 10 miles W of Okombahe [21°22'S 15°13'E], 920 m, leg. E.S. Ross & R.E. Leech, 10.v.1958, 1♀ (CAS, CASENT 9057491); Ugab R. mouth, 21°11'S 13°37'E, leg. H. Kleynhans, 24.v.1988, 1♂ (SMN 40904). SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Limpopo Valley, Farm Stoke, 22°29'S 29°52'E, leg. N. Theron, 6.v.2009 (pitfall traps, site B), 1♀ (NCA 2010/4878); Limpopo Valley National Park , 22°13'S 29°08'E, leg. A. Leroy, 29.iv.1997 (under rocks), 1 imm. (NCA 97/823) .

Remarks: The abdomen of the female holotype is somewhat shriveled in its present state. Lawrence (1928) indicated its body length as 9.3 mm, making this the largest specimen of Diploglena known. The other females collected within the distribution range of D. major are mostly less than 7 mm in length, but considerable variation was also found amongst the males from the Selkirk Mine population in Botswana. The identical palpal structure of the single male from subcoastal Namibia (one of the southernmost localities in Fig. 63 ) with those from eastern Botswana indicates that this species is widespread across the arid and semi-arid northern parts of the subcontinent, and thus it is unlikely that the holotype of D. major (northernmost Namibian locality in Fig. 63 ) represents a different species to the others, despite its considerably larger size.

Distribution: Known from western Namibia, recorded from eastern Botswana and the northern parts of South Africa for the first time ( Fig. 63 ).

Figures

Figs 5–13. Scanning electron microscope photographs of Diploglena major Lawrence, 1928 female (5–7, 12) and male (8–11, 13): (5) carapace, dorsolateral view; (6) detail of carapace integument; (7) paired eyes; (8) endites, labium and anterior end of sternum; (9) right chelicera, antero-retrolateral view; (10) detail of cheliceral stridulatory file; (11, 12) stridulatory pick on palpal femora; (13) left chelicera, posterior view.Abbreviations: La – laminate keel on mesal margin of chelicera; Lo – lobe on distal margin of chelicera.

Figs14–25.Digital microscope photographsof female Diploglena genitaliain ventral (14–18) and dorsalview (19–25): (14, 19) D. arida sp. n.; (15, 20) D. capensis Purcell, 1904; (16, 21) D. dippenaarae sp. n.; (17, 22, 23) D. karooica sp. n.; (18, 24, 25) D. major Lawrence, 1928. Abbreviations: lt – lateral sieve trachea; mt – anterior branches of paired median tubular tracheae; pb – posterior branches of paired median tubular tracheae; r – seminal receptacle; s – membranous sac extending from seminal receptacle; sd – distance between lateral ends of transverse sclerotised strips; td – distance between lateral ends of posterior tracheal spiracles. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 28–35. Scanning electron microscope photographs of Diploglenamajor Lawrence, 1928 male (28, 30– 32) and female (29, 33–35):(28,29) spinnerets,posterior view;(30, 33)anterior lateral spinnerets;(31, 34) posterior median spinnerets; (32, 35) posterior lateral spinnerets.Abbreviations:Ac – aciniform gland spigot(s); mAMP – presumed minor ampullate gland spigot; Pi – piriform gland spigot(s).

Figs 36–47. Scanning electron microscope photographs of Diploglena major Lawrence, 1928 female (36) and male (37–47): (36) patella II, prolateral proximal view; (37) patella III, patellar indentation, retrolateral ventral view, arrow indicating lyriform organ at distal end; (38) patella II, lyriform organ at distal end of patellar indentation; (39) tarsus II, trichobothrial base, dorsal view; (40) tarsus I, tarsal organ, dorsal view; (41) tarsus I, tarsal claws, prolateral view; (42) tarsus III, tarsal claws, retrolateral view; (43) same, ventral view, arrow indicating onychium; (44) palpal cymbium, dorsal view; (45) detail of proximal dorsal cymbial setae; (46) left palp, prolateral ventral view; (47) detail of embolus and tegular apophysis, ventral view.

Figs 60–62.Left male palpof Diploglenamajor Lawrence,1928 in prolateral (60),ventral (61) and retrolateral views (62). Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 63. Distribution of Diploglena arida sp. n. (black circles), D. capensis Purcell, 1904 (open circles), D. dippenaarae sp. n. (black squares), D. karooica sp. n. (open squares), D. major Lawrence, 1928 (black triangles), D. proxila sp. n. (white circle) and undetermined Diploglena immatures (open triangles) in southern Africa.