Cithaeron dippenaarae, Bosmans & Keer, 2015

Bosmans, Robert & Keer, Johan van, 2015, Description of Cithaeron dippenaarae sp. n. from Morocco (Araneae: Cithaeronidae), African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 319-319 : 321-323

Cithaeron dippenaarae sp. n.

Figs 1–16

Etymology: The species name is dedicated to our colleague Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman from the Plant Protection Research Institute in Pretoria, in honour of her work on African spiders.

Diagnosis: Cithaeron dippenaarae sp. n. is easily distinguished from all other Cithaeron spEciEs by thE stronGLy ELonGatED cymbiUm anD flattEnED bULbUs in thE maLE, anD fEmales by the position of the wide copulation ducts and spermathecae posteriorly to the epigynal hood.

Description:

MEasUrEmEnts: ♂: TotaL LEnGth 4.80; prosoma 2.18 LonG, 0.98 wiDE. ♀: TotaL LEnGth 6.80; prosoma 2.60 long, 2.02 wide.

Colour (female only, male is recently moulted and uniformly pale grey, Figs 1–4 ): Prosoma dark chestnut brown, with darkened striae; chelicerae as prosoma, distal third orange brown; sternum orange brown, slightly darkened at sides; legs yellow to orange brown, femora (especially Fe I) laterally darkened; palp of female light yellow; abdomen dark grey, posterior half with lobed, pale grey spot, not reaching spinnerets.

Prosoma: Fovea short, situated at posterior end of prosoma; anterior eyes rounded, posterior median eyes oval, posterior lateral eyes drop-like in male, rounded in female; AM on small blackened tubercles; both rows of eyes procurved. Eye measurements: Male: AM 0.12; AL 0.09; PM 0.17; PL 0.14; AM–AM 0.15, AM–AL 0.04, PM–PM 0.04, PM–PL 0.06; MOQ: length/width 0.10, anterior/posterior width 0.12. Female: AM 0.17; AL 0.13; PM 0.18; PL 0.10; AM–AM 0.10, AM–AL 0.025, PM–PM 0.02, PM–PL 0.02; MOQ: length/width 0.10, anterior/posterior width 0.11.

Chelicerae: With scattered black setae; fang short, cheliceral teeth absent.

Legs: Without distinct spines. Male tibiae apart from regular short hairs ventrally with a series of 12–15 irregularly placed longer hairs, continuing on basal third of metatarsi, much shorter or absent in females; distal 2/3 of metatarsi and tarsi in both sexes densely covered with short hairs ( Figs 5–6 ).

Leg measurements:

Male (holotype) Fe Pa Ti Mt Ta Total I 3.72 0.84 3.44 3.20 2.28 13.48 II - - - - - - III 2.82 0.37 2.52 2.78 1.40 9.89 IV 3.44 0.88 3.00 2.94 2.28 12.54 palp 1.28 0.36 0.43 - 1.01 3.08

Female (paratype) Fe Pa Ti Mt Ta Total I 3.68 1.04 3.34 2.78 2.34 12.60 II 3.56 1.08 3.47 3.47 2.00 13.58 III 2.96 0.81 2.72 2.62 1.58 10.69 IV 3.88 0.94 3.52 2.96 1.88 13.18

Abdomen long oval.

Male palp ( Figs 7–9 , 13, 14 ): Tibia with short, retrolateral triangular apophysis.Cymbium elongated, three times as long as wide and three times as long as maximal diameter of bULbUs; bULbUs flattEnED, ovaL, 1.4 LonGEr than wiDE; EmboLUs sEmi­circULar, sitUatED at tip of bulbus, pointing in postero-ventral direction.

Female epigyne ( Figs 10–12 , 15, 16 ): With wide, triangular antero-median hood, bordering an oval, slightly depressed postero-median atrium; copulatory openings situated at lateral side of hood; vulva with wide semi-circular copulatory ducts, leading to wide, coiled spermathecae.

HoLotypE ♂: MOROCCO: Meknès-Tafilalet Prov.: 8 km south Rissani, road to Merzouga (31°17'05"N 04°09'13"E), 750 m, 21.iv.2012, leg. R. Bosmans, under stone ( KBIN).

ParatypE ♀: MOROCCO: Sous-Massa-Drâa Prov.: South Aït-ou-Mribete (29°53'36"N 09°35'36"E), 80 m, 27.iv.2012, leg. J. van Keer, stony river bank of Oued Massa, under stones ( KBIN) .

Distribution: Known from two localities in the south of Morocco ( Fig. 17 ).

Biology: At both localities, the species was collected under stones in the vicinity of water bodies. The male and female were both collected in April.

Figures

Figs 1–12. Cithaeron dippenaarae sp.n.:(1) male, dorsalaspect; (2) female,dorsal aspect;(3) male prosoma, dorsal view; (4) female prosoma, dorsal view; (5) leg of male, lateral view; (6) leg of female, lateral view; (7) male palp, ventral view; (8) idem, retrolateral view; (9) palpal tibia, retrolateral view; (10) epigyne, ventral view; (11) vulva, dorsal view; (12) idem, ventral view.

Figs 13–16. Cithaeron dippenaarae sp. n.: (13) male palp, ventral view; (14) idem, retrolateral view; (15) vulva, ventral view; (16) vulva, dorsal view.

Fig. 17. Distribution of Cithaeron dippenaarae sp. n.