Cteniogaster, Jan Bosselaers & Rudy Jocque, 2013

Jan Bosselaers & Rudy Jocque, 2013, Studies in Liocranidae (Araneae): a new afrotropical genus featuring a synapomorphy for the Cybaeodinae, European Journal of Taxonomy 40, pp. 1-49 : 10-13

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2013.40

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:99B180D2-CCD2-4171-B640-E3EB68F94E2B

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8316750

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4D38E26E-FE0F-4FD9-ADB2-9B4728BE56AD

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:4D38E26E-FE0F-4FD9-ADB2-9B4728BE56AD

treatment provided by

Jeremy

scientific name

Cteniogaster
status

gen. nov.

Cteniogaster View in CoL gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4D38E26E-FE0F-4FD9-ADB2-9B4728BE56AD

Type species

Cteniogaster toxarchus sp. nov.

Diagnosis

Cteniogaster gen. nov. differs from all other genera of Liocranidae by the presence of a small posterior ve abdominal Feld of strong setae in males, the presence of two pairs of tenent hairs on the tarsal tips and the consistent presence of one plv and one rlv spine on mt IV. The genus differs from all other liocranid genera except Apostenus by the wide patellar indentations.

Etymology

The genus name is derived from the Greek KTENIoN, little comb, and γaSTHR, belly, referring to the small array of strong, modiFed ventral setae on the abdomen of the males of the new genus. The gender is feminine.

Description

Small (males 1.7-3.0, females 2.0-3.0) spiders. Carapace longer than wide, almost Fat but slightly higher at fovea ( Fig. 9F, G View Fig. 9 ), smooth ( Fig. 6A View Fig. 6 ), yellow or brown, covered with feathery hairs ( Fig. 6B View Fig. 6 ), unicoloured or with faint pattern, iridescent in some species. Distinct fovea in posterior half. MOQ widest posteriorly ( Fig. 9H View Fig. 9 ). Eight, six or four eyes, ringed with black. AME dark, LE pearl, PME very pale and in most species reduced, or absent. AME smaller than LE. Both eye rows straight in frontal view ( Fig. 12E). Chilum single, small and subtriangular, indistinct or absent in the smaller species. Chelicerae small, yellow or brown, with a knee-shaped shaggy hair in front of fang base. Promarginal cheliceral rim with three teeth at a small distance from fang base, largest one in the middle. Retromarginal cheliceral rim with two small teeth close to fang base. Labium subtriangular, about as wide as long, with a thickened anterior rim. Endites with a lateral notch and an apical serrula, no apical hair tuft. Sternum shield-shaped, smooth, unicoloured yellow or brown, in some species with a thin border. Three pairs of weak PCT present, ICS absent.

Abdomen in different shades of grey, with an anterior row of curved strong hairs in both sexes ( Figs 2N View Fig. 2 , 9A), and with broad, Fattened feathery hairs on ve surface ( Fig. 6E, F View Fig. 6 ). The male abdomen has a small and weak anterior do scutum and a small ve posterior patch of strong setae ( Figs 2B, F, P View Fig. 2 , 3E, 6D, E, 9B, 10B). Males with ALS cylindrical and separated from each other, bearing apical EPGS ( Fig. 7 View Fig. 7 E), PMS and PLS thin and slender, PLS separated by more than their length and having a dome-shaped apical segment ( Fig. 7E, F View Fig. 7 ). Females with non-contiguous cylindrical ALS with one major ampullate and a small number of unmodiFed piriform gland spigots, subtriangular PMS with three cylindrical and one minor ampullate gland spigot and non-contiguous subcylindrical PLS about as large as ALS bearing two cylindrical gland spigots and about a dozen aciniform gland spigots ( Fig. 7A-D View Fig. 7 ). Legs pale yellow to brown, unicoloured, iridescent in some species, with trichobothria with basal socket ( Fig. 6G View Fig. 6 ) and oval tarsal organ ( Fig. 6I View Fig. 6 ). Patellar indentation wide, length 2/3 of pa length in legs I to III, 1/2 of patella length in leg IV. Retrocoxal hymen present, but often pale and weak. Trochanter notch present. Tarsus IV bent with pseudoarticulations in males ( Fig. 11D View Fig. 11 ), and slightly bent in females. Leg formula 4123. Tarsal tips without true claw tufts but with two pairs of tenent hairs ( Figs 6H View Fig. 6 , 11C, E). Metatarsus IV with one plv and one rlv spine, both in proximal half of article (Appendix 1). Minimal leg spination for the genus: males fe: palp do 0-1-1; I pl 0-0-1, do 1-1-0; II do 1-1-0; III do 1-1-2; IV do 1-1-0; pa: palp do 0-1; ti: palp pl 2-0-1; I plv 1-0-1, rlv 1-0-1; II rlv 1-0-1; III pl 1-0-1, do 1-0-0, rl 0-0-1, plv 1-1-1, rlv 0-0-1; IV pl 1-0-1, do 1-0-0, rl 1-0-1, plv 1-1-1, rlv 0-1-1; mt: I plv 1-0-0, rlv 1-0-0; II plv 1-0-0, rlv 1-0- 0; III pl 0-0-1, do 0-2-2, rl 1-0-1, ve 2-0-1; IV pl 0-0-1, do 2-2-2, rl 1-0-1, ve 2-0-1; ta: palp pl 1-0-1, do 1-0-0; females fe: palp do 0-1-1; I pl 0-0-1, do 1-1-0; II do 1-1-0; III do 1-1-2; IV do 1-1-0; pa: palp pl 1-0, do 0-1; ti: palp pl 2-0-1, do 1-0-1; I plv 1-0-1, rlv 1-0-1; II rlv 1-0-1; III pl 1-0-1, do 1-0-0, rl 0-0-1, plv 1-1-1, rlv 0-1-1; IV pl 1-0-1, do 1-0-0, rl 1-0-1, plv 1-1-1, rlv 0-1-1; mt: I plv 1-0-0, rlv 1-0-0; II plv 1-0-0, rlv 1-0-0; III pl 0-0-1, do 0-2-2, rl 1-0-1, ve 2-0-1; IV pl 0-0-1, do 2-2-2, rl 1-0-1, ve 2-0-1; ta: palp pl 2-0-1, do 1-0-0, rl 0-1-0, ve 0-0-2.

Male palp with a simple, blunt or pointed RTA, a cymbium with a spine on the distal pl edge ( Figs 9C View Fig. 9 , 10C), a pl subtegulum, a short apical embolus, a membranous or sclerotised conductor and a simple, subtriangular or subrectangular MA ( Fig. 11A, B View Fig. 11 ). Epigyne with an anterior hood and a central depression ( Figs 9E View Fig. 9 , 10E, 12C-G, K-L). Vulva with isodiametric, oval or kidney-shaped ST1 with internal spikes and ST2 with a porous glandular structure ( Figs 4 View Fig. 4 , 5 View Fig. 5 , 8 View Fig. 8 ).

Distribution

The genus is known from the Taita hills in Kenya and from the East and West Usambara mountains in Tanzania. So far no specimens of Cteniogaster gen. nov. have been found outside the Eastern Arc ( Fig. 13 View Fig. 13 ), which is a fair indication that the genus is endemic to that mountain range.

IdentiFcation Key

Females

(not known for C. nana sp. nov.)

1. Frontal hood on epigyne large, wider than half epigyne width ( Fig. 5 View Fig. 5 ) .......................................... 2

– Frontal hood on epigyne narrow, less than one fourth epigyne width ( Fig. 4 View Fig. 4 ) ................................ 4

2. Frontal hood as large as half epigyne width; spermathecae 1 pear shaped, oriented diagonally, spermathecae 2 oriented transversally, touching in the middle ( Fig. 5E-F View Fig. 5 ) ..... C. taxorchis sp. nov.

– Frontal hood almost as wide as epigyne; spermathecae 1 rounded, spermathecae 2 oriented along longitudinal axis ( Fig. 5A-D View Fig. 5 ) .......................................................................................................... 3

3. Frontal hood very wide and sclerotized; spermathecae 2 curved, slightly separated, not touching ( Fig. 5C-D View Fig. 5 ) ..................................................................................................... C. sangarawe sp. nov.

– Frontal hood less wide and hardly sclerotized; spermathecae 2 sinuous, touching in the middle ( Fig. 5A-B View Fig. 5 ) .......................................................................................................... C. conviva sp. nov.

4. Anterior hood in larger oval depression; spermathecae 1 piriform, widely separated ( Fig. 4E-F View Fig. 4 ) .... ......................................................................................................................... C. lampropus sp. nov.

– Anterior hood not surrounded by oval depression; spermathecae 1 not piriform ........................... 5

5. Spermathecae 1 very large, oval, touching in the middle ( Fig. 4C-D View Fig. 4 ) ............ C. hexomma sp. nov.

– Spermathecae 1 much smaller, not touching ( Fig. 4A-B View Fig. 4 ) ................................ C. toxarchus sp. nov.

Males

(not known for C. lampropus sp. nov., C. sangarawe sp. nov. and C. taxorchis sp. nov.)

1. Cymbium with retrolateral bulge; sclerotized conductor large and coiled; RTA large, hookshaped, sharp ( Fig. 12A, B) .............................................................................................. C. conviva sp. nov.

– Without cymbial bulge; conductor small; RTA less large or straight or blunt ( Figs 9C-D View Fig. 9 , 10C-D, 12A-B) ............................................................................................................................................. 2

2. RTA very short, sharp and straight ( Fig. 10C-D View Fig. 10 ) ............................................. C. hexomma sp. nov.

– RTA longer and blunt or curved upwards ( Figs 9C-D View Fig. 9 , 12H-I) ........................................................ 3

3. RTA straight, obliquely truncated; conductor membranous ( Fig. 9C-D View Fig. 9 ) ........ C. toxarchus sp. nov.

– RTA curved upwards, truncated tip; conductor sclerotized ( Fig. 12H-I) ................. C. nana sp. nov.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Liocranidae

GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF