Suffrica exotica, Henrard, Arnaud & Jocqué, Rudy, 2015

Henrard, Arnaud & Jocqué, Rudy, 2015, On the new Afrotropical genus Suffrica with discovery of an abdominal gland and a dual femoral organ (Araneae, Zodariidae), Zootaxa 3972 (1), pp. 1-25 : 8-13

Suffrica exotica sp. nov.

Figs 25 – 63 , 96

Type material. Holotype. TANZANIA: ♂: Mkomazi Game Reserve, Ibaya, Igire Ridge, 1200m, 3°58’S 37°46’E, 24.XI.1994, litter of dry forest, crest of ridge, Russell-Smith A. ( MRAC 241686).

Paratypes. TANZANIA: 1♀, together with holotype ( MRAC 241686); 33♂ 17♀: same data as holotype ( MRAC 215732).

Diagnosis. Specimens of S. exotica differ from the other species in having a dorsal spine on T III and IV. The males differ by the well developed abdominal glandular outlet ( Fig. 53 ), the shape of the RTA and DTA which is less high ( Figs 29 , 33 , 42 ), the thicker MA ( Fig. 45 ) and the conductor which is angled rather than curved, with a rounded tip and provided with a small triangular extension ( Fig. 44 ).

Etymology. The species is an adjective referring to the unexpected presence of relatives of Suffasia in Africa.

Description. Male (Holotype). Total length 2.56, carapace 1.21 long, 0.81 wide and 0.54 high. Carapace ( Figs 25 , 36, 38 ) finely reticulated, medium brown, with small darker area in front of fovea; chelicerae and chilum pale brown; sternum brownish orange; legs: coxae and femora pale brown, remainder yellow. Clypeus 0.15 high. Eyes AME: 0.07: ALE: 0.08; PME: 0.08; PLE: 0.08; AME – AME: 0.03; AME – ALE: 0.02; PME – PME: 0.03; PME – PLE: 0.07. MOQ: width 0.13 in front, 0.17 at the back; 0.20 long.

Chilum 0.07 high, 0.10 wide; trapezoidal, inferior margin straight. Sternum: 0.59 long, 0.56 wide.

Legs: spination: Fe: I d 2 II d 2 III d 2 IV d2; T (all spines except dorsal at distal extremity): III d1 middle pl 1 v2 IV d1 at 2/3 pl 1 v 2; Mt (all spines at distal extremity): I v(pl)1 IIv(pl) 2 III dw 4 IV dw4. Leg measurements:

III 0.54 0.27 0.54 0.51 0.33 2.19

IV 0.81 0.27 0.75 0.75 0.51 3.09 Abdomen ( Figs 26 , 37 ): dorsum with brown scutum in front of deep central longitudinal dorsal furrow provided anteriorly with faint gland outlet with few small needle like setae, on both sides with light grey, smooth ridge. Sides sepia, venter somewhat darkened towards the back. Spinnerets as in S. chawia .

Palp. ( Figs 28, 29 , 32, 33 , 42 – 45 ). Patella with short, rounded dorsal extension; tibia with short dorsal and retrolateral anterior extensions; remainder of palp very similar to that of S. chawia except the shape of the distal part of the conductor which sharply curved with rounded tip and provided with a small triangular extension; distal prong of MA broad and ridged.

Female (Paratype MRAC 241686)

Total length 2.70, carapace 1.21 long, 0.78 wide and 0.58 high. Carapace ( Fig. 27 ), mouthparts and eyes as in male. Abdomen not modified ( Figs 27 , 46 ), anteriorly provided with granulated gland outlet ( Fig. 47 ); dorsum uniform dark sepia, sides paler sepia, venter pale with two oblique dark patches extending from dark sides and dark spot in front of white spinnerets.

Chilum single, 0.08 high, 0.11 wide; trapezoidal, slightly protruding in the centre, inferior margin procurved. Chelicerae promargin with two slanting teeth, the proximal one larger and retromargin with one small, sharp tooth ( Fig. 41 ). Labium inverted U shaped ( Fig. 39 ). Endites roughly triangular, strongly converging, distally with special asymmetric setae: anterior part bifid, the longer branch with both margins serrated, the smaller branch conical and smooth ( Fig. 40 ).

Sternum: 0.61 long, 0.54 wide. Leg measurements:

Palp ( Fig. 48 ) with finely pectinated claw, turned inward over 45°.

Epigyne ( Figs 30 , 34 , 54 , 60 ): anterior part with two large adjacent circular areas with dark sclerotized anterior rim delimiting large funnels; posterior part with two slightly separated kidney shaped spermathecae. Vulva ( Figs 31 , 56, 57 , 62 ) anteriorly with large, rounded, membranous structures (= funnels) ( Fig. 58 ) ending in sinuous sclerotized copulation ducts, leading to poorly defined spermathecae. Funnels internally with numerous “lollipop” glands ( Figs 59 , 63 ), opening through small holes on the outside ( Figs 55 , 60 – 63 ).

Variation. Total length varies between 2.3 and 2.7 for males (n= 23), between 2.4 and 3.3 for females (n= 11). Carapace color varies from pale orange to dark reddish-brown with the small darker area in front of fovea more or less pronounced.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality in Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania ( Fig. 96 ).

Figures

FIGURE 96. Distribution of Suffrica species: (⋅) S. chawia, (˔) S. exotica, (•) S. gus.

FIGURES 25 – 27. Suffrica exotica sp. n.; (25) male paratype (MRAC 215732), habitus, dorsal view; (26) as previous, detail of the abdomen; (27) female paratype (MRAC 241686), habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars (25, 27) = 1 mm; (26) = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 28 – 31. Suffrica exotica sp. n., male palp and female genitalia; (28) male paratype (MRAC 215732), palp, ventral view; (29) as previous, retrolateral view; (30) female paratype (MRAC 241686), epigyne, ventral view; (31) female paratype (MRAC 215732), vulva, after digestion, dorsal view. Scale bars (28, 29) = 0.1 mm; (30, 31) = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 32 – 34. Suffrica exotica sp. n., male palp and female epigyne drawings; (32) male holotype (MRAC 241686), palp, ventral view; (33) as previous, retrolateral view; (34) female paratype (MRAC 241686), epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 35 – 41. Suffrica exotica sp. n., male and female paratype (MRAC 215732), SEM views; (35) male habitus, dorsal view; (36) male carapace, anterior view; (37) male, detail of the abdominal gland, dorsal view; (38) male, fovea region, dorsolateral view; (39) female, labium and endites, ventral view, arrow points to the special asymmetrical setae on the endites; (40) female, antero-mesal part of the left endite with detailed view on the asymmetrical setae; (41) female, anterior part of chelicerae, ventral view, asterisks indicate two slanting teeth on the promarging and arrow points to the small sharp tooth on the retromargin. Scale bars (35, 36) = 0.5 mm; (38) = 50 µm; (39) = 100 µm; (37, 40) = 10 µm.

FIGURES 42 – 45. Suffrica exotica sp. n., male paratype (MRAC 215732), SEM views of the palp; (42) detail of the tibial apophyses, retrolateral view; (43) detail of the tegular apophysis, ventral view; (44) detail of the conductor, anterior view, arrow indicates the small spiniform extension on the promargin of the conductor; (45) detail of the median apophysis. C = conductor, E = embolus, MA = median apophysis, TA = tegular apophysis. Scale bars (42, 43, 45) = 50 µm; (44) = 10 µm.

FIGURES 46 – 53. Suffrica exotica sp. n., female paratype (MRAC 215732), SEM views; (46) abdomen, lateral, slightly dorsal view, arrow indicates the abdominal gland pores; (47) detail of the abdominal gland, dorso-lateral view; (48) detail of the right palpal claw, dorsal view; (49) overview of the spinnerets, anterior view; (50) posterior lateral spinnerets and median spinnerets, anterior view; (51) anterior lateral spinnerets, antero-lateral view; (52) as previous, anterior view; (53) as previous, detail. Scale bars (46) = 0.5 mm; (47, 50 – 53) = 10 µm; (48, 49) = 50 µm.

FIGURES 54 – 59. Suffrica exotica sp. n., female paratype (MRAC 215732), SEM views of genitalia; (54) epigyne, ventral view; (55) as previous, detail, arrows point to some of the tiny outlets of epigynal glands; (56) vulva, dorsal view; (57) as previous, dorso-lateral view; (58) as previous, detail; (59) detail of the “ lollipop ” epigynal glands. Scale bars (54, 56 – 58) = 50 µm; (55, 59) = 10 µm.

FIGURES 60 – 63. Suffrica exotica sp. n., female paratype (MRAC 215732), SEM views of genitalia indicating the link between the tiny pore and the “ lollipop ” glands; (60) epigyne, ventral view; (61) as previous, detail; (62) vulva, dorsal view; (63) as previous, detail. S = setae, O = opening. Asterisks indicate the outlets of the “ lollipop ” glands. Scale bars (60, 62) = 50 µm; (61, 63) = 10 µm.