Coronarachne penicillus, Haddad & Lyle, 2024

Haddad, Charles R. & Lyle, Robin, 2024, Three new genera of arboreal dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae: Trachelidae), Zootaxa 5399 (5), pp. 451-504 : 467-468

Coronarachne penicillus sp. nov.

Figs 68, 69 , 81–84

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition of the Latin word for “painters brush”, which refers to the shape of the embolus tip in the lateral view.

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by the sickle-shaped conductor and embolus ( Fig. 81 ), the flattened, broad RTA with a rounded tip, the absence of a dorsal RTA (reduced to a few scattered denticles), and the brush-like appearance of the embolus tip when palp is examined retrolaterally after emerging from the conductor ( Figs 81, 82 ). The female of this species can be recognized by the broad slit-like copulatory openings and the short ducts leading from the ST II to the single-lobed ST I ( Figs 83, 84 ); other known females in the genus have a bilobed ST I ( Figs 78 , 89 , 93 ).

Male (holotype, Groblersdal, NCA 97/767). Measurements: CL 1.90, CW 1.15, AL 1.30, AW 0.98, TL 3.20, FL 0.13, SL 0.88, SW 0.70, AME-AME 0.05, AME-ALE 0.03, ALE-ALE 0.20, PME-PME 0.08, PME-PLE 0.08, PLE-PLE 0.40. Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 0.98 + 0.43 + 0.60 + 0.53 + 0.30 = 2.84; II 0.75 + 0.40 + 0.55 + 0.50 + 0.28 = 2.48; III 0.65 + 0.33 + 0.40 + 0.28 + 0.25 = 1.91; IV 0.90 + 0.35 + 0.68 + 0.70 + 0.30 = 2.93.

Carapace dark reddish-brown ( Fig. 68 ); carapace texture finely granular, with short, fine setae; fovea short, thin, distinct, at two-thirds carapace length. AER slightly recurved; clypeus height equal to slightly less than AME diameter; median and lateral eyes equal in size; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to ½ AME diameter; PER recurved, median and lateral eyes equal in size; PME separated by distance equal to twice their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae orange, anterior surface covered with scattered long, fine setae; three promarginal teeth, median tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; three retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest, proximal tooth smallest. Sternum brown, darker towards borders. Abdomen mottled grey dorsally, with pair of cream patches anterolaterally and transverse pair at midpoint ( Fig. 68 ); two pairs of brown to pale grey sigilla, one pair anterior to midpoint and second pair posterior to midpoint; abdomen broad anteriorly, tapering posteriorly. Legs I to IV brown, femora dark brown, legs I and II darker than III and IV. Palp brown, sperm duct running along tegulum margin, with sickle-shaped conductor and embolus distally, with embolus tip evidently split into multiple fine hair-like projections; RTA undulating when examined ventrally, broad and rounded when examined retrolaterally, with two small dorsal denticles ( Figs 81, 82 ).

Female (paratype, Fort Beaufort, NCA 2012/1888). Measurements: CL 1.02, CW 0.85, AL 1.47, AW 1.01, TL 2.53, FL 0.06, SL 0.65, SW 0.48, AME-AME 0.02, AME-ALE 0.01, ALE-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.05, PME-PLE 0.08, PLE-PLE 0.31. Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 0.60 + 0.30 + 0.43 + 0.37 + 0.30 = 2.00; II 0.56 + 0.25 + 0.38 + 0.37 + 0.28 = 1.84; III 0.48 + 0.25 + 0.30 + 0.37 + 0.19 = 1.59; IV 0.68 + 0.29 + 0.54 + 0.52 + 0.22 = 2.25.

Carapace orange-brown ( Fig. 69 ); surface finely granulate, more pronounced on slopes; fovea short, narrow, indistinct, at ⅘ CL. AER slightly procurved; clypeus height equal to distance approximately ⅔ AME diameter; ALE slightly larger than AME; AME separated by distance equal to approximately ¼ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to approximately ⅛ AME diameter; PER strongly recurved, PME and PLE equal in size; PME separated by distance equal to ¾ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance approximately 1¼ times PME diameter. Chelicerae orange-brown, anterior surface covered with scattered long, fine setae; endites yellow-brown, labium dark orange-brown. Sternum yellow-brown, darker along borders. Abdomen oval; dorsum mottled dark grey, with large paired subtriangular cream markings at midpoint, separated by broad grey line along midline, with pale streaks towards anterior and towards spinnerets laterally; two pairs of brown sigilla, first pair at ¼ AL and second pair at midpoint of abdomen; venter mottled grey. Legs yellow-brown, femora, patellae and tibiae with grey mottling laterally; metatarsi and tarsi uniform, without mottling. Epigyne with broad, recurved slit-like copulatory openings separated by their width, entering broad copulatory openings with anterior loop, terminating in small oval ST II with small mesal thumb-like projection, from which ducts loop over copulatory ducts, curving laterally before entering simple oval ST I posteriorly ( Figs 83, 84 ).

Type material. Holotype ♁: SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: 5 km from Groblersdal , 25°10'S, 29°24'E, 20.IV.1979, leg. A.S. Dippenaar (sweeps, grass) ( NCA 97 /767).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: 20 km W of Grahamstown on N2 Highway, 33°25.237'S, 26°21.266'E, 13.VIII.2005, leg. C. Haddad & R. Lyle (under Eucalyptus bark), 1♁ ( NCA 2006/1333); Fort Beaufort, Mountain View Lodge, 32°39.347'S, 26°32.656'E, 560 m a.s.l., 3.X.2011, leg. J. Neethling & C. Luwes (canopy fogging, Celtis africana ), 3♁ 3♀ ( NCA 2012/1888). KwaZulu-Natal: Pietermaritzburg, Town Bush, S slopes of Hogsback, 29°33'S, 30°21'E, 1000 m a.s.l., 20.IX.1984, leg. P.M.C. Croeser, C. & T. Griswold (from leaf litter and shrubs in indigenous forest near Bats Cave), 1♁ ( NMSA 21909).

Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: Amatola mountains, 7 km S of Hogsback on R345, 32°38.831'S, 26°55.375'E, 715 m a.s.l., 1.X.2011, leg. J. Neethling & C. Luwes (canopy fogging, isolated tree, roadside), 3♁ 1♀ ( NCA 2012 /1897); Jeffrey’s Bay, 34°03'S, 24°54'E, 15.XII.2005, leg. L. Wiese (on wall in bathroom), 1♁ ( NCA 2008 /447); Somerset-East, Bestershoek Nature Reserve , 32°42.500'S, 25°33.652'E, 810 m a.s.l., 3.XII.2011, leg. J. Neethling & C. Luwes (canopy fogging, woodland), 1♁ 1♀ ( NCA 2012 /1902); Suurberg Pass on R335, near Addo, 33°20.447'S, 25°45.028'E, 545 m a.s.l., 6.XII.2011, leg. J. Neethling & C. Luwes (canopy fogging, Afromontane forest ), 1♁ 3♀ ( NCA 2012 /1889) . Western Cape: Garden Route National Park, Witelsbos, Stormsrivier , 33°58'S, 24°06'E, 22.II.2017, leg. R. Swart (canopy fogging), 1♁ ( NCA 2019 /963), 1♁ 3♀ ( NCA 2019 /974), 1♀ ( NCA 2019 /970), 1♁ ( NCA 2019 /981); Same locality, Woodville, Wilderness, 33°55'S, 22°37'E, 15.II.2017, leg. R. Swart (canopy fogging), 8♁ 3♀ ( NCA 2019 /983), 5♁ 5♀ ( NCA 2019 /966), 4♁ 4♀ ( NCA 2019 /961) .

Distribution. Widely but sporadically distributed in South Africa ( Fig. 85 ).

Figures

FIGURE 85. Distribution of Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. (red circles), C. neethlingi sp. nov. (blue triangle) and C. penicillus sp. nov. (green triangles) in southern Africa.

FIGURES 65–73. Digital microscope photographs of dorsal habitus of Coronarachne spp. 65, 66. C. denticulata sp. nov. male (65) and female (66); 67. C. neethlingi sp. nov., male; 68, 69. C. penicillus sp. nov., male (68) and female (69); 70, 71, C. setosa sp. nov., male (70) and female (71); 72, 73. C. unigena sp. nov., male (72) and female (73). Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 79–84. Coronarachne neethlingi sp. nov. male (79, 80) and C. penicillus sp. nov. male (81, 82) and female (83, 84). 79, 81. Left palp, ventral view; 80, 82. Same, retrolateral view; 83. Epigyne, ventral view; 84. Epigyne, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm

FIGURES 74–78. Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov. male (74, 75) and female (76–78). 74. Left palp, ventral view; 75. Same, retrolateral view; 76. Epigyne, ventral view; 77. Same, detail of spermathecae; 78. Epigyne, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 86–89. Coronarachne setosa sp. nov. male (86, 87) and female (88, 89). 86. Left palp, ventral view; 87. Same, retrolateral view; 88. Epigyne, ventral view; 89. Same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 90–93. Coronarachne unigena sp. nov. male (90, 91) and female (92, 93). 90. Left palp, ventral view; 91. Same, retrolateral view; 92. Epigyne, ventral view; 93. Same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.