Wasaka montana, 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 : 65-67

Wasaka montana sp. nov.

Figs 156, 157 , 163 , 170–173

Etymology: The species name refers to the high altitude Afromontane habitats in which these spiders occur.

Diagnosis: Males can be easily recognised by the fine embolus with a narrow base, complete coil and tip directed distally and slightly retrolaterally ( Fig. 163 ). Females have an epigyne with copulatory openings that are curved towards the posterior, situated laterally of the lateral margins of the spermathecae, with relatively long, nearly transverse copulatory ducts ( Fig. 172 ).

Male (holotype, Kibira, NMBA 16168). Measurements: CL 3.30, CW 2.45, AL 3.75, AW 2.05, TL 7.20 (6.55–7.65), FL 0.24, SL 1.46, SW 1.32, AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.45, PME–PME 0.15, PME–PLE 0.07, PLE–PLE 0.65, PERW 0.91, MOQAW 0.46, MOQPW 0.52, MOQL 0.56.

Length of leg segments: I 2.95 + 1.20 + 2.66 + 2.68 + 1.70 = 11.19; II 2.85 + 1.15 + 2.40 + 2.51 + 1.52 = 10.43; III 2.70 + 1.08 + 2.15 + 2.57 + 1.35 = 9.85; IV 3.43 + 1.20 + 2.91 + 3.72 + 1.55 = 12.81.

General appearance as in Fig. 156 . Carapace bright yellow with faint black mottling, eye region black; narrow black median line from just behind PME, broadened towards fovea; striae cream, directed at coxae, with small mottled black patches between them; lateral margins with narrow black fringe, with narrow streak at palpal coxae, small spot between coxae I and II and broad black line from middle of coxae III to posterior margin; markings covered in black feathery setae, areas between them covered in white feathery and short straight setae. AME separated by distance slightly more than 2⁄5 their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance less than 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height equal to distance 1¼ AME diameter; PME and PLE equal in size; PME separated by distance slightly larger than ¾ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to ¾ PLE diameter; CW: PERW = 2.69:1. Chelicerae yellow with faint black mottling prolaterally, creamy-yellow prolaterally at distal end; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; proximal and median teeth separated by ½ basal width of proximal tooth, median and distal teeth adjacent; retromargin with two subequal teeth separated by ½ their basal width, distal tooth close to fang base. Endites yellow-brown, cream prolaterally distally; labium pale brown, cream distally; sternum creamy-yellow, darker around borders. Legs with faint black mottling and spots at spine bases; markings covered in black feathery setae, with yellowish feathery setae between them; femora I–IV yellow dorsally, creamy-yellow ventrally, with proximal and distal prolateral and retrolateral spots, I–III with black ventral band distally, IV with complete distal band; patellae I–IV yellow-brown with black mottling laterally and ventrally and complete distal band; tibiae I–IV yellow-orange proximally, orange distally, with broad faint black proximal and distal bands; metatarsi I–IV orange-brown, with proximal, median and distal black bands; tarsi I–IV yellow-brown. Leg spination: femora: I pl 3 do 3 rl 2, II pl 3 do 3 rl 2, III pl 2 do 3 rl 3, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 3; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: I–IV with fine proximal and distal do setae; tibiae: I pl 1 plv 3 rlv 3 vt 2, II pl 2 plv 3 rlv 3 vt 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2-3 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 rl 1, with rlv 6 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 plv 2. Abdomen with yellow anterior dorsal scutum extending slightly less than ½ abdomen length; dorsum with mottled black markings with small white patches laterally; pale along midline with narrow median mottled black marking at ½ abdomen length and three chevrons posterior to midpoint; posterior of dorsum with transverse black band above spinnerets; markings covered in black feathery and short straight setae, areas between them with white feathery setae and brown scattered short straight setae; spinnerets surrounded by narrow black ring dorsally and laterally, absent ventrally; venter cream laterally, with broad mottled grey marking from sides of epigastric furrow, tapering posteriorly to spinnerets; venter densely covered in black feathery and short straight setae on marking, white feathery setae laterally; epigastric scutum yellow with black mottling; ventral sclerite absent; inframamillary sclerite orangebrown, covered in small black spot. Male palp cream with lateral and dorsal mottled black spots, cymbium creamyyellow; tegulum yellow-orange, with black ducts; embolus with narrow base and fine, complete coil, tip slightly curved, directed distally and slightly retrolaterally ( Figs 163 , 170, 171 ).

Female (paratype, Bwindi, CASENT 9033163). Measurements: CL 3.57, CW 2.60, AL 4.00, AW 2.85, TL 7.50, FL 0.30, SL 1.62, SW 1.46, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.46, PME–PME 0.13, PME– PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.67, PERW 0.95, MOQAW 0.46, MOQPW 0.53, MOQL 0.56.

Length of leg segments: I 3.00 + 1.20 + 2.55 + 2.41 + 1.55 = 10.71; II 2.85 + 1.15 + 2.30 + 2.33 + 1.45 = 10.08; III 2.65 + 1.15 + 2.10 + 2.40 + 1.25 = 9.55; IV 3.43 + 1.25 + 2.80 + 3.55 + 1.48 = 12.51.

General appearance as in Fig. 157 , female more robustly built than male. Carapace creamy, cephalic region yellow, markings and setae as for male, except lateral markings fused. AME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance less than 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly larger than 1 1⁄10 AME diameter; PME and PLE equal in size; PME separated by distance slightly larger than 3⁄5 their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly less than ½ PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.74:1. Chelicerae yellow with two small proximal prolateral blotches, cream prolaterally distally; promargin with two teeth separated by distance less than ½ their basal width, proximal tooth slightly larger; retromargin with two teeth separated by ½ their basal width, distal tooth slightly smaller than proximal tooth, close to fang base. Endites pale yellow-brown, cream in distal half; labium pale orange-brown, cream distally; sternum creamy-yellow, darker around borders. Legs creamy-yellow, metatarsi yellow, markings and setae as for male. Leg spination: femora: I pl 3 do 3 rl 1, II pl 2-3 do 3 rl 1, III pl 2 do 3 rl 1, 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 3 rlv 3, II plv 3 rlv 3, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1, 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 5 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 rl 1 plv 3 rlv 1. Abdomen with pale yellow dorsal scutum, extending to ¼ abdomen length; dorsum mottled grey laterally, cream medially, with narrow grey line along midline and three chevrons in posterior half; posterior of dorsum with transverse black band above spinnerets; markings covered in yellow-brown feathery and brown short straight setae, areas between them with cream feathery setae and brown scattered short straight setae; spinnerets surrounded by narrow black ring dorsally and laterally, absent ventrally; venter cream laterally, with broad grey mottled marking from sides of epigastric furrow, tapering to spinnerets; venter densely covered in brown and cream feathery setae and scattered brown short straight setae; epigastric scutum creamy-yellow; inframamillary sclerite orange. Epigyne with indistinct coiled ridges laterally at midpoint of epigyne; copulatory openings small, curved towards posterior ( Fig. 172 ); copulatory ducts nearly transverse, directed medially and slightly anteriorly, entering oval ST II posterolaterally; ST II broadly connected to slightly curved diverging posterior ST I; ST I slightly narrower than ST II ( Fig. 173 ).

Type material: Holotype 3: BURUNDI: Kayanza: Parc National de la Kibira, Rwegura Sector, 02°55.320'S, 29°30.067'E, 2237m a.s.l., leg. A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, 21–26.XI.2010 (Malaise traps, indigenous Afromontane forest) ( NMBA 16168).

Paratypes: RWANDA: Nyungwe National Park, 02°30'S, 29°12'E, leg. H. Bosselaers, 11.VIII.2010 (hand catch), 13 ( MRAC 232768). UGANDA: Kabale District, Ruhiza Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, 01°03'S, 29°47'E, 2300m a.s.l., leg. C.E. Griswold, 13–16. IX.1996 (nature trail in forest), 13 1Ƥ ( CAS, CASENT 9033163).

Additional material examined: None.

Distribution: Known only from three localities in central Africa ( Fig. 182 ).

Biology: Collected in Malaise traps and by hand in Afromontane forests above 2200 m a.s.l..

Figures

FIGURE 182. Distribution of Wasaka imitatrix sp. nov. (white circles), W. montana sp. nov. (black circles), W. occulta sp. nov. (black triangle) and W. ventralis sp. nov. (white triangles) in tropical Africa.

FIGURES 154 – 161. Digital microscope photographs of Wasaka imitatrix sp. nov. (154, 155), W. montana sp. nov. (156, 157), W. occulta sp. nov. (158, 159) and W. ventralis sp. nov. (160, 161): 154, 156, 158, 160. Male habitus, dorsal view. 155, 157, 159, 161. Female habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 162 – 165. Digital microscope photographs of emboli of Wasaka gen. nov. species in ventral view: 162. W. imitatrix sp. nov.. 163. W. montana sp. nov.. 164. W. occulta sp. nov.. 165. W. ventralis sp. nov.. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 170 – 173. Genitalic morphology of Wasaka montana sp. nov.: 170. Male palp, ventral view. 171. Same, retrolateral view. 172. Female epigyne, ventral view. 173. Same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.