Drassodella flava, Mbo & Haddad, 2019

Mbo, Zingisile & Haddad, Charles R., 2019, A revision of the endemic South African long-jawed ground spider genus Drassodella Hewitt, 1916 (Araneae: Gallieniellidae), Zootaxa 4582 (1), pp. 1-62 : 16-20

Drassodella flava sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 60 , 78 , 93, 94 , 111–115

Etymology. Taken from the Latin flavus, meaning yellow. The name refers to the yellow carapace and legs of the species.

Diagnosis: Both sexes of this species can easily be recognised from other members of the D. melana species group by yellow to orange carapace and legs ( Figs 93, 94 ). Females can further be recognized from others in the D. melana species group by the anterior hood with a shallow notch on the anterior margin ( Figs 60 , 111 ), while the anterior margin is convex or very slightly concave in other members of the group ( Figs 61–69 ). The male palp is most similar to that of D. guttata sp. nov. and D. melana by the ventral prong at the base of the embolus being larger than the dorsal prong, but in D. flava sp. nov. the dorsal prong is distinctly bent away from the tegulum in ventral view, the palp is more elongate and the RTA is only slightly obscured by the retrolateral heel of the cymbium; in the other two species the dorsal prong is almost aligned with the palpal axis, the palp is more compact and the RTA is almost entirely hidden behind the retrolateral heel of the cymbium (compare Fig. 114 with Figs 119 and 129 ).

Description. Female (Holotype, Ngome State Forest, NCA 94/425). Measurements: CL 2.84, CW 2.08, AL 3.24, AW 1.72, TL 6.16 (4.40–8.10), FL 0.33, SL 1.66, SW 1.38, CH 0.14, AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.28, PME-PME 0.11, PME-PLE 0.10, PLE-PLE 0.50, PERW 0.65, MOQAW 0.31, MOQPW 0.29, MOQL 0.32.

Length of leg segments: I 2.30 + 1.20 + 1.88 + 1.58 + 1.16 = 8.12, II 2.00 + 1.16 + 1.60 + 1.44 + 1.04 = 7.24, III 1.84 + 0.98 + 1.36 + 1.58 + 0.92 = 6.62, IV 2.60 + 2.10 + 1.28 + 2.64 + 1.08 = 9.70.

General appearance as in Fig. 93 . Females generally darker than males. Carapace yellow-orange, with darkbrown mottling radiating from fovea; posterior margin moderately thin and concave, rebordered, very narrow above pedicel, thicker laterally. Clypeus height equal to AME diameter; ALE larger than AME; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PLE larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to 0.14 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 0.13 PME diameter. Chelicerae orange, slightly angled; promargin with three teeth, proximal tooth smallest, median and distal teeth equal in size; retromargin with two teeth, distal tooth largest, proximal tooth small, aligned with space between median and distal promarginal teeth. Endites yellow-orange, creamy-white around maxillar hair tuft, with short erect setae medially and around edges. Labium orange, longer than broad, compressed at base. Sternum orange, rebordered with dark orange line; few setae medially, setae erect and dense around margins. Legs uniformly orange-yellow. Leg spination: femora: I do 2 rl 1, II do 2, III do 3 rl 2, IV do 3 rl 1; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 1, IV pl 3 do 4 rl 3 plv 3 rlv 2 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3; patellae do 1; tibiae do 3 rl 3; tarsi pl 1 do 3 rl 2. Abdomen brownish-grey, with faint striations posteriorly and medially ( Fig. 93 ); anterior surface with erect setae present; anterior sigilla absent, sides with narrow lateral sclerites; venter grey, covered in short feathery setae; epigastric scutum orange, lateral sclerites present, post-epigastric sclerites absent. Spinnerets cream. Epigyne with deep anterior hood, anterior margin slightly notched medially, posterior margin very slightly convex, lateral ends tapering to narrow strips; lateral hoods touching copulatory openings; ST II yellow-brown, connecting ducts and ST I orange-brown; ST I and II similar in size, ST II with subspherical head ( Figs 60 , 111, 112 ).

Male (Paratype, Ngome State Forest, NCA 94/421). Measurements: CL 3.96, CW 3.08, AL 4.73, AW 2.50, TL 8.40 (5.40–8.40), FL 0.33, SL 2.13, SW 1.32, CH 0.22, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.03, ALE-ALE 0.33, PME-PME 0.16, PME-PLE 0.13, PLE-PLE 0.61, PERW 0.77, MOQAW 0.27, MOQPW 0.36, MOQL 0.39.

Length of leg segments: I 3.00 + 1.60 + 2.64 + 2.40 + 1.58 = 11.22, II 2.60 + 1.54 + 2.18 + 2.16 + 1.44 = 9.90, III 2.52 + 1.38 + 1.76 + 2.24 + 1.18 = 9.08, IV 3.52 + 1.70 + 2.72 + 3.56 + 1.24 = 12.74.

General appearance as in Fig. 94 . Carapace orange-brown, lateral margins deep orange-brown. Clypeus height twice the size of AME diameter; ALE larger than AME; AME separated by distance equal to 0.6 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance one-third AME diameter; PLE larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to 1.45 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.18 PME diameter. Chelicerae orange, dentition as for female. Endites creamy-white around maxillar hair tuft, orange medially, darker around edges; erect setae spread across surface. Labium cream-white anteriorly, with black markings at posterior corners, as long as broad. Sternum with erect setae around margins. All legs with proximal segments orange, distal segments yellow. Leg spination: femora: I do 2, II rl 2, III do 5, IV do 3 rl 3; patellae: I–III spineless, IV rl 1; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 1 rl 1 plv 1 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 1 do 2 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1, IV pl 3 do 1 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1; palpal spination: femora do 4; patellae rl 1; tibiae do 1 rl 3; tarsi pl 1 do 1 rl 3. Abdomen orange-brown, with small dorsal scutum ( Fig. 94 ); venter same as female. Spinnerets cream. Palp yellow-orange; RTA short, only tip slightly obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium; in retrolateral view triangular, with broad base and sharp tip; cymbium quite narrow, 2.0 times longer than wide, narrowed to rounded point distally; ventral embolic prong very narrow; dorsal prong smaller in prolateral view, distinctly bent away from tegulum in ventral view; median apophysis narrow, hook-shaped ( Figs 78 , 113–115 ).

Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province: Vryheid, Ngome State Forest , 27°49'S, 31°26'E, X.1992, leg. M. van der Merwe (pitfall traps, open forest) ( NCA 94 /425).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province: Vryheid, Ngome State Forest , 27°49'S, 31°26'E, V.1992, leg. M. van der Merwe (pitfall traps, open forest) , 2♀ ( NCA 94 /502); Same data as previous but VIII.1992, 1 ♂ 2♀ ( NCA 94 /406); Same data as previous but IX.1992, 2 ♀ 1imm. ( NCA 94 /505), 3♀ ( NCA 94 /438), 3♂ ( NCA 2013/5339); Same data as previous but XI.1992, 1 ♀ ( NCA 94 /430), 1♂ 1♀ ( NCA 94 /431), 1♂ ( NCA 2011 /1238), 2♀ ( NCA 2011 /1239), 2♀ ( NCA 94 /376), 1♀ ( NCA 94 /498); Same data as previous but XII.1992, 1 ♀ ( NCA 94 / 500), 2♀ ( NCA 94 /437), 1♀ ( NCA 94 /373); Same data as previous but I.1993, 1 ♀ ( NCA 94 /387), 3♂ ( NCA 94 / 421); Vryheid, Ngome State Forest , 27°49'S, 31°26'E, X.1992, leg. M. van der Merwe (pitfall traps, dense forest) , 1♀ ( NCA 94 /501), 2♀ ( NCA 94 /503); Same data as previous but XII.1992, 1 ♀ ( NCA 94 /504), 1♀ ( NCA 94 /506); Vryheid, Ngome State Forest , 27°49'S, 31°26'E, X.1992, leg. M. van der Merwe (pitfall traps, pine plantation) , 1♀ ( NCA 94 /395); Vryheid, Ngome State Forest , 27°49'S, 31°26'E, X.1992, leg. M. van der Merwe (pitfall traps, ecotone pine), 1♀ ( NCA 94 /499) . Limpopo Province: Forest on Magoebaskloof Trail , 23°49'S, 29°59'E, 22– 23.XI.1996, leg. C.E. Griswold, 1♀ ( CAS, CASENT 9072372 ) , 2♂ ( CAS, CASENT 9072376 ) . Mpumalanga Province: Berlin Forest Station [24°50'S, 30°50'E], 21.IX.1986, leg. Endrody-Younga, 1♂ ( TMSA 19717 ) ; Graskop, God’s Window , 24°52'S, 30°53'E, 1705 m a.s.l., 28.IX.2012, leg. J.A. Neethling (sifting leaf litter, forest), 1♀ ( NCA 2013 /1927) ; Graskop, Window View on R532, 24°55'S, 30°50'E, 30.IX.2012, leg. J.A. Neethling (sifting leaf litter, forest), 1♂ ( NCA 2013 /1848) ; Graskop area , 24°53.283'S, 30°52.613'E, 27.IX.2012, leg. J.A. Neethling (sifting leaf litter, forest), 1♂ ( NCA 2013 /1849) ; Sabie, Bridal Veil Waterfall , 25°04.933'S, 30°43.450'E, 29.IX.2012, leg. J.A. Neethling (sifting leaf litter, forest), 1♂ ( NCA 2013 /1931) .

Distribution. Found in three provinces in the north-eastern parts of South Africa ( Fig. 125 ).

Figures

FIGURE 125. Distribution of Drassodella flava sp. nov. (circles), D. guttata sp. nov. (star), D. lotzi sp. nov. (square) and D. maculata sp. nov. (triangle) in southern Africa.

FIGURES 5–17. Digital microscope photographs of Drassodella somatic morphology: 5–8 dorsal view of carapace and chelicerae of D. flava sp. nov. female (5), D. guttata sp. nov. male (6), D. transversa sp. nov. male (7) and D. purcelli Tucker, 1923 female (8); 9 D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938 female, carapace, lateral view; 10 D. purcelli female, posterodorsal view of carapace, showing pedicel and sclerites; 11 same, ventral pedicel sclerite, ventral view; 12–14 dorsal view of abdomens of D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909) male (12), D. aurostriata sp. nov. male (13) and D. amatola sp. nov. female (14); 15 D. tenebrosa female, abdomen, anterodorsal view; 16 D. septemmaculata male, abdomen, showing sclerites on venter; 17 D. tenebrosa female, spinnerets, posteroventral view. Abbreviations: AAS—anterior abdominal sclerite; CGS—cylindrical gland spigots; CON—condyle; DPS—dorsal pedicel sclerite; IS—inframamillary sclerite; PB—pleural bars; PES—post-epigastric sclerite; PPS—posterior pleural sclerite; PT—petiole; SC—dorsal scutum; SI—sigillum; VPS—ventral pedicel sclerite.

FIGURES 60–77. Female epigynes of Drassodella species in the D. melana species group (60–68) and D. salisburyi species group (69–77) in dorsal view: 60 D. flava sp. nov.; 61 D. guttata sp. nov.; 62 D. lotzi sp. nov.; 63 D. maculata sp. nov.; 64 D. melana Tucker, 1923; 65 D. montana sp. nov.; 66 D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938; 67 D. tolkieni sp. nov.; 68 D. transversa sp. nov.; 69 D. venda sp. nov.; 70 D. amatola sp. nov.; 71 D. aurostriata sp. nov.; 72 D. purcelli Tucker, 1923; 73 D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923; 74 D. salisburyi Hewitt, 1916; 75 D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909); 76 D. trilineata sp. nov.; 77 D. vasivulva Tucker, 1923. Abbreviations: AH—anterior hood; FD—fertilisation duct; MS—median septum; STspermatheca(e). Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 78–92. Male palps of Drassodella species of the D. melana species group (78–85) and D. salisburyi species group (86–92) in ventral view: 78 D. flava sp. nov.; 79 D. guttata sp. nov.; 80 D. melana Tucker, 1923; 81 D. montana sp. nov.; 82 D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1923; 83 D. tolkieni sp. nov.; 84 D. transversa sp. nov.; 85 D. venda sp. nov.; 86 D. amatola sp. nov.; 87 D. aurostriata sp. nov.; 88 D. baviaans sp. nov.; 89 D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923; 90 D. salisburyi Hewitt, 1916; 91 D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909); 92 D. vasivulva Tucker, 1923. Abbreviations as follows: DP—dorsal embolic prong; EMembolus; MA—median apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; VP—ventral embolic prong. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 93–110. Dorsal habitus photographs of Drassodella species in the melana species group: 93, 94 female and male of D. flava sp. nov.; 95, 96 female and male of D. guttata sp. nov.; 97 female of D. lotzi sp. nov.; 98 female of D. maculata sp. nov.; 99, 100 female and male of D. melana Tucker, 1923; 101, 102 female and male of D. montana sp. nov.; 103, 104 female and male of D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938; 105, 106 female and male of D. tolkieni sp. nov.; 107, 108 female and male of D. transversa sp. nov.; 109, 110 female and male of D. venda sp. nov. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 111–115. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella flava sp. nov.: 111 female epigyne, dorsal view; 112 same, ventral view; 113 male palp, prolateral view; 114 same, ventral view; 115 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 116–120. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella guttata sp. nov.: 116 female epigyne, dorsal view; 117 same, ventral view; 118 male palp, prolateral view; 119 same, ventral view; 120 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 126–130. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella melana Tucker, 1923: 126 female epigyne, ventral view; 127 same, dorsal view; 128 male palp, prolateral view; 129 same, ventral view; 130 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.