Heriaeus antoni, Niekerk & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2013

Niekerk, P. van & Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. S., 2013, A revision of the crab spider genus Heriaeus Simon, 1875 (Araneae: Thomisidae) in the Afrotropical Region, African Invertebrates 54 (2), pp. 447-447 : 455-456

Heriaeus antoni sp. n.

Figs 3 , 18–21 , 57

Etymology: Named for Antonius van Harten, the collector of the paratype material, for his contribution in documenting the arachnid fauna of Yemen.

Diagnosis: The species is recognized by the numerous very short, blunt abdominal setae and the epigyne, which is very small with a small knob-like hood ( Fig. 20 ). The male palp is distinct with its embolus having a U-shaped tip and a ventral lobe on the RTA ( Figs 18, 19 ). The embolus tip of the male palp resembles that of H. xanderi sp. n. ( Fig. 50 ), but the much longer RTA of this species has a ventral lobe, which H. xanderi sp. n. lacks.

Description:

Female (allotype).

Size: TL 4.80, CL 1.47, CW 1.52. Colour: Carapace with two broad longitudinal brown stripes; lateral edge with white line; setae brown; chelicerae yellow-brown; clypeus with white line on anterior edge; eye region white or with white markings between median eyes. Abdomen cream, slightly mottled with brown and white; specimen from Senegal differs in having six round marks arranged in two longitudinal lines centrally ( Fig. 3 ) venter white, may be mottled with white or have a few brown spots laterally. Legs cream, dorsally with brown marks on femora II and III, tarsus I and metatarsi I–IV; slight variations in Senegal specimens, markings absent in Yemen specimens. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.17, ALE–AME 0.11, PME–PME 0.18, PLE–PME 0.20, AME–PME 0.16, MOQL AME–PME 0.23, MOQAW AME–AME 0.18, MOQPW PME–PME 0.23. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.42, Pat 0.76, Tib 1.17, Mt 1.07, Ta 0.52, total 4.94; leg II Fe 1.39, Pat 0.48, Tib 1.02, Mt 0.70, Ta 0.57, total 4.16; leg III Fe 0.84, Pat 0.42, Tib 0.60, Mt 0.52, Ta 0.43, total 2.81; leg IV Fe 1.18, Pat 0.32, Tib 0.60, Mt 0.57, Ta 0.41, total 3.08. Abdomen: Round, bearing numerous very short blunt setae; venter clothed with fine hairs. Epigyne: Very small with an unsclerotized small knob-like hood; two dark brown spots posteriorly indicating position of spermathecae ( Fig. 20 ); copulatory ducts two S-shaped coiled tubes ( Fig. 21 ).

Male (holotype).

Size: TL 2.60, CL 1.23, CW 1.31. Colour: Carapace with two very broad longitudinal brown stripes extending from PEs and towards carapace sides, becoming dark brown at posterior end; setae brown; chelicerae yellow-brown; clypeus yellow-brown with brown marks; eye region yellow-brown; eye tubercles grey. Abdomen yellow-brown, lateral thirds dark brown to yellow-brown with brown and white markings; venter white; setae brown. Legs cream with brown marks on distal part of tibia and metatarsus I. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.12, ALE–AME 0.8, PME–PME 0.15, PLE–PME 0.19,AME–PME 0.13, MOQL AME–PME 0.20, MOQAW AME–AME 0.18, MOQPW PME–PME 0.23. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.54, Pat 0.71, Tib 1.45, Mt 1.33, Ta 0.71, total 5.74; leg II Fe 1.52, Pat 0.54, Tib 1.10, Mt 1.15, Ta 0.68, total 4.99; leg III Fe 0.91, Pat 0.35, Tib 0.62, Mt 0.59, Ta 0.38, total 2.85; leg IV Fe 1.05, Pat 0.31, Tib 0.72, Mt 0.66, Ta 0.40, total 3.14. Abdomen: Oval, truncated anteriorly; bearing numerous very short, blunt setae; venter with fine hairs. Male palp: Embolus long, winding once around tegulum ( Fig. 18 ); embolus tip slender with U-shaped curve; VTA small and two-lobed, RTA with ventral lobe and long distal tooth ( Fig. 19 ).

Holotype: ♂ SENEGAL: 5–10 km S of Richard Toll (16.33°N 15.50°E), viii.1989, J. Everts, semi­arid thorn bush (MRAC 172.021a).

Allotype: 1♀ same data as holotype (MRAC 172.021b).

Paratypes: SENEGAL: 3♂ 6♀ 14 imm. same data as holotype ( MRAC 172.021 ) ; 12♂ 12♀ 1 imm. same data but ix.1989 (MRAC 171.999, 172.005) ; 1♂ same data but viii–xi.1989 ( MRAC 174.239 ) ; 1♀ 20 km S of Richard Toll (16.33°N 15.50°E), 18.ix.1991, H. van der Valk, pitfall traps ( MRAC 200.583 ) . YEMEN: 1♀ near Sana’a (15.35°N 44.20°E), 15.v.1998, A. van Harten ( NCA 2012 /2056) ; 1♀ same locality, vii.1998, A. van Harten ( NCA 2012 /2058) ; 2♀ Abs (16.00°N 43.20°E), 20.iv.1998, A. van Harten, in garden ( NCA 2012 /2057) ; 1♀ Wadi Warazan (13.40°N 44.23°E), 17.xii.1999, A. van Harten ( NCA 2012 /2059) .

Distribution: Senegal and Yemen ( Fig. 57 ).

Natural history: Females collected during April, May, June and December and adult males from August to November.

Figures

Figs 1–9. Heriaeus spp., habitus:(1) Heriaeus sp. long spiniform abdominal setae; (2) H.allenjonesi antoni sp. n. female; (3) H.antoni sp. n. female; (4) H.copricola sp. n. male; (5) H. crassispinus Lawrence, 1942 male; (6) H. foordi sp. n. male; (7) H. latifrons Lessert, 1919 female; (8) H.madagascar sp. n. male; (9) H. muizenberg sp. n. female.

Figs 14–21. (14–17) Heriaeus allenjonesi sp. n.: (14) male palp, ventral view; (15) male palp, lateral view; (16) epigyne,ventral view;(17) epigyne, dorsal view;(18–21) Heriaeus antonisp.n.: (18) male palp, ventral view; (19) male palp, lateral view; (20) epigyne, ventral view; (21) epigyne, dorsal view.

Figs 57–59. Distribution of Heriaeus spp. in the Afrotropical Region.

Figs 45–52. (45–48) Heriaeus transvaalicus Simon, 1875: (45) male palp, ventral view; (46) male palp, lateral view; (47) epigyne, ventral view; (48) epigyne, dorsal view; (49–52) Heriaeus xanderi sp. n.: (49) male palp, ventral view; (50) male palp, lateral, view; (51) epigyne, ventral view; (52) epigyne, dorsal view.