Copuetta kakamega, Haddad, Charles R., 2013

Haddad, Charles R., 2013, Taxonomic notes on the spider genus Messapus Simon, 1898 (Araneae, Corinnidae), with the description of the new genera Copuetta and Wasaka and the first cladistic analysis of Afrotropical Castianeirinae, Zootaxa 3688 (1), pp. 1-79 : 36-37

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3688.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DB84C679-C2AA-41CC-816E-83E2F6DCA391
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6153935
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DB8445-FFB9-FF96-FF2A-FC6A3104FAD6
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Copuetta kakamega
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Copuetta kakamega View in CoL sp. nov.

Figs 45 View FIGURES 45 – 61 , 118, 119 View FIGURES 118 – 119

Etymology: The species name is a noun in apposition of the type locality.

Diagnosis: This species shares with C. lacustris the sclerotised depressions within the margins of the spermathecae, which include the copulatory openings. The species can be separated by the shape of the depressions, which are round in C. kakamega sp. nov. ( Fig. 118 View FIGURES 118 – 119 ) and comma-shaped in C. lacustris ( Fig. 126 View FIGURES 124 – 127 ).

Female (holotype, Kakamega , MRAC 224266). Measurements: CL 3.78, CW 2.88, AL 4.40, AW 2.60, TL 8.35, FL 0.34, SL 1.63, SW 1.62, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.62, PME–PME 0.16, PME– PLE 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.76, PERW 1.07, MOQAW 0.60, MOQPW 0.62, MOQL 0.71.

Length of leg segments: I 3.25 + 1.34 + 2.65 + 2.72 + 1.60 = 11.56; II 3.10 + 1.30 + 2.60 + 2.73 + 1.53 = 11.26; III 3.00 + 1.30 + 2.42 + 2.85 + 1.38 = 10.95; IV 3.95 + 1.42 + 3.20 + 4.28 + 1.63 = 14.48.

General appearance as in Fig. 45 View FIGURES 45 – 61 . Carapace creamy-yellow, eye region pale grey; carapace densely covered in black feathery and short straight setae, forming broad oval marking from PER to posterior slope; pale yellowbrown striae with faint black mottling radiating from fovea, directed between coxae; lateral margins of carapace with three patches of black feathery setae between leg coxae. AME separated by distance slightly less than 2⁄5 their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly less than AME diameter; PLE larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly larger than 2⁄5 PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.69:1. Chelicerae cream, darker laterally; promargin with two teeth separated by ½ the basal width of proximal tooth, distal tooth largest; retromargin with two subequal teeth separated by their basal width, distal tooth close to fang base. Endites pale yellow, cream prolaterally distally; labium yellow, cream distally; sternum creamy-yellow, yellow around margins. Legs pale yellow-brown, all femora and patellae and tibiae I–III creamy-white ventrally; all segments except tarsi densely covered in black feathery and short straight setae, faint black mottling laterally and black spots at spine bases; tarsi yellow. Leg spination: femora: I pl 3 do 3 rl 1, II pl 3 do 3 rl 1, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 1; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: I–IV with fine proximal and distal do setae; tibiae: I plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2, with rlv 8 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 2 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 rl 1 plv 3 rlv 1. Abdomen with creamy-yellow dorsal scutum extending 1⁄10 abdomen length; dorsum cream, densely covered in black feathery and short straight setae forming mottled pattern, with cream chevrons along midline to ¾ abdomen length; spinnerets surrounded by black ring dorsally and laterally, absent ventrally; venter cream, densely covered in black feathery setae, with many long erect straight setae; epigastric scutum weakly sclerotised, cream; inframamillary sclerite orange. Epigyne with large round ridges in the anterior half, copulatory openings situated in anterior half of depressions, entering directly into ST II ( Fig. 118 View FIGURES 118 – 119 ); ST II somewhat comma-shaped, connected broadly to posterior kidney-shaped ST I; ST I slightly narrower than ST II; both ST with many folds on their surface ( Fig. 119 View FIGURES 118 – 119 ).

Male: Unknown.

Type material: Holotype Ƥ: KENYA: Kakamega Forest, 00°13'N, 34°54'E, leg. D. Shilabira-Smith, 13.IV.2000 (Malaise traps) ( MRAC 224226).

Additional material examined: None.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 132 View FIGURE 132 ).

Biology: Collected in Malaise traps and presumably occupying lower vegetative strata in forest habitats.