Coronarachne denticulata, 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 : 462-464

Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 5–26 , 42–58 , 65, 66 , 74–78

Etymology. This species name is taken from the Latin “ denticulatus/-a/-um ” (Latin for “with small tooth”), and refers to the pronounced denticles on the distal end of the dorsal RTA of males; adjective.

Diagnosis. The male of this species can be recognised by the lack of a tuft of modified setae ventrally on the cymbium (also absent in C. penicillus sp. nov.) and the broadly coiled conductor and embolus ( Figs 58 , 74 ). The female can be recognised by the strongly spiralled copulatory duct, comprising three coils ( Fig. 76 ), while those of congeners are simpler, with at most a single coil.

Male (holotype, Pongola, NCA 84/485). Measurements: CL 1.13, CW 0.93, AL 1.28, AW 0.78, TL 2.20, FL 0.13, SL 0.70, SW 0.53, AME-AME 0.03, AME-ALE 0.01, ALE-ALE 0.18, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.10, PLE-PLE 0.33. Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 0.68 + 0.35 + 0.48 + 0.45 + 0.28 = 2.24; II 0.58 + 0.35 + 0.45 + 0.40 + 0.28 = 2.06; III 0.50 + 0.25 + 0.33 + 0.38 + 0.23 = 1.69; IV 0.70 + 0.33 + 0.53 + 0.53 + 0.23 = 2.32.

Carapace reddish-brown ( Fig. 65 ); surface granulate; fovea short, distinct, at ⅔ CL. AER slightly procurved, almost straight; clypeus height equal to less than ½ AME diameter; ALE slightly larger than AME; AME separated by distance equal to slightly less their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to slightly less than ½ AME diameter; PER strongly recurved, PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to slightly more than their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly larger than PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, anterior surface covered with scattered long, fine setae. Sternum brown, darker towards borders; surface with finely granulate texture, covered with scattered short, fine setae. Abdomen elongate-oval, broad anteriorly, tapering posteriorly; grey dorsally, with large cream patch anteriorly, broken along midline anteriorly by grey streak ( Fig. 65 ); two pairs of brown to grey sigilla, first pair at ¼ AL and second at midpoint of abdomen. Legs I to IV uniform pale yellow-brown, leg I darker than others. Palp brown; embolus long, transversely coiled on palpal axis, accompanied by sclerotized conductor; ventral RTA slender, with pointed tip; dorsal RTA larger, originating distally on tibiae, with several denticles along distal margin ( Figs 55–58 , 74, 75 ).

Female (paratype, Pongola, NCA 84/485). Measurements: CL 1.00, CW 0.93, AL 1.18, AW 0.73, TL 2.18, FL 0.03, SL 0.63, SW 0.48, AME-AME 0.05, AME-ALE 0.03, ALE-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.05, PME-PLE 0.05, PLE-PLE 0.30. Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 0.53 + 0.30 + 0.38 + 0.33 + 0.28 = 1.82; II 0.50 + 0.25 + 0.33 + 0.33 + 0.28 = 1.69; III 0.38 + 0.23 + 0.28 + 0.28 + 0.15 = 1.32; IV 0.65 + 0.25 + 0.43 + 0.38 + 0.18 = 1.89.

Carapace brown ( Fig. 66 ); surface granulate; fovea short, distinct, at ⅔ CL. AER slightly procurved, almost straight; clypeus height equal to distance approximately ½ AME diameter; AME and ALE equal in size; AME separated by distance equal to approximately ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to slightly less than ¼ AME diameter; PER strongly recurved, PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to approximately their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance approximately 1½ times PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, anterior surface covered with scattered long, fine setae. Sternum brown, darker towards borders; surface finely granulate, covered with scattered short, fine setae. Abdomen slightly elongate-oval, broad anteriorly, tapering posteriorly; dorsum dark grey, with paired L-shaped markings in anterior half, separated by narrow grey line along midline; two pairs of brown to grey sigilla, first pair at ¼ AL and second pair just posterior to midpoint of abdomen. Legs I to IV pale brown; anterior legs darker than posteriors. Epigyne with median, tongue-like projection partly covering epigastric fold; copulatory openings small, entering spiralling atrium, with small anterior ST II; narrow duct passing from ST II around lateral periphery of epigyne to bilobed posterior ST I, separated by distance approximately equal to their length ( Figs 76–78 ).

Type material. Holotype ♁ and paratype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Pongola , 27°22'S, 31°37'E, 22.IV.1969, leg. A.S. Dippenaar and others (beating) ( NCA 84 /485).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Mkuze, Banghoek Lodge, 27°46.055'S, 32°08.377'E, 131 m a.s.l., 17.V.2012, leg. J.A. Neethling & C. Luwes (canopy fogging 10, bushveld, Vachellia tortilis ), 4♁ 5♀ ( NCA 2012 /4268); Ndumo Game Reserve , Hotwe Pan, 26°52.730'S, 32°18.452'E, 22.VI.2005, leg. C. Haddad (fever tree bark), 1♁ ( NCA 2006 /1510) .

Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Mkuzi Game Reserve, 27°44.818'S, 32°17.456'E, 11.XII.2004, leg. Earthwatch team 8 (blue pan trap 2), 1♀ ( NCA 2016 /3069); Same locality, 27°39.814'S, 32°16.039'E, 20.I.2005, leg. Earthwatch team 10(beats, V.tortilis and V.nilotica woodland), 1♀ ( NCA 2016 /3070); Ndumo Game Reserve , Banzi Pan , 26°53.066'S, 32°17.218'E, 35 m a.s.l., 7.XII.2018, leg. C. Haddad, R. Booysen & J. Neethling (canopy fogging, Spirostachys africana ), 2♁ ( NCA 2019 /592); Same locality, Crocodile Farm, Pongola River Floodplain, 26°54.426'S, 32°19.185'E, 24.I.2006, leg. C. Haddad ( Vachellia xanthophloea bark), 1♁ ( NCA 2014 /1476); Same locality, Nyamiti Pan, 26°53.409'S, 32°17.576'E, 35 m a.s.l., 3.XII.2019, leg. C. Haddad & V. Swart (canopy fogging, Pappea capensis ), 10♀ ( NCA 2020 /307); Same locality, Road to Shokwe Pan, 26°52.550'S, 32°12.695'E, 30.I.2014, leg. C. Haddad & Z. Mbo (canopy fogging, Albizia versicolor ), 1♁ 1♀ (MACN-Ar 32949), 1♁ (MACN-Ar 32948), 1♀ (MACN-Ar 32950), 3♁ 3♀ ( NCA 2014 /923) .

Distribution. Restricted to the northern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa ( Fig. 85 ).

Figures

FIGURE 85. Distribution of Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. (red circles), C. neethlingi sp. nov. (blue triangle) and C. penicillus sp. nov. (green triangles) in southern Africa.

FIGURES 1–4. Habitus photos of live Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. male from Gundani Forest (1) and Falcaranea gladius sp. nov. males from Ndumo Game Reserve (2), Ophathe Game Reserve (3) and Umhlanga Rocks (4). Photos: 1, 4 Peter Webb, 2 Ruan Booysen, 3, Charles Haddad.

FIGURES 5–14. Digital microscope photographs of somatic morphology of Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. male (5–9) and female (10–14). 5, 10. Habitus, dorsal view; 6, 11. Same, lateral view; 7, 12. Same, ventral view; 8, 13. Leg I, prolateral view; 9, 14. Metatarsus and tarsus IV. Scale bars = 1.0 mm (5–7, 10–12), 0.5 mm (8, 9, 13, 14).

FIGURES 15–26. Scanning electron micrographs of Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. male. 15. Carapace, dorsal view; 16. Eye region, dorsal view; 17. Mouthparts; 18. Sternum; 19. Patella I, ventrolateral view, arrow indicating lyriform organ at distal end of patellar indentation; 20. Detail of previous; 21. Tibia I, ventrolateral view; 22. Detail of ventral setae; 23. Metatarsus I, ventrolateral view; 24. Detail of ventral setae; 25. Tarsus I, ventrolateral view; 26. Detail of ventral setae.

FIGURES 42–52. Scanning electron micrographs of Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. male. 42, 43. Metatarsus IV, dorsal view (42) and detail of trichobothrium (43); 44. Metatarsus III, lateral view, metatarsal stopper and ventral preening comb; 45–50. Tarsus III, dorsal (45) and lateral (46) views, indicating trichobothria (black arrows) and tarsal organ (white arrow), and detail of trichobothrium (47), chemosensory seta (48), tarsal organ (49) and claws (50); 51, 52. Tarsus IV, dorsal (51) and distolateral views (52), indicating trichobothria (black arrows) and tarsal organ (white arrow).

FIGURES 53–64. Scanning electron micrographs of Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. male (53–58) and C. unigena sp. nov. male (59–63) and female (64). 53. Ventral abdominal setae; 54. Spinnerets; 55, 59. Right palp, retrolateral view; 56, 60. Detail of palpal patella, arrow indicating retrolateral lyriform organ; 57, 61. Detail of palpal tibial, retrolateral view, arrow indicating trichobothrium; 58. Right palp, prolateral view; 62. Left palp, ventral view; 63. Distal end of embolus and cymbium, ventral view, arrow indicating modified setae; 64. Epigyne, ventral view. Abbreviations: C—conductor; dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; E—embolus; TA—tegular apophysis; vRTA—ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis.

FIGURES 65–73. Digital microscope photographs of dorsal habitus of Coronarachne spp. 65, 66. C. denticulata sp. nov. male (65) and female (66); 67. C. neethlingi sp. nov., male; 68, 69. C. penicillus sp. nov., male (68) and female (69); 70, 71, C. setosa sp. nov., male (70) and female (71); 72, 73. C. unigena sp. nov., male (72) and female (73). Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 74–78. Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. male (74, 75) and female (76–78). 74. Left palp, ventral view; 75. Same, retrolateral view; 76. Epigyne, ventral view; 77. Same, detail of spermathecae; 78. Epigyne, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.