Diploglena karooica, Haddad, 2015

Haddad, Charles R., 2015, A revision of the southern African two-eyed spider genus Diploglena (Araneae: Caponiidae), African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 343-343 : 355-357

Diploglena karooica sp. n.

Figs 17, 22, 23 , 57–59

Diploglena capensis Purcell, 1904 : Platnick & JÄger 2008: 10 (in part, misidentified).

Etymology: Named for the Nama Karoo habitats from which this species originates.

Diagnosis: Males of D. karooica sp. n. resemble those of D. dippenaarae sp. n., but can be separated by the less pronounced rounded basal lobe and the smaller triangular distal lobe of the tegular apophysis. The embolus of D. karooica sp. n. is slightly curved while that of D. dippenaarae sp. n. is straight (compare Figs 57–59 with Figs 54–56 ). Females can be distinguished by the transverse sclerotised strips being straight ( Fig. 17 ), while slightly recurved in other Diploglena .

Description:

Male (holotype, NCA 91/40).

Measurements: CL 2.15, CW 1.73, SL 1.38, SW 1.20, AL 3.05, AW 1.85, TL 5.20 (5.00–7.68, n=4), CLER 1:0.16 (1:0.16–1:0.19).

Length of leg segments, sequence from femur to tarsus, and total: I 1.55 + 0.80 + 1.20 + 0.78 + 0.48 = 4.81; II 1.32 + 0.70 + 1.00 + 0.78 + 0.54 = 4.34; III 1.10 + 0.65 + 0.72 + 0.84 + 0.58 = 3.89; IV 1.43 + 0.80 + 1.07 + 1.04 + 0.71 = 5.05.

Carapace bright yellow-orange; chelicerae orange-brown; sternum and mouthparts yellow-orange, darker around margins; leg I yellow-orange, metatarsi and tarsi slightly darker, legs II–IV creamy-yellow; abdomen cream dorsally and ventrally. Palpal femora and patellae yellow-orange, tibiae and cymbium orange; palpal tegulum with curved embolus, at least twice as long as broad, directed distally at approximately 1 o’clock; membranous conductor triangular, directed dorsally; embolus and distal lobe of tegular apophysis perpendicular relative to one another; tegular apophysis comprising rounded basal lobe distally on tegulum, with triangular distal lobe directed retrolaterally at approximately 4 o’clock; tip of embolus clearly more distal than tip of tegular apophysis ( Figs 57–59 ).

Female (paratype, NCA 91/1550).

Measurements: CL 2.55, CW 2.00, SL 1.63, SW 1.48, AL 4.30, AW 2.10, TL 6.80 (4.45–8.50, n=5), CLER 1:0.22 (1:0.15–1:0.22).

Length of leg segments, seQuence from femur to tarsus, and total: I 1.63 + 0.95 + 1.24 + 0.85 + 0.52 = 5.19; II 1.42 + 0.85 + 1.08 + 0.88 + 0.55 = 4.78; III 1.22 + 0.76 + 0.85 + 0.95 + 0.73 = 4.51; IV 1.55 + 0.96 + 1.27 + 1.22 + 0.86 = 5.86.

Carapace bright yellow-orange; chelicerae orange; sternum and mouthparts yellow-orange, darker around margins; leg I yellow-orange, metatarsi and tarsi slightly darker, legs II–IV yellow; abdomen cream dorsally and ventrally. Palpal femora and patellae yellow-orange, tibiae and tarsi orange. External genitalia with weakly sclerotised anterior plate, with broad subtriangular unsclerotised patch in front of paired straight transverse sclerotised strips ( Fig. 17 ); ESTR 1:0.61–1:0.62.

Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Prince Albert, Tierberg , 33°13'S 22°02'E, leg. R. Dean, 25.vii.1989 (old lands) (NCA 91/40).

Paratypes: NAMIBIA: Karas: Hobas 374, 27°37'S 17°42'E, leg. E. Griffin, 16–28.x.1984 (pitfall traps in river and flood Zone), 1♂ (SMN 39863); Keetmanshoop district , Farm Khabus 146, 26°18'S 18°13'E, leg. N. & G. Olivier, 14.iv–30.v.1988 (pitfall traps, on sandy plain next to dry riverbed), 1♀ (SMN 42200); Same data but 23.vii–1.xii.1988, 1♂ 1sa ♀ (SMN 42124) . SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: Henkries , 28°54'S 18°07'E, leg. A. Harrington, 2.vi.1997 (scorpion burrows), 1♂ 2♀ (NCA 98/292) . Western Cape: Prince Albert, Tierberg , 33°13'S 22°02'E, leg. R. Dean, 17.viii.1988 (old lands), 1♀, together with 1♂ Caponia sp. (NCA 91/1550) .

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Prince Albert, Heuweltjie , 33°13'S 22°02'E, leg. R. Dean, 19.i.1990 (old lands), 1 imm. (NCA 91/1569) . NAMIBIA: Daberas, Diamond area 1, 28°17'S 16°45'E, leg. E. Griffin, 24–26.ix.1995 (pitfall traps), 1♀ (SMN 43693) .

Remarks: The female from Daberas in southern Namibia (? in Fig. 63 ) has a badly wrinkled abdomen and the genitalia could not be compared with other material of D. karooica sp. n. and D. arida sp. n., which occur in the same general area of southern Africa. Since only D. karooica sp. n. has been collected from southern Namibia, this specimen is assumed to belong to this species. Collection of fresh material, especially males, from this part of Namibia will shed light on its true identity. Because of this uncertainty this specimen is not designated as a paratype.

In addition, Poller (2005) collected “ Diploglena capensis ” at two sites in southern Namibia (two triangles in Fig. 63 ) as part of a study of dune-dwelling arthropods: Middelpos (28°14'12.7"S 17°51'11.3"E) and Oase (27°13’57.2’'S 17°54’28.4’'E). The whereabouts of this material, identified by the author of this paper, are unknown, but it is likely that these specimens correspond to D. karooica sp. n. based on the revised biogeographical data presented here, and not D. capensis .

The disjunct distribution of D. karooica sp. n., with populations in the southwestern parts of South Africa, northern-western parts of the Northern Cape and southern Namibia suggests that the species should be widespread throughout this range, but has just been poorly sampled. Male palpal structure is consistent between all of these populations, so there is no doubt as to the distribution data presented here.

Distribution: Broadly distributed from southern Namibia to southwestern South Africa ( Fig. 63 ).

Figures

Figs14–25.Digital microscope photographsof female Diploglena genitaliain ventral (14–18) and dorsalview (19–25): (14, 19) D. arida sp. n.; (15, 20) D. capensis Purcell, 1904; (16, 21) D. dippenaarae sp. n.; (17, 22, 23) D. karooica sp. n.; (18, 24, 25) D. major Lawrence, 1928. Abbreviations: lt – lateral sieve trachea; mt – anterior branches of paired median tubular tracheae; pb – posterior branches of paired median tubular tracheae; r – seminal receptacle; s – membranous sac extending from seminal receptacle; sd – distance between lateral ends of transverse sclerotised strips; td – distance between lateral ends of posterior tracheal spiracles. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 54–59. Left male palps of Diploglena dippenaarae sp. n. (54–56) and D. karooica sp. n. (57–59): (54, 57) prolateral view; (55, 58) ventral view; (56, 59) retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 63. Distribution of Diploglena arida sp. n. (black circles), D. capensis Purcell, 1904 (open circles), D. dippenaarae sp. n. (black squares), D. karooica sp. n. (open squares), D. major Lawrence, 1928 (black triangles), D. proxila sp. n. (white circle) and undetermined Diploglena immatures (open triangles) in southern Africa.