Spiniculosa crassipalpis (Purcell) comb. nov.

(Figs 1A–F, 3A–B, 4A–C, 5A, 6A–C, 7A, C–D, 8 A–B, 9A, C)

Pardosa crassipalpis Purcell, 1903: 138, pl. viii fig. 26 (♀).— Roewer 1959: 122, fig. 61 (♀); Dippenaar-Schoeman et al 2021: 19, unnumbered figs of ♂♂ and ♀♀ habitus and epigynes; Dippenaar-Schoeman & Webb 2023: 21, figs 2, 10 (♂ habitus), 1, 3, 4, 9 (♀ habitus) 5–7 (♀ epigyne).

Passiena upembensis Roewer, 1959: 165, fig. 119 (♀).

Pardosa upembensis (Roewer): Lehtinen 2005: 406. Transfer of Passiena upembensis to Pardosa and proposal that it might be a synonym to P. crassipalpis . Syn. nov.

Type material. Lectotype ♀ and paralectotype ♂ of Pardosa crassipalpis from SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, Hot Baths near Montagu, 33.78°S, 20.12°E, Nov. 1902, W.F.Purcell (SAM-ENW-X012652), examined and here designated . Holotype ♀ and paratype ♀ of Passiena upembensis from DR CONGO, Haut-Katanga, Upemba National Park, Masombwe, ca 9.08°S, 27.20°E, 1120 m, 19 Oct. 1948 (Mission De Witte, RMCA 139894, 139895), examined .

Other material examined. BOTSWANA. Ngamiland (Okavango Delta): Khurunxaragha, moist shore meadow, 21 Aug.–4 Sep. 1973, R. Hakanen, 3♂ 2♀ (ZMUT) ; Maxwee, floodplain grassland, Sep. 1976, A. Russell-Smith, 4♂ (CARS) ; Maun, Island Safari Lodge, riverine forest, 21 Sep. 1975, A. Russell-Smith, 1♂ 3♀ (CARS) ; Maun, Thamalakane R., heavily grazed Digitaria, 27 Mar. 1976, A. Russell-Smith, 2♀ (BMNH) ; Moremi Game Reserve, Mboma Island, Sporobolus grassland, 18 Oct. 1977, A. Russell-Smith, 2♂ 3♀ (CARS) . — ETHIOPIA. Oromia Region: Edge of Lake Langano, under stones in short Cynodon grassland, 8 April 1987, A. Russell-Smith (CARS), 4♂ 3♀ . Awash National Park, leaf litter in riverine forest, 13 Mar. 1983, A. Russell-Smith, 5♂ 5♀ (CARS) . — KENYA. Coast: Kwale region, Tiwi Beach, Twiga Lodge, 4.24°S 39.60°E, 4 Jan. 1972 (T. Kronestedt, NHRS), 2♂ 1♀ . Mombasa: Bamburi Beach, Aug. 1948, Å. Holm, 1♂ (UUZM) . Rift Valley: Lake Nakuru, shore, 0.32°S, 36.08°E, 24 Jan. 1975 (T. Kronestedt, NHRS), 2♂ 1♀ . — TANZANIA. Arusha: Lake Manyara, camp site, 3.37°S, 35.86°E, 2 Jan. 1972 (T. Kronestedt, NHRS), 1♀ . — SOUTH AFRICA. Gauteng: 2 km S of Springs, 17 Nov. 2006 (S. Snäll, NHRS), 1♀ . Limpopo: Kameelfontein, Groblersdal, 25 Mar. 1978, A. Russell-Smith, 1♂ 6♀ (CARS) . Rust de Winter, 27 Jan. 1981 (M. Stiller, NHRS), 4♂ 4♀ . North West: Buffelsfontein, Rustenburg, 21 Mar. 1980, A. Russell-Smith, 1♂ 1♀ (CARS) . Western Cape: same as lectotype, 2♂ 8♀ (SAM-ENW-X012652), 1♂ 2♀ (SAM-ENW-X012613).

Remarks (1) Roewer (1959) transferred two African species previously assigned to Pardosa to the genus Passiena Thorell, 1890 (type species: Passiena spinicrus Thorell, 1890, described from Malaysia), adding three newly described species, including P. upembensis Roewer. His argument for this was mainly the presence of at least four pairs of ventral spines on tibia I. Roewer (1959) was not able to examine the type specimen of P. spinicrus (which, according to Roewer, could no longer be found; however, the holotype is present in Museo civico di Storia naturale, Genova, not in Swedish Museum of Natural History as indicated in Lehtinen 2005).

The type specimens of Passiena upembensis Roewer have the number and arrangement of first tibial spines similar to the condition in i.a. Pardosa .

(2) In the material at hand, a certain variation in colour pattern was noted. Whether this indicates a presence of distinct cryptic taxa cannot be revealed without other methods. Here reliance was primarily on the conformation of the copulatory organs. Supplementary studies by comparing nucleotide sequences in specimens collected from separate apart populations may throw more light on this. For instance, the two males from Tiwi Beach on the coast of Kenya (one in Fig. 1E), are similar in colour pattern to the female from the same locality (Fig. 1F), while the two males from Lake Nakuru in Kenya (one in Fig. 1C) differ in colour and pattern from the female from the same locality (Fig. 1D).

Diagnosis. Male differs from Spiniculosa albida sp. nov. by the coloration of the body and the shape of the tegular apophysis, the palea and its furrow (Figs 3A, 6A) as well as the retrolateral extrapaleal sclerite (Figs 4B, 6C). Females differ by the configuration of the epigyne, septum widest in rear half (Figs 3B, 8A–B) and the course of the copulatory ducts in the receptacular complex (Fig. 9C).

Description. Male (South Africa: Rust de Winter). Total length 3.9. Carapace length 2.10, width 1.55.

Prosoma (Fig. 1A, C, E). Carapace brownish with yellow median band and wide yellow lateral bands extending to carapace margin and continuing to clypeus. Median band may vary in colour and be darker, greyish yellow. Thoracic portion with narrow blackish streaks along margin, usually present above each leg coxa only, sometimes absent above coxae I and II, and sometimes with more or less distinct submarginal brownish spots in lateral bands. Brownish sides of thoracic portion with recumbent dark and appressed greyish setae, median band with both dark (in front of fovea) and whitish setae, lateral bands with whitish pubescence and fewer dark setae. Clypeus yellowish, with sooty area nearest to each chelicera. Chelicerae yellowish brown with darker longitudinal streaks. Sternum yellowish, sometimes more or less tinged by grey towards margin.

Eyes. Width of row I 35, row II 51 row III 63, row II–III 53. Diameter of AME 9, ALE 7, PME 19, PLE 17. Distance between AMEs 5, between AME and ALE 1.5.

Legs (Table 1). Yellow, sometimes with greyish brown markings. Leg I with rows of about four spine-like setae distally and proventrally on coxa and trochanter respectively (Fig. 7A, C–D).

Opisthosoma (Fig. 1A, C, E). Dorsally with median part more or less yellowish (may vary in colour to yellowish grey) and lateral parts brownish grey speckled with yellowish dots; lanceolate stripe greyish yellow (may vary in colour to greyish brown), bordered by dark dots. Venter light yellowish with white, adpressed pubescence.

Palp (Figs 3A, 4A–C, 5A, 6A–C) comparatively large. Pt 0.45, Ti 0.50, Cy 1.00. Cymbium dark, rest of segments dark except being more or less dark greyish yellow dorsally. All segments with dark setae, femur dorsally in addition with light setae. Long and dense dark pubescence laterally, notably prolaterally on tibia, and prolaterally on basal portion of cymbium. Tegular apophysis basally wide, distally narrow and ending in a hook-like bend. Terminal part with characteristically shaped rounded palea having long curved furrow at its anterior rim (Fig. 6A: pf), and retrolaterally with a characteristically shaped extrapaleal sclerite (Fig. 6C). The latter with a characteristic flat protrusion, the margin of which may have minute denticles (Fig. 4B arrow). Embolus very long and narrow (Fig. 6A).

Female (South Africa: Groblersdal). Total length 4.3. Carapace 2.05 long, 1.60 wide.

Prosoma (Fig. 1B, D, F). Carapace brownish with wide yellow median band, most dilated behind PLEs, and wide yellow lateral bands extending to margin of carapace and continuing to clypeus. Margin of thoracic portion with narrow blackish streaks along margin, present above each leg coxa only, and more or less distinct submarginal brownish spots in lateral bands.

Eyes. Width of row I 34, row II 50, row III 63, row II–III 52. Diameter of AME 8, ALE 6, PME 18, PLE 16. Distance between AMEs 4, between AME and ALE 1.5.

Legs (Table 1). Yellowish, with greyish brown markings. Femora with dark pseudoannulation. Tibiae often yellowish grey with indistinct darker annulation, metatarsi with annuli, distal annulus on Mt IV usually notably dark.

Opisthosoma (Fig. 1B, D, F). Dorsally with median part yellowish and lateral parts brownish grey speckled with yellowish dots; lanceolate stripe greyish yellow, bordered by dark dots. Sides and venter light yellowish, sides also with fewer dark spots.

Epigyne (Figs 3B, 8A–B, 9A, C) with single transverse anterior pocket (”hood”). Posterior part of epigyne covered by septum widening backwards and narrowing before the end. For copulatory ducts and spermathecae, see Fig. 9C.

Size variation. Carapace lengths of material measured: males 1.80–2.20 (N=18), females 1.95–2.45 (N=16).

Biology and habitat. The life cycle, courtship and seasonality of Spiniculosa crassipalpis were investigated by Dippenaar-Schoeman (1977: sub Pardosa) near Pretoria, South Africa. The species is common in South Africa, tolerates a wide range of habitats and is regarded as an agrobiont, found in various crops and might be important as a natural control agent of pests (Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2013, Dippenaar-Schoeman & Webb 2023).

Distribution. Botswana, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia (Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2021), South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe (Dippenaar-Schoeman & Webb 2023).