Orthobula sp.

Haddad, Charles R., Jin, Chi & Platnick, Norman I., 2022, A revision of the spider genus Orthobula Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Trachelidae) in the Afrotropical Region. I. Continental species, Zootaxa 5133 (3), pp. 355-382 : 379

Orthobula sp. indet.

Remarks. Prior to the untimely passing of the third author, he sent the first author a comprehensive list of material that he had examined and identified, mainly originating from MRAC and CAS. We were able to confirm most of the records, as initial morphospecies photo plates sent to him to aid identification corresponded to the geographical limitations seen amongst other material examined by the first author, e.g. O. calceata in West Africa versus O. radiata in southern Africa and O. milloti in western Kenya. However, some specimens from Central Africa fall into a potential convergence zone between these three species (Fig. 102), and we thought it risky to try and attribute them to either of these three species at this point. We include them here as undetermined specimens to record the occurrence of the genus in these four countries, but these specimens should be reexamined when they are available again to clarify their identification and provide new distribution data for the particular species.

Material examined. D.R. CONGO: Cataractes: Lukango region, Lubero–Butembo, Kasumbira Forest , 00°01’S, 29°15’E, 2150 m a.s.l., XII.1974 – I.1975, leg. M. Lejeune (moss, litter under ferns), 4♂ 2♀ ( MRAC 168018 , 168144 , 168178 , 168193 ) . North Kivu: Butembo , 00°09’N, 29°17’E, 1740 m a.s.l., III.1965, leg. R. Celis, 1♀ ( MRAC 128346 ) ; Makayoba camp, Semliki River , 00°44’S, 29°43’E, 12.VII.1968, leg. R. Lejeune, 3♀ ( MRAC 135741 ) ; “Vallée de la Moyenne”, Semliki River , 00°44’S, 29°43’E, 9.VIII.1968, leg. R. Lejeune, 1♀ ( MRAC 135578 ) ; Visiki, NW Butembo , 00°12’N, 29°15’E, 1100 m a.s.l., VI.1974, leg. M. Lejeune, 2♀ ( MRAC 155599 ) ; Same locality, Visiki Forest , 22.XII.1971, leg. M. Lejeune, 1♂ ( MRAC 140796 ) ; Same locality, Visiki Forest , 00°12’S, 29°15’E, 27.XII.1971, leg. R. Lejeune, 1♀ ( MRAC 140822 ) . MALAWI: Northern: Nkhata Bay, Mount Nkwadzi, N Chintheche , 11°41’S, 34°15’E, 10.I.1976, leg. R. Jocqué, 1♀ ( MRAC 148075 ) ; Nyika Plateau, Chitipa, Chisanga Falls , 10°40’S, 33°50’E, 2200 m a.s.l., 9.XII.1981, leg. R. Jocqué ( Brachystegia woods), 1♀ ( MRAC 156111 ) ; Nyika Plateau, Kaperekezi entrance gate, Western Escarpment road, 10°31’S, 33°39’E, 1450 m a.s.l., 8.XII.1981, leg. R. Jocqué ( Brachystegia litter), 1♀ ( MRAC 156057 ) ; Nyika Plateau, Western Escarpment road, 10°18’S, 33°30’E, 1650 m a.s.l., 8.XII.1981, leg. R. Jocqué (under stones in Brachystegia woods), 1♀ ( MRAC 155695 ) . RWANDA: Eastern: Akagera National Park , highway 34, 7 km toward highway 32, 01°40’S, 30°35’E, 16.XI–2.XII.1985, leg. R. Jocqué, Nsengimana & Michiels (pitfall), 1♂ ( MRAC 165469 ) ; Same locality, 1 km N Lake Ihema fishery, 01°55’S, 30°45’E, 16.XI.1985, leg. R. Jocqué, Nsengimana & Michiels (under dead trunk), 1♂ ( MRAC 164909 ) ; Same locality, Lake Ihema fishery, 01°55’S, 30°45’E, 7.XII.1985, leg. R. Jocqué, Nsengimana & Michiels, 1♀ ( MRAC 164803 ) ; Same locality, Lake Kivumba , 01°43’S, 30°45’E, 15.XI–4.XII.1985, leg. R. Jocqué, Nsengimana & Michiels (savanna), 1♀ ( MRAC 165648 ) ; Kibungo , 02°09’S, 30°32’E, 28.XI.1985, leg. R. Jocqué, Nsengimana & Michiels (sifted litter, eucalypt plantation), 1♂ ( MRAC 165393 ) . Southern: Butare , 02°36’S, 29°44’E, 6.XI.1985, leg. R. Jocqué, Nsengimana & Michiels (dense grass tufts), 1♀ ( MRAC 164935 ) . UGANDA: Eastern: Busaga District, Kamuli, Tabu River marsh, 00°45’N, 33°30’E, II.1967, leg. J. Ruabunesa, 1♀ ( MRAC 131564 ) ; Busaga District, Luuka, Mt. Kisunyi , 00°40’N, 33°18’E, II.1967, leg. J. Ruabunesa, 1♀ ( MRAC 131589 ) . Western: Rubirizi, Queen Elizabeth National Park [00°10’N, 30°05’E], 16.IV.1971, leg. W. Maher (grassland), 1♀ ( CNC) .