Xevioso megcummingae, Pett & Jocqué, 2020

Pett, Brogan L. & Jocqué, Rudy, 2020, Description of two new species of Xevioso (Araneae: Phyxelididae) from Southern Africa, with the northernmost localities for the genus, European Journal of Taxonomy 636, pp. 1-18 : 9-13

Xevioso megcummingae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DD398E33-4DA0-45C2-9079-B009CD955541

Figs 4C , 6–8

Diagnosis

Males of X. cummingae sp. nov. can be distinguished from others in the genus by the following character combination: (1) Mt I modified, with strong and broad d process ¾ towards apex, about double the height of Mt apex; (2) palpal T with dorsal hyaline process thin, slightly curved, appearing nail-like in rl view; (3) palpal DP broad and sub-triangular; (4) TA3 tegular processes short and blunt; TA1 absent. Females are recognized by the CO far apart and the longitudinal axis of the spermathecae diverging anteriad.

Etymology

The species name is a matronym in honour of Zimbabwean naturalist, Meg Cumming, collector of the type material.

Material examined

Holotype

ZIMBABWE • ♂; Harare, Walmer Drive ; 17°48.4802 S, 31°05.8202 E; 1535 m a.s.l.; 19 Oct. 2002; M. Cumming leg.; garden; RMCA_ARA_236654 .

Paratype

ZIMBABWE • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 19 Apr. 2005; RMCA_ARA_236655 .

Other material

MALAWI • 1 ♂; Viphya Plateau , Chikangawa; 11°522 S, 33°482 E; 1817 m a.s.l.; Oct. 1977 – Feb. 1978; R. Jocqué leg.; young pine plantation; pitfall: RMCA_ARA_153025 .

Description

Male holotype

TOTAL LENGTH. 6.85. Carapace length 2.92. Carapace width 2.44. Carapace height 1.36.

COLOUR ( Fig. 6A ). Carapace light yellowish-orange, darkened anteriorly at pars cephalica, chelicerae deep reddish-brown, darkest part of the body; black pigment around eyes, PME without black pigment, AME’s joined by dark pigment. Sternum light yellow, margins darkened to deep reddish-brown. Co and Tr I brownish-orange, darker than others, cream yellow. F I orange, to brownish-orange up to Mt; other legs light brownish-yellow to orange at Mt. Abdomen and venter cream to white entirely.

CARAPACE. Margin weakly sinuate. Short black setae dispersed in irregular and sparse patches. Fovea deeply concave, carapace flat throughout, clypeus height 1.1 × height of carapace at fovea.

EYES. ALE 0.10; AME 0.10; PLE 0.10; PME 0.08; AME-AME 0.04; PME-PME 0.17.

ABDOMEN. Black setae regularly spaced throughout (both dorsally and ventrally), setae longer posteriorly, reaching 0.4.

LEGS ( Fig. 6 B–C). Formula 1423, with leg III distinctly shortened. Leg I modified at metatarsus, with strong kink extending dorsally, creating metatarsal process at least twice as high as apical end of metatarsus.

LEG MEASUREMENTS.

F P T Mt T Total

I 3.68 1.21 3.72 3.16 1.31 13.08

II 2.85 1.08 2.52 2.60 1.30 10.35

III 2.68 0.91 2.18 2.28 0.93 8.98

IV 3.20 1.20 3.44 3.20 1.13 12.17

SPINATION. Leg I: F = pl1, T = pl2 rl1 v1, Mt = pl2 v2; Leg II: F = pl1, T = pl2 r2 v5, Mt = pl1 d1 rl4 v2; Leg III: F = pl1 d3 rl1, T = d2 rl2 v2, Mt = 3disp 6dw; Leg IV: F = pl1, T = pl2 r2 v3, Mt = 2d, 5dw.

STERNUM. Roughly oval and distinctly jagged at coxae. 1.61 long and 1.32 wide. Black setae interspersed laterally, with very few medially.

PALP ( Figs 4C , 6 D–E, 7A–C). F with dorsal hyaline asetose process slender, curved at extremity, with broad DP delimiting widely open, shallow concavity ( Figs 4C , 6E ). Embolus turning three times, tapering to acutely pointed corkscrew apex; thickest just before first turn. Tegulum simple, without basal or retrobasal lobes. TA3 with two short, blunt projections; EBS poorly sclerotized, tripartite, EBA1 narrower at apex, almost touching embolus, EBA2 rounded.

Female paratype

TOTAL LENGTH. 5.18. Carapace length 2.19. Carapace width 1.51. Carapace height 1.30.

COLOUR. Carapace creamy yellow throughout, darkening to light-orange at clypeus dorsally. Chelicerae boss orange to brown, darkest part of body. Femora lightest, darkening to a deep orange-brown at metatarsi. Abdomen uniform light grey to cream.

CARAPACE. Weakly sinuate with short black setae posterior of the fovea. Fovea moderately depressed.

EYES. ALE 0.07; AME 0.05; PLE 0.04; PME 0.07; ALE-AME 0.08; AME-AME 0.04; PME-PME 0.12

CHELICERAE. Strong, 1.30 long, seven teeth present on both promargin and retromargin, promargin with two larger proximal teeth, retromargin all teeth small. Endites with translucent subdecumbent setae.

ABDOMEN. Dorsum with very few setae anteriorly, denser on posterior part. Venter with minimal short fine setae.

LEGS. Formula 123? (legs IV are missing), without pl concavity on metatarsi I as in male.

LEG MEASUREMENTS.

F P T Mt T Total

I 2.13 0.81 1.91 1.62 0.82 7.29

II 1.81 0.66 1.37 1.20 0.71 5.75

III 1.30 0.45 1.05 1.22 0.74 4.76

IV – – – – – –

SPINATION. Leg I: F = pl1, T = pl2 v3, Mt = pl2 rl1 v5; Leg II: F = pl1 d1, T = pl2 v1, Mt = pl2 rl1 v3; Leg III: F = pl1 rl1, T = pl3 d1 rl1 v2, Mt = disp3 dw4.

STERNUM. 1.21 long, 0.91 wide. Shield-shaped; with some short black setae.

PALP. With dense procurved setae and toothless claw.

EPIGYNE ( Figs 6 F–G, 7D). PML of epigyne wider than long. Copulatory openings far apart, situated on lateral side of epigyne; spermathecae diverging anteriad; fertilization duct leading medially and posteriad from spermathecae.

Variation

The male specimen from Malawi (RMCA_ARA_ 153025) is smaller and paler than the holotype. Total length 3.12 (the abdomen has shrunk); carapace length 1.99, width 1.35, height 0.92.

Figures

Fig. 4. A, D. Xevioso cepfi sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (RMCA_ARA_245493). B, E. Xevioso jocquei Griswold, 1990, holotype, ♂ (RMCA_ARA_156494). C. Xevioso megcummingae sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (RMCA_ ARA_236654). A–C. Palpal tibia, dorsal view. D–E. Mt I, dorsal view. Scale bars: A = 200 μm; B–C = 100 μm; D–E = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 6. Xevioso megcummingae sp. nov. A–E. Male holotype (RMCA_ARA_236654). F–G. Male paratype (RMCA_ARA_236655). A. Male habitus, dorsal view. B. MtI, prolateral view. C. MtI, retrolateral view. D. Palp, ventral view. E. Palp, retrolateral view. F. Epigyne, ventral view. G. Epigyne, dorsal view. Scale bars: A = 1 mm; B–C = 0.5 mm; D–E = 200 μm; F–G = 100 μm.

Fig. 7. Xevioso megcummingae sp. nov. A–C. Holotype, ♂ (RMCA_ARA_236654). D. Paratype, ♀ (RMCA_ARA_236655). A. Palp, ventral view. B. Palp, lateral view. C. Palp, dorsal view. D. Epigyne, ventral view. Abbreviations: EBS = basal embolic sclerite; E = embolus; CL = lateral ridge of conductor; TA3, TA4 = tegular apophyses 3 and 4. Scale bars: A–C = 500 μm; D = 100 μm.

Fig. 8. Distribution. Xevioso cepfi sp. nov. (▲), Xevioso jocquei Griswold, 1990 (■), Xevioso megcummingae sp. nov. (●).