Purcelliana khabus, Rodrigues & Rheims, 2020

Rodrigues, Bruno V. B. & Rheims, Cristina A., 2020, An overview of the African genera of Prodidominae spiders: descriptions and remarks (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 4799 (1), pp. 1-80 : 46-47

Purcelliana khabus sp. nov.

Figs 33 A–F

Type material. Male holotype from Namibia, Keetmanshoop , Khabus 146, 26°17’S 18°14’E, 7 December 1987 – 17 January 1988, N. Olivier leg., deposited in SMN 40749 . Paratypes: 1 male from same locality as holotype, 28°18’S 18°13’E, 14 April 1988, N. Olivier leg., ( SMN 42020 ) ; 1 female from Namibia, Mariental , Berseba 170, 25°12’S 18°03’E, 7–29 November 1992, E. Marais leg., ( SMN 42879 ) .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality, noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Purcelliana khabus sp. nov. resembles P. kamaseb sp. nov. in having the carapace reddish-brown and strongly rugose ( Figs 26A, B ), and by the male palp with the embolus curved retrolaterally ( Figs 32B , 33B ). The males are distinguished by the palps with vRTA rounded in ventral view (pointed in P. kamaseb sp. nov.) and by the dRTA bent dorsally (ventrally in P. kamaseb sp. nov.) ( Figs 33B, C ); females are distinguished from P. kamaseb by the epigyne with V-shaped copulatory openings converging (diverging in P. kamaseb sp. nov.) and by the posterior-median depression without longitudinal grooves (present in P. kamaseb sp. nov.) ( Fig. 33D ). Both males and females are markedly smaller than those of P. kamaseb sp. nov.

Description. Male (SMN 40749). Legs orange and abdomen pale yellow. Total length: 1.68. Carapace 0.72 long, 0.71 wide; Abdomen 0.82 long, 0.51 wide; Sternum 0.56 long, 0.44 wide; Spinnerets: ALS 0.08 long, 0.07 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.05, ALE 0.06, PME 0.06, PLE 0.08; interdistances: AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.05. Chelicerae 0.24 long. Leg measurements: I: 2.56 (0.67, 0.40, 0.63, 0.44, 0.40); II: 1.72 (0.48, 0.22, 0.39, 0.31, 0.32); III: 1.53 (0.44, 0.25, 0.30, 0.27, 0.27); IV: 2.40 (0.67, 0.38, 0.53, 0.51, 0.32). Palp: conductor distally widened; vRTA larger than dRTA ( Figs 33 A–C).

Female (SMN 42879). Total length: 1.92. Carapace 0.83 long, 0.75 wide; Abdomen 1.03 long, 0.6 wide; Sternum 0.64 long, 0.48 wide; Spinnerets ALS 0.08 long, 0.06 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.06, ALE 0.05, PME 0.06, PLE 0.07; interdistances: AME–AME 0.04, PME–PME 0.03, AME–ALE contiguous, PME–PLE contiguous, ALE–PLE contiguous. Chelicerae 0.23 long. Leg measurements: I: 2.76 (0.71, 0.49, 0.62, 0.48, 0.46); II: 2.10 (0.59, 0.36, 0.44, 0.38, 0.33); III: 1.82 (0.52, 0.28, 0.39, 0.34, 0.29); IV: 2.67 (0.70, 0.40, 0.60, 0.54, 0.43). Epigyne: see species diagnosis.

Variation. Total length (2 males): 1.68–1.90.

Distribution: Namibia Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 34 ).

Figures

FIGURE 26. Purcelliana kamaseb sp. nov., female: (A) habitus, dorsal view; (B) habitus, lateral view; (C) abdomen, dorsal view, detail of clavate setae. P. cederbergensis sp. nov., male: (D) chelicerae, frontal view. P. problematica, male: (E) habitus, dorsal view; (F) sternum and endites; (G) spinnerets, lateral view; (H) spinnerets, ventral view.

FIGURE 32. Purcelliana kamaseb sp. nov., male palp: (A) apical view, bulb rotated (prolateral view); (B) ventral view, bulb rotated; (C) prolatero-basal view, bulb rotated (retrolateral view); (D) retrolateral view, bulb rotated (apical view). Female: (E) epigyne, ventral view, arrow to triangular posterior depression; (F) vulva, dorsal view; (G) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. C—conductor; CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; Eembolus; FD—fertilization duct; LETe—laminar extension of tegulum; PMD—posterior median depression; vRTA—ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 33. Purcelliana khabus sp. nov., male palp: (A) apical view, bulb rotated (prolateral view); (B) ventro-basal view, bulb rotated (ventral view); (C) retrolateral view, bulb rotated (apical view). Female: (D) epigyne, ventral view, arrow to triangular posterior depression; (E) vulva, dorsal view; (F) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. C—conductor; CDcopulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; E—embolus; FD—fertilization duct; LETe—laminar extension of tegulum; PMD—posterior median depression; vRTA—ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 34. Known distribution records of species of Purcelliana from Namibia and South Africa.