Afroneutria tanga, Polotow, Daniele & Jocqué, Rudy, 2016

Polotow, Daniele & Jocqué, Rudy, 2016, Description of a new species of the Afrotropical spider genus Afroneutria (Araneae, Ctenidae), Zootaxa 4205 (4), pp. 395-400 : 396-400

Afroneutria tanga new species

Figs 1–27

Type material. Male holotype and female paratype from Kambai Forest Reserve, Muheza District, Tanga Region, Tanzania, 38o41'E, 4o59' S, Frontier Tanzania Expedition leg., deposited in ZMUC (illustrations and descriptions) . Paratypes from Tanzania, Tanga Region, collected by Frontier Tanzania Expedition and deposited in ZMUC: 1 male from Muheza District , Kambai Forest Reserve, 38o41'E, 4o59'S ; 2 males and 1 female from Muheza District , Kambai Forest Reserve, 38o41'E, 4o59'S ; 2 males from Muheza District , Amani-Sigi Forest Reserve, 38o39'E, 5o07'S, 1/III/1999, lowland forest 400–900 masl ; 1 female from Muheza District , Kambai Forest Reserve, 38o41'E, 4o59'S ; 1 female from Muheza District , Manga Forest Reserve, 38o47' E, 5o02'S, X– XII/1994.

Etymology. The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality, the Tanga Region in Tanzania, where all the specimens were collected.

Diagnosis. Males of Afroneutria tanga new species resemble those of A. immortalis , by the longer median apophysis ( Polotow & Jocqué 2015: fig. 5A), but can be distinguished from all the other species of Afroneutria by the retrolateral excavation of the embolus ( Fig. 9 , pointed by arrow). The female epigynum resembles that of Afroneutria immortalis by the subtriangular shape of the median sector ( Polotow & Jocqué 2015: fig. 5D), but can be distinguished from it by the larger lateral projections of the lateral field and by the larger dorsal spermathecae ( Figs 7, 8 , 10, 11 ).

Description. Male (holotype ZMUC): Coloration: carapace brown, covered by white setae on median and lateral longitudinal bands and with a tuft of long white setae between PME ( Fig. 1 ); chelicerae dark brown, covered by white setae; endites reddish brown with lighter apical area; sternum and legs reddish brown; opisthosoma with tufts of white setae and numerous black setae on anterior dorsal area ( Fig. 1 ); venter of opisthosoma black, with two white spots situated transversely behind epigastric furrow ( Fig. 3 ). Total length 10.90. Carapace 5.90 long and 4.90 wide. Eye diameter: AME 0.32, ALE 0.19, PME 0.60, PLE 0.56. Leg measurements: I: femur 9.20/ patella 3.10/ tibia 10.00/ metatarsus 10.30/ tarsus 4.50/ total 37.10; II: 8.10/ 2.90/ 8.40/ 9.20/ 3.80/ 32.40; III: 6.70/ 2.40/ 6.20/ 7.30/ 2.60/ 25.20; IV: 9.30/ 2.50/ 8.80/ 8.40/ 4.30/ 33.30. Leg formula 1423. Leg spination: tibia I and II v2- 2 -2-2-2, r1-1, p1-1; III and IV v2-2 -2, r1-1, p1-1; metatarsus I, II and III v2-2 -2, p1-1-1, r1-1-1; IV v1-1 -1-1-1-2, r1-1-1, p1-1-1. Palp: cymbium elongated, longer than tibia; tibia straight; RTA elongated; conductor oval; median apophysis slightly curved ( Figs 5–6 , 9 ).

Female (paratype ZMUC): Colouration: as described in male ( Figs 2, 4 ). Total length 15.40. Carapace 6.90 long and 6.10 wide. Eyes diameters: AME 0.38, ALE 0.24, PME 0.60, PLE 0.48. Legs measurements: I: femur 7.10/ patella 3.10/ tibia 7.90/ metatarsus 6.90/ tarsus 2.20/ total 27.20; II: 6.90/ 3.10/ 6.80/ 6.40/ 2.20/ 25.40; III: 6.00/ 2.70/ 5.10/ 5.50/ 2.20/ 21.50; IV: 7.90/ 2.90/ 7.50/ 10.30/ 3.00/ 31.60. Leg formula 4123. Leg spination: tibia I and II v2-2 -2-2-2, r0, p0; III and IV v2-2 -2, r1-1, p1-1; metatarsus I and II v2-2 -2, r0, p0; III v2-2 -2, r1-1-1, p-1- 1-1; IV v1-1 -1-1-1-2, r1-1-1, p1-1-1. Epigynum: median field subtriangular, lateral projections of lateral field elongated ( Figs 7 , 10 ). Dorsal spermathecae short and rounded, ventral spermathecae elongated ( Figs 8 , 11 ).

Variation. 10 males: total length 9.30–11.50, carapace length 5.80–6.50, femur I length 9.30–10.20; 6 females: total length 12.10–16.10, carapace length 6.00–7.50, femur I length 6.40–7.80. The RTA is variable in shape within the specimens examined ( Figs 12–25 ).

Additional material examined. TANZANIA: Tanga Region . Muheza District, Kambai Forest Reserve, 38o41'E, 5o02'S, 1 male, Frontier Tanzania Expedition leg.( ZMUC) ; Muheza District, Kambai Forest Reserve, 38o41'E, 4o59'S, 1 male, Frontier Tanzania Expedition leg. ( ZMUC) ; Muheza District, Honguza Marimba Forest Reserve, 38o41'E, 5o01'S, 7 males 1 female, Frontier Tanzania Expedition leg. ( ZMUC) .

Distribution. Northeastern Tanzania ( Figs 26–27 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Afroneutria tanga new species. 1 – 2, habitus, dorsal view; 1, male; 2, female. 3 – 4, opisthosoma, ventral view; 3, male; 4, female. 5 – 6 male palp; 5, ventral view; 6, retrolateral view. 7 – 8, epigynum; 7, ventral view; 8, dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Afroneutria tanga new species. 9, male palp, ventral view; 10, epigynum, ventral view; 11, epigynum, dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 12 – 25. Afroneutria tanga new species, variation of the RTA. Even numbers, male palpal tibia in ventral view. Odd numbers, male palpal tibia in retrolateral view.

FIGURES 26 – 27. Collection localities of Afroneutria tanga new species, represented by red triangles. 26, African continent, partial; 27, Close up of northern Tanzania.