Drassodella purcelli Tucker, 1923

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 : 45

Drassodella purcelli Tucker, 1923

Figs 8, 10 , 72 , 162 , 182, 183

Drassodella purcelli Tucker, 1923: 311 , fig. 39 (Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: Matjiesfontein, 33°13'S, 20°35'E, VIII.1906, leg. W.F. Purcell, SAMC ENW-X 150465 —not examined).

Remarks. Unfortunately the holotype of D. purcelli could not be located during the current study. This species was identified from material collected close to the type locality using Tucker’s (1923) good illustrations (compare Tucker 1923: fig. 39 with Fig. 182 ).

Diagnosis. Females of D. purcelli are most similar to those of D. quinquelabecula , but can be recognised by the broad anterior hood with an almost straight anterior margin ( Figs 72 , 182 ), while narrow and strongly curved in D. quinquelabecula ( Fig. 73 , 184 ). The colouration of the two species is also markedly different (compare Figs 162 and 163 ). Male unknown.

Description. Female (Anysberg Nature Reserve, NCA 2016/2489). Measurements: CL 1.48, CW 1.20, AL 1.71, AW 0.99, TL 3.18 (2.56–3.18), FL 0.15, SL 0.91, SW 0.91, CH 0.06, AME-AME 0.04, AME-ALE 0.08, ALE-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.06, PME-PLE 0.06, PLE-PLE 0.29, PERW 0.37, MOQAW 0.14, MOQPW 0.16, MOQL 0.20.

Length of leg segments: I 1.10 + 0.53 + 0.83 + 0.71 + 0.64 = 3.84, II 1.02 + 0.48 + 0.71 + 0.70 + 0.62 = 3.53, III 0.83 + 0.39 + 0.60 + 0.74 + 0.55 =3.11, IV 1.10 + 0.43 + 0.90 + 1.21 + 0.50 = 4.14.

General appearance as in Fig. 162 . Carapace dark-brown, with black mottling radiating from centre; white feathery setae forming upsilon shape medially from eye region towards posterior margin, diverging after fovea. Clypeus height equal to AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 0.66 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.33 AME diameter; PME equal to PLE; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae brown; three teeth on promargin, median tooth largest, proximal and distal teeth subequal; two subequal teeth on retromargin, close together. Endites orange, paler at maxillar hair tuft. Labium orange, as long as broad. Sternum orange. Legs yellow-brown, anterior femora with dense black mottling, posterior femora with lateral black mottling only; remaining segments yellow-brown, tarsi yellow. Leg spination: femora: I do 1, II do 1, III pl 1 do 4, IV do 4; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I and II spineless, III pl 1 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2 vt 1, IV pl 1 rl 2 rlv 1 vt 1; metatarsi: I spineless, II rl 1, III pl 4 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1; palpal spination: femora spineless; patellae rl 1; tibiae do 1 pl 1; tarsi pl 1 do 2 rl 1 rlv 1. Abdomen black, with two pairs of white spots of feathery setae dorsolaterally, third pair of white spots posterolateral side ( Fig. 162 ); venter pale. Spinnerets pale. Epigyne with broad deep anterior hood, anterior and posterior margins almost straight, lateral ends directed posteriorly, forming narrow strips; lateral margins of median septum originating at posterior ends of lateral strips of anterior hood, curving twice mesally towards posterior, short posterior section diverging; ST I, ST II and connecting ducts yellow-brown; ST II oval, separated by slightly more than their width, larger than elongate-oval ST I ( Figs 72 , 182, 183 ).

Material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: Anysberg Nature Reserve, 33°28.454'S, 20°40.696'E, 660 m a.s.l., 8.IX–8.X.2015, leg. Z. Mbo (pitfall traps, riparian woodland), 2♀ ( NCA 2016 /2489); Matjiesfontein, Farm Jagerskraal, 33°13.418'S, 20°24.763'E, 995 m a.s.l., 18.X.2015, leg. Z. Mbo (hand collecting, under rocks), 1♀ ( NCA 2016 /2757); Touws River station , 33°20'S, 20°03'E, IX.1896, leg. W.F. Purcell, 2♀ (SAMC ENW-X003971 ).

Distribution. Known from four 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 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 180–183. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella baviaans sp. nov. (180, 181) and D. purcelli Tucker, 1923 (182, 183): 180 male palp, ventral view; 181 same, retrolateral view; 182 female epigyne, ventral view; 183 same, dorsal 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.