Austrodomus scaber ( Purcell, 1904 )

Rodrigues, Bruno V. B. & Rheims, Cristina A., 2020, An overview of the African genera of Prodidominae spiders: descriptions and remarks (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 4799 (1), pp. 1-80 : 9-15

Austrodomus scaber ( Purcell, 1904)

Figs 1C , 2A , 3 A–F, 4A–F, 5A–F, 6A–F, 8A–F

Prodidomus scaber Purcell, 1904: 172 , pl. 11, figs 41, 42 (Female holotype from Prince Albert , Western Cape [33°13’36.57”S, 22°2’8.57”E], South Africa, deposited in SAMC 3016 , examined).

Austrodomus scaber Cooke, 1964: 264 , figs 32, 37, 60 (only female; male = Purcelliana problematica Cooke, 1964 ).

Diagnosis. Males of Austrodomus scaber differ from those of A. gamsberg sp. nov. by the palp with the distal half of the embolus slender and tapering (distal half of the embolus robust and ventrally bent in the middle in A. gamsberg sp. nov.) ( Figs 6A, C , 8A, B ). Females resemble those of A. zuluensis in having the posterior margin of the epigynal plate sinuous and without posterior projections ( Figs 7A , 8D ), but differ by the vulva with the laterally convoluted part of the copulatory ducts almost the same width as the proximal part (1/3 of the width in A. zuluensis ), and by the inconspicuous spermathecae (well-defined in A. zuluensis ) ( Fig. 8E ).

Description. Male (NCA 2013/5520). Total length: 2.30. Carapace 1.07 long, 0.77 wide; Abdomen 1.22 long, 0.75 wide; Sternum 0.77 long, 0.53 wide; Spinnerets ALS 0.11 long, 0.13 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.08, ALE 0.09, PME 0.08, PLE 0.09; interdistances: AME–AME 0.05, PME–PME 0.05. Chelicerae 0.43 long. Leg formula 4123; measurements: I: 3.83 (1.06, 0.70, 0.75, 0.78, 0.54); II: 3.04 (0.80, 0.58, 0.58, 0.61, 0.48); III: 2.54 (0.69, 0.34, 0.56, 0.51, 0.44); IV: 4.30 (1.18, 0.61, 1.03, 0.85, 0.64). Leg spination: III—femur d1-1-0; tibia v0-1r-1r, r0-1-0; metatarsus v0-0-1, r1-1-1. IV—femur d1-1-0; tibia v2-2-2; metatarsus v2-2-1. Palp: femur with one dorsal spine; vRTA subrectangular in ventral view ( Fig. 8B ); dRTA truncated in retrolateral view ( Fig. 8C ); conductor triangular ( Fig. 8B ).

Female. (NCA 2013/5520). Total length: 2.81. Carapace 1.25 long, 0.82 wide; Abdomen 1.45 long, 1.15 wide; Sternum 0.86 long, 0.62 wide; Spinnerets ALS 0.25 long, 0.22 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.09; interdistances: AME–AME 0.04, PME–PME 0.07. Chelicerae 0.52 long. Leg measurements: I: 3.60 (1.0, 0.69, 0.73, 0.64, 0.55); II: 3.0 (0.88, 0.54, 0.60, 0.55, 0.44); III: 2.66 (0.73, 0.44, 0.56, 0.49, 0.45); IV: 4.16 (1.08, 0.58, 1.06, 0.83, 0.63). Leg formula 4123. Leg spination: III—femur d0-1-0; tibia v2-1r-1r, r0-1-0; metatarsus v0-0-2, r0-1-1. IV—femur d1-1-0; tibia v1r-2-2, r0-1-0; metatarsus v1r-1r-2. Epigyne: copulatory openings small, slightly larger than posterior pouch-like structures, separated from each other by half their width ( Fig. 8D ).

Variation. Total length (5 males): 1.66–2.50; (5 females): 2.40–5.34.

Distribution. South Africa and Namibia ( Fig. 10 ).

Other material examined. NAMIBIA: Damaraland , Hobatere, 3.2 km from gate, 19°19’S 14°27’E, 3 female, 7–11 May 1991, E. Griffin leg. ( SMN 42623) ; Etosha National Park , 19°05’S 16°41’E, Kamaseb, 2 males, 8 Au-gust–14 September 1987, E. Griffin leg. ( SMN 40696) ; Sprokieswoud , 19°05’S 15°37’E, 1 male and 1 female, 24 March–10 May 1988, E. Griffin leg. ( SMN 40996) ; Karossfontein , 19°21’S 14°31’E, 1 male and 1 female, 5 Au-gust–13 September 1987, E. Griffin leg. ( SMN 40634) ; Namib Desert , 57 km E of Walvis Bay, 23°S 15°E, 1 male and 2 female, 12 June 2013, D. Jacobs & C. Deschodt leg. ( NCA 2013 /5520) ; same locality, 1 female, 14 February 2012 ( NCA 2013 /5491) ; 61 km E of Walvis Bay , 23°S 15°E, 1 female, 12 June 2013, D. Jacobs & C. Deschodt leg. ( NCA 2013 /5536) ; 48 km ESE of Swakopmund , 23°S 15°E, 1 male and 1 female, 7 June 2013, D. Jacobs & C. Deschodt leg. ( NCA 2014 /2092) ; same locality, 1 female, 14 February 2012 ( NCA 2013 /5430) ; Sendelingsdrif , Orange River, 5 km E of Rosh Pinah Water Affairs, 28°03’56’’S 16°54’24’’E, 1 male, 13 October 1984, E. Griffin leg. ( SMN 42857) ; Diamond Area 1, 27°20’S 16°09’E, 1 female, 14 August 1983, E. Griffin leg. ( SMN 36803) . SOUTH AF- RICA: Northern Cape , Augrabies National Park, 28°39’36’’S 20°25’12’’E, 1 female, 15 February 2007, E. le Roux leg. ( NCA 2008 /3258) ; Limpopo , VhembeBiosphere Nwanedi Game Res. NWA 3, 22°38’45.9’’S 30°23’55.68’’E, 1 female, 4 December 2012, C. Schoeman leg. ( NCA 2015 /337) ; Little Leigh (Western Soutpansberg), 22°56’54.6’’S 29°52’10.59’’E, 1 female, 23 November 2005, F. Mbedzi leg. ( NCA 2009 /1701) ; Lajuma Mountain Retreat , Farm Lajuma, Soutpansberg West, 1 female, 15 January 1999, S. Foord leg. ( NCA 99 /9) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. (A) Eleleis solitaria sp. nov., female, habitus, dorsal view; (B) Purcelliana problematica, male, habitus, dorsal view; (C) Austrodomus scaber, female, leg I; (D) Theuma sp., male, carapace, dorsal view; (E) Zimirina hirsuta, male, carapace, dorsal view; (F) Zimiris doriai, female, spinnerets, ventral view; (H) Namundra sp., female, spinnerets, ventral view; (H) Prodidomus simoni, female, spinnerets, apical view.

FIGURE 2. Austrodomus scaber, female: (A) habitus, dorsal view. A. zuluensis, female: (B) habitus, dorsal view; (C) chelicerae, frontal view; (D) sternum and endites; (E) spinnerets, lateral view; (F) spinnerets, ventral view.

FIGURE 3. Austrodomus scaber, female: (A) carapace, dorsal view; (B) carapace, frontal view; (C) sternum; (D) endites, ventral view; (E) chelicera, promargin; (F) chelicera, retromargin.

FIGURE 6. Austrodomus scaber, male: (A) palp, ventral view; (B) same, retrolateral view; (C) same, dorso-prolateral view; (D) same, detail bulb ventro-apical. Female: (E) epigyne, ventral view; (F) vulva, dorsal view. C—conductor; CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; E—embolus; FD—fertilization duct; LETe—laminar extension of tegulum; vRTA—ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis.

FIGURE 7. Austrodomus zuluensis, female: (A) epigyne, ventral view; (B) vulva, dorsal view, arrow to swollen pouch-like area; (C) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. A. oxoniensis comb. nov. Female: (D) epigyne, ventral view; (E) vulva, dorsal view, arrow to swollen pouch-like area; (F) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; FD—fertilization duct; PS—primary spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 8. Austrodomus scaber, male palp: (A) prolateral view; (B) ventral view; (C) retrolateral view. Female: (D) epigyne, ventral view; (E) vulva, dorsal view, arrow to swollen pouch-like area; (F) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. Cconductor; CD—copulatory duct; CO—copulatory opening; dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; E—embolus; FD—fertilization duct; LETe—laminar extension of tegulum; vRTA—ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 10. Known distribution records of species of Austrodomus from Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania.