A revision of the endemic South African long-jawed ground spider genus Drassodella Hewitt, 1916 (Araneae: Gallieniellidae)
Author
Mbo, Zingisile
Author
Haddad, Charles R.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-04-10
4582
1
1
62
journal article
27120
10.11646/zootaxa.4582.1.1
c79b6327-48fb-47bf-b17b-d20d2de295e3
1175-5326
2643724
9DC61794-4BD7-4F6D-BB8C-84D9855C8151
Drassodella vasivulva
Tucker, 1923
Figs 4
,
77
,
92
,
170, 171
,
199–202
Drassodella vasivulva
Tucker, 1923
: 316
, fig. 42 (
Holotype
♀
:
SOUTH AFRICA
:
Western Cape Province
: Knysna,
33°02'S
,
23°02'E
,
III.1896
, leg. W.F. Purcell, SAMC ENW-X000876—examined).
Diagnosis.
Females of
D. vasivulva
are easily recognized by the narrow anterior hood and the posteriorly diverging median septum that takes the form of vase (
Figs 77
,
199
). Males of
D. vasivulva
share with
D. septemmaculata
the large median apophysis with a retrolaterally-directed basal process, but in
D. vasivulva
the distal section has an almost perpendicular bend (
Figs 92
,
201
) while in
D. septemmaculata
the distal end is rounded (
Figs 91
,
195
).
Description. Female (De Hoop Nature Reserve, NCA 2005/2341).
Measurements: CL 2.56, CW 1.96, AL 3.28, AW 1.28, TL 6.00 (6.00–9.60), FL 0.30, SL 1.42, SW 1.25,
CH
0.14, AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.25, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.10, PLE-PLE 0.46, PERW 0.56, MOQAW 0.21, MOQPW 0.25, MOQL 0.28.
Length of leg segments: I 1.80 + 0.92 + 1.30 + 1.24 + 1.10 = 6.36, II 1.70 + 0.84 + 0.94 + 1.20 + 1.02 = 5.70, III 1.56 + 0.76 + 1.00 + 1.40 + 1.04 = 5.76, IV 2.26 + 0.98 + 1.72 + 2.40 + 1.22 = 8.58.
General appearance as in
Fig. 170
. Carapace dark brown, with black mottling radiating from fovea; upsilon marking of feathery setae originating from AME towards posterior margin, diverging after fovea. Clypeus height equal to 1.75 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.67 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.67 PME diameter. Chelicerae darkbrown; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, proximal and distal teeth subequal; median and proximal teeth close together, distal tooth widely separated from median tooth; retromargin with two widely spaced subequal teeth. Endites dark brown, light brown at maxillar hair tuft. Labium dark brown, anterior margin light brown. Sternum brown. Legs with dark brown proximal segments, with black mottling, distal segments yellow; ventral side of femora I yellow. Leg spination: femora: I do 2 rl 1, II do 2 rl 1, III do 6, IV do 5; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 4 do 2 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3 rl 1; patellae rl 1; tibiae do 2 rl 3; tarsi pl 1 do 2 rl 3 plv 1 rlv 1. Abdomen black, dorsum with white feathery setae forming three pairs of white markings dorsolaterally, single spot above spinnerets; anterior markings an elongate stripe to one-third abdomen length, contiguous with elongate second markings, third pair isolated subtriangular stripe posterolaterally (
Fig. 170
); venter grey, with faint black mottling; lateral sclerites elongate, post-epigastric sclerites small; two paired rows of tiny sclerites from epigastric fold to spinnerets. Spinnerets pale. Epigyne with small shallow strongly recurved anterior hood, lateral ends terminating abruptly; lateral margins of median septum initially close together, gradually diverging to wider than spermathecal margins, posterior quarter converging at epigastric furrow; ST I and ST II yellow, connecting ducts dark orange-brown; ST II teardrop-shaped, directed anteromedially, separated by one-and-a-half times their width; ST I as large as head of ST II (
Figs 77
,
199, 200
).
Male (De Hoop Nature Reserve, NCA 2005/2341).
Measurements: CL 2.96, CW 2.38, AL 3.00, AW 1.72, TL 5.92 (5.92–8.06), FL 0.54, SL 1.56, SW 1.44,
CH
0.14, AME-AME 0.10, AME-ALE 0.03, ALE-ALE 0.32, PME-PME 0.17, PME-PLE 0.14, PLE-PLE 0.51, PERW 0.67, MOQAW 0.25, MOQPW 0.30, MOQL 0.33.
Length of leg segments: I 2.04 + 1.08 + 1.62 + 1.52 + 1.20 = 7.46, II 1.96 + 1.02 + 1.38 + 1.48 + 1.16 = 7.00, III 1.82 + 0.90 + 1.20 + 1.68 + 1.16 = 6.76, IV 2.58 + 1.04 + 1.82 + 2.76 + 1.40 = 9.60.
FIGURE 203.
Distribution of
Drassodella
salisburyi
Hewitt, 1916
(circles),
D.
septemmaculata
(Strand, 1909)
(stars),
D. trilineata
sp. nov.
(square) and
D.
vasivulva
Tucker, 1923
(triangles) in southern Africa. Insert shows the distribution of
D. septemmaculata
and
D. vasivulva
on the Cape Peninsula.
General appearance as in
Figs 4
and
171
. Carapace dark brown, with dense black mottling; upsilon marking of feathery setae originating from AME towards posterior margin, diverging after fovea. Clypeus height equal to 2.33 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 1.25 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.38 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 2.83 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 2.33 PME diameter. Chelicerae dark brown, with dense black mottling; promargin with three teeth, median tooth very large, proximal and distal teeth small, proximal tooth smallest; median and proximal teeth close together, distal tooth widely separated from median tooth; retromargin with two widely spaced teeth, proximal tooth larger. Endites dark red-brown, with black mottling, cream at maxillar hair tuft. Labium dark brown, anterior margin brown. Sternum with many erect setae laterally, few setae medially. Legs with proximal segments deep red-brown, distal segments orange-brown. Leg spination: femora: I do 2 rl 1, II do 2 rl 1, III do 4, IV do 4; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I spineless, II pl 1 rl 1, III pl 4 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 4 rl 4 plv 1 rlv 2 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3 rl 1; patellae do 1; tibiae pl 2 rl 2; tarsi do 2. Abdomen black, with deep orange scutum extending third abdomen length; dorsum with white feathery setae forming three pairs of white markings dorsolaterally, single spot above spinnerets; anterior markings an elongate stripe to onethird abdomen length, briefly separated from elongate-oval second markings, third pair isolated bilobed stripe posterolaterally (
Fig. 171
); venter creamy-grey, with faint grey mottling; elongate sclerite on lateral sides above booklungs; post-epigastric sclerites small; two paired rows of tiny sclerites running from epigastric furrow posteriorly, lateral pair reaching spinnerets, median row to half abdomen length. Palp dark yellow-brown; RTA long, entirely obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium; in retrolateral view subtriangular, elongate, with narrow base and sharp tip; cymbium narrow, 2.03 times longer than wide, narrowed to rounded point distally; embolus originating prolaterally, elongate, slightly undulating, with stout sharp tip directed retrodistally; median apophysis massive, weakly sclerotized; basal section subtriangular, with right-angled bend distally, thumb-shaped tip directed prolaterally, partly obscuring embolus (
Figs 92
,
201, 202
).
Additional material examined.
SOUTH AFRICA
:
Western Cape Province
:
Cape
Town
,
Muizenberg
,
34°06'S
,
18°27'E
, 1989, leg.
R. Legg
(pitfalls),
6♀
(
MRAC 209560
);
Same
locality,
5.V.1991
, leg.
R. Legg
(dunes to the north),
8♀
(
MRAC 173712
);
Same
data as previous but
19.V.1991
,
4♀
(
MRAC 173721
);
Same
data as previous but
2.VI
.1991
,
3♀
(
MRAC 173744
);
Same
data as previous but
16.VI
.1991
,
3♀
(
MRAC 173759
);
Same
data as previous but
29.IX.1991
,
1♀
(
MRAC 174637
);
De Hoop Nature Reserve
,
Koppie Alleen
,
34°28.534'S
,
20°30.349'E
,
26.VII
.2005
, leg.
C. Haddad
(milkwood leaf litter),
1♀
(
NCA 2005
/2341);
Same
locality,
7.IV
.2004
, leg.
C. Haddad
(coastal dune, under
Thamnochortis
sedges),
4♂
(
NCA 2005
/2010);
Same
locality,
5.IV
.2004
, leg.
C. Haddad
(under rocks in fynbos),
2♀
(SAMC
ENW-C005350
);
De Hoop Nature Reserve
,
Potberg
,
34°22.487'S
,
20°31.980'E
,
4.IV
.2004
, leg.
C. Haddad
(under logs,
Eucalyptus
forest),
1♂
1♀
1 imm. (
NCA 2005
/589);
De Hoop Nature Reserve
,
Lekkerwater
road,
34°24.002'S
,
20°33.151'E
,
26.III
.2004
, leg.
C. Haddad
(active search, under
Thamnochortis
),
1♂
(
NCA 2013/5340
);
Same
locality,
6.IV
.2004
, leg.
C. Haddad
(
Eucalyptus
leaf litter),
1♂
(
NCA 2013/5341
);
Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
,
Kogelberg Valley
,
34°19.200'S
,
18°57.600'E
,
22.III
.2008
, leg.
B. Mbinka
(on leaves in fynbos),
1♀
(
NCA 2010
/2085);
Moordkuil Valley
,
34°04'S
,
22°07'E
,
10–21.III
.1986
, leg.
M. MacPherson
& A. Roux,
3♀
(SAMC
ENW-C003363
).
Distribution.
Known from several localities in the
Western Cape
,
South Africa
(
Fig. 203
).