Heriaeus zanii, 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 : 472-475

Heriaeus zanii sp. n.

Figs 13 , 53–56 , 58

Etymology: The species is named for Zani van der Walt of Oudtshoorn for his contribution to spider research in the Western Cape.

Diagnosis: The species is recognized by their long, spiniform acute abdominal setae ( Fig. 13 ). The epigyne has a hood with a horseshoe-shaped, darkly sclerotized and thickened edge, becoming wider posteriorly, with lateral and posterior thickening and folding of the integument ( Fig. 55 ). The embolus of the male palp is short, winding less than once around tegulum, the tip slender and straight, and the RTA ends in small lobe and distal tooth ( Figs 53, 54 ). The male palp resembles that of H. copricola sp. n., but the new species differs in the shape of the RTA and in having spiniform abdominal setae.

Description:

Female (allotype).

Size: TL 4.63, CL 2.04, CW 2.02. Colour: Carapace with two longitudinal brown stripes extending to PEs; medially two irregular white lines between and close to brown stripes, converging posteriorly, and thin median brown stripe between white lines; setae transparent, some pale brown; sternum mottled with white; endites and labium mottled with white; clypeus white; chelicerae yellow-brown or white; eye region yellow-brown or white, eye tubercles white.Abdominal setae transparent, with a variable number (8–24) of brown setae spread either evenly across dorsum or present only in the posterior half. Legs with white marks on all segments; white markings sometimes absent from tibia and tarsus. Palp with femora and patellae or all segments with white marks. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.24, ALE–AME 0.14, PME–PME 0.20, PLE–PME 0.31,AME–PME 0.19, MOQL AME–PME 0.24, MOQAW AME–AME 0.30, MOQPW PME–PME 0.26. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.79, Pat 0.94, Tib 1.75, Mt 1.58, Ta 0.54, total 6.60; leg II Fe 1.69, Pat 0.88, Tib 1.22, Mt 0.83, Ta 0.40, total 5.02; leg III Fe 1.16, Pat 0.68, Tib 0.77, Mt 0.77, Ta 0.52, total 3.90; leg IV Fe 1.43, Pat 0.59, Tib 0.93, Mt 0.95, Ta 0.54, total 4.44. Abdomen: Round with long, spiniform, acute setae; venter with fine hairs. Epigyne: With horseshoe­shaped hood with darkly sclerotized and thickened edge, wider posteriorly ( Fig. 55 ); copulatory ducts tubular, with anterior end slightly enlarged; copulatory ducts lie diagonally below hood ( Fig. 56 ).

Male (holotype).

Size: TL 3.26, CL 1.44, CW 1.59. Colour: Carapace with three longitudinal brown stripes, converging anteriorly, extending into eye region; two irregular white lines separating bands, setae brown; chelicerae yellow-brown, some white mottling at distal ends; clypeus white; eye region white. Abdomen brown with white mottling, forming a distinct pattern, bordered laterally with white; setae brown dorsally and transparent laterally; lateral setae with blackish brown marks at their bases; venter white. Legs with white markings on coxae, trochanters and distal end of femora. Palp with white marks on femur and patella. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.16, ALE–AME 0.18, PME–PME 0.13, PLE–PME 0.23, AME–PME 0.18, MOQL AME–PME 0.25, MOQAW AME–AME 0.21, MOQPW PME–PME 0.19. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 2.69, Pat 0.92, Tib 2.44, Mt 2.50, Ta 1.18, total 9.73; leg II Fe 2.48, Pat 0.78, Tib 2.09, Mt 2.05, Ta 1.03, total 8.43; leg III Fe 1.15, Pat 0.55, Tib 1.04, Mt 0.70, Ta 0.50, total 3.94; leg IV Fe 1.26, Pat 0.40, Tib 0.81, Mt 0.96, Ta 0.51, total 3.94. Abdomen: Oval,

truncated anteriorly; setae long with acute tips, shorter setae laterally; venter covered in fine hairs. Male palp: Embolus short, winding less than once around tegulum; embolus tip slender and straight; VTA short and digitiform; RTA ends in small lobe and distal tooth ( Figs 53, 54 ).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Vanrhynsdorp (31.60°S 18.75°E), 5.ix.1991, M.K.P. Meyer, beating Othonna cylindrical ( NCA 92 /109).

Allotype: 1♀ SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Oudtshoorn (33.59°S 22.21°E), 24.ix.1988, M.K.P. Meyer, shrub layer ( NCA 89 /435).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Free State: 1♂ Philippolis, P.K. Le Roux Dam (30.25°S 25.27°E), 13.iii.1986, M.K.P. Meyer, beating, herb layer ( NCA 91 /313) ; 1♀ Boshof, Table Farm 242 (28.43°S 24.50°E), 18.viii. 1987, NMBA Entomology Staff, under rocks ( NMBA 1864 ) . Northern Cape: 1♂ 1 imm. ♀ Prieska, Green Valley Nuts, Orange R. (29.62°S 22.75°E), 26.x.2001, C. Haddad, pitfall trap ( NCA 2003 /1042) ; 1♂ Springbok (29.66°S 17.88°E), 17.ix.1983, herb layer, E. Ueckermann ( NCA 84 /226) . Western Cape: 1♂ Beaufort West, Eerste Water farm (32.69°S 22.96°E), 9.xii.2007, D. Jacobs, pitfall traps, Karroo bush ( NCA 2008 /1582) ; 1♂ Clanwilliam, Skerpheuwel (32.18°S 18.23°E), 22.x.1987, L. Lotz, under plants ( NMBA 2047 ) ; 1♂ Vredenburg, Olifants Kraal (32.57°S 18.09°E), 23.x.1987, L.N. Lotz, on ground ( NMBA 2070 ) ; 1♀ Cederberg, Wilderness area (32.45°S 19.24°E), 1.x.2009, S. Kritzinger­Klopper, pitfall trap ( NCA 2012 /710) ; 1♀ Calvinia , 10 km N of Loeriesfontein (31.48°S 19.77°E), 22.x.1990, S. Louw, on plants ( NMBA 5495 ) ; 1♀ Jacobsbaai (33.15°S 18.03°E), 2.x.2007, R. Lyle & C. Haddad, leaf litter, coastal fynbos ( NCA 2008 /389) .

Other material examined: Northern Cape: 1 imm. ♀ Hopetown (29.62°S 24.06°E), 28.ix.1988, C. Barnard, on Arctotis sp. ( NCA 89 /482) . Western Cape: 1 imm. ♀ Vredenburg (32.57°S 18.09°E), 23.x.1987, NMBA Entomology Staff, under plants ( NMBA 3041 ) .

Distribution: South Africa (Western Cape, Northern Cape and Free State) ( Fig. 58 ).

Natural history: Collected on the ground, leaf litter and plants, such as Othonna cylindrica and Arctotis species. Females were collected from August to October and males during March, September to December.

Figures

Figs 10–13. Heriaeus spp., habitus: (10) H. peterwebbi sp. n. female; (11) H. transvaalicus Simon, 1895 female; (12) H. xanderi sp. n. female; (13) H. zanii sp. n. female.

Figs 53–56.Heriaeus zanii sp.n.: (53) male palp, ventral view; (54) male lateral view; (55) epigyne, ventral view; (56) epigyne, dorsal view.

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