Falcaranea, Haddad & Lyle, 2024

Haddad, Charles R. & Lyle, Robin, 2024, Three new genera of arboreal dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae: Trachelidae), Zootaxa 5399 (5), pp. 451-504 : 472-473

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5399.5.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:ED0CE93C-3235-4DEE-951B-A46CBD3D6AF9
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10517269
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/633387D8-9D62-FFD7-FF3A-AE21C6A8F86F
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Falcaranea
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Falcaranea gen. nov.

Type species. Falcaranea gladius sp. nov.

Etymology. The genus name is a contraction of the Latin falcatus , meaning sword, referring to the shape of the male embolus, and aranea, meaning spider. Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. Males of the genus can be distinguished by the long, curved sword-shaped embolus originating prolaterally on the tegulum, accompanied by a finger-like tegular apophysis, the broad laminate ventral RTA, and the presence of a small retrobasal cymbial process. Females can be distinguished by the anterolateral ST II, with an oblique connecting duct of the spermathecae leading to the posteromedian ST I, and the presence of a membranous scape or smaller anterior hood in the epigyne, the former being a unique character state in Trachelidae .

Description. Small spiders, 2.58–3.80 mm in length; carapace generally yellow-brown, oval, broadest between coxae II and III, eye region narrowed ( Figs 95, 100 View FIGURES 95–104 , 105 View FIGURES 105–116 , 117 View FIGURES 117–128 ); fovea absent, posterior slope with broad shallow depression ( Figs 105 View FIGURES 105–116 , 117 View FIGURES 117–128 ), posterior margin straight; slightly convex in lateral profile, elevated from clypeus to behind posterior eyes, highest at midpoint, with steep slope in posterior quarter ( Figs 96, 101 View FIGURES 95–104 , 106 View FIGURES 105–116 ); carapace surface finely wrinkled, with denticulate setal bases, setae finely barbed ( Fig. 118 View FIGURES 117–128 ). All eyes surrounded by black rings ( Figs 95, 100 View FIGURES 95–104 ); AER procurved in anterior view ( Fig. 107 View FIGURES 105–116 ), recurved in dorsal view ( Figs 108 View FIGURES 105–116 , 119 View FIGURES 117–128 ), eyes subequal in size, anterior eyes slightly larger than posteriors; AME separated by approximately ½ their diameter, nearly touching ALE ( Fig. 107 View FIGURES 105–116 ); PME transversely oval, PLE round; PME separated by distance approximately equal to their diameter, separated from PLE by approximately 1¼ times PME diameter; MOQ narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, posterior width slightly greater than length ( Fig. 107 View FIGURES 105–116 ). Chilum indistinct, a tiny transverse sclerite; cheliceral promargin with two closely spaced teeth, retromargin with two teeth, distal tooth sometimes bifid ( Fig. 112 View FIGURES 105–116 ); cheliceral promarginal escort seta absent, rake setae present ( Fig. 110 View FIGURES 105–116 ); fang with distinct serrula ( Fig. 111 View FIGURES 105–116 ); endites slightly concave or straight laterally ( Figs 109 View FIGURES 105–116 , 120 View FIGURES 117–128 ), with distinct serrula comprising sharp denticles ( Fig. 113 View FIGURES 105–116 ); dense maxillar hair tuft on mesal margins; labium trapezoidal, slightly longer than wide ( Figs 109 View FIGURES 105–116 , 120 View FIGURES 117–128 ). Pleural bars sclerotised, isolated; sternum oval, with straight anterior margin, longer than broad, surface smooth, sparsely covered in long straight setae ( Figs 114 View FIGURES 105–116 , 121 View FIGURES 117–128 ); precoxal triangles present, intercoxal sclerites present between all coxal pairs, less distinct or absent between coxae III and IV. Leg formula 4123 or 1423, sparsely covered in long fine setae; femora I slightly swollen, with strongly convex dorsal surface, ventral surface almost straight ( Figs 98, 103 View FIGURES 95–104 ); all femora slightly constricted proximally; patellar indentation on retrolateral side narrow, with lyriform organ at proximal end ( Figs 115, 116 View FIGURES 105–116 , 123, 124 View FIGURES 117–128 ); anterior legs of males with tuberculate setal bases on tibiae and metatarsi, less pronounced on tarsi ( Figs 98 View FIGURES 95–104 , 125–134 View FIGURES 117–128 View FIGURES 129–140 ), less strongly developed in females ( Figs 103 View FIGURES 95–104 , 134 View FIGURES 129–140 ); tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi with sparse chemosensory setae and trichobothria dorsally, the latter increasing in length distally, ventrally with slightly spatulate scopulate setae ( Figs 129–134, 138 View FIGURES 129–140 ); metatarsi with weakly developed metatarsal stopper ( Figs 132–134 View FIGURES 129–140 ) and ventral preening comb at distal end ( Figs 99, 104 View FIGURES 95–104 , 137 View FIGURES 129–140 ); tarsi with sparse tactile hairs, few dorsal trichobothria and chemosensory setae ( Figs 133, 134, 138 View FIGURES 129–140 ); trichobothria with slightly lowered distal plate, distal margin of hood overlapping plate, hood with four curved, roughly concentric ridges; tarsal organ terminal ( Fig. 134 View FIGURES 129–140 ), ovoid in shape, surface finely wrinkled, opening oval and distally placed ( Fig. 135 View FIGURES 129–140 ); paired tarsal claws short, with approximately seven teeth and dense tenant setae forming claw tufts in between ( Figs 133, 139 View FIGURES 129–140 ); female palpal claw simple, sharply curved distally, with a few small basal teeth. Abdomen somewhat pentagonal in males, almost straight anteriorly, broadening medially, tapering to a point posteriorly ( Fig. 95 View FIGURES 95–104 ), more oval and larger in females ( Fig. 100 View FIGURES 95–104 ), without dorsal scutum or ventral sclerites in either sex, but with two pairs of distinct sigilla. Spinnerets conical, compact ( Fig. 140 View FIGURES 129–140 ), spigots not studied in detail. Male palpal femora and patellae without apophyses ( Figs 142, 148 View FIGURES 141–149 ), patella with pro- and retrolateral lyriform organs ( Fig. 148 View FIGURES 141–149 ); cymbium with dense scopula at distal end ( Fig. 141 View FIGURES 141–149 ) and retrobasal cymbial process ( Figs 156 View FIGURES 156–159 , 161 View FIGURES 160–164 , 166 View FIGURES 165–168 ); palpal tibiae with short, broad laminate retrolateral apophysis, almost spanning width of tibia, sometimes with additional adjacent apophysis dorsally ( Figs 157 View FIGURES 156–159 , 161 View FIGURES 160–164 , 166 View FIGURES 165–168 ); tegulum transversely oval in ventral view ( Figs 143, 147 View FIGURES 141–149 ), as broad as cymbium, with large digitiform prolateral tegular apophysis; embolus originating mesally near tegular apophysis base, initially directed retrolaterally, bending sharply before tapering to sharp tip distally ( Figs 143, 147 View FIGURES 141–149 ); conductor absent. Female epigyne occupying most of epigastric plate length, with anterolateral copulatory openings separated by short to long slender median scape ( Figs 144–146, 149 View FIGURES 141–149 ); copulatory ducts entering almost immediately into ovoid lateral ST II, with long ducts connecting them to posterior mesal ST I initially directed mesally, then posteriorly, converging in V, entering transversely oval ST I along their anteromesal margin; fertilization ducts directed posteriorly, sharply bent laterally.