Eleleis solitaria, Rodrigues & Rheims, 2020

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 : 36

Eleleis solitaria sp. nov.

Figs 1A , 11D, E , 12G , 23 G–I

Type material. Female holotype from Cape Verde, St Vicent Island, Mindelo, 16°53’N 24°59’W, 11 November 1998, W. Tavernier leg., deposited in MRAC 208392 .

Etymology. The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning “alone”, in reference to the isolated distribution of the species.

Diagnosis. Females of Eleleis solitaria sp. nov. resemble those of E. etosha sp. nov. and E. haddadi sp. nov. by the the median atrium larger than posterior median excavation, but differ by atrium large and round (subrectangular in E. haddadi sp. nov. and bullet-shaped in E. etosha sp. nov.) ( Fig. 23G ). Males are unknown.

Description. Female. Total length: 3.03. Carapace 0.95 long, 0.77 wide; Abdomen 1.90 long, 1.02 wide; Sternum 0.71 long, 0.56 wide; Spinnerets ALS 0.21 long, 0.14 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.04, ALE 0.04, PME 0.06, PLE 0.06; interdistances: AME–AME 0.03, PME–PME 0.02. Chelicerae 0.29 long. Leg measurements: I: 2.52 (0.74, 0.40, 0.56, 0.42, 0.40); II: 2.13 (0.62, 0.37, 0.39, 0.40, 0.35); III: 1.85 (0.56, 0.30, 0.33, 0.38, 0.31); IV: 2.56 (0.74, 0.41, 0.46, 0.52, 0.43). Epigyne: posterior median excavation three times longer than wide, with lateral margins converging posteriorly ( Fig. 23G ). Vulva: copulatory and connecting ducts with few folds; proximal part of copulatory duct laterad; secondary spermathecae arising posteriorly from reniform bulbous part of duct; fertilization ducts arising posteriorly from primary spermathecae ( Fig. 23H ).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Cape Verde, only known from the type locality ( Fig. 25 ).

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 11. Eleleis crinita, female: (A) carapace, dorsal view; (B) spinnerets, lateral view; (C) same. E. solitaria sp. nov., female: (D) carapace, dorsal view; (E) spinnerets, lateral view. E. limpopo sp. nov., male: (F) carapace, dorsal view; (G) spinnerets, lateral view. Figures A and B from Dalmas (1919); figure C from Simon (1893).

FIGURE 12. Habitus, dorsal view: (A) Eleleis limpopo sp. nov., male; (B) E. okavango sp. nov., male; (C) E. etosha sp. nov., male; (D) E. himba sp. nov., male; (E) E. leleupi sp. nov., male; (F) E. haddadi sp. nov., female; (G) E. luderitz sp. nov., female; (H) E. solitaria sp. nov., female.

FIGURE 23. Eleleis haddadi sp. nov. Female: (A) epigyne, ventral view; (B) vulva, dorsal view; (C) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. E. luderitz sp. nov. Female: (D) epigyne, ventral view; (E) vulva, dorsal view; (F) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. E. solitaria sp. nov. Female: (G) epigyne, ventral view; (H) vulva, dorsal view; (I) vulva, schematic course of internal duct system. A—atrium; CD—copulatory duct; CoD—connecting duct; FD—fertilization duct; PMEx—posterior median excavation; PS—primary spermathecae; SS—secondary spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 25. Known distribution records of species of E. etosha sp. nov., E. himba sp. nov., E. luderitz sp. nov. and E. solitaria sp. nov. from Africa.