Ambohima maizina, Griswold & Wood & Carmichael, 2012

Griswold, Charles E., Wood, Hannah Marie & Carmichael, Anthea D., 2012, The lace web spiders (Araneae, Phyxelididae) of Madagascar: phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomy, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (4), pp. 728-810 : 779-780

AMBOHIMA MAIZINA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 6G, I , 11A–C , 42G–I , 57 )

Types: Holotype male ( CASENT9016206 ) collected by beating vegetation at 1875 m elevation at source Andranomifototra , R. N. I. Marojejy, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar, 13–19 November 1996, E. Quinter, deposited in AMNH.

Etymology: The specific name is from a Malagasy word for the dark; a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis: Male with palp as in Figure 11A–C , embolic base with a raised, distal cone, cymbium large, length greater than carapace length, palpal prolateral tibial hook long, narrow, distinguished from A. sublima by having the abdominal dorsum uniform grey ( Fig. 6G ) and by having fewer leg spines, e.g. lacking spines on the femora.

Male (Holotype): Total length 5.00. Markings of dorsum as in Figure 6G , abdomen grey-brown, dorsum unmarked, venter with dark area between longitudinal light bands ( Fig. 6I ). Carapace 2.25 long, 1.80 wide; thoracic fovea 0.38 long, length 0.15 carapace length; clypeus 0.18 high; ocular area 0.31 long, 0.74 wide; ratio of eyes AM/AL/PM/PL, 1.54:2.54:1.00:1.36, diameter of PM 0.11. Chelicerae 0.90 long, slender, smooth, promargin of fang furrow with six teeth, retromargin with seven heterogeneous teeth. Sternum 1.34 long, 1.12 wide; labium 0.46 long, 0.42 wide; palpal coxa 0.78 long, 0.40 wide.

Legs elongate, femur I length 2.51 times carapace length; metatarsi I and II prolateral concavity and clasping spines as in Figure 42G–I , segment not swollen basad of concavity; apart from claspers legs with very few spines, only mt I r0-1-0-0, v0-0-0-1, T II p0-1-1-0, mt II r0-0-1-0, v2-0-0-1, T III r0-0-1-0, mt III p0-1-0-0, r0-1-0-0, v0-0-0-1. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = [total]): I: 5.70 + 1.00 + 6.10 + 5.50 + 2.40 = [20.70]; II: 4.50 + 0.90 + 4.35 + 3.85 + 1.85 = [15.45]; III: 3.70 + 0.70 + 3.10 + 3.15 + 1.60 = [12.25]; IV: 5.00 + 0.85 + 4.60 + 4.55 + 1.85 = [16.85]; palp: 1.75 + 0.50 + 0.50 + (absent) + 2.50 = [5.25]. Palpus as in Figure 11A–C , femur with triangular group of five thorn-like setae; tibia with dorsal blade (DTA) broad, prolateral hook (PTA) long, slender; cymbium length 1.11 times carapace length, palpal bulb length 1.8 times width, embolus base with dorsal conical projection, reservoir course in embolus base gently curved.

Female: Unknown.

Natural history: Unknown; the unique male specimen was taken by beating vegetation.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality on the Marojejy Massif in north-eastern Madagascar ( Fig. 57 ).

Material examined: MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana Prov. source Andranomifototra , R. N. I. Marojejy ,

Figures

Figure 6. Habitus of Ambohima. A, A. andrefana, male, dorsal, Analavelona, CASENT9020321. B, A. andrefana, male, dorsal, Zombitse, CASENT9005931. C, A. vato, male, dorsal, Itremo, CASENT9016755. D, A. zoky, holotype male, dorsal, CASENT9017018. E, A. sublima, male, dorsal, Ambohimanga, CASENT9016200. F, A. sublima, male, dorsal, Talatakely, CASENT9024485. G, I, A. maizina, holotype male, CASENT9016206. G, dorsal. I, ventral. H, A. ranohira, female, ventral, Ranohira, CASENT9019986.

Figure 11. Left male palpus of Ambohima maizina, holotype from Marojejy (CASENT9016206), tibia and tarsus. A, prolateral. B, ventral. C, retrolateral. Illustrations by GM.

Figure 42. Ambohima male leg I metatarsal claspers, left. A, D, G, J, M, clasper close up, dorsal. B, E, H, K, N, metatarsus, dorsal. C, F, I, L, O, clasper close up, prolateral. A–C, A. andrefana, Analavelona, CASENT9018656. D–F, A. andrefana, Zombitse, CASENT9005930. G–I, A. maizina, holotype, CASENT9016206. J–L, A. ranohira, Ranohira, CASENT9005788. M–O, A. sublima, Ambohimanga, CASENT9016227.

Figure 57. Distribution of Madagascar Phyxelididae.