Drassodella montana, 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 : 28-30

Drassodella montana sp. nov.

Figs 65 , 81 , 101, 102 , 131–135

Etymology. Derived from the Latin montana , referring to an association with mountains.

Diagnosis. Females of D. montana sp. nov. are similar to those of D. guttata sp. nov. and D. transversa sp. nov. by the almost straight posterior margin of the anterior hood, but can be distinguished by the yellow colouration of the spermathecae and the ST I being slightly broader than ST II ( Fig. 65 ), as opposed to dark orangebrown spermathecae with ST II slightly broader than ST I ( Figs 61, 68 ). Males of D. montana sp. nov. are most similar to D. tolkieni sp. nov. and D. venda sp. nov., but can be separated by the similar size of the dorsal and ventral embolus prongs in prolateral view ( Fig. 133 ), while the dorsal prong is clearly larger than the ventral in the other two species ( Figs 143 , 153 ).

Description. Female (Holotype, Glen Bain, NCA 2011/737). Measurements: CL 2.18, CW 1.68, AL 3.00, AW 1.80, TL 5.52 (4.20–7.90), FL 0.24, SL 1.20, SW 1.04, CH 0.10, AME-AME 0.02, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE- ALE 0.17, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.11, PLE-PLE 0.33, PERW 0.40, MOQAW 0.13, MOQPW 0.19, MOQL 0.26.

Length of leg segments: I 1.48 + 0.76 + 1.12 + 1.06 + 0.84 = 5.34, II 1.36 + 0.64 + 1.00 + 1.00 + 0.76 = 4.76, III 1.32 + 0.66 + 0.84 + 1.20 + 0.82 = 4.84, IV 2.00 + 0.82 + 1.54 + 1.92 + 0.96 = 7.24.

General appearance as in Fig. 101 . Carapace red-brown with intense mottling; dense white feathery and long erect setae around eye region. Clypeus height twice AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal 0.40 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal 0.40 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal 0.17 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.83 PME diameter. Chelicerae brown; promargin with three evenly spaced teeth, median tooth largest, closer to distal tooth than proximal tooth; retromargin with two teeth, closely spaced, distal tooth larger than proximal tooth. Endites orange with black mottling, pale around maxillar hair tuft, black line around prolateral and posterior margins. Labium orange anteriorly, brown medially, dark brown posteriorly, as long as broad. Sternum dark brown; setae concentrated on lateral edges. Legs with brown to dark brown proximal segments, distal segments orange; dense white feathery setae scattered on all segments but sparse on metatarsi and tarsi; coxae orange, with mottling, white feathery setae concentrated dorsally. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 2, II do 2, III do 3, IV do 5; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 3 do 2 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 4 do 1 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3, with ventral row of erect setae; patellae do 2; tibiae do 2 rl 3; tarsi pl 1 do 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1. Abdomen dark brown ( Fig. 101 ), with dense white setae dorsally, black patch anteriorly, white setae from black patch towards posterior margin; paired white dorsal spots present but indistinct; pair of narrow lateral sclerites above booklungs; venter light brown, large speckle of white feathery setae posterolaterally; ante-epigastric sclerites large, post-epigastric sclerites small; four rows of tiny sclerites from booklungs to spinnerets, outer row more closely spaced. Spinnerets light brown. Epigyne with deep anterior hood, anterior margin convex, posterior margin slightly undulating, nearly straight, lateral ends strongly tapering to point; lateral hoods large, curved, close to copulatory openings; ST II yellow, connecting ducts and ST I orange-brown; ST I and II similar in size, ST II oval with round head ( Figs 65 , 131, 132 ).

Male (Paratype, Ixopo, NCA 2011/744). Measurements: CL 2.08, CW 1.64, AL 2.16, AW 1.16, TL 4.48 (3.90–8.30), FL 0.46, SL 1.14, SW 0.94, CH 0.10, AME-AME 0.05, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.28, PME-PME 0.09, PME-PLE 0.09, PLE-PLE 0.37, PERW 0.44, MOQAW 0.14, MOQPW 0.19, MOQL 0.21.

Length of leg segments: I 1.52 + 0.76 + 1.10 + 1.06 + 0.84 = 5.28, II 1.38 + 0.64 + 0.98 + 1.04 + 0.84 = 4.88, III 1.32 + 0.62 + 0.86 + 1.16 + 0.72 = 4.68, IV 1.92 + 0.80 + 1.44 + 2.04 + 0.90 = 7.10.

General appearance as in Fig. 102 . Carapace dark-brown, male darker than female. Clypeus height twice AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.40 AME diameter; PME equal to PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.50 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.50 PME diameter. Chelicerae dark brown anteriorly, brown posteriorly; two promarginal teeth, proximal tooth larger than distal tooth. Endites orange, pale at maxillar hair tuft, mottled mediolaterally. Labium brown anteriorly, dark brown on rest of surface. Legs dark brown, with black mottling, except tarsi orange, with brown mottling. Leg spination: femora: I do 2, II do 2, III do 3, IV do 2; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 2 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 3 do 1 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3; patellae, tibiae and tarsi spineless. Abdomen black ( Fig. 102 ); faint mottling of white and black feathery setae, white speckle above spinnerets; dorsal scutum large; very small sigilla on anterior margin, lateral sclerites present above booklungs; small speckles of white setae dorso-posteriorly, two lateral white markings; venter light brown; four rows of tiny sclerites from booklungs to anterior spinnerets, outer row more closely spaced. Spinnerets with dark-brown mottling. Palp yellow-brown; RTA short, protruding retrolaterally, not obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium; in retrolateral view triangular, with broad base and sharp tip; cymbium broad, 1.74 times longer than wide, distal end broadly rounded; ventral and dorsal embolic prongs similar in size and shape, narrow and triangular in prolateral view, dorsal prong distinctly bent away from tegulum in ventral view; median apophysis stout, hook-shaped ( Figs 81 , 133–135 ).

Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province: Sani Pass elevational project, Glen Bain , 30°03.163'S, 29°58.880'E, 1200 m a.s.l., I.2010, leg. University of PTA students (pitfall traps) ( NCA 2011 /737).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province: Sani Pass elevational project, Ixopo , 30°11.162'S, 30°08.583'E, 900 m a.s.l., I.2009, leg. University of PTA students (pitfall traps), 1♂ 3♀ ( NCA 2011 /780); Same data as previous but I.2010, 22 ♂ 5♀ ( NCA 2011 /724), 9♂ 1♀ ( NCA 2011 /725), 1♂ 1♀ ( NCA 2011 /744); Sani Pass elevational project, Glen Bain, 30°03.657'S, 29°58.897'E, 1200 m a.s.l., I.2009, leg. University of PTA students (pitfall traps), 1♂ ( NCA 2011 /752); Same data as previous but I.2010, 1 ♂ ( NCA 2011 /731) .

Distribution. Known only from southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa ( Fig. 140 ).

Figures

FIGURE 140. Distribution of Drassodella melana Tucker, 1923 (circles), D. montana sp. nov. (stars) and D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938 (squares) in southern Africa.

FIGURES 60–77. Female epigynes of Drassodella species in the D. melana species group (60–68) and D. salisburyi species group (69–77) in dorsal view: 60 D. flava sp. nov.; 61 D. guttata sp. nov.; 62 D. lotzi sp. nov.; 63 D. maculata sp. nov.; 64 D. melana Tucker, 1923; 65 D. montana sp. nov.; 66 D. tenebrosa Lawrence, 1938; 67 D. tolkieni sp. nov.; 68 D. transversa sp. nov.; 69 D. venda sp. nov.; 70 D. amatola sp. nov.; 71 D. aurostriata sp. nov.; 72 D. purcelli Tucker, 1923; 73 D. quinquelabecula Tucker, 1923; 74 D. salisburyi Hewitt, 1916; 75 D. septemmaculata (Strand, 1909); 76 D. trilineata sp. nov.; 77 D. vasivulva Tucker, 1923. Abbreviations: AH—anterior hood; FD—fertilisation duct; MS—median septum; STspermatheca(e). Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

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 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 131–135. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella montana sp. nov.: 131 female epigyne, dorsal view; 132 same, ventral view; 133 male palp, prolateral view; 134 same, ventral view; 135 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 141–145. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella tolkieni sp. nov.: 141 female epigyne, ventral view; 142 same, dorsal view; 143 male palp, prolateral view; 144 same, ventral view; 145 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 151–155. Genitalic morphology of Drassodella venda sp. nov.: 151 female epigyne, ventral view; 152 same, dorsal view; 153 male palp, prolateral view; 154 same, ventral view; 155 same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.