Drassodella baviaans, Mbo & Haddad, 2019

Mbo, Zingisile & Haddad, Charles R., 2019, A revision of the endemic South African long-jawed ground spider genus Drassodella Hewitt, 1916 (Araneae: Gallieniellidae), Zootaxa 4582 (1), pp. 1-62 : 43-45

Drassodella baviaans sp. nov.

Figs 88 , 161 , 180, 181

Etymology. The species name is a contraction of the name of the type locality.

Remarks. Although D. baviaans sp. nov. is known from the male only and D. trilineata sp. nov. from the female only, and both were collected in the same pitfall traps, we believe that they are distinctive species based on their considerable size differences ( D. trilineata sp. nov. almost double the body length of D. baviaans sp. nov.) and the very different abdominal markings (spotted in D. baviaans sp. nov. and with narrow lateral stripes in D. trilineata sp. nov.), particularly since all other species of Drassodella have similar colouration and markings in both sexes ( Figs 93–110 , 157–171 ).

Diagnosis. Males of D. baviaans sp. nov. are most similar to those of D. amatola sp. nov., but can be separated by the larger median apophysis, the pointed embolus tip, and the lack of a prolateral tegular protrusion (compare Figs 180 and 174 ). Female unknown.

Description. Male (Holotype, Baviaanskloof, NCA 2010 /241). Measurements: CL 2.10, CW 1.24, AL 2.18, AW 1.16, TL 4.60 (3.88–4.60), FL 0.14, SL 1.14, SW 0.96, CH 0.12, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE- ALE 0.20, PME-PME 0.09, PME-PLE 0.13, PLE-PLE 0.40, PERW 0.53, MOQAW 0.17, MOQPW 0.21, MOQL 0.25.

Length of leg segments: I 1.54 + 0.76 + 1.28 + 1.22 + 1.02 = 5.82, II 1.34 + 0.64 + 1.00 + 1.04 + 0.76 = 4.78, III 1.04 + 0.58 + 0.76 + 0.88 + 0.62 = 3.88, IV 1.84 + 0.76 + 1.40 + 1.92 + 0.82 = 6.74.

General appearance as in Fig. 161 . Carapace red-brown; white feathery setae forming upsilon marking, diverging behind fovea. Clypeus height equal to 1.25 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 0.75 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.26 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.63 PME diameter. Chelicerae dark-brown; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; median tooth closer to proximal tooth; retromargin with two subequal widely space teeth. Endites orange, darker around margins. Labium orange, slightly longer than wide. Sternum brown. Legs with orange proximal segments, distal segments yellow. Leg spination: femora: I do 1 rl 1, II do 1 rl 1, III pl 2 do 2 rl 1, IV pl 1 do 2 rl 1; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I, II & III spineless, IV do 2 rl 3; metatarsi: I, II & III spineless, III rl 4 plv 2; palpal spination: femora do 2 rl 1 plv 2; patellae do 2 rl 3 plv 1; tibiae do 6 rl 2 plv 1; tarsi spineless. Abdomen brown; dorsal scutum extending two-thirds abdomen length; three pairs of dorsolateral spots of white feathery setae, one white spot above spinnerets; lateral sclerites above booklungs oval; venter grey, with large orange markings. Spinnerets pale. Palp yellow-brown; RTA moderately long, not obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium but positioned retrolateral of cymbium; in retrolateral view triangular, slightly curved dorsally, with broad base and sharp tip; cymbium narrow, 1.97 times longer than wide, narrowed to rounded point distally; embolus originating from distal prolateral mound, transverse and directed retrolaterally, with sharp needle-like tip; median apophysis large, hook-shaped ( Figs 88 , 180–181 ).

Type material. Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province: Baviaanskloof, Keurkloof, Farm

Ferndale, 33°41'S, 24°50'E, 21–24.III.2008, leg. A.S. Honiball & S. Hohowsky (pitfalls) ( NCA 2010/241). Paratype: Together with holotype, 1♂ ( NCA 2010/241). Distribution. Known only from the type locality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa ( Fig. 188 ).

Figures

FIGURE 188. Distribution of Drassodella amatola sp. nov. (circles), D. aurostriata sp. nov. (stars), D. baviaans sp. nov. (square), D. purcelli Tucker, 1923 (triangles) and D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923 (inverted triangles) in southern Africa.

FIGURES 78–92. Male palps of Drassodella species of the D. melana species group (78–85) and D. salisburyi species group (86–92) in ventral view: 78 D. flava sp. nov.; 79 D. guttata sp. nov.; 80 D. melana Tucker, 1923; 81 D. montana sp. nov.; 82 D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1923; 83 D. tolkieni sp. nov.; 84 D. transversa sp. nov.; 85 D. venda sp. nov.; 86 D. amatola sp. nov.; 87 D. aurostriata sp. nov.; 88 D. baviaans sp. nov.; 89 D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923; 90 D. salisburyi Hewitt, 1916; 91 D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909); 92 D. vasivulva Tucker, 1923. Abbreviations as follows: DP—dorsal embolic prong; EMembolus; MA—median apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis; VP—ventral embolic prong. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 157–171. Dorsal habitus photographs of Drassodella species in the salisburyi species group: 157, 158 female and male of D. amatola sp. nov.; 159, 160 female and male of D. aurostriata sp. nov.; 161 male of D. baviaans sp. nov.; 162 female of D. purcelli Tucker, 1923; 163, 164 female and male of D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923; 165, 166 female and male of D. salisburyi Hewitt, 1916; 167, 168 female and male of D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909); 169 female of D. trilineata sp. nov.; 170, 171 female and male of D. vasivulva Tucker, 1923. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 180–183. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella baviaans sp. nov. (180, 181) and D. purcelli Tucker, 1923 (182, 183): 180 male palp, ventral view; 181 same, retrolateral view; 182 female epigyne, ventral view; 183 same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25mm.

FIGURES 93–110. Dorsal habitus photographs of Drassodella species in the melana species group: 93, 94 female and male of D. flava sp. nov.; 95, 96 female and male of D. guttata sp. nov.; 97 female of D. lotzi sp. nov.; 98 female of D. maculata sp. nov.; 99, 100 female and male of D. melana Tucker, 1923; 101, 102 female and male of D. montana sp. nov.; 103, 104 female and male of D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938; 105, 106 female and male of D. tolkieni sp. nov.; 107, 108 female and male of D. transversa sp. nov.; 109, 110 female and male of D. venda sp. nov. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 172–175. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella amatola sp. nov.: 172 female epigyne, ventral view; 173 same, dorsal view; 174 male palp, ventral view; 175 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25mm.