Madagascarchaea moramora, Wood, Hannah M. & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2017

Wood, Hannah M. & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2017, A review of the Madagascan pelican spiders of the genera Eriauchenius O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1881 and Madagascarchaea gen. n. (Araneae, Archaeidae), ZooKeys 727, pp. 1-96 : 1

Madagascarchaea moramora sp. n. Figs 28, 34

Type material.

Male holotype: MADAGASCAR, Toamasina, Mikira forest, 2.5 hour hike from Andaparaty, 29 km N Maroantsetra, 15°12'2.95"S, 49°36'55.0"E, 195m, 10-12 Dec 2008, primary montane rainforest, general collecting day, F. Alvarez-Padilla & H. Wood (deposited in USNM; USNMENT01377197).

Other material examined.

MADAGASCAR: female paratype, same data as holotype except beating vegetation 5-10 feet above ground (USNMENT01377198).

Etymology.

The specific name is a noun in apposition; 'mora mora’ means 'easy easy’ in Malagasy.

Diagnosis.

M. moramora sp. n. can be distinguished from the southern species, M. jeanneli and M. lotzi sp. n., by the abdomen being straight across the posterior (Fig. 28A, arrow) rather than invaginated (Figs 26A, 27A). M. moramora sp. n. is further distinguished from M. lotzi sp. n. by having a deep embolus bifurcation (Fig. 28 E–F) compared to the shallow bifurcation of M. lotzi sp. n. (Fig. 27 E–F, H–I), and from M. ambre by having the anterior portion of the embolus bifurcation not narrow and jutting out past the conductor in the retrolateral direction (see fig. 21 in Wood 2008). M. moramora sp. n. is distinguished from M. jeanneli by having the anterior portion of the embolus bifurcation broad and blunt (Fig. 28F), rather than tapering (Fig. 26F, I), and having the posterior portion with a bifurcation at the tip with one side narrower than the other (Fig. 28 D–E), whereas in M. jeanneli the bifurcation at the tip is equal sized on each side (Fig. 26F, I).

Description.

Male holotype (USNMENT01377197, from Mikira Forest, Madagascar). Total length 1.53, carapace 0.67 long, 0.46 wide. Abdomen 0.83 long, 0.92 high. Carapace tilt angle 57.2°, tilt height (CtH) 1.25, constriction 0.35, head length 0.73, neck length 0.63. CtH divided by carapace length 1.86. Cephalon with AME on large bulge, and with 6 short post-occular spines at the apex, not on protrusions, and 1 short spine between and posterior to the LE and median eyes (see fig. 18B in Wood 2008). Chelicerae 1.21 long, and with a small spine 0.28 from base of chelicerae and projecting downward (Fig. 28A). Femur I 1.86 long. Sternum 0.44 long, 0.24 wide. Carapace, chelicerae, and sternum reddish brown with white setae. Legs light brown with darker annulations throughout. Abdomen mottled with dark brown areas and lighter whitish areas, anterior of abdomen with large white patch, abdomen interspersed with white and brown setae (Fig. 28A). Posterior edge of abdomen straight and not invaginated (Fig. 28A, arrow). Conductor concave and triangular; MA dark, thick, and curves anteriorad; S1 present as a thin ridge; Embolus dark, with a deep bifurcation, with anterior portion broad and blunt at the tip, and with posterior portion with bifurcation at the tip, of which both sides are curved but one side is more narrow (Fig. 28 D–F).

Female paratype (USNMENT01377198). Total length 1.98, carapace 0.79 long, 0.52 wide. Abdomen 1.09 long, 1.35 high. Carapace tilt angle 48.2°, tilt height (CtH) 1.48, constriction 0.35, head length 0.82, neck length 0.70. CtH divided by carapace length 1.87. Cephalon as in male. Chelicerae 1.42 long, and with a short spine 0.38 from base of chelicerae and projecting downward. Femur I 12.25 long. Sternum 0.49 long, 0.26 wide. Colors as in male. Posterior edge of abdomen straight and not invaginated. Genitalic bursa divided down middle by a sclerotized piece on the anterior-ventral side, with several groups of poreplates on either side; FSGP with two strong points arising from either side of anterior edge, having ‘wings’, and lacking posterior elongation (Fig. 28 B–C).

Variation.

no other specimens known.

Natural history.

Specimens were collected in montane rainforest at 925 m in elevation by general collecting in the day and by beating vegetation 5-10 feet above ground.

Distribution.

Known only from Mikira Forest in northeastern Madagascar (Fig. 34).

Nomenclature remarks.

We could not determine whether several female specimens were M. ambre or M. moramora sp. n. (Fig. 34). Locality information for these specimens is as follows, all MADAGASCAR: 1F, Antsiranana, Marojejy Reserve, 8.4 km NNW Manantenina, 14°26'S, 49°45'E, 700 m, 10-16 Nov 1993, C. Griswold, J. Coddington, N. Scharff, S. Larcher, R. Andriamasimanana (CASENT9012001); 1F, Toamasina, Parc National Masoala, Ambohitsitondroina Mt., Ambanizana, 15°34'9.9"S, 50°00'12.3"E, 700-750 m, 28 Feb 2003, rainforest, beating vegetation, D. Andriamalala, D. Silva, et al. (CASENT9015316); 2F, same as previous data except 600-650 m, 1-2 Mar 2003, general collecting night (CASENT9015372).