Drassodella maculata, 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 : 24-25

Drassodella maculata sp. nov.

Figs 63 , 98 , 123, 124

Etymology. Taken from the Latin maculatus, meaning spotted, referring to the white spots on the dorsal surface of the abdomen.

Diagnosis. Drassodella maculata sp. nov. females are easily recognised from other species in the D. melana group by very shallow ( Fig. 63 ) rather than deep anterior hood (e.g. Figs 60–62 ), and the ST II that are much smaller than ST I. Male unknown.

Description. Female (Holotype, Asante Sana Game Reserve, NCA 2012/4162). Measurements: CL 2.18, CW 1.70, AL 3.16, AW 1.78, TL 5.64 (5.25–6.30), FL 0.19, SL 1.25, SW 1.01, CH 0.12, AME-AME 0.05, AME- ALE 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.20, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.10, PLE-PLE 0.98, PERW 0.46, MOQAW 0.14, MOQPW 0.19, MOQL 0.07.

Length of leg segments: I 1.32 + 0.76 + 1.14 + 1.02 + 0.88 = 5.12, II 1.36 + 0.66 + 0.92 + 1.00 + 0.76 = 4.70, III 1.18 + 0.66 + 0.82 + 1.06 + 0.70 = 4.42, IV 1.92 + 0.58 + 1.76 + 1.92 + 0.64 = 6.82.

General appearance as in Fig. 98 . Carapace orange-brown, with black radiating mottling, more intense towards posterior of cephalic region; few white setae across surface, white thin line at lateral edges of feathery setae, median white line absent, thin white lines of few white setae and black erect setae diverging behind fovea towards posterior margin. Clypeus height equal to AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance slightly smaller than their diameter, AME separated from AME by distance equal to 0.33 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.33 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 0.17 PME diameter. Chelicerae orange; promargin with two teeth closely spaced; retromargin with one tooth. Endites orange. Labium orange anteriorly, dark-brown posteriorly, with very dark corners. Sternum orange; setae concentrated around margin, few in centre. Legs brown proximally, orange distally. Leg spination: femora: I do 1, II do 1, III do 5, IV do 2; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 3 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 3 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I spineless, II plv 1 rlv 1, III pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 3 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 3 plv 4 rlv 2 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3; patellae rl 1; tibiae pl 4 do 2 rl 3 rlv 3; tarsi spineless. Abdomen dark-brown ( Fig. 98 ), orange at anterior margin, with six dense white setae markings; anterior markings closer together, middle markings widely separated, posterior markings moderately wide; lateral sigilla circular; venter light brown with orange background, with few brown feathery setae; white speckle above spinnerets on anal tubercle. Spinnerets pale. Epigyne with very shallow anterior hood, anterior margin slightly concave, posterior margin slightly convex, almost parallel-sides, lateral margins ending abruptly; lateral hoods slightly curved, near copulatory openings; ST II, ST I and connecting ducts orange; ST I smaller than ST II, ST II elongate and directly anterolaterally ( Figs 63 , 123, 124 ).

Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province: Asante Sana Game Reserve , between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof, 32°16.920'S, 24°58.800'E, 13.X.2010, leg. J. Midgley (pitfall traps, grass tussocks) ( NCA 2012 /4162).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province: Asante Sana Game Reserve, between Waterkloof and Zuurkloof, 32°16.020'S, 25°00.240'E, 23.X.2010, leg. J. Midgley (pitfall traps, tussock grass), 1♀ ( NCA 2012 / 4161); Asante Sana Game Reserve, Waterkloof , 32°16.980'S, 24°56.340'E, 23.X.2010, leg. J. Midgley (pitfall traps), 1♀ ( NCA 2012 /4160), 1♀ ( NCA 2012 /4158) .

Distribution. Known from the type locality in the Eastern Cape, 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 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 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 121–124. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella lotzi sp. nov. (121, 122) and D. maculata sp. nov. (123, 124): 121, 123 female epigyne, ventral view; 122, 124 same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.