Messapus meridionalis, Haddad, Charles R. & Mbo, Zingisile, 2015

Haddad, Charles R. & Mbo, Zingisile, 2015, Five new species of the Afrotropical dark sac spider genus Messapus Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Corinnidae), Zootaxa 4057 (3), pp. 385-398 : 393

Messapus meridionalis sp. n.

Figs 6 , 33 , 45, 46

Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, Samango waterfall trail, 30°42.612'S, 30°16.182'E, leg. C. Haddad, 200 m a.s.l., 13.I.2011 (canopy fogging) (NCA 2014/1856).

Etymology. From Latin for southern ( meridionalis ), referring to its distribution as the southernmost species in the genus.

Diagnosis. Similar to females of M. martini , females of M. meridionalis sp. n. possess horse-shoe shaped epigynal ridges and copulatory openings that are situated anteriorly. Medially, the epigynal ridges of M. martini extend half the length of the epigyne ( Haddad 2013: fig. 34), while those of M. meridionalis sp. n. extend to the posterior margin ( Fig. 45 ). The spermathecae of M. martini are oblique ( Haddad 2013: fig. 35), while those of M. meridionalis sp. n. are longitudinal ( Fig. 46 ). Male unknown.

Female (holotype, Oribi Gorge, NCA 2014/1856). Measurements: CL 3.85, CW 3.30, AL 4.40, AW 2.30, TL 8.40, FL 0.35, SL 1.70, SW 1.90, CH 0.13, AME–AME 0.14, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.73, PME–PME 0.23, PME–PLE 0.21, PLE–PLE 1.03, PERW 1.32, MOQAW 0.68, MOQPW 0.67, MOQL 0.76.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 3.30 + 1.60 + 2.20 + 2.45 + 1.55 = 11.10; II 2.80 + 1.45 + 2.25 + 2.45 + 1.50 = 10.45; III 3.30 + 1.35 + 2.50 + 3.10 + 1.50 = 11.75; IV missing.

General appearance as in Fig. 6 . Carapace yellow medially, with light brown markings with black FS mediolaterally, creamy-yellow laterally; eye region generally black, cream between posterior eyes. All eyes surrounded by black rings; clypeus height equal to distance 0.44 times AME diameter; AER slightly procurved; AME larger than ALE; AME separated by distance slightly less than half their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance 0.11 times AME diameter; PER slightly procurved; PME slightly larger than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance 0.87 times PME diameter. Chelicerae orange-brown, with dark brown setae on paturon; CPPM absent; promargin with three teeth, median largest, distal smallest; median and distal teeth adjacent, median and proximal teeth widely separated; retromargin with two widely separated teeth, distal tooth slightly larger. Endites and labium creamy-yellow, paler distally; endites with distinct serrula; sternum shield-shaped, broader than long, with scattered light brown setae. Legs cream, with faint mottled markings comprising black FS from femora to metatarsi. Leg spination (leg IV missing): femora: I pl 2 do 3, II pl 1-2 do 3 rl 0-1, III pl 2-3 do 3 rl 1-2; tibiae: I pl 0-1 plv 3 rlv 3, II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 3, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, II pl 1 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, III pl 1 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2; patellae: pl 1 do 1; tibiae: pl 1 plv 3; tarsi: pl 1 plv 1. Abdomen cream dorsally, densely covered in dark grey FS, sparser medially in anterior half; venter cream, with less dense FS and scattered short straight setae. Epigyne with horse-shoe shaped epigynal ridges, with median ridge extending to posterior; copulatory openings situated anteriorly in epigynal ridges ( Figs 33 , 45 ); spermathecae fused medially, longitudinal, with broad lateral lobes ( Fig. 46 ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 55 ).

Figures

FIGURE 55. Distribution of Messapus megae sp. n. (black circle), M. meridionalis sp. n. (black star), M. seiugatus sp. n. (black square), M. tigris sp. n. (open circles) and M. tropicus sp. n. (open squares) in the Afrotropical Region.

FIGURES 3 – 10. Digital microscope photographs of Messapus species, female right chelicerae in posterior view (3) and dorsal habitus (4 – 10): 3, 8 M. tigris sp. n., female; 4 M. megae sp. n., female; 5 Same, male; 6 M. meridionalis sp. n., female; 7 M. seiugatus sp. n., female; 9 M. tropicus sp. n., female; 10 Same, male. Scale bars: 3 = 1 mm, 4 – 10 = 2 mm. Abbreviations: CPPM—cheliceral promarginal pronounced mound; F—fang; P—paturon; PMT—promarginal teeth; RMT—retromarginal teeth.

FIGURES 32 – 40. Digital microscope photographs of Messapus species, cleared female epigynes in ventral view (32 – 36) and male palps in ventral (37, 39) and retrolateral views (38, 40): 32, 37, 38 M. megae sp. n.; 33 M. meridionalis sp. n.; 34 M. seiugatus sp. n.; 35 M. tigris sp. n.; 36, 39, 40 M. tropicus sp. n.. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 45 – 50. Female genitalic morphology of Messapus meridionalis sp. n. (45, 46), M. seiugatus sp. n. (47, 48) and M. tigris sp. n. (49, 50): 45, 47, 49 Epigyne, ventral view; 46, 48, 50 Same, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.