Micaria beaufortia ( Tucker, 1923 )

Marusik, Yuri M. & Omelko, Mikhail M., 2017, Redescription of Micaria beaufortia (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), with notes on Afrotropical Micaria, Zootaxa 4294 (4), pp. 462-470 : 463-467

Micaria beaufortia ( Tucker, 1923)

Figs 1‒20 , 23‒24, 26‒29

Epikurtomma beaufortia Tucker 1923: 333 , pl. 10, fig. 54 (♀). Micaria beaufortia: Murphy 2007: 67 , fig. 550‒551 (♀).

Material examined. 4♀ 2juv. ( ZMMU), SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, near Worcester, Karoo National Botanical Gardens , 33°36'43"S 19°26'58"E, litter under bushes, 25.01.2017 (Y.M. Marusik).

Note. Tucker (1923) created a genus for his species, because Micaria seems rare in South Africa and he possibly did not know this mainly Holarctic genus. Murphy (2007), revising the gnaphosid genera, studied Epikurtomma beaufortia and recognized that the species should be placed in Micaria . He listed E. beaufortia in a paragraph of "misplaced species", although it is a type species of the genus.

1 female, dorsal; 2 female leg I, retrolateral; 3 metatarsus and tarsus I showing scopula and bent tarsus; 4, 7 terminal part of male part, prolateral and ventral; 5 male, dorsal; 6 male palp, retrolateral. Scale = 0.2 mm if not otherwise indicated. Abbreviations: Em embolus, Sd sperm duct, Ta tibial apophysis, Te tegular apophysis.

Diagnosis. Micaria beaufortia differs from other congeners by having tarsi with pseudosegmention and a white median stripe on the posterior part of the abdomen. The male palp of M. beaufortia is most similar to that of the trans-Palaearctic M. lenzi Bösenberg, 1899 , by having a similarly shaped embolus and same size and position of the tegular apophysis, but differs from it by having only 2 ventral cymbial spines (vs. 3), a longer tip of cymbium and straighter course of the sperm duct. The epigyne of M. beaufortia is most similar to that of M. lenzi and M. silesiaca L. Koch, 1875 , by having 2 anterior pockets, widely spaced posterior pockets and similar course of the copulatory ducts. The epigyne in the African species differs from the Palaearctic species by having a longitudinal furrow (Lf) of the septum, thinner posterior pockets (which are much thinner than high) and globular receptacles (vs. lack of septum and septal furrow and broad posterior pockets about 1.4 wider than high and not globular receptacles).

Description. Male. Total length 4.35. Carapace 2.0 long, 1.2 wide. Carapace dark brown with blackish radial stripes, fovea short, almost indistinct, covered with short white hairs. Chelicerae, labium, maxillae and sternum light brown. All leg segments light brown. Abdomen dorsally dark grey with two white stripes, one transversal in middle part and another longitudinal behind it. Tarsi in all legs curved due to pseudosegmention (Ps). Metatarsus, tarsus of leg I, tarsi of leg II–IV with scopula.

Leg segments length in ♂.

Femur Patella Tibia Metatarsus Tarsus Total I 1.63 0.55 1.45 1.13 1.00 5.75 II 1.38 0.63 1.25 1.03 1.00 5.28 III 1.28 0.53 1.15 1.13 0.88 4.95 IV 1.88 0.65 1.55 1.55 1.13 6.75 Spination of legs in ♂.

Femur Tibia Metatarsus

I 1 d1p - -

II 1 d 3v -

III 1 d 1p(2p) 4p 2r 2-2- 1v 1p 1r 2- 2v IV 1 d 2p 2r 2- 2v 1p 1r 2- 2v Palp as in Figs 4, 6‒7 , 11, 16, 18‒19 : long, femur equal in length to patella+tibia; patella as long as tibia; tibial apophysis (Ta) distinct, sharply pointed, relatively large (about radius of tibia); cymbium 1.4 times longer than tibia; tip of cymbium long, about 2/3 of tegulum length, tip with 2 ventral spines; bulb oval, without ventral extension; sperm duct (Sd) without meanders; tegular apophysis (Te) well developed, hook-shaped, broad, located at anterior 1/3 of tegulum; embolus (Em) claw-like.

Female. Total length 5.25. Carapace 1.90 long, 1.10 wide. Carapace light brown with blackish radial stripes, without fovea. Chelicerae, maxillae, sternum, labium as in males. Leg joints light brown except for femora, which are somewhat darker. Ventral parts of femora covered with short white hairs. Tarsi in all legs curved. Metatarsustarsus of legs I and II, tarsi of legs III and IV with scopula (the scopula more strongly developed than in males). Scopula formed by 2 pairs of rows of modified setae (Sc, Fig. 23 ); upper row of setae directed subparallel to axis of segment and setae of lower row directed subventrally ( Fig. 24 ); tarsus and metatarsus with 4 types of setae, dorsal subdecumbent simple (= minutely plumose sensu Murphy 2007) setae (S1), appressed complex lanceolate setae with feathery bases (= squamose with brachia sensu Murphy 2007) (S2), scopular setae, and erect setae with smooth base and plumose distal parts (chemosensory, S3). Abdomen lighter than in male, grayish in anterior 1/3, with 2 transversal whitish stripes, posterior 2/3 blackish with median white stripe.

Leg segments length in ♀.

Femur Patella Tibia Metatarsus Tarsus Total I 1.38 0.60 1.13 0.83 0.88 4.80 II 1.33 0.50 1.05 0.80 0.88 4.55 III 1.25 0.53 1.03 0.95 0.83 4.58 IV 1.88 0.70 1.60 1.58 1.00 6.75 Spination of legs in ♀.

Femur Tibia Metatarsus

I 1 d 1p 2- 2v

II 1 d 1p 2- 2v

III 1 d 1p1r 1p 1r 2- 2v 1p 1r 2- 2v IV 1 d 1p 1r 2- 2v Epigyne as in Figs 8‒10 , 12‒15 : with pair of anterior (Ap) and posterior pockets (Pp); posterior pockets widely spaced; fovea divided into 2 parts by kind of septum (Se) divided into 2 parts by longitudinal furrow (Lf); each copulatory opening (Co) located in kind of conical furrow (Cf) that seems guiding embolus. Copulatory opening can be covered by secretory mating plug (Mp) occupying part of the conical furrow. Copulatory opening leads to round chamber (Rc) bearing small gland (Sg); short copulatory ducts (Cd) originate from chambers and almost touching medially; receptacles round, relatively small, spaced by about 1.5 diameters.

Comments. Micaria beaufortia has several features unknown in other Micaria and related Arboricaria Bosmans, 2000 , like tarsi with pseudosegmentation, and scopula composed of two rows on each side of leg, not one like in M. fulgens (cf. Figs 20 and 21 , 22 and 23 , and also fig. 93G in Ramírez, 2014). Mating plugs in female epigynes are documented only in species having an undivided fovea, like M. aenea Thorell, 1871 ( Mikhailov & Marusik 1996: fig. 39) or M. albovitatta ( Lucas, 1846) ( Wunderlich 1980: fig. 42e). In these two species one plug covers both copulatory openings, while in M. beaufortia each opening has its own plug.

Distribution. Micaria beaufortia currently is known only from two localities in Western Cape, in Beaufort West (the type locality) and from environs of Worcester (present record) ( Fig. 30 ).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Distribution records of Afrotropical Micaria: M. beaufortia (circle), M. chrysis (square) and M. tersissima (diamond).

FIGURES 1 ‒ 7. Habitus, legs and male palp of Micaria beaufortia.

FIGURES 8 ‒ 10. Epigyne of Micaria beaufortia. 8 intact, ventral; 9 ‒ 10 macerated, dorsal and ventral. Scale = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Ap anterior pockets, Cd copulatory ducts, Mp mating plug, Pp posterior pockets, Rc round chamber.

FIGURES 11 ‒ 19. SEM photographs of Micaria beaufortia. 11 male palp, retrolateral; 12 ‒ 13 epigyne, ventral and ventrolateral; 14 ‒ 15 pigyne, dorsal and antero-dorsal; 16 bulb, anterior; 17 setae of femur I; 18 ‒ 19 male palp, ventral and dorsoretrolateral. Scale = 0.1 mm if indicated. Abbreviations: Ap anterior pockets, Cd copulatory ducts, Cf conical furrow, Co copulatory opening, Em embolus, Lf longitudinal furrow, Mp mating plug, Pp posterior pockets, Se septum, Rc round chamber, Sg small gland, Te tegular apophysis, Ta tibial apophysis.

FIGURES 20 ‒ 21. Prolateral view of female leg I of Micaria beaufortia (20) and M. fulgens (21). Bent tarsus arrowed.

FIGURES 22 ‒ 29. Morphology of female leg I of Micaria fulgens (22, 25) and M. beaufortia (23 ‒ 24, 26 ‒ 29). 22 ‒ 23 tarsus, lateral; 24 ‒ 25 metatarsus; 26 part of tarsus showing pseudosegments; 27 femur; 28 lower part of metatarsus showing different types of setae; 29 subventral part of tibia showing different types of setae. Abbreviations: Sc scopula setae, Ps pseudosegmention.