Manampoka atsimo, Griswold & Wood & Carmichael, 2012

Griswold, Charles E., Wood, Hannah Marie & Carmichael, Anthea D., 2012, The lace web spiders (Araneae, Phyxelididae) of Madagascar: phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomy, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 164 (4), pp. 728-810 : 797-798

MANAMPOKA ATSIMO SP. NOV.

( FIGS 8A–G , 17A–C , 26A–I , 44A–C , 59 )

Types: Holotype male and two paratype females ( CASENT9031164 ) from primary montane rainforest at 670 m elevation in Parc National Andohahela, Parcelle I, Manangotry, Toliara Province, Madagascar, collected between 23 December 2008 and 3 January 2009 by Fernando Álvarez-Padilla and Hannah Wood, deposited in CASC.

Etymology: The specific name is from the Malagasy word for south; a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis: By the characters of the genus.

Male (Holotype): Total length 5.60. Markings as in Figure 8F, G . Carapace light orange-brown, margin of pars thoracica dusky, with broad, dusky, V-shaped mark anteriad of thoracic fovea and dusky longitudinal band on each side extending anteriorly along pars cephalica, with dusky reticulations laterad of eyes; black pigment surrounding each eye and extending between AM and between lateral eyes; chelicerae, sternum, labium, coxae, legs, and palpi pale yellowbrown; abdomen dark grey, dorsum with median light band and four pairs of light spots. Carapace 2.60 long, 2.00 wide; thoracic fovea 0.50 long, length 0.19 times that of carapace; clypeus 0.20 high; ocular area 0.35 long, 0.80 wide; ratio of eyes AM/AL/PM/PL, 1.46:2.61:1.07:1.00, diameter of PM 0.14. Chelicerae 1.00 long, slender, smooth, promargin of fang furrow with four small and three large teeth, retromargin with seven small teeth. Sternum 1.50 long, 1.10 wide; labium 0.50 long, 0.44 wide; palpal coxa 0.84 long, 0.40 wide. Legs elongate, leg I absent from specimen, femur II length 2.49 times carapace length; metatarsi II with prolateral concavity and clasping spine ( Fig. 44A–C ). Note: As all other Malagasy phyxelidids have at least leg I with a prolateral clasping concavity and spine, we assume that such a clasper occurs on metatarsus I of this species as well. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = [total]): I: [missing]; II: 6.25 + 1.10 + 6.00 + 5.70 + 2.40 = [21.45]; III: 5.10 + 1.00 + 4.35 + 4.70 + 1.90 = [17.05]; IV: 6.50 + 1.05 + 6.20 + 6.50 + 2.35 = [22.60]; palp: 1.65 + 0.55 + 0.70 + (absent) + 1.55 = [4.45]. Palpus as in Figures 17A–C and 26A–F ; femur with five probasal thorn-like setae; tibia with dorsoapical blade (DTA) and retroapical lobe (RL); palpal bulb length 2 times width, embolus base retromedian, reservoir course in embolus base straight except initial loop, space between embolus base and proximal embolic curve 0.58 embolus base width; conductor one half bulb length, apex pointing retrolaterally; median apophysis a small, pointed cuspule, arising retromedially near embolus base.

Female (paratype): Total length 6.00. Markings as in Figure 8A–E , carapace orange-brown, shading to dusky laterally, pars cephalica shading anteriorly to red-brown; black pigment surrounding each eye and extending between lateral eyes; sternum, labium, and palpal coxa dusky red-brown; legs and palpi orangebrown; abdomen dark grey, dorsum with median longitudinal light band and four pair of light spots, venter with pair of faint longitudinal light bands. Carapace 2.85 long, 2.15 wide; thoracic fovea length 0.06 times that of carapace; clypeus 0.26 high; ocular area 0.34 long, 0.93 wide; ratio of eyes AM/AL/PM/PL, 1.25:3.16:1.00:1.00, diameter of PM 0.12. Chelicerae 1.20 long, robust, smooth, promargin of fang furrow with four small and two large teeth, retromargin with seven small teeth. Sternum 1.20 long, 1.18 wide; labium 0.56 long, 0.50 wide; palpal coxa 0.94 long, 0.40 wide. Palpal femur with three anterobasal thorns.

Calamistrum origin at 0.45 from metatarsus base, length 0.55 times that of segment. Leg measurements (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = [total]): I: 4.75 + 1.15 + 4.65 + 4.10 + 1.95 = [16.60]; II: 3.70 + 1.00 + 3.20 + 3.00 + 1.50 = [12.40]; III: 3.00 + 0.95 + 2.50 + 2.45 + 1.30 = [10.20]; IV: 4.10 + 1.00 + 3.65 + 3.50 + 1.15 = [13.40]; palp: 1.40 + 0.50 + 0.50 + (absent) + 1.40 = [4.05]. Epigynum as in Figure 26G , anterior margins of median lobe transverse, external copulatory openings large; vulva as in Figure 26H, I , with anterodorsally projecting capsule containing internal spiral chamber.

Variation (N = 6): Total length 5.40–7.00; carapace length 1.32–1.38 times width, height 0.38–0.49 times width; PER width 2.53–3.10 times OAL; OQP 1.11– 1.27 times OQA; clypeal height 1.67–2.17 times AM diameter; cheliceral length 4.58–5.40 times clypeal height, promargin of fang furrow with 6–7 teeth, retromargin of fang furrow with 5–7 teeth; sternum length 1.02–1.25 times width; femur I length 1.67– 1.91 times carapace length; metatarsus I length 1.44– 1.70 times carapace length.

Natural history: Recorded from primary montane rainforest.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality at Manangotry in Parc National Andohahela, far southern Madagascar ( Fig. 59 ).

Material examined: MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov., Parc National Andohahela, Parcelle I, Manangotry , off route 118, 34 km N Tolagnaro, 24°44′35.0″S, 46°51′23.3″E, elev. 670 m, 23 December 2008 – 3 January 2009, primary montane rainforest, general collecting day and night, F. Álvarez-Padilla and H. Wood, holotype ♂ and 2 ♀ paratypes, CASC ( CASENT9031164 ), 10 ♀, CASC ( CASENT9031168 , 9031167 , 9031165 , 9031166 , 9031167 , 9031168 ) .

Figures

Figure 8. Habitus of Manampoka atsimo, holotype male and paratype females, Andohahela, CASENT9031164. A–E, female. F, G, male. A, C, dorsal. B, ventral. D, face, anterior. E–G, lateral.

Figure 17. Left male palpus of Manampoka atsimo, holotype from Manangotry, CASENT9031164, tibia and tarsus. A, prolateral. B, ventral. C, retrolateral. Illustrations by GM.

Figure 26. Manampoka atsimo, from Manangotry, CASENT9031164. A–F, right male palpus of holotype. G–I, vulva of female. A, retrolateral. B, ventral. C, prolateral. D, tibia, dorsal. E, apex of tibia, retrolateral. F, femur, prolateral. G, epigynum, ventral. H, spermathecae, dorsal. I, poreplate on left spermatheca, dorsal. DTA: dorsal tibial apophysis, RL: retrolateral lobe of tibial apex, SP: spermathecal poreplate.

Figure 44. Photographs of male claspers of Manampoka and Rahavavy. A–C, Manampoka atsimo, holotype, CASENT9031164, right metatarsus II. A, dorsal. B, dorsal, close up. C, prolateral. D, E, Rahavavy fanivelona from Vohiparara, CASENT9016975, left metatarsus I. D, prolateral. E, prolateral, close up. F, G. Rahavavy malagasyana from Andasibe, CASENT9016182, right metatarsus I. F, dorsal. E, dorsal, close up. H, I, Rahavavy ida from Talatakely, CASENT9003423, right metatarsus I. H, prolateral, right, close up. I, dorsal, left, close up.

Figure 59. Distribution of Madagascar Phyxelididae.