Drassodella aurostriata, 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 : 41-43

Drassodella aurostriata sp. nov.

Figs 13 , 71 , 87 , 159, 160 , 176–179

Etymology. From the Latin aurum (gold) and striatus (striped), referring to the two golden-orange longitudinal lateral stripes on the abdominal dorsum.

Diagnosis. Drassodella aurostriata sp. nov. can easily be recognised by the pair of golden-orange lateral

stripes on the dorsal surface of the abdomen, separated by a broad black median stripe ( Figs 13 , 160 ). Females have an unique elongate M-shaped anterior hood extending to nearly half of the epigynal length ( Figs 71 , 177 ). The male palps are most similar to those of D. quinquelabecula , but differ in having a prolaterally directed hook-like median apophysis and narrow oblique embolus ( Fig. 178 ), while the median apophysis of D. quinquelabecula is curved and directed retrolaterally, and the embolus broad and curved ( Fig. 186 ).

Description. Female (Paratype, Uitzicht Annex, NMBA 8616). Measurements: CL 3.31, CW 2.60, AL 4.15, AW 2.05, TL 7.95 (6.42–7.95), FL 0.32, SL 1.83, SW 1.48, CH 0.08, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.03, ALE- ALE 0.24, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.14, PLE-PLE 0.56, PERW 0.67, MOQAW 0.21, MOQPW 0.21, MOQL 0.32.

Length of leg segments: I 2.20 + 1.35 + 1.64 + 1.26 + 1.05 = 7.50, II 2.05 + 1.15 + 1.47 + 1.45 + 1.00 = 7.12, III 1.80 + 0.95 + 1.05 + 1.77 + 0.90 = 6.47, IV 2.70 + 1.34 + 1.96 + 2.65 + 1.10 = 9.75.

General appearance as in Fig. 159 . Carapace orange-brown, with black mottling medially and anterolaterally; cephalic region with two medial lines; white feathery setae forming partial upsilon marking, for short distance medially behind eye region, diverging behind fovea, but not reaching posterior margin. Clypeus height equal to 0.63 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 1.13 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME equal to PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.50 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.50 PME diameter. Chelicerae darkbrown anteriorly, orange behind fang and posteriorly; promargin with three subequal teeth, median tooth slightly closer to distal tooth than proximal tooth; retromargin with two teeth, proximal tooth aligned with distal tooth of promargin. Endites pale yellow at maxillar hair tuft, dark orange to black distally, orange medially. Labium orange; longer than broad. Sternum orange, faintly mottled medially, densely mottled laterally. Legs orange, with brown mottling. Leg spination: femora: I do 1, II do 2, III pl 2 do 3, IV do 2; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1, IV pl 1 do 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 3 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 1, IV pl 4 do 1 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 2 vt 1; palpal spination: femora do 3; patellae do 2 rl 1 plv 2; tibiae do 2 rl 3 plv 1; tarsi pl 1 do 6 rl 2. Abdomen dark grey dorsally, with pair of narrow creamy-golden lateral stripes extending three-quarters abdomen length ( Fig. 159 ), faint irregular median golden-brown marking to half abdomen length; elongate-oval lateral sclerites present behind booklungs; venter pale, with orange feathery setae and few black markings; postepigastric sclerites small. Spinnerets pale. Epigyne with shallow M-shaped anterior hood extending to nearly half of epigyne length; lateral margins of median septum weakly sclerotised, in posterior half of epigyne only, as wide as inner margin of ST II; ST I, ST II and connecting ducts orange-brown; ST II subspherical, separated by slightly more than their width, slightly larger than oval ST I ( Figs 71 , 176, 177 ).

Male (Holotype, Humansdorp, NMBA 8260). Measurements: CL 2.72, CW 2.24, AL 3.44, AW 1.58, TL 6.24 (5.46–6.76), FL 0.27, SL 1.50, SW 1.33, CH 0.10, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.27, PME- PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.13, PLE-PLE 0.54, PERW 0.66, MOQAW 0.24, MOQPW 0.27, MOQL 0.30.

Length of leg segments: I 2.00 + 1.08 + 1.58 + 1.46 + 0.96 = 7.08, II 1.82 + 1.00 + 1.40 + 1.46 + 0.96 = 6.64, III 1.48 + 0.82 + 1.00 + 1.44 + 0.82 = 5.56, IV 2.24 + 1.08 + 1.76 + 2.32 + 0.88 = 8.28.

General appearance as in Fig. 160 . Carapace orange-brown, with black mottling radiating from the centre. Clypeus height equal to 1.25 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 0.75 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.25 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.63 PME diameter. Chelicerae orange; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, closer to proximal tooth, proximal and distal teeth equal in size; retromargin with two teeth, proximal tooth slightly larger. Endites orange, slightly darker medially, lighter laterally. Labium orange. Sternum dark orange, paler medially, with setae concentrated around posterior and lateral margins, few longer setae around anterior and medial section. Legs yellow, with black mottling. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 2, II do 2 rl 1, III do 4 rl 2, IV pl 1 do 3; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1, IV pl 2 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 3 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 4 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 3 do 3 rl 4 plv 3 rlv 2 vt 1; palpal spination; femora do 2 rl 1 plv 2; patellae do 2 rl 3 plv 1; tibiae do 6 rl 2 plv 1; tarsi spineless. Abdomen with brown median longitudinal stripe, flanked by two golden-orange lateral stripes, sides black ( Fig. 160 ); oval lateral sclerites present behind booklungs; venter pale; post-epigastric sclerites and ante-epigastric sclerites present. Spinnerets pale. Palp yellow-brown; RTA long, laterally flattened, not obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium but positioned retrolateral of cymbium; in retrolateral view spatulate, with broad base followed by slight constriction, broadening again before tapering to rounded tip; cymbium quite narrow, 1.86 times longer than wide, narrowed to rounded point distally; embolus originating prolaterally, narrow and elongate, oblique and directed retrodistally, tapering to needle-shaped tip; median apophysis short, hook-shaped ( Figs 87 , 178, 179 ).

Type material. Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: Humansdorp, Tsitsikamma National Park, De Vasselot , near Nature’s Valley , 33°58'S, 23°35'E, 12.I.1988, leg. L.N. Lotz (forest) ( NMBA 8260 ).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: George, Groeneweide Forest Station , 33°57'S, 22°27'E, II .1984, leg. J. Huisamin (pitfall traps), 2♂ ( NCA 97 /420); Goukamma Nature Reserve, Groenvlei Lake hiking trail, 34°02'S, 22°33'E , 18.III .2008 , leg. J. Huisamin (coastal forest), 1♂ ( NCA 2009 /1127); Gouna and Diepwalle State Forest, North of Knysna , 33°57'S, 23°02'E, I.1984, leg. J.H. Koen (dry, humid forest, pitfall traps), 2♂ 1♀ ( NCA 97 /215); Knysna, Uitzicht Annex , 34°00'S, 23°20'E , 16.X.1998, leg. L.N. Lotz (pitfall traps), 1♀ ( NMBA 8616 ) .

Distribution. Known from five localities in the Western Cape, South Africa ( Fig. 188 ).

Figures

FIGURE 188. Distribution of Drassodella amatola sp. nov. (circles), D. aurostriata sp. nov. (stars), D. baviaans sp. nov. (square), D. purcelli Tucker, 1923 (triangles) and D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923 (inverted triangles) in southern Africa.

FIGURES 5–17. Digital microscope photographs of Drassodella somatic morphology: 5–8 dorsal view of carapace and chelicerae of D. flava sp. nov. female (5), D. guttata sp. nov. male (6), D. transversa sp. nov. male (7) and D. purcelli Tucker, 1923 female (8); 9 D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938 female, carapace, lateral view; 10 D. purcelli female, posterodorsal view of carapace, showing pedicel and sclerites; 11 same, ventral pedicel sclerite, ventral view; 12–14 dorsal view of abdomens of D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909) male (12), D. aurostriata sp. nov. male (13) and D. amatola sp. nov. female (14); 15 D. tenebrosa female, abdomen, anterodorsal view; 16 D. septemmaculata male, abdomen, showing sclerites on venter; 17 D. tenebrosa female, spinnerets, posteroventral view. Abbreviations: AAS—anterior abdominal sclerite; CGS—cylindrical gland spigots; CON—condyle; DPS—dorsal pedicel sclerite; IS—inframamillary sclerite; PB—pleural bars; PES—post-epigastric sclerite; PPS—posterior pleural sclerite; PT—petiole; SC—dorsal scutum; SI—sigillum; VPS—ventral pedicel sclerite.

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 78–92. Male palps of Drassodella species of the D. melana species group (78–85) and D. salisburyi species group (86–92) in ventral view: 78 D. flava sp. nov.; 79 D. guttata sp. nov.; 80 D. melana Tucker, 1923; 81 D. montana sp. nov.; 82 D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1923; 83 D. tolkieni sp. nov.; 84 D. transversa sp. nov.; 85 D. venda sp. nov.; 86 D. amatola sp. nov.; 87 D. aurostriata sp. nov.; 88 D. baviaans sp. nov.; 89 D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923; 90 D. salisburyi Hewitt, 1916; 91 D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909); 92 D. vasivulva Tucker, 1923. Abbreviations as follows: DP—dorsal embolic prong; EMembolus; MA—median apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; VP—ventral embolic prong. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 157–171. Dorsal habitus photographs of Drassodella species in the salisburyi species group: 157, 158 female and male of D. amatola sp. nov.; 159, 160 female and male of D. aurostriata sp. nov.; 161 male of D. baviaans sp. nov.; 162 female of D. purcelli Tucker, 1923; 163, 164 female and male of D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923; 165, 166 female and male of D. salisburyi Hewitt, 1916; 167, 168 female and male of D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909); 169 female of D. trilineata sp. nov.; 170, 171 female and male of D. vasivulva Tucker, 1923. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 176–179. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella aurostriata sp. nov.: 176 female epigyne, ventral view; 177 same, dorsal view; 178 male palp, ventral view; 179 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25mm.

FIGURES 184–187. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923: 184 female epigyne, ventral view; 185 same, dorsal view; 186 male palp, ventral view; 187 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25mm.