Parabomis megae, Dippenaar-Schoeman & Foord, 2020

Dippenaar-Schoeman, Anna S. & Foord, Stefan H., 2020, Revision of the Afrotropical crab-spider genus Parabomis Kulczyński, 1901 (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 4899 (1), pp. 161-174 : 168-169

Parabomis megae sp. nov.

Figures 15 – 20

Etymology. Named in honour of Ms Meg Cumming (Harare, Zimbabwe), in recognition of her contribution to our knowledge of Zimbabwean spiders.

Diagnosis. The species is distinguished from other congeners by the male palp having the RTA straight, with the apex directed dorsally, while directed laterad in others, except for P. elsae sp. nov. It differs from P. elsae sp. nov. by the sharply pointed tip of the apex ( Fig. 18 ). Parabomis megae sp. nov. resembles the female of P. elsae sp. nov. in the shape of the epigyne, but the colour differs, being uniform in P. megae sp. nov. and strongly mottled in P. elsae sp. nov. ( Fig. 19 ).

Description. Male (holotype). Measurements: TL 1.90; CL 0.95; CW 1.03. Legs: I 1.44 (0.52, 0.13, 0.30, 0.27, 0.22); II 1.44 (0.63, 0.22, 0.28, 0.20, 0.11); III 1.09 (0.34, 0.12, 0.32, 0.21, 0.10); IV 1.32 (0.47, 0.15, 0.32, 0.19, 0.19). Carapace dark brown ( Fig. 15 ); eyes circled with black; chelicerae dark brown; mouthparts yellowish brown; palp dark brown; carapace slightly wider than long; strongly granulated, bearing numerous small tubercles, each with translucent seta. Sternum brown; granulose. Eyes as for genus. Legs: coxae, trochanters and tibiae brown, with blackish hue; femora I-IV dark brown, with femora I and II usually darker than rest; patellae yellowish brown; tibiae, metatarsi and partly tarsi of legs I and II clothed with numerous fine erect setae. Abdomen dorsum white with brown hue, shield-like with scattered black spots. Male palp with RTA straight, tip directed dorsally and apex pointed ( Fig. 18 ).

Female. Measurements: TL 3.2; CL 1.1; CW 1.4. Legs: I 1.83 (0.67, 0.29, 0.42, 0.25, 0.27); II 1.84 (0.61, 0.28, 0.43, 0.24, 0.28); III 1.61 (0.41, 0.22, 0.26, 0.12, 0.70); IV 1.71 (0.55, 0.46, 0.27, 0.31, 0.12). Carapace fawn, in some specimens darker laterally ( Figs 16-17 ); strongly granulated, bearing numerous small tubercles, each with translucent seta; eye region infused with white; eyes sometimes circled with black; chelicerae creamish white. Sternum granulated, bearing tubercles with seta. Legs creamish white, with distinct white bands at joints; femora frequently darker. Abdomen fawn to white, with scattered dark setae giving it spotted appearance; depressions on dorsum darker, bearing two brownish markings ( Fig. 16 ). Epigyne with atrium oval ( Fig. 19 ); spermathecae with short ducts ( Fig. 20 ).

Type material. Holotype ³: ZIMBABWE: Doddieburn Dam , Doddieburn Ranch, 21°28’S, 29°24’E, leg. J. Minshull, 12.XII.1985 ( NMZ / A4208 a).

Paratypes: ZIMBABWE: Doddieburn Dam, Doddieburn Ranch , 21°28’S, 29°24’E, leg. J. Minshull, 12.XII.1985, 1♀, 3³, 4imm. ( NMZ / A4208 b); Tshowe River rapids, Matetsi Safari Area , 18°31’S, 28°40’E, leg. J. Minshull, 6.XII.1988, 1³ ( NMZ A6916 ); Walmer Drive , Harare , 17°49’S, 31°05’E, leg. M. Cumming, 14. VI .2004 (spider ballooning), 1♀ ( NCA 2012 /327); Same locality data , leg. M. Cumming, 15.I.2004 (sweeping grass and herbs in garden), 1♀, 3imm. ( NCA 2012 /326); Same locality data , leg. M. Cumming, 1. III .2004 , 1♀ ( NCA 2009 / 258).

Other material examined. ZIMBABWE: Humani Ranch , Store Camp, 20°29’S, 32°15’E, leg. Falcon College, 6. IV.1987, 1imm. ( NMZ A 5882 ) ; Doddieburn Dam , Doddieburn Ranch, 21°28’S, 29°24’E, leg. E. Nyathi, 20. IV.1986, 2 imm. ( NMZ / A4661 ) ; Same locality, leg. J. Minshull, 11.XII.1985, 1 imm. ♀ ( NMZ 4227 ) ; Chelo Farm Homestead , 2029A3, leg. F. Nyathi, 5.X.1988, 5 imm. ( NMZ 715 ) , 4 imm. ( NMZ / A7190 ) ; Namakukwe , Zambezi confluence, 17°51’S, 25°23’E, leg. Falcon College, 26.VIII.1986, 1 imm. ( NMZ 4794 ) ; Sabi-Lundi confluence, Gomarezhou National Park, 21°23’S, 33°50’E, leg. J. Minshull, 21. IV.1985, 1 imm. ( NMZ 3289 ) ; Tshowe River rapids, Matetsi Safari Area 18°31’S, 28°40’E, leg. J. Minshull, 4.XII.1988 ( NMZ 6895 ) ; Katombora Campsite, 17°50’S, 25°24’E, leg. Falcon College, 1.X.1986, 1 imm. ( NMZ 4720 ) , 1 imm. NMZ 5040, 1 imm NMZ 5079, 1 imm. NMZ 5086 ); 1.5 km NW of Kazuma Forestry camp, 1825B3, leg. Falcon College, 15. IV.1988, 2 imm. ( NMZ / A 6704 ) ; Farm 2 km E. Glenmore, 2028C, leg. F.Nyathi, 28.IX.1988, 1 imm. ( NMZ / A 7094 ) ; Sengwa Plot , leg. M. Cumming, 2.XII.2002 (beating Trichelias tree), 1³ ( NCA 2009 /456) .

Distribution. Known only from Zimbabwe ( Fig. 32 ).

Biology/Habitat. Specimens were sampled sweeping grass and herbs. Most of the adult specimens were sampled from December to March.

Figures

FIGURES 15–20. Parabomis megae sp. nov. 15 Male habitus, dorsal view; 16 Female habitus, dorsal view; 17 Female habitus, dorsal view; 18 Left palp, ventral view; 19 Epigyne, ventral view; 20 Epigyne, dorsal view. Scales: 1 mm.

FIGURES 31–32. 31 Records of the previously known Parabomis species, P. levanderi Kulczyński, 1901 (red circles) and P. martini Lessert, 1919 (blue triangles); 32 Records of new Parabomis species in the Afrotropical Region.