Jocquestus capensis, Lyle & Haddad, 2018

Lyle, Robin & Haddad, Charles R., 2018, Jocquestus, a new genus of trachelid sac spiders from the Afrotropical Region (Arachnida: Araneae), Zootaxa 4471 (2), pp. 309-333 : 316-318

Jocquestus capensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A09FFC3C-649D-4018-BA4A-CEF062DA42E3

Figs 9, 10 , 41–46

Etymology. This species name is named for the Western Cape Province of South Africa, where the type series was collected.

Diagnosis. The male of this species can be recognised by large, curved RPA, which ends in a ventrally-directed point ( Fig. 43 ), and the presence of four strong spines on the distal tip of the cymbium ( Fig. 42 ). The female of this species has a distinctive arched pigmented margin around the anterior of the epigyne ( Figs 44–46 ), which is absent in all other known females.

Male (holotype, De Hoop Nature Reserve, NCA 2007/3833). Measurements: CL 1.20–1.40, CW 0.95–1.23, AL 1.20–1.50, AW 0.95–1.13, TL 2.45–2.90, FL 0.08–0.10, SL 0.73–0.83, SW 0.58–0.68, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.30, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.13, PLE–PLE 0.46.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 0.95 + 0.45 + 0.65 + 0.53 + 0.40 = 2.98; II 0.83 + 0.40 + 0.60 + 0.55 + 0.28 = 2.66; III 0.53 + 0.28 + 0.30 + 0.45 + 0.23 = 1.79; IV 0.73 + 0.58 + 0.30 + 0.65 + 0.25 = 2.51.

Carapace brown to reddish-brown ( Fig. 9 ); surface finely granulate, covered with short fine setae; fovea short, darker than carapace, indistinct, at two thirds CL; ocular region reddish-brown; clypeus height slightly less than AME diameter; ALE slightly larger than AME; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.5 AME diameter; PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, anterior surface with scattered long fine setae; two promarginal teeth, proximal tooth largest; one retromarginal tooth, proximally situated. Sternum brown, darker towards borders; surface slightly granulate, covered with short fine setae. Abdominal dorsum mottled grey, with brown scutum covering almost entire length of abdomen, with mottled grey median line extending to midpoint of abdomen ( Fig. 9 ). Legs I to IV uniform pale brown to brown, anterior legs slightly darker than posterior legs; leg spination: tibiae: I plv 3 cusps; metatarsi: I plv 4 cusps, II plv 1 vt 1 cusps; tarsi: I plv 2 cusps, II plv 2 cusps ( Fig. 41 ). Palp brown; RPA large, curved, with ventrally-directed tip; palpal tibia with shallow distal lobe, not forming distinct RTA; embolus originating prolaterally, proximally on tegulum, extending prolaterally around tegulum; embolus tip sharp and slightly bent, ending retrolaterally near cymbium tip; distal end of cymbium with four strong spines ( Figs 42, 43 ).

Female (paratype, De Hoop Nature Reserve, NCA 2007/3833). Measurements: CL 1.18–1.30, CW 0.95– 1.13, AL 1.45–1.70, AW 1.10–1.40, TL 2.60–3.30, FL 0.05–0.10, SL 0.65–0.73, SW 0.55–0.63, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.08, ALE–ALE 0.38, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.45.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 0.90 + 0.43 + 0.63 + 0.53 + 0.35 = 2.84; II 0.85 + 0.40 + 0.60 + 0.60 + 0.40 = 2.83; III 0.65 + 0.35 + 0.43 + 0.45 + 0.25 = 2.13; IV 0.78 + 0.38 + 0.65 + 0.68 + 0.28 = 2.77.

Carapace reddish-brown ( Fig. 10 ); clypeus height equal to AME diameter; AME slightly larger than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 0.7 their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.4 AME diameter; PER recurved, PME and PLE equal in size; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.4 times PME diameter. Chelicerae reddish-brown; one promarginal tooth, distally situated; two retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest. Sternum dark brown, darker towards borders. Abdomen mottled pale grey dorsally, with two pairs of brown sigilla, first pair anterior to midpoint, second pair posterior to midpoint ( Fig. 10 ). Legs I to IV uniform brown to pale brown; regular leg spines, cusps absent. Other characters as for male. Epigyne weakly sclerotised, usually pale yellow, with arch-shaped pigmented anterior margin, with ( Fig. 45 ) or without ( Fig. 44 ) hornlike projections medially; CO at 45° angle to epigastric fold; ST II large, subquadrate, anterior to CO, with curved diverging ducts leading to small, circular ST I near epigastric fold ( Figs 44–46 ).

Type material. Holotype ♂ and paratype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: De Hoop Nature Reserve, Lekkerwater road, 34°24.002'S, 20°33.151'E, leg. C. Haddad, 26.III.2005 (beats, fynbos) (NCA 2007/3833).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA : Western Cape: De Hoop Nature Reserve, Lekkerwater road, 34°24.002'S, 20°33.151'E, leg. C. Haddad, 26.IX.2007 (under Thamnochortis restios), 2♂ (NCA 2007/3653) ; same locality, Lekkerwater Road , 34°24.023'S, 20°33.189'E, leg. C. Haddad, 26.III.2005 (beats, fynbos foliage), 1♀ (NCA 2006/ 1550) ; same locality, Near De Hoop Vlei , 34°26.719'S, 20°24.685'E, 26 m a.s.l., leg. L. Almeida, C. Griswold & T. Meikle, 16.X.2011 (general collecting, fynbos), 1♀ ( CAS, CASENT 9043309 ) .

Distribution. Only known from the De Hoop Nature Reserve in south-western South Africa ( Fig. 70 ).

Habitat and biology. This species was collected by beating Protea spp. and in leaf litter under restios in the fynbos biome.

Figures

FIGURE 70. Distribution of the genus Jocquestus gen. nov. in the Afrotropical Region: J. capensis sp. nov. (black circles), J. griswoldi sp. nov. male (yellow circle), J. harrisi sp. nov. (black square), J. incurvus sp. nov. (yellow squares), J. obliquus sp. nov. (black star), J. roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. (yellow stars) and J. schenkeli (Lessert, 1923) comb. nov. (black triangles).

FIGURES 9–20. Digital microscope photographs of the dorsal habitus of Jocquestus gen. nov. species. 9. J. capensis sp. nov., male; 10. Same, female; 11. J. griswoldi sp. nov., male; 12. J. harrisi sp. nov., female; 13. J. incurvus sp. nov., male; 14. Same, female; 15. J. obliquus sp. nov., male; 16. Same, female; 17. J. roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov., male; 18. Same, female; 19. J. schenkeli (Lessert, 1923) comb. nov., male; 20. Same, female.

FIGURES 41–46. Jocquestus capensis sp. nov. male (41–43) male and female (44–46): 41. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 42. Left palp, ventral view; 43. Same, retrolateral view; 44. Epigyne, ventral view; 45. Variation of epigyne, ventral view; 46. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.