Heriaeus foordi, 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 : 461-463

Heriaeus foordi sp. n.

Figs 6 , 30–33 , 58

Etymology: Named for Stefan Foord of the University of Venda, who collected the holotype. He is recognized for his contribution in recording spider diversity in the African savannah.

Diagnosis: The species is recognized by a combination of long, dark brown, spiniform abdominal setae ( Fig. 6 ), the small dome-shaped hood of the female epigyne ( Fig. 32 ) and the long embolus with straight tip in the male ( Fig. 30 ). The RTA is long, with a prolaterally curved distal tooth and a basal lobe ( Fig. 31 ).

Description:

Female (allotype).

Size: TL 4.61, CL 2.25, CW 2.18. Colour: Carapace yellow-brown, with two broad irregularly shaped longitudinal dark brown stripes; setae dark brown; sternum with white markings; clypeus brown; chelicerae yellow-brown, with brown marks proximally and white marks distally and laterally; eye region white between anterior eyes, brown between posterior eyes; eye tubercles white or greyish white.Abdomen brown dorsally, mottled with white, with dark brown circular marks usually forming a distinct pattern; venter lined with white; laterally with white striae with brown spots. Legs yellow-brown, with white marks on all segments except metatarsi and tarsi. Palp segments all with white markings except tibia with brown markings. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.25, ALE–AME 0.14, PME–PME 0.19, PLE–PME 0.30, AME–PME 0.27, MOQL AME–PME 0.34, MOQAW AME–AME 0.31, MOQPW PME–PME 0.27. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.76, Pat 0.91, Tib 1.75, Mt 1.66, Ta 0.95, total 7.03; leg II Fe 1.41, Pat 0.74, Tib 1.27, Mt 1.25, Ta 0.83, total 5.50; leg III Fe 1.06, Pat 0.53, Tib 1.00, Mt 0.67, Ta 0.66, total 3.92; leg IV Fe 1.15, Pat 0.65, Tib 1.02, Mt 0.75, Ta 0.62, total 4.19. Abdomen: Round, truncated anteriorly; setae long and dark brown or short and transparent. Epigyne: With small dome­shaped hood; internal organs visible as two indistinct bean-shaped structures lying diagonally below hood ( Fig. 32 ); four small dark posterior spots indicate position of fertilization ducts; copulatory ducts two tubes lying diagonally below hood ( Fig. 33 ).

Male (holotype).

Size: TL 3.18, CL 1.66, CW 1.74. Colour: Carapace yellow-brown, with two broad irregularly shaped longitudinal dark brown stripes; setae dark brown; clypeus brown; chelicerae with brown marks; eye region white between anterior eyes, brown between posterior eyes; eye tubercles white or greyish white. Abdomen yellow-brown, mottled with brown; some males with faint circular pattern similar to that of female; setae dark brown. Legs with white markings on coxae I–IV; leg I (patella to tarsus) much darker than legs II–IV. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.16, ALE–AME 0.09, PME–PME 0.12, PLE–PME 0.21, AME–PME 0.22, MOQL AME–PME 0.27, MOQAW AME–AME 0.22, MOQPW PME–PME 0.20. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.96, Pat 0.78, Tib 1.54, Mt 1.61, Ta 0.94, total 5.83; leg II Fe 1.67, Pat 0.69 Tib 1.34, Mt 1.25, Ta 0.68, total 5.63; leg III Fe 0.91, Pat 0.46, Tib 0.82, Mt 0.66, Ta 0.47, total 3.32; leg IV Fe 1.08, Pat 0.47, Tib 0.85, Mt 0.57, Ta 0.39, total 3.36. Abdomen: Round, truncated anteriorly; dorsum with scattered long spiniform, acute setae. Legs: Very hairy with numerous long setae. Male palp: Embolus long, winding once around tegulum, tip slender and straight; VTA large and two-lobed; RTA with prolaterally curved distal tooth and basal lobe; cymbial apophysis present ( Figs 30, 31 ).

Juveniles. Immature males can usually be recognized by brown dorsum, mottled with white, with dark brown circular markings forming a characteristic pattern.

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Atherstone Nat. Res. (26.75°S 24.42°E), 11.ix.2009, S. Foord, sweeping grass ( NCA 2011 /2044).

Allotype: 1♀ same data as holotype ( NCA 2011 /2045a).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: 1♀ Umkhuze Game Reserve (27.63°S 32.25°E), 26.xi.2003, M. Hamer, beating tree layer ( NCA 2004 /884) ; 1♀ same locality, 1.ii.2003, S. Lovell, yellow pan trap in Terminalia sericea field ( NCA 2004 /122) ; 1♀ Ndumo Game Reserve, Crocodile farm (26.87°S 32.24°E), 12.i.2007, C. Haddad, rocky area ( NCA 2007 /4526) . Limpopo: 4♂ same data as holotype ( NCA 2011 /2045b) .

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: 1 imm. Umkhuze Game Reserve (27.63°S 32.25E), 3.viii.2008, X. Combrink, pitfall traps ( NCA 2011 /2048) . Mpumalanga: 3 imm. ♂ Kruger National Park, Makhuthwanini (25.38°S 31.60°E), 16.vi.2007, pitfall traps, G. Ellis ( NCA 2008 /68, 2008/69) .

Distribution: South Africa (KwaZulu­Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga) ( Fig. 58 ).

Natural history: Collected from yellow pan traps and pitfall traps as well as sweeping of vegetation. Adult females collected during October, males during September and October, and juveniles during June and August.

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 30–36.(30–33) Heriaeus foordi sp. n.: (30) male palp, ventral view; (31) male palp, lateral view; (32) epigyne, ventral view; (33) epigyne, dorsal view; (34) Heriaeus latifrons Lessert, 1919, epigyne, ventral view; (35, 36) Heriaeus madagascar sp. n.: (35) male palp, ventral view; (36) male palp, lateral view.

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