Mystaria mnyama, Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014

Honiball Lewis, Allet S. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S., 2014, Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3873 (2), pp. 101-144 : 122-123

Mystaria mnyama sp. n.

Figs 23–25 , 61–64 , 120

Type material: Holotype: ♀, SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province, Tembe Elephant Park , sparse woodland, sweeping grasses [26°52’S, 32°27’E], 7 July 2007, C. Haddad (NCA 2008/2839) . Paratype: 1 ♂, Tembe Elephant Park [27°03’S, 32°24’E], open woodland, beating short shrubs, 7 July 2007, C. Haddad (NCA 2008/2822).

Etymology. ‘Mnyama’ means black in Zulu, as this species is recognised by the black-tinted areas on the cephalic and eye area. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Females can be recognised by the distinct colour patterns on body ( Fig. 23 ); epigyne with atrium bullet-shaped and small notch anteriorly ( Fig. 63 ). Male is very dark with pale legs ( Fig. 25 ); bulb with sturdy RTA ( Fig. 62 ); RTA with long tip directed antero-laterally, tutaculum present retro-laterally ( Fig. 61 ).

Description. Female. Size, measurements (n = 1). TL: 2.64; CL: 1.06; CW: 0.94; CI: 1.13; CH: 0.73; CLL: 0.23; MOQ-L: 0.24. Colour. Carapace copper-red, black tint in eye region and postero-lateral side of carapace ( Fig. 23, 24 ); clypeus with orange patch; sternum dark; abdomen dorsally very pale with two dark spots laterally; ventrally blue tint with metallic purplish-blue to pinkish-brown striae; legs uniform yellow with femora I–II a darker orange ( Fig. 24 ). Carapace. Slightly granular. Sternum. SL: 0.43; SW: 0.46; SI: 0.95. Eye s. AME large; eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.22; ALE–AME: 0.29; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.75; PME–PME: 0.34; PLE–PME: 0.26; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.27; ALE/AME: 1.33; PLE/PME: 0.79; MOQ-AW/PW: 0.64; MOQ-L/ MOQ-W: 0.37; Clyp/AME–AME: 1.06. Legs. All legs with medium-length setae; spiniform setae present on the following leg segments: on femora I–III three short, thick setae; tibiae I–IV with at least three setae; tibiae III–IV dorsally and ventrally with setae; leg formula: I:II:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.74, Pat 0.29, Tib 0.64, Mt 0.52, Ta 0.40, total 2.58; II—Fe 0.76, Pat 0.29, Tib 0.61, Mt 0.50, Ta 0.37, total 2.53; III—Fe 0.50, Pat 0.20, Tib 0.40, Mt 0.30, Ta 0.24, total 1.64; IV—Fe 0.60, Pat 0.23, Tib 0.49, Mt 0.41, Ta 0.29, total 2.02. Abdomen. AL: 1.58; AW: 1.58; AI: 1.00. Epigyne. Atrium small, bullet-shaped, small notch anteriorly ( Fig. 63 ); intromittent orifices small, open antero-laterally; intromittent canals as in ( Fig. 64 ).

Male. Size, measurements (n = 1). TL: 2.29; CL: 0.97; CW: 0.88; CI: 1.11; CH: 0.66; CLL: 0.22; MOQ-L: 0.22. Differ from female as follows: Colour. Body dark blackish to copper with a white border in anterior half of abdomen; ventrally greyish to brownish-purple striae; legs uniformly pale-yellow in contrast to body ( Fig. 25 ). Carapace. Round. Sternum. SL: 0.40 SW: 0.44 SI: 0.89. Eyes. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.20; ALE–AME: 0.28; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.74; PME–PME: 0.31; PLE–PME: 0.23; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.37; ALE/ AME: 1.35; PLE/PME: 0.73; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.65; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.33; Clyp/AME–AME: 1.06. Legs. With dense short to medium setae on all segments; femora I–III with three spiniform setae; patella and tibiae I–IV with fairly long, thick and erectile spiniform setae; leg formula: II:I:III (leg IV damaged); leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.77, Pat 0.25, Tib 0.68, Mt 0.55, Ta 0.42, total 2.68; II—Fe 0.84, Pat 0.26, Tib 0.76, Mt 0.55, Ta 0.42, total 2.83; III—Fe 0.52, Pat 0.23, Tib 0.46, Mt 0.31, Ta 0.29, total 1.80; IV—Fe 0.60. Abdomen. Round, anteriorly straight border, posteriorly slightly pointed; scutum with fine setae; AL: 1.32; AW: 1.18; AI: 1.12. Palp. With RTA longer than VTA, with sharp blackened tip ( Fig. 61, 62 ).

Natural history. Sampled from sweeping and beating vegetation in open woodlands of Tembe Elephant Park. Known from only two adults sampled in July, during Winter.

Distribution. South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal Province) ( Fig. 120 ).

Figures

FIGURES 10–24. Microscope photographs of dorsal and lateral views of Mystaria species. 10 Mystaria budongo sp. n. male from Rwanda, Ibanda Makera (dorsal view); 11–13 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. (11, 12 female from South Africa, Richards Bay antero-and postero-dorsal views, 13 male from South Africa, Punda Maria Camp dorsal view); 14–16 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n. (14, 15 female from Mozambique, Marracuene antero-and latero-dorsal views, 16 male form Marracuene postero-dorsal view); 17–19 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. (17, 18 female from South Africa, Kei River Mouth antero-and latero-dorsal view, 19 two males from South Africa, Mazeppa Bay dorsal views); 20–22 Mystaria lindaicapensis sp. n. (20, 21 female from South Africa, Jeffreys Bay antero-and latero-dorsal views (specimen damaged on carapace), 22 male from South Africa, Knysna dorsal view); 23–24 Mystaria mnyama sp. n. (23, 24 female from South Africa, Tembe Elephant Park antero-and latero-dorsal views).

FIGURES 25–42. Microscope photographs of dorsal and lateral views of Mystaria species. 25 Mystaria mnyama sp. n. male from Tembe Elephant Park (dorsal view); 26–28 Mystaria occidentalis (Millot, 1942) comb. n. (26, 27 female from Democratic Republic of Congo, Kaisola antero-and latero-dorsal views, 28 male from Rwanda, Butare dorsal view); 29–30 Mystaria oreadae sp. n. female from Rwanda, Rwankuba antero-and latero-dorsal views; 31–32 Mystaria rufolimbata Simon, 1895 (31 female from Democratic Republic of Congo, Walikale dorsal view, 32 male from Gabon, Kinguélé dorsal view); 33–35 Mystaria savannensis sp. n. (33, 34 female from South Africa, Soutpansberg antero-and latero-dorsal views, 35 male from Soutpansberg dorsal view); 36–37 Mystaria soleil sp. n. (36 female from Kenya, Kakamega dorsal view, 37 male from Kakamega dorsal view); 38–39 Mystaria stakesbyi sp. n. (38 female from Ghana, Legon dorsal view; 39 male from Democratic Republic of Congo, Semliki dorsal view). 40–42 Mystaria variabilis (Lessert, 1919) comb. n. (40, 41 female from Democratic Republic of Congo, Kisantu antero-and latero dorsal views, 42 male from Democratic Republic of Congo, Butembo dorsal view).

FIGURES 57–68. Line drawings of copulatory organs in male and female Mystaria species, with ventral- (left) and retrolateral (right) views of male palps and ventral- (left) and dorsal (right) views of female epigynes. 57–60 Mystaria lindaicapensis sp. n. (57, 58 male left palp, 59, 60 female epigyne); 61–64 Mystaria mnyama sp. n. (61, 62 male left palp, 63, 64 female epigyne); 65–68 Mystaria occidentalis (Millot, 1942) comb. n. (65, 66 male left palp, 67, 68 female epigyne). Scale lines = 10mm.

FIGURES 119–122. Recorded geographical distribution of Mystaria species. 119 Mystaria lindaicapensis sp. n.; 120 Mystaria mnyama sp. n.; 121 Mystaria occidentalis (Millot, 1942) comb. n.; 122 Mystaria oreadae sp. n. Scale lines = 800 km (119), 640 km (120), 2400 km (121), 1120 km (122).