Andoharano ansieae, Zonstein & Marusik, 2015

Zonstein, Sergei L. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2015, The first record of Andoharano Lehtinen, 1967 (Araneae: Filistatidae) from mainland Africa, African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 483-483 : 484-487

Andoharano ansieae sp. n.

Figs 1–12 , 14, 15

Etymology: The species is named in honour of Dr Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman, for her immense contribution to the knowledge of African spiders.

Diagnosis: The new species differs: from A. decaryi by the absence of an hourglassshaped dark spot on the carapace (only eye tubercle is darkened); from A. grandidieri in having the embolus sharply curved downward (vs. slightly curved sideward in the latter species), as well as by the male palpal tibia weakly dilated apically (vs. strongly dilated; cf. Figs 6–8 and 13 ); from A. milloti by the shorter male palp (2.5 and 2.0× shorter than the body, in the former and the latter species, respectively); and, from A. monodi by the diffuse darker colouration of the femora, which are adorned with contrasting brown rings in the latter species. In males of A. ansieae sp. n. and A. decaryi the leg I is 2.5× longer than the body, in A. milloti 3.3×, and in A. grandidieri 6.2× ( Fage 1945; Legendre 1971). None of the other species possess a thorn in the basal part of the embolus (cf. Figs 9, 10 anD Lehtinen 1967: fig. 24). ADDitionallY, A. ansieae sp. n. may be distinguished from all previously described congeners, except A. decaryi , by the weakly decorated (vs. uniformly coloured) dorsal opistosoma.

Description:

Male (holotype).

Body length 3.15. Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Colour in alcohol: prosoma and legs almost uniformly clay-yellow with weakly developed darker brownish spots and fasciae; eye tubercle with blackish spot acutely extended to clypeus; opistosoma yellowish-brown with very slightly darker and diffuse dorsal pattern consisting of few almost indistinct transverse fasciae. Carapace 1.27 long, 1.14 wide. Eye tubercle as shown in Fig. 2 . Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.16, PLE 0.14, PME 0.10, AME–AME 0.02. Leg measurements as shown in Table 1. Leg spines absent. Paired claws with 5–8 fine Dense teeth. UnpaireD claw VerY small, curVeD. Palp as in Figs 6–10 ; short, length equal to carapace length; all segments covered with long hairs; hairs on patella, tibia and cymbium longer than corresponding segments on legs; femur longer than patella+tibia, with long suberected ventral hairs, and decumbent dorsal hairs, longest hairs about half of the segment length; patella twice longer than wide, with long and dense dorsal hairs; tibia subconical, distal edge wider than proximal, and wider than femur width, dorsal hairs sparse in basal half and dense in distal part, some of hairs almost twice longer than tibia; cymbium short, its height shorter than diameter of bulb, apical part with dense brush of hairs forming kind of forelock (Fl) ( Figs 9, 10 ) hanging over the bulb, hairs 3× longer than cymbium; bulb with droplet-shaped tegular part and narrow embolic part; embolic part bent down, with small tooth like dorsal outgrowth in basal third; spermophor (sperm duct) with 1.5 coils, distal coil of unusual shape, directed backward (Bc) ( Figs 9, 10 ).

Female (paratype).

Body length 4.25. Habitus as in Fig. 3 . Colour in alcohol and most somatic characters as in male; venter of prosoma uniformly yellowish ( Fig. 4 ); dorsum of abdomen with poorly distinct pattern composed of transverse bands. Carapace 1.60 long, 1.37 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.16, PLE 0.13, PME 0.09, AME–AME 0.02. Leg measurements as shown in Table 1 (in parentheses). Calamistrum includes three sessile rows of narrow, weak, moderately long lamellose setae ( Figs 5 , 14 ), occupying about 1/5 of metatarsus IV length. Palpal claw large, with 7–8 long dense teeth. Endogyne as in Figs 11, 12 ; edge of epigastrum with long and dense hairs ( Fig. 11 ); one pair of round receptacles, spaced ca. 3 diameters from each other, receptacles without distinct stems and porous glands, seemingly connected by transverse arch. Spinnerets as in Fig. 15 . Spinneret group separated from posterior tip of abdomen by about 1⁄3 of abdomen length. Cribellum large, bipartite, trapezoidal. ALS and PLS moderately short; PMS relatiVelY large, anteriorlY with short anD thick moDifieD setae.

Note: The receptacles are very small and pale, almost invisible, and can only be seen after colouring with Chlorazol Black; female specimens can be easily mistaken for juveniles. Variation: Within the type series the body length varies: in males 3.05–3.15; in females 4.10–4.25.

HolotYpe ♂: NAMIBIA: RunDu-KaVango, OkaVango, 17°57'S 19°43'E, V.1979, leg. M.E. BaDDeleY ( MRAC 152150 ).

ParatYpes: 1♂ 2♀ collecteD together with the holotYpe anD kept in the same Vial.

Distribution: The species is currently known only from the type locality ( Fig. 16 ).

Ecology: Unrecorded. Since all other congeners have been found inhabiting caves (see Legendre 1971), we believe that the spiders might be found in small niches, cavities, and cracks in rock cliffs and rocky outcrops.

Figures

Figs 1–5. Habitus and somatic characters of Andoharano ansieae sp. n., (1) male habitus, lateral; (2) eye fielD, lateral; (3) female habitus, Dorsal; (4) female prosoma, Ventral; (5) calamistrum, retrolateral.

Figs 6–13. Copulatory organs of Andoharano ansieae sp. n. (6–12) and A. grandidieri (13). (6, 7) male palp, prolateral; (8) male palp, retrolateral; (9) terminal part of male palp, prolateral; (10) terminal part of male palp and schematic course of spermophor, retrolateral; (11) endogyne, dorsal; (12) receptacle, dorsal; (13) terminal part of male palp, prolateral view and from above (after Lehtinen 1967). Abbreviations: Bc coil directed backward; Fl forelock.

Figs 14, 15. Andoharano ansieae sp. n., female somatic characters.(14) junction of tibia and metatarsus IV showing calamistrum, retrolateral; (15) cribellum and spinnerets, ventral.

Fig.16.The known distributionof the genus Andoharano Lehtinen,1967 in mainlandAfrica and Madagascar.