Austrophaea zebra Lawrence, 1952

Haddad, Charles R., 2007, A revision of the endemic South African dark sac spider genus Austrophaea (Araneae: Corinnidae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 47-53 : 49-52

Austrophaea zebra Lawrence, 1952

Figs 1–15

Austrophaea zebra: Lawrence 1952: 217 , figs 63–67.

Austrophaea festiva Lawrence, 1952: 219 , fig. 68. Syn. n.

Redescription:

Male.

Measurements: CL 2.45–2.78, CW 2.00–2.20, AL 2.25–2.98, AW 1.35–1.80, TL 4.48– 5.65, FL 0.20–0.25, SL 1.30–1.38, SW 1.13–1.23. Interdistances between eyes: AME– AME 0.11, AME–ALE 0.10, ALE–ALE 0.54, PME–PME 0.14, PME–PLE 0.19, PLE– PLE 0.74.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.35+1.20+ 2.70+1.88+0.63=8.76; II 1.70+0.85+1.63+1.30+0.60=6.08; III 1.23+0.75+0.95+ 1.00+0.48= 4.41; IV 2.00+0.93+1.80+1.85+0.65=7.23.

General appearance as in Fig. 1 . Carapace slightly convex and somewhat flattened, highest at midpoint ( Fig. 3 ); surface very finely wrinkled with scattered tiny straight black setae; fovea somewhat indistinct, moderately long; carapace pale cream-yellow to deep yellow-orange, with broad median dark brown mottled stripe extending from anterior eye row to posterior margin of carapace ( Fig. 1 ), and dark brown spots laterally at bases of coxae II, III and IV. All eyes with black rings; anterior eye row procurved, medians very slightly larger than laterals; clypeus height slightly smaller than AME diameter; AME separated by their diameter; AME separated from ALE by two-thirds AME diameter; PER procurved, medians subequal to laterals; PME separated by their diameter; PME separated from PLE by approx. 1.5 times PME diameter. Chelicerae yellow to yellow-orange, with black spot proximally on anterior margin; scattered long brown setae on anterior surface; three teeth on promargin, distal tooth smallest, median and proximal teeth subequal in size; median and distal teeth closer to each other than to proximal tooth; retromargin with three teeth, distal tooth smallest and furthest away from other teeth; endites rounded on anterior margin with well developed serrula laterally; retrolateral margin with distinctive heel, truncated towards posterior margin; labium rounded anteriorly, as wide as long. Abdomen oval-elongate, with narrow brown dorsal scutum extending to two-thirds abdomen length; dorsum cream to pale yellow, with dark brown median stripe with 5–7 lateral branches extending to spinnerets ( Fig. 1 ); dorsum covered with scattered tiny straight black setae; ventrum pale cream, unsclerotised, covered with fine short straight setae. Legs I longest, stoutly built, particularly tibiae and metatarsi ( Fig. 3 ); remaining legs considerably less robust and shorter; tarsal claws small, situated laterally within dense claw tufts; coxae yellow; femora I cream to yellow, with indistinct black ring laterally and posteriorly; femora II to IV cream to yellow, with distinct rings laterally and ventrally at two-thirds and at end of each femur; patellae yellow, with narrow black ring at distal end; tibiae I dark brown, greatly enlarged and somewhat flattened ventrally, with pairs of long flattened spines ( Fig. 2 ); tibiae II to IV cream to yellow, with black spots laterally (tibiae II) or black rings (tibiae III to IV) dorsally and laterally at one-third and two-thirds their length; metatarsi I dark brown, yellow distally, enlarged and slightly flattened ventrally, with strong paired spines ventrally; metatarsi II to IV cream to yellow with black rings dorsally and laterally at one-third and two-thirds their length; all tarsi uniform cream or yellow; leg spination: femora: I pl 4 do 1 rlv 1, II do 1, III do 1, IV do 1; patellae: I plv 1; tibiae: I plv 9 rlv 9, II plv 8 rlv 6–7; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 2 rlv 2. Male palp cream or yellow, without spines; palpal tibiae with distinctive subtriangular retrolateral apophysis with swelling on distal surface ( Figs 7–13 ); cymbium densely setose, particularly in distal half; tegulum rounded, with thick embolus distally, originating prolaterally, curving retrolaterally, projecting beyond retrolateral margin of cymbium ( Fig. 7 ); distal end of coiled sperm duct distinctly visible; median apophysis small, spine-like, situated retrolaterally and medially on tegulum ( Figs 7, 8 ).

Female.

Measurements: CL 2.50–3.00, CW 1.89–2.30, AL 3.48–3.55, AW 2.00–2.45, TL 6.10– 6.45, FL 0.20–0.29, SL 1.25–1.50, SW 1.08–1.30. Interdistances between eyes: AME– AME 0.14, AME–ALE 0.10, ALE–ALE 0.58, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.19, PLE– PLE 0.82.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.45+1.28+ 3.00+0.95+0.60=8.28; II 1.80+0.90+1.83+1.38+0.50=6.41; III 1.43+0.80+1.03+1.13+ 0.53= 4.92; IV 2.20+0.93+2.00+2.00+0.65=7.78.

General appearance and colouration as for male ( Figs 4–6 ). Chelicerae with three teeth on promargin, median tooth largest and proximal tooth smallest; median and distal teeth situated close together; retromargin with three teeth situated close together; median tooth largest, proximal and distal teeth smaller, subequal in size. Abdomen shorter and broader than that of male, without dorsal scutum. Legs similar to male in structure

( Fig. 5 ); leg spination: femora: I pl 4 do 1 rlv 5 or 6 erect setae in row, II do 1, III do 1, IV do 1; patellae: I plv 1 rlv 1 or 2 smaller spines; tibiae: I plv 9–12 rlv 9–11, II plv 9 rlv 9; metatarsi: I plv 2–3 rlv 2–3, II plv 2 rlv 2. Spermathecae 1 oval, tear-shaped and narrowed posteriorly, situated within sclerotised sockets ( Fig. 14 ); copulatory openings situated posterolaterally, entering spermathecae directly ( Fig. 15 ); spermathecae 2 small, globose, situated postero-laterally ( Figs 14, 15 ).

The types are placed together in a bottle with the following label: ‘NM[ SA] 5281 / SYNTYPES / Austrophaea zebra Lawrence, 1952 / RSA, KZN, Tongaat. October 1948. / Carnegie .’

Lectotype (here designated):ơ deposited in NMSA (examined). Two labels accompany the specimen: ‘Natal Museum / Austrophaea zebra Lawr. / Tongaat. / Coll. Carnegie. / Oct. 1948 N. M. 5281 // Type ơ 5281 / Tongaat’.

Paralectotype (here designated): ^deposited in NMSA (examined). Two labels accompany the specimen: ‘Natal Museum / Austrophaea zebra Lawr. / Tongaat. / Coll. Carnegie. / Oct. 1948 N. M. 5281 // 5281 – Tongaat / Carnegie IX 1948 ’.

Type material of synonym: Holotype: ơ deposited in NMSA (examined). One accompanying label: ‘NM 1802 / HOLOTYPE / Austrophaea festiva Lawr., 1952 / RSA, KZN, Pietermaritzburg. 1917. / C.Akerman’. Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 1^Ashburton , ii.1985, E. Venter ( NMSA 17054 ) ; 1^Pietermaritzburg , iv.1965, R. Bigalke ( NMSA 9481 ) ; 1^Pietermaritzburg , xii.1940, E. Pratt- Yule ( NMSA 3345 ) ; 1ơ Pietermaritzburg, Lynnfield Park , iii.1989, A.E. Whittington ( NMSA 6865 ) ; 1^Port Edward , 31º03'S: 30º13'E, x.1986, J. Stannard (under stone) ( NMSA 17056 ) ; 1^Port Edward, Blencanthra Farm, 5 km NE of Port Edward, 31º02'S: 30º10'E, 335 m a.s.l., 6.iv.1983, J. Stannard (outside on paving bricks) ( NMSA, no deposit number); 1ơ Scottburgh , ii.1943, W.G. Rump ( NMSA 3883 ) ; Eastern Cape: 8 immatures, 3ơ Kei Mouth, 32º41.206'S: 28º22.497'E, 08.xii.2005, C. Haddad (leaf litter, coastal forest) (NCA 2006/1279); 1^Port Shepstone , vii.1961, A. Manning ( NMSA 8092 ) .

Distribution: Austrophaea is an endemic South African genus, known only from KwaZuluNatal and Eastern Cape ( Fig. 16 ).

Habitat preferences: Austrophaea is known only from low-lying grasslands, savannah, and coastal forests in the eastern parts of South Africa, and is probably an exclusively ground-dwelling spider as no specimens have been collected from foliage. The specimens collected by the author at Kei Mouth were found in leaf litter between grasses in the ecotone between coastal forests and adjacent grassland.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Austrophaea zebra Lawrence: (1–3) male: (1) general habitus, (2) morphology of leg I, (3) lateral view; (4–6) female: (4) general habitus, (5) morphology of leg I, (6) lateral view. Scale bars = 2.5 mm.

Figs 7–15. Austrophaea zebra: (7–13) male (Kei Mouth): (7, 8) palp, ventral and retrolateral views; (9–13) schematic representation of male palpal retrolateral tibial apophysis in ventral (9), retrolateral ventral (10), retrolateral (11), retrolateral dorsal (12), and dorsal views (13); (14, 15) female (Port Edward): (14) epigyne, ventral view, (15) vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD – coiled sperm duct; EM – embolus; MA – median apophysis; SS – spermathecal socket; SP 1 – spermatheca 1; SP 2 – spermatheca 2. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 16. Distribution of Austrophaea zebra Lawrence.