Hovops antakarana, Artigas, Sandra Mónica Rodriguez & Corronca, Jose Antonio, 2014

Artigas, Sandra Mónica Rodriguez & Corronca, Jose Antonio, 2014, New species and distribution records of selenopid spiders of the genus Hovops Benoit in Madagascar (Araneae, Selenopidae), Zootaxa 3780 (3), pp. 547-557 : 548

Hovops antakarana sp. n.

Figs 1–7 , 35 , 39

Type material. Holotype: female, Madagascar, Province of Antsiranana, Foret d´Orangea, ex-remnant dry forest, 3.6 km 128ºSE Remena, 12º15´S, 49º22´E, 90 m, 22–28 February 2001, L.J. Boutin leg., deposited in CAS.

Paratypes: 2 immatures, same data as holotype ( CAS).

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to the Antakarana tribe of the Northern region of Madagascar and means "people of the tsingy", referring to the limestone rock formations that distinguish their traditional territory. This name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. The epigyne with a large and subtriangular middle field is typical of the females of this new species ( Figs 3–4 ). The shape of the spermathecae is shared with that of H. pusillus Simon (fig. 8e, Corronca & Rodriguez Artigas 2011), as is the trajectory of the copulatory ducts, parallel in the anterior portion of the lateral lobes ( Figs 5 , 35 ), but the head of the spermathecae in H. antakarana sp. n. is more rounded ( Figs 4–5 , 35 ).

Description. Female (holotype): Total body length 11.83. Prosoma 5.52 long, 5.93 wide. Opisthosoma 6.31 long, 4.59 wide. Eye diameter and interdistances: AME 0.18, ALE 0.18, PME 0.14, PLE 0.27, AME-AME 0.37, AME-ALE 0.83, AME-PME 0.25, PME-PME 1.25, PME-PLE 0.81, PLE-PLE 2.98, ALE-ALE 2.31. Leg formula: 2431. Leg measurements: I—Fe 4.60, Pat+Tib 6.00, Mt 3.10, Ta 1.20, total 14.90; II—5.60, 6.70, 3.60, 1.30, total 17.20; III—5.30, 6.10, 3.40, 1.30, total 16.10, IV—5.60, 6.30, 3.60, 1.30, total 16.80. Leg spination: Fe I—pr1.1.0, d1.1.0; II––IV d1.1.0; Tib I–II v2.2.2, III—v2.2.1, IV—no spines; Mt I–II v2.2.0; III–v1.0.0, IV—no spines. Body covered by short and dark setae. Prosoma yellowish-grey with long feathery hairs; opisthosoma dark brown, lighter posteriorly ( Fig. 1 ), covered by abundant and imbricated short iridescent scale-like hairs ( Fig. 2 ) that are similar on the legs.

Male: Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 39. Records of the new species and new records of H. pusillus and H. legrasi.

FIGURES 1 – 7. Hovops antakarana sp. n. 1 female habitus, dorsal view; 2 details of the scale-like hairs; 3 epigyne ventral view; 4 idem, cleared; 5 vulva, dorsal view; 6 details of the major ampullate spigots on the spinnerets; 7 spination of the anterior tibia and metatarsus. Scales: 1, 6 = 1 mm; 3 – 5 = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 35 – 38. Drawings of the vulvae of the new species of Hovops, here described. 35 H. antakarana sp. n.; 36 H. ikongo sp. n.; 37 H. menabe sp. n.; 38 H. vezo sp. n. Abbreviations: CD—copulatory duct; FD—fertilization duct; LL—lateral lobe; SP—spermatheca. Scales = 0.2 mm.