Ambohima zoky, 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 : 795-796

AMBOHIMA ZOKY SP. NOV.

( FIGS 6D , 7G , 16A–E , 25A–F , 33D–F , 36A, E , 37A, E , 43M–O , 57 )

Types: Holotype male ( CASENT9017018 ) from 7 km SE Antsiranana, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar, collected 17 August 1992 by Vince and Barbara Roth, deposited in CASC.

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

Diagnosis: Male with palp as in Figures 16A–C and 25A–F , embolic base convex, reservoir course across embolic base sinuate, embolus base narrow, width about equal to embolic loop, narrower than width of exposed conductor between embolic base and proximal turn of embolus. Female vulva as in Figures 16E , 33E and 37A, E , spermathecal base simple, apex a tight corkscrew coil.

Male (Holotype): Total length 8.13. Markings as in Figure 6D . Cephalothorax and legs pale yellowbrown, abdomen grey-brown, dorsum with anterior light longitudinal mark. Carapace 3.36 long, 2.54 wide; thoracic fovea 0.53 long, length 0.15 times that of carapace; clypeus 0.17 high; ocular area 0.50 long, 1.03 wide; ratio of eyes AM/AL/PM/PL, 1.10:1.40:1.00:1.10, diameter of PM 0.20. Chelicerae 1.33 long, slender, smooth, pro- and retromargins of fang furrow with five teeth. Sternum 1.84 long, 1.53 wide; labium 0.74 long, 0.58 wide; palpal coxa 1.19 long, 0.47 wide. Legs elongate, femur I length 2.42 times carapace length; metatarsi I and II prolateral concavity and clasping spines as in Figure 43M–O , segments cylindrical basad of concavity. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = [total]): I: 8.11 + 1.69 + 8.44 + 7.88 + 3.19 = [29.31]; II: 6.50 + 1.56 + 6.25 + 5.94 + 2.50 = [22.75]; III: 5.50 + 1.25 + 4.56 + 5.00 + 2.13 = [18.44]; IV: 7.19 + 1.56 + 6.50 + 7.06 + 2.50 = [24.81]; palp: 1.69 + 0.56 + 0.81 + (absent) + 1.44 = [4.50]. Palp as in Figures 16A–C and 25A–F ; femur with probasal row of five thorn-like setae; tibia with dorsal blade (DTA) broad apically, prolateral hook (PTA) long, tapering to acute point; cymbium length 1.40 times width; palpal bulb length 1.45 times width, embolic base convex, reservoir course across embolic base sinuate, embolus base narrow, width about equal to embolic loop, narrower than width of exposed conductor between embolic base and proximal turn of embolus.

Female (Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9020320): Total length 9.70. Markings as in Figure 7G . Carapace 4.30 long, 2.90 wide; thoracic fovea length 0.14 times that of carapace; clypeus 0.32 high; ocular area 0.53 long, 1.36 wide; ratio of eyes AM/AL/PM/PL, 1.40:3.40:1.06:1.00, diameter of PM 0.16. Chelicerae 1.82 long, robust, smooth, pro- and retromargins of fang furrow with seven teeth. Sternum 2.16 long, 1.76 wide; labium 0.86 long, 0.76 wide; palpal coxa 1.40 long, 0.68 wide. Femur I length 1.40 times carapace length. Palpal femur with row of three anterobasal thorns. Calamistrum origin at 0.45 from metatarsus base, length 0.45 that of segment. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = [total]): I: 6.00 + 1.65 + 5.45 + 5.10 + 2.50 = [20.70]; II: 4.90 + 1.50 + 3.90 + 3.75 + 1.95 = [16.00]; III: 4.00 + 1.25 + 2.90 + 3.20 + 1.60 = [12.95]; IV: 5.15 + 1.45 + 4.40 + 4.30 + 1.85 = [17.15]; palp: 1.70 + 0.70 + 1.00 + (absent) + 1.90 = [5.30]. Epigynum as in Figure 36A ; vulva as in Figure 37A , spermathecal base simple, apical coil of spermatheca makes two open spirals.

Variation (N = 5): Total length 8.00–10.80; carapace length 1.38–1.48 times width, height 0.30–0.45 times width; PER width 2.41–2.62 times OAL; OQP 1.08– 1.15 times OQA; clypeal height 1.53–2.13 times AM diameter; cheliceral length 5.41–6.77 times clypeal height; promargin of fang furrow with 6–7 teeth, retromargin of fang furrow with 5–7 teeth; sternum length 1.21–1.26 times width; femur I length 1.40– 1.51 times carapace length; metatarsus I length 1.19–1.33 times carapace length; epigyna as in Figures 16D , 33D and 36A, E , vulvae is in Figures 16E , 33E, F and 37A, E .

Natural history: Unknown. Distribution: Known only from far northern Madagascar ( Fig. 57 ).

Material examined: MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana Prov. Montagne d’Ambre , 12°30′57.6″S, 49°11′04.8″E ,

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 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 16. Ambohima zoky. A–C, left male palpus of holotype CASENT9017018 from 7 km SE Antsiranana. D, E, vulva of female from Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017015, A. prolateral. B, ventral. C, retrolateral. D, ventral. E, dorsal. Illustrations by JS.

Figure 25. Right male palpus of Ambohima zoky holotype from Antsiranana (SEM images flipped to appear left) CASENT9017018. A, prolateral. B, ventral. C, retrolateral. D, tibia, prolateral, showing DTA and PTA. E, tibia, prodorsal, showing RL, DTA, and PTA. F. Tibia, dorsal, apices of DTA and PTA. Scale bars: A–C = 430 Mm, D, F = 158 Mm, E = 200 Mm. DTA: dorsal tibial apophysis, PTA: prolateral tibial apophysis, RL: retrolateral lobe of tibial apex.

Figure 33. Ambohima female genitalia. A, D, G, epigyna, ventral. B, C, E, F, H, I, vulvae, dorsal. A–C, A. vato, Itremo, CASENT9005552. D–F, A. zoky, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017016. G–I, A. antsinanana, Andringitra, CASENT9029887. CD: copulatory duct, FD: fertilization duct, SP: spermathecal poreplate.

Figure 36. Epigyna of Ambohima, ventral view. A, A. zoky, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9020320. B, A. antsinanana, Andringitra, CASENT9029888. C, A. pauliani, holotype. D, A. vato, Itremo, CASENT9020002. E, A. zoky, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017014. F, A. vato, Itremo, CASENT9005552. Scale bar applies to all images.

Figure 37. Vulvae of Ambohima, dorsal view. A, A. zoky, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9020320. B, A. antsinanana, Andringitra, CASENT9029888. C, A. pauliani, holotype. D, A. vato, Itremo, CASENT9020002. E, A. zoky, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9017015. F, A. vato, Itremo, CASENT9005552. Scale bar applies to all images.

Figure 43. 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. sublima, Andranomay, CASENT9004080. D–F, A. sublima, Talatakely, CASENT9016994. G–I, A. vato, Itremo, CASENT9005809. J–L, A. zandry, Montagne d’Ambre, CASENT9003543. M–O, A. zoky, Antsiranana, CASENT9017018.

Figure 57. Distribution of Madagascar Phyxelididae.