Oecobius kowalskii, 2018

Magalhães, Mayara D. F. & Santos, Adalberto J., 2018, The spider family Oecobiidae in Madagascar, including four new species and a new record, Zootaxa 4527 (1), pp. 37-48 : 38-40

Oecobius kowalskii sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 4 A–B, 5A–D, 6)

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:09A6A4D7-3226-46BE-8CA6-C77C6143A454

Etymology. The specific name refers to the character Kowalski, from the American 3D, computer-animated comedy film “Penguins of Madagascar ”.

Type material. Male holotype (CASENT 9012520) from Madagascar: Toliara: Anosy: Réserve Privé Berenty, Forêt de Bealoka, Mandraré River (24°57’S 46°16’E), 14.6 Km 329° NNW Amboasary, 3–6 February 2002, B.L. Fisher et al. leg. (BLF5320). Two female paratypes (CASENT 9012520) from the same locality and date (BLF5320).

Diagnosis. Males of O. kowalskii superficially resembles Oecobius tibesti Shear & Benoit, 1974 in the long and sinuous embolus, with a characteristic trajectory ( Shear & Benoit 1974: fig. 23). It differs from the latter and from all the remaining species of the genus by the reduced and spoon-shaped tegular apophysis and by the reduced and finger-shaped oecobiidae embolic apophysis ( Figs 1 A–C, 5A–B). This species can also be recognized by the convoluted trajectory of the sperm duct ( Fig. 1 A–C). Females differ from all remaining species of the genus by having the copulatory openings located anteriorly in the atrium ( Fig. 1D, arrows, 5C) and by the sinuous and very sclerotized fertilization ducts ( Figs 1E, 5D).

Description. Male (holotype). Carapace pale yellow, darker on margins, with a stripe around the cephalic area and three faint, paramarginal dark-gray spots. Eyes equally sized, anterior laterals and anterior medians black, surrounded by a black ring, remaining eyes translucent. Clypeal projection rounded and salient, with two black spots ( Fig. 4A). Chelicerae, labium, endites and sternum homogeneously pale yellow. Pedipalp pale yellow, distally with black stripes surrounding the patella and tibia. Legs with an almost complete, distal black ring on femur and with dorsal spots distally on patella, tibia and metatarsus. Opisthosoma dorsally whitish with irregular, paramedian and marginal gray stripes. Ventrally, the opisthosoma is pale yellow, paler in the center than in the sides. The spinnerets are pale yellow with dark-gray spots. Oecobiidae tegular lobe I reduced and connected to the embolus ( Figs 1 B–C, 5A–B). Subtegulum with a lobe seen through transparency in the tegulum ( Fig. 1A, STL). Total length 1.8. Carapace 0.71 long, 0.81 wide. Tibia I length 0.43, II 0.43, III 0.43, IV 0.48. Opisthosoma 1.09 long, 0.92 wide.

Female (paratype). Coloration as in male, except for darker spots ( Fig. 4B). Epigynum with a posterior groove from the copulatory atrium to the epigastric furrow, passing through a striated field ( Figs 1D, 5C). Copulatory ducts connected anteriorly to the base of spermathecae ( Fig. 1E). Uterus externus V-shaped ( Fig. 1E). Total length 1.9. Carapace 0.71 long, 0.81 wide. Tibia I length 0.48, II 0.53, III 0.48, IV 0.51. Opisthosoma 1.19 long, 1.02 wide.

Variation. Female (paratype) total length 1.98. Carapace 0.71 long, 0.81 wide. Tibia I length 0.51, II 0.53, III 0.51, IV 0.58. Opisthosoma 1.27 long, 1.07 wide.

Distribution. Western and southern Madagascar, in the provinces of Toliara and Mahajanga ( Fig. 6).

Additional material examined. Madagascar: Toliara: Anosy: Réserve Privé Berenty, Forêt de Malaza , Mandraré River (25°0’28’’S 46°18’22’’E, 8.6 km 314° NW Amboasary), 6.II.2002, B.L. Fisher et al. leg. (BLF5424), 4♀ (CASENT 9012551); Réserve Privé Berenty, Forêt de Malaza , Mandraré River (24°57’25’’S 46°16’17’’E, 14.6 km 329° NNW Amboasary), 3–8.II.2002, B.L. Fisher et al. leg. (BLF5321), 2♀ 2♂ (CASENT 9012539); Atsimo-Andrefana: Forêt de Beroboka (22°13’59’’S 43°21’59’’E, 5.9 km 131° SE Ankidranoka), 12– 16.III.2002, B.L. Fisher et al. leg. (BLF6073), 1♂ (CASENT 9004911) ; Mahajanga: Melaky: Réserve Spéciale de Bemarivo (16°55’30’’S 44°22’6’’E, 23.8 km 223° SW Besalampy), 19–23.II.2002, Fisher, Griswold et al. leg. (BLF6699), 1♀ 12 juv. (CASENT 9017966) .