Tabiboka milloti, Henrard & Griswold & Jocqué, 2024

Henrard, Arnaud, Griswold, Charles & Jocqué, Rudy, 2024, On new genera and species of crack-leg spiders (Araneae, Udubidae) from Madagascar, European Journal of Taxonomy 966 (1), pp. 1-80 : 24-29

Tabiboka milloti gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FF163E94-73C4-4D75-AC93-1BEB4FCA536F

Figs 8–9 , 26

Zorodictyna sp. CG45 – Wheeler et al. 2017.

Diagnosis

The males of Tabiboka milloti gen. et sp. nov. may be distinguished by the palpal tibia with a short, blunt retromedian process (RTA) and broad, thumb-like ventral apical process (VTA) ( Figs 8E, G , 9B–C), the slender embolus (E) and the elongate, cruciform median apophysis (MA) with the apex extending to embolus tip ( Figs 8F , 9A–B) (vs in T. milleri gen. et sp. nov., the the VTA is smaller and the RTA is greatly elongated, Fig. 5A–C , and the E and the MA are shorted and broader; and in T. polotowae gen. et sp. nov., the VTA is finger-like and the MA is shorter, Fig. 11A–C ). Females of T. milloti have the epigyne with a heart-shaped median lobe (ML), broad anteriorly (anterior width greater than one-half total width, Fig. 9D ) (vs in T. milleri , the ML is narrow anteriorly, anterior width less than one-half total width, Fig. 5D ; and in T. polotowae , the ML is rectangular, narrowest in middle or with sides straight, Fig. 11D ).

Etymology

The species name is a patronym in honor of Jacques Millot, who collected the holotype of this species and many other interesting arthropods in Madagascar during his missions in the mid-20 th century.

Type material

Holotype

MADAGASCAR – Toamasina Province • ♂; Périnet (= Andasibe), Res. Analamazaotra , Parc National Andasibe ; Aug. 1946; J. Millot leg.; CASENT_9016063 ; MNHN.

Paratypes

MADAGASCAR – Toamasina Province • 1 ♀; Res. Analamazaotra , Parc National Andasibe , road 23 km E of Moramanga; 960 m a.s.l.; 18°56′38″ S, 48°25′03″ E; 16–18 Jan. 2003; C. Griswold, D. Silva and D. Andriamalala leg.; general collecting in rainforest; BLF7993; CASENT_9018308 ; CAS • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; general collecting at night in rainforest; AToL DNA voucher: ARACG045 ; BLF7994; CASENT_9005657 ; CAS • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CASENT_9005261 ; CAS .

Other material examined

MADAGASCAR – Antananarivo Province • 2 ♂♂; Tsinjoarivo forest, Ankadivory ; 19°42′56.592″ S, 47°49′15.0234″ E; 1385 m a.s.l.; 11–14 Jan. 2015; B.L. Fisher et al. leg.; pitfall traps in montane rainforest; BLF35447-5; CASENT_9065578 ; CAS • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; BLF35447-20; CASENT_9065583 ; CAS • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CASENT_906558 ; CAS .

Description

Male holotype (CASENT_9016063; MNHN)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 7.50. Carapace: length 4.60, width 3.70, height 1.80.

COLORATION ( Fig. 8A–B ). Carapace pale brownish yellow, darker along margin, with two faint, longitudinal dark bands along margin of pars cephalica; black surrounding all eyes; chelicerae brownish yellow; sternum yellow-white, unmarked; legs brownish yellow, femora, tibiae and metatarsi with faint median and subapical dusky annuli; abdomen pale yellow with darker cardiac mark and dorsolateral dark bands that break up into chevrons posteriorly, sides mottled with dark marks, venter yellow except with darker mottling around spinneret base.

STERNUM. Oval with slightly sinuous margins; 2.00 wide, 2.50 long.

CHILUM. 0.13 high, 0.35 wide.

EYES. ALE 0.33; AME 0.13; PLE 0.15; PME 0.14; ALE–AME 0.05; AME–AME 0.20; PLE–PME 0.13; PME–PME 0.06; MOQ: AW 0.26, PW 0.38, L 0.30.

CLYPEUS. 0.10 high, with six long setae.

LEGS. Trochanters deeply notched. Unpaired claw smooth, rudimentary on legs III and IV. Metatarsi lacking subbasal crack. Scopulae absent.

Leg measurements

	F	P	T	Mt	t	Total
I	4.30	1.80	3.90	3.50	2.20	15.50
II	3.80	1.80	3.10	3.00	1.90	13.60
III	3.50	1.50	2.60	3.30	1.80	12.70
IV	5.30	1.80	4.00	5.40	2.40	18.90

Spination

	F	P	T	Mt
I	pl1d3rl1	–	pl2rl1v2-2-2-2	pl1-2v2-2-2
II	pl2d3rl2	–	pl2rl2v2-2-2-2	pl1-2v2-2-2
III	pl3d3rl2	pl1rl1	pl2rl2v2-2-2	pl2rl2v2-2-2
IV	pl3d3rl2	rl1	pl2d1rl2v2-2-2	pl4d3rl2v1-2-1-2-2

MALE PALP ( Figs 8C–G , 9A–C). Tibia with VTA thumb-shaped, RTA broad, median with sharp, ventroapical point (vRTA), blunt retrodorsal projection (dRTA); cymbium oval with rounded apical extremity, without dorsal patch of chemosensitive setae, with small, sharp, conical retrobasal cymbial extension (CE) extending to tibial apex; subtegulum large, filling most of cymbial concavity, with transverse ridge (SL) that interacts with tegulum; tegulum oval with large, with rounded retrodistal protuberance and conical promedian lobe (TL) that locks with subtegulum; embolus (E) arises from retromargin of tegulum, short, simple, narrow; median apophysis (MA) strongly sclerotized elongate hook curved 270° prolaterad; conductor (C) hyaline, translucent, flattened, fan-shaped, widened at extremity; paraconductor (Pc) finger-like membranous, originating at base of MA and extending two-thirds length of E.

Female paratype (CASENT_9018308; CAS)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 10.20. Carapace: length 5.00, width 3.60, height 1.80.

COLOUR.As in male except contrast between yellow-white background and dusky markings much bolder, especially annuli on posterior femora, tibiae and metatarsi.

STERNUM. Oval with slightly sinuous sides; 2.20 wide, 2.40 long.

CHILUM. 0.13 high, 0.35 wide.

EYES. ALE 0.18; AME 0.13; PLE 0.18; PME 0.18; ALE–AME 0.08; AME–AME 0.15; PLE–PME 0.18; PME–PME 0.16; MOQ: AW 0.25, PW 0.38, L 0.38.

CLYPEUS. 0.20 high, with five long setae.

LEGS. Scopulae absent.

Leg measurements

	F	P	T	Mt	t	Total
I	3.50	1.70	3.00	2.50	1.40	12.10
II	3.20	1.70	2.50	2.30	1.50	11.20
III	3.20	1.30	2.20	2.70	1.40	10.80
IV	4.50	1.60	3.40	4.50	1.90	15.90

Spination

	F	P	T	Mt
I	pl1d1	–	v2-2-2-2	v2-2-2
II	pl1d1	–	v2-2-2-2	v2-2-2
III	pl1d3rl1	–	pl2d2rl2v2-2-2	pl4d2rl3v2-2-2
IV	pl1d3rl1	–	pl2d2rl2v2-2-2	pl2d5rl3v2-1-2-2

GENITALIA. Epigyne ( Fig. 9D ) median lobe (ML) heart-shaped, sides rounded, broad anteriorly, anterior width greater than one-half total width. Endogyne ( Fig. 9E ) with each spermatheca narrow, longer than broad.

Variation

Male (n = 3)

Total length = 6.90–7.50, carapace length/width = 1.21–1.29, carapace height/width = 0.43–0.59, PER/carapace width = 0.23–0.24, PER/OAL = 2.38–2.44, PER/AER = 1.38–1.39, OAL/OQL = 1.13– 1.23, OQP/OQA= 1.38–1.43, clypeus height/AME = 1.14–1.56, cheliceral length/clypeus height = 9.14– 18.00, sternum length/width = 1.05–1.25, palpal coxa length/width = 2.00–2.80, femur I length/carapace width = 1.11–1.12, metatarsus I length/carapace width = 0.95–1.00, femur IV length/carapace width = 1.23–1.43, cymbium length/carapace width = 0.32–0.35, cymbium length/palpal patella length = 1.20– 1.50, cymbium length/palpal tibia length = 1.09–1.26, cymbium length/palpal femur length = 0.63–0.75, palpal tibia length/palpal patella length 1.10–1.38. Males from Tsinjoarivo and Analamazaotra are marked like the holotype but the contrast between the yellow-white background and dusky markings on the cephalothorax, legs and abdomen is much greater.

Female

Variation unknown; only one female has been discovered.

Note on synonym

A specimen of this species (CASENT_9005657) was used as an exemplar in a previously published molecular phylogeny: it was listed as “ Zorodictyna sp. CG45” by Wheeler et al. (2017).

Natural history

The species Tabiboka milloti gen. et sp. nov. is only known from rainforest.

Distribution

Tabiboka milloti gen. et sp. nov. is known only from mountains in east-central Madagascar ( Fig. 26 ).

Figures

Fig. 8(on next page). Tabiboka milloti gen. nov. et sp. nov. male holotype (CASENT_9016063; MNHN). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Carapace, dorsal view. C. SEM of right male palp (mirrored), prolateral view. D. Idem, ventral view. E. Idem, retrolateral view. F. Idem, detail of bulb, ventral view. G. Idem, detail of the RTA. Abbreviations: C = conductor; CE = cymbial retrobasal extension; dRTA = retrodorsal tibial apophysis; E = embolus; MA = median apophysis; Pc = paraconductor; dRTA = retrodorsal tibial apophysis; SL = subtegular locking lobe; TL = tegular locking lobe; vRTA = retroventral tibial apophysis; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: A–B = no scales provided (note: carapace length = 4.6 mm); C–E = 0.5 mm; F–G = 0.1 mm. Stacked microphotographs by Hannah Wood; SEM images by Charles Griswold and Darrell Ubick.

Fig. 9. Tabiboka milloti gen. nov. et sp. nov. genitalia drawings.A–C = male holotype (CASENT_9016063; MNHN). D–E = female paratype (CASENT_9018308; CAS).A. Left palp, prolateral view.B. Idem, ventral view. C. Idem, retrolateral view. D. Epigyne, ventral view.E. Endogyne, dorsal view. Abbreviations: C = conductor; CE = cymbial retrobasal extension; dRTA = retrodorsal tibial apophysis; E = embolus; FD = fertilisation duct; LL = lateral lobe; MA = median apophysis; ML = median lobe; Pc = paraconductor; S = spermatheca; SL = subtegular locking lobe; TL = tegular locking lobe; vRTA = retroventral tibial apophysis; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars = 0.25 mm. Illustrations A–C by Jenny Speckels; D–E by Charles Griswold.

Fig. 5. Tabiboka milleri gen. nov. et sp. nov. genitalia drawings of male and female paratypes (CASENT_9016086; CAS). A. Male left palp, prolateral view. B. Idem, ventral view.C. Idem, retrolateral view. D. Epigyne, ventral view. E. Idem, dorsal view. Abbreviations: C = conductor; CD = copulatory duct; CE = cymbial retrobasal extension; CO = copulatory opening; E = embolus; FD = fertilisation duct; LL = lateral lobe; MA = median apophysis; ML = median lobe; Pc = paraconductor; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; S = spermatheca; SL = subtegular locking lobe; TL = tegular locking lobe; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Illustrations by Jenny Speckels.

Fig. 11. Tabiboka polotowae gen. et sp. nov., genitalia drawings; A–C= male holotype (CASENT_9016117; CAS); D–E = female paratype (CASENT_9016117; CAS). A. Left palp, prolateral view.B. Idem, ventral view. C. Idem, retrolateral view. D. Epigyne, ventral view.E. Endogyne, dorsal view. Abbreviations: C = conductor; CE = cymbial retrobasal extension; E = embolus; FD = fertilisation duct; LL = lateral lobe; MA= median apophysis; ML = median lobe; Pc = paraconductor; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; S = spermatheca; SL = subtegular locking lobe; TL = tegular locking lobe; VTA = ventral tibial apophysis. Scale bars = 0.25 mm. Illustrations by Jenny Speckels.

Fig. 26. Distribution map of species, and samples localities in the northern and eastern part of Madagascar. Tabiboka milleri gen. et sp. nov. (orange), Tabiboka milloti gen. et sp. nov. (yellow), Tabiboka polotowae gen. et sp. nov. (purple), Zorascar pasunepipe gen. et sp. nov. (red), Zorascar pasunepomme gen. et sp. nov. (dark blue), Zorodictyna almae sp. nov. (pale blue), Zorodictyna silvadavilae sp. nov. (green), Zorodictyna oswaldi (Lenz, 1891) (pink star).