Toxoniella nyeri Oketch & Li, 2021

Oketch, Dancun A., Kioko, Esther N. & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Three new species of the genus Toxoniella (Araneae, Liocranidae) from Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya, African Invertebrates 62 (1), pp. 273-286 : 273

Toxoniella nyeri Oketch & Li sp. nov. Figs 7A-D , 8A, B , 9A-C

Material examined.

Holotype Kenya • ♂; Nyeri County, Naro Moru Town, Mount Kenya National Park, Naro Moru Gate, Metrological station; 00.1702°S, 37.214°E; 3000 m; 6 Aug. 2018; Kioko G. & Oketch A.D. leg. Paratypes Kenya • 1 ♂, 3 ♀; same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. Males of Toxoniella nyeri sp. nov. can be distinguished from other congeners by the talon-like RTA, the large, pointed embolus, and the apically membranous median apophysis (Fig. 9A-C ). Females are similar to other members of this genus by having two pairs of spermathecae, with the posterior pair larger than the anterior pair. However, they can be differentiated from the other species as the cul de sacs are longer in T. nyeri sp. nov. than in T. waruii sp. nov. and T. tharaka sp. nov. In addition, T. nyeri sp. nov. have a patterned carapace that forms a Ψ-shape with the fovea in both males and females (Fig. 7A, C ).

Description.

Male. Total length 6.83. Carapace 3.20 long, 2.34 wide, orangish brown with dark net-like pattern; with two dark lines towards either of the posterior median eyes. Fovea dark brown. Clypeus vertical and short, yellowish brown, as are chelicerae. Eye diameters and interdistances AME: 0.15, ALE: 0.12, PME: 0.13, PLE: 0.13, AME-AME: 0.05, AME-ALE: 0.04, PME-PME: 0.12, PME-PLE: 0.11, MOQ: AW: 0.26, PW: 0.34, Length: 0.27. All eyes have dark pigment around them. Sternum pale yellow, heart shaped, longer than wide. Pre-coxal triangle weakly pointed. Labium longer than wide, approximately twice the length of endites. Abdomen dorsally grey with thick, short setae. Venter greyish. Leg measurements: I 6.42 (1.70, 0.73, 1.59, 1.20, 1.20), II 5.10 (1.30, 0.75, 1.27, 0.87, 0.91), III 4.97 (1.32, 0.66, 0.90, 1.10, 0.99), IV 7.49 (1.76, 0.91, 1.64, 1.81, 1.37). Anterior leg pairs have long, curved setae. Tenent setae in 5-6 pairs. Leg spination; most of the spines have been detached; III: P-T pl2, d2, rl2, v2-2-2 Mt 10; IV: P v1 T pl2, d1, rl2, v2-2-2. Palp (Fig. 9A-C ), RTA ridged; dorsal talon-like; ventral blunt, mound-like. Embolus large, curving, originating at 9 o’clock position. Membranous median apophysis obscuring some parts of embolus in retrolateral view. Sperm duct forms a V-shape.

Female. Slightly larger and darker than male. Total length 6.90. Carapace length 3.41, width 2.59, color and pattern as in male. Eye diameters and interdistances AME: 0.15, ALE: 0.12, PME: 0.13, PLE: 0.12, AME-AME: 0.05, AME-ALE: 0.04, PME-PME: 0.13, PME-PLE: 0.12, MOQ: AW: 0.26, PW: 0.34, Length: 0.27. Sternum pale brown. Pre-coxal triangles as in male. Leg measurements: I 6.36 (1.70, 0.71, 1.59, 1.20, 1.16), II 5.10 (1.30, 0.75, 1.27, 0.87, 0.91), III 4.98 (1.32, 0.66, 0.90, 1.10, 1.00), IV 7.46 (1.74, 0.91, 1.64, 1.80, 1.37). Tarsal tenent setae as in males. Leg spination III: P-T pl2, d1, rl2, v2-2-2 Mt 11; IV: P v1 T pl2, d1, rl2, v2-2-2. Epigyne (Fig. 8A, B ) dark reddish brown and strongly sclerotized. Copulatory openings small, relatively close together. Cul de sacs quite elongated, anterior spermathecae very small, approximately three times the diameter of the posterior pair. Epigynal groove wide.

Etymology.

The species is named after type locality; noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 7. Toxoniella nyeri sp. nov., habitus, male holotype (A, B) and female paratype (C, D) A, C dorsal B, D ventral. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 8. Toxoniella nyeri sp. nov., epigyne, female paratype A ventral B dorsal. Abbreviations: CDS cul de sac, CO copulatory opening, FD fertilization duct (interfered with during manipulation), SP spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

Figure 9. Toxoniella nyeri sp. nov., left palp, male holotype A prolateral B ventral C retrolateral. Abbreviations: E embolus, RTA retrolateral tibial apophysis, T tegulum. Scale bar: 0.25 mm.