Vytfutia halandrefana Griswold, 2022

Griswold, Charles E., 2022, The Lace Web Spider Genus Vytfutia Deeleman-Reinhold (Araneae, Phyxelididae) in the Indo-Pacific Region, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 67 (14), pp. 329-355 : 337

Vytfutia halandrefana Griswold , new species

Figures 20–25 , 50–55 , 62

Types: Holotype female ( CASENT9012513 ) from gallery forest along the Mandraré River in the Forêt de Bealoka , Réserve Privé Berenty, Toliara Provence, Madagascar, (24°57ʹ25ʺS, 46°16ʹ17ʺE, elev. 34m), collected 3–8 February 2002 by the Fisher-Griswold Arthropod Survey Team, collection code BLF5320, deposited in CAS . Paratype female ( CASENT9008848 ) from tropical dry forest at Tombeau Vazimba , Bekopaka , Parc National Tsingy de Bemaraha, Toliara Provence, Madagascar, (19°8ʹ31ʺS, 44°49ʹ41ʺE, elev. 50m), collected 6–10 November 2001 by the Fisher-Griswold Arthropod Survey Team, collection code BLF4230, deposited in CAS .

Etymology: The specific name is from the Malagasy words for spider, hala, and west, andrefana, commemorating the distribution of this westernmost Vytfutia species; a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis: Females with epigynum ( Figs. 23-25 ) broad, quadrangle greater than 2.50, copulatory opening rims transverse, posterior margin of epigynum concave, vulva complex with large anterior lobe and slender ducts, vulva width less than 1.50 times length ( Fig. 25 ); thoracic fovea oval, length less than 0.08 carapace length ( Fig. 20 ); smallest Vytfutia , total length of females 2.12–2.42; male unknown.

Male: Unknown. Female (holotype, CASENT9021513): Total length 2.12. Markings as in Figs. 20, 21 , carapace and chelicerae dark brown, labium and palpal coxae yellow-brown, venter and legs yellow-white; abdomen grey-white with dorsal brown cardiac marks broken into anterior and median parts, dorsum and sides with intermixed, scattered brown spots and white guanine deposits, venter plain yellow white. Carapace 0.95 long, 0.80 wide, 0.36 high; clypeus 0.04 high, height 0.80 AM diameter; ocular area 0.18 long, 0.46 wide, OAL 1.07 times OQL; ratio of eyes AM:AL: PM: PL, 1.00:1.11:1.11:1.22, diameter of PM 0.06; AM-AM 0.89 AM diameter, AM-AL 1.22 AM; PM-PM and PM-PL 1.60 PM; AL-PL 0.18 times PL. Chelicerae 0.41 long; sternum 0.56 long, 0.50 wide; labium 0.18 long, 0.21 wide; palpal coxae 0.27 long, 0.15 wide. Femur I length 1.01 times carapace width. Spination greatly reduced compared to other Vytfutia species: Female: palp: femur d0-1-0, tibia d1-0-2, p0-0-1, tarsus p0-1-1, v1-1-2-2-1; leg I: femur d0-1-1-0, p0-0-0-1, tibia r0-1-1-0, metatarsus v2-0-0; leg II: femur d1-1-0, p0-0-1, tibia p1-1-0-2, r0-1-0, metatarsus v2-0-0-0; leg III: femur d10-0-0; leg IV: femur d10-0-0. Leg measurements: I: 0.81 + 0.34 + 0.72 + 0.62 + 0.56 = [3.05]; II: 0.75 + 0.31 + 0.56 + 0.50 + 0.31 = [2.43]; III: 0.72 + 0.28 + 0.44 + 0.47 + 0.31 = [2.22]; IV: 0.81 + 0.34 + 0.59 + 0.56 + 0.28 = [2.58]; palp: 0.37 + 0.12 + 0.19 + na + 0.31 = [0.99]. Calamistrum as in Figs. 22 , 50, 51 ; palpal femur thorns as in Figs. 53, 54 ; tarsal claws IV as in Figs. 52, 55 . Epigynum as in Figs. 23 , 24 , vulva as in Fig. 25 . Variation (N=2): Total length 2.12–2.42; carapace length 1.19–1.25 times width, height 0.45–0.56 width; PER 1.12–1.13 times AER, 2.50–2.81 times OAL; OAL 1.04–1.07 times OQL; clypeal height 0.60–0.80 times AM diameter; cheliceral length 10.80–14.00 times clypeal height; sternum length 1.19–1.26 times width.

Natural History: Collection records from beating and pitfall trapping suggest that this species occurs on vegetation and on the ground in gallery forest and tropical dry forest.

Distribution: Known from central and western Toliara Province, Madagascar ( Fig. 62 ).

Material Examined: MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov., Réserve Privé Berenty, Forêt de Bealoka, Mandraré River , 14.6 km 329° NNW Amboasary, elev. 35 m, 24°57ʹ25ʺS, 46°16ʹ17ʺE, beating low vegetation - gallery Forest , 3–8 February 2002, Fisher-Griswold Arthropod Survey Team, collection code BLF5320 (Holotype Female CASENT9021513 ) , same data (Female CASENT9012420 ) ; Parc National Tsingy de Bemaraha, 3.4 km 93° E Bekopaka, Tombeau Vazimba , 19°8ʹ31ʺS, 44°49ʹ41ʺE, elev. 50m, pitfall trap in tropical dry forest, 6-10 November 2001, Fisher-Griswold Arthropod Survey Team, collection code 4230 (Paratype female, CASENT9008848 ) .

Figures

FIGURES 20–23. Vytfutia halandrefana new species, female, Berenty, Madagascar, CASENT9012513, habitus photos. 20. Dorsal. 21. Ventral. 22. Left metatarsus-tarsus IV and apex of abdomen with spinnerets, ventral. 23. Epigynal region, dorsal. Scale bars 20–22 = 0.5 mm, 23 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 24, 25. Vytfutia halandrefana new species, female genitalia drawings, Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar, CASENT9008848. 24. Epigynum, ventral. 25. Vulva, left half, dorsal.

FIGURES 50–55. Vytfutia halandrefana new species, Berenty, CASENT9012420, female legs and palps, SEM. 50. Metatarsus IV, retrolateral, showing calamistrum. 51. Metatarsus IV, retrolateral, showing calamistral setae. 52. Tarsus IV, apical, showing STC and ITC. 53. Palpal femur, anterolateral, showing thorns (arrow). 54. Palpal femur, anterolateral thorn, close up. 55. Tarsus IV, retrolateral showing STC and ITC. Scale bars: 50, 300 µm; 51, 20 µm, 52, 55, 50 µm, 53, 200 µm, 54, 30 µm.

FIGURE 62. Vytfutia spp. Distributions on map of Eurasia and Australasia. Filled circle. Vytfutia bedel Deeleman-Reinhold, 1986, Holotype male from Gunung Leuser, border of National Park at Bohorok in primary rainforest, N. Sumatra, Indonesia. Triangle. Vytfutia labalaba new species, Holotype male from the wall of a building at 1550m elevation on Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah-Borneo, Malaysia. Diamond. Vytfutia halandrefana new species, Madagascar. Star. Vytfutia pallens Deeleman-Reinhold, 1989, male paratype from Niah Cave, Sarawak, Malaysia.