Ambohima avaratra, 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 : 777-779

AMBOHIMA AVARATRA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 7E , 34A–D , 38A–D , 58)

Types: Holotype female collected by beating low vegetation in montane rainforest at 1300 m elevation in Parc National Montagne d’Ambre , Antsiranana Province, Madagascar, 2–7 February 2001, by J. J. Rafanomezantsoa, CASENT9003544 , deposited in CASC.

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

Diagnosis: Female vulva as in Figures 34B–D and 38C, D , spermathecal ducts spiralling around a central, longitudinal spiral chamber, ducts make four or more spiral turns.

Male: Unknown.

Female (Holotype): Total length 8.50. Markings similar to Figure 7E . Carapace 2.65 long, 2.25 wide; thoracic fovea 0.50 long, length 0.19 that of carapace; clypeus 0.18 high; ocular area 0.40 long, 0.99 wide; ratio of eyes AM /AL/ PM / PL, 1.15:2.54:1.00:1.31, diameter of PM 0.13. Chelicerae 1.34 long, robust, smooth, promargin of fang furrow with seven teeth, retromargin with five teeth. Sternum 1.66 long, 1.32 wide; labium 0.58 long, 0.54 wide; palpal coxa 1.00 long, 0.44 wide. Femur I length 2.25 times carapace length. Palpal femur with three anterobasal thorns. Calamistrum origin at 0.45 from metatarsus base, length 0.30 that of segment. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = [total]: I: 6.00 + 1.30 + 5.85 + 5.55 + 2.25 = [20.95]; II: 4.70 + 1.20 + 3.95 + 3.85 + 1.85 = [15.55]; III: 3.80 + 1.05 + 3.15 + 3.25 + 1.60 = [12.85]; IV: 5.10 + 1.10 + 4.30 + 4.40 + 1.75 = [16.65]; palp: 1.50 + 0.60 + 0.85 + (absent) + 1.95 = [4.90]. Epigynum as in Figure 38A , spermathecal ducts spiralling around a central, longitudinal spiral chamber, outside ducts make six spiral turns ( Fig. 38C ), poreplate at apex of spermathecae ( Fig. 34C, D ) .

Variation (N = 3): Total length 8.00–9.00; carapace length 1.18–1.38 times width, height 0.33–0.41 times width; PER width 2.48–2.97 times OAL; OQP 1.33– 1.39 times OQA; clypeal height 1.38–2.00 times AM diameter; cheliceral length 5.83–7.44 times clypeal height; pro- and retromargins of fang furrow with 5–7 teeth; sternum length 1.26–1.28 times width; femur I length 1.89–2.26 times carapace length; metatarsus I 1.50–2.09 times carapace length; epigynum as in Figures 34A and 38A, B , vulva with 4–6 outer spirals ( Figs 34B, C , 38C, D ).

Natural history: Unknown except that a specimen was collected by beating low vegetation in montane rainforest.

Distribution: Known only from Montagne d’Ambre in far northern Madagascar ( Fig. 58).

Material examined: MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana Prov. Parc National Montagne d’Ambre, 12.2 km

Figures

Figure 7. Habitus of Ambohima females. A, B, A. antsinanana from Andringitra, CASENT9029887. A, dorsal. B, lateral. C, A. vato from Itremo, CASENT9020002, dorsal. D, A. ranohira from Analalava, CASENT9019989, dorsal. E, A. avaratra from Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017012, dorsal. F, A. zandry, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017021, dorsal. G, A. zoky, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9020320, dorsal. H, A. pauliani, holotype, dorsal.

Figure 34. Ambohima female genitalia. A, E, epigyna, ventral. F, epigynum, posterior. B–D, G–I, vulvae, dorsal. A–D, A. avaratra, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017012. E–I, A. zandry, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017019. LL: lateral lobe of epigynum, LTR: lateral transverse ridge along anterior margin of median lobe of epigynum, ML: median lobe of epigynum, SP: spermathecal poreplate.

Figure 38. Ambohima female genitalia. A, B, epigyna, ventral. C–F, vulvae, dorsal. A–D, A. avaratra. A, C, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9003544. B, D, Rousettes, CASENT9017013. E, F, A. zandry, Montagne d’Ambre. E, CASENT9017021. F, CASENT9003543.