Opopaea ngulia Tong & Li

Tong, Yanfeng, Liu, Shijia, Kioko, Esther N., Kioko, Grace M. & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, Taxonomic studies on seven species of the genus Opopaea (Araneae, Oonopidae) from Kenya, African Invertebrates 60 (2), pp. 255-289 : 255

Opopaea ngulia Tong & Li sp. nov. Figs 13 , 14 , 21 G–I , 25D

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (NMK Ar-25114), Kenya, Taita-Taveta County, Mtito andei Town, Tsavo West National Park, Ngulia lodge intake, 03°01.528'S, 38°12.091'E, 1036 m, 28.VII.2016, Kioko G.M., Yao Z. & Zhao Q.

Etymology.

The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to O. simoni (Berland, 1914), but can be distinguished by the small body size and the cymbiobulbus which is shorter than the patella ( Fig. 21G ). Opopaea simoni has large body size and the cymbiobulbus is as long as the patella ( Saaristo and Marusik 2008: figs 85, 90).

Description.

Male (holotype). Yellow. Habitus as in Fig. 13A, C, E . Body length 1.51. Carapace ( Fig. 13B ): oval in dorsal view; sides with longitudinal streaks; dorsal area granulate, with some hairs at lateral edges. Eyes: ALE largest, PLE smallest; posterior eye row recurved viewed from above, procurved from front; ALE separated by less than their radius, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius. Clypeus height about 1.3 times ALE diameter ( Fig. 13G ). Sternum ( Fig. 13F ) as long as wide, fused to carapace; surface finely reticulate; radial furrows present, with rows of small pits. Anterior end of endites with a small, sharply pointed projection. Legs light yellow. Abdomen: booklung covers small, ovoid, without setae. Pedicel tube short, ribbed, with large, dorsolateral, triangular extensions, scuto-pedicel region lower than diameter of pedicel, with arched scutal ridges and straight anterior scutal ridge ( Fig. 13H ). Palp ( Figs 14 , 21 G–I ): reddish brown; palpal femur about half the length of patella and inserted at the patella submedially; patella strongly bumped dorsally; cymbiobulbus shorter than the patella; palpal fenestra large and located near the tip of the bulb. Tip of the palp with a small protuberance.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements.

Male (holotype). TL: 1.51; CL: 0.67; CW: 0.52; AL: 0.87; AW: 0.54; ALE: 0.07; PME: 0.06; PLE: 0.05; EGW: 0.21; ALE-ALE: 0.02; ALE-PLE: 0.01; PME-PME: 0; PLE-PME: 0; CBL: 0.20; CBW: 0.08; PTL: 0.23; FI: 0.12; FML: 0.12.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 13. Opopaea ngulia sp. nov., male. A, C, E habitus, dorsal, lateral and ventral views B, D, F, G prosoma, dorsal, lateral, ventral and anterior views H abdomen, anterior view. Abbreviations: boc = booklung covers; dte = dorsolateral, triangular extensions; sr = scutal ridge. Scale bars: 0.4 mm (A, C, E); 0.2 mm (B, D, F-H).

Figure 14. Opopaea ngulia sp. nov., male left palp, SEM. A, B prolateral and retrolateral views C, D, G cymbiobulbus, prolateral, retrolateral and dorsal views E, F, H distal part of cymbiobulbus, prolateral, retrolateral and dorsal views.

Figure 21. Male left palp. A-C Opopaea berlandi D-F Opopaea makadara sp. nov. G-I Opopaea ngulia sp. nov. J-L Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov. A, D, G, J prolateral view B, E, H, K retrolateral view C, F, I, L dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 25. Habitus of males (A-G) and females (H-M). A, H Opopaea berlandi B, I Opopaea kulczynskii C, J Opopaea makadara sp. nov. D Opopaea ngulia sp. nov. E, K Opopaea ngangao sp. nov. F, L Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov. G, M Opopaea wundanyi sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.8 mm.