Mystaria soleil, 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 : 130-131

Mystaria soleil sp. n.

Figs 4 , 36, 37 , 79–82 , 107–110 , 125

Type material: Holotype: ♀, UGANDA: Masindi District, Budongo forest [01°45’N, 31°25’E], alt 1200 m, secondary forest canopy fogging of Cynometra alexandri , 15–25 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR1287).

Paratypes: KENYA: Western Province , 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Kakamega forest [00°22’N, 34°50’E], alt. 1600 m, middleaged secondary forest canopy fogging of Teclea nobilis — 12 m canopy height, January–February 2002, 2003, W. Freund (ZFMK AR 098, 147, 1274); 1 ♂, same locality, old secondary-aged forest canopy fogging T. nobilis — 10 m canopy height, September–October 2001, W. Freund (ZFMK AR 1273) . UGANDA: Masindi District, 5 ♀, 6 ♂, Budongo forest [01°45’N, 31°25’E], alt. 1200 m, secondry forest canopy fogging of Rinorea beniensis — 14.5 m canopy height, 5–25 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1275, 1277, 1278, 1279, 1282, 1286, 1289) ; 7 ♀, 9 ♂, same locality, secondary forest canopy fogging C. alexandri , 15–25 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1288, 1290, 1291, 1292, 1294) ; 4 ♀, 1 ♂, same locality, 35 m canopy height, June—July 1995, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1283, 1284, 1285, 1293) ; 1 ♂, same locality, primary forest canopy fogging C. alexandri — 35 m canopy height, 1–10 July 1995, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1280) ; 2 ♀, 1 ♂, same locality, swamp forest canopy fogging R. beniensis , 11–31 July 1995, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1295, 1276) ; 1 ♀, same locality, swamp forest canopy fogging T. nobilis — 16 m canopy height, 1–10 July 1995, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1281) .

Etymology. ‘ Soleil’ is French for the sun, as this species is characteristically yellow in colour. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Both sexes distinct and recognised by the orange-yellow carapace decorated with a brown patch centrally on cephalic and thoracic region, abdomen with brown longitudinal median band ( Figs 36, 37 ). Females differ by having the largest eye tubercles of any species, all eyes situated on silver-white tubercles. Female epigyne with wide, curved hood, situated anteriorly ( Fig. 81 ), differ from M. stakesbyi n. sp. that have a narrow hood. Male palp with RTA short and slender, situated close to bulb, tip extending laterally ( Fig. 79 ); VTA slender and small ( Fig. 80 ).

Description. Female. Size, measurements (n = 8). TL: 3.32 (3.13–3.48); CL: 1.32 (1.20–1.41); CW: 1.15 (1.13–1.20); CI: 1.15 (1.06–1.25); CH: 0.77 (0.71–0.80); CLL: 0.21 (0.19–0.24); MOQ-L: 0.27 (0.27–0.28). Colour. Abdomen dorsally pale brown with darker band, a whitish border with two small dark spots posterolaterally ( Fig. 36 ); legs orange-yellow, patellae with dark brown patches. Carapace. With highest part in foveal region sloping laterally and anteriorly; texture granulate with small holes; covered with fine, short setae, a few long, erectile spiniform setae on posterior edge and laterally of lateral eyes. Chelicerae. Cheliceral teeth as in Fig. 4 . Sternum. Longer than wide; SL: 0.59; SW: 0.52; SI: 1.15. Eyes. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.24; ALE–AME: 0.28; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.83; PME–PME: 0.33; PLE–PME: 0.29; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.15; ALE/AME: 1.20; PLE/PME: 0.87; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.71; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.39; Clyp/AME–AME: 0.90. Legs. Leg I–II nearly twice the length of leg III–IV; femora, patellae and tibiae with few medium to short spiniform setae; metatarsi and tarsi with fine, shorter setae, small spiniform setae on postero-ventral side; leg formula: I:II:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 1.26, Pat 0.42, Tib 1.06, Mt 0.84, Ta 0.52, total 4.10; II—Fe 1.25, Pat 0.44, Tib 1.05, Mt 0.81, Ta 0.48, total 4.03; III—Fe 0.88, Pat 0.32, Tib 0.65, Mt 0.43, Ta 0.32, total 2.60; IV—Fe 0.92, Pat 0.31, Tib 0.70, Mt 0.50, Ta 0.32, total 2.74. Abdomen. Wider posteriorly than anteriorly. AL: 2.00; AW: 1.59; AI: 0.26. Epigyne. Atrium wide with postero-laterally rounded rims ( Fig. 81 ). Intromittent orifices visible as two small circular openings antero-laterally from hood; intromittent canals as in Fig. 82 .

Male. Size, measurements (n = 2). TL: 2.60 (2.46–2.70); CL: 1.18 (1.08–1.25); CW: 1.05 (1.00–1.08); CI: 1.12(1.08–1.15); CH: 0.78 (0.72–0.85); CLL: 0.21 (0.20–0.21); MOQ- L: 0.23 (0.23–0.24). Differ from female as follows: Colour. Carapace with a larger copper-brown patch ( Fig. 37 ); eye tubercles dark; abdomen dorsally orange-yellow with large band starting anteriorly narrowing posteriorly, two spots postero-laterally and; ventrally pale yellow. Legs orange-yellow, patellae I–IV partially brown, femora I–II distally brown and tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi I–II brown. Carapace. Elevated in thoracic area; texture smooth, with few long erectile setae present on postero-lateral thoracic edge. Sternum. SL: 0.56; SW: 0.47; SI: 1.19. Eyes. Eye tubercles not as large as in females; eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.21; ALE–AME: 0.26; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.82; PME–PME: 0.30; PLE–PME: 0.27; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.12; ALE/AME: 1.23; PLE/PME: 0.89; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.70; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.34; Clyp/AME–AME: 0.99. Legs. All legs except tarsi I–IV with dense short setae and medium spiniform setae dorsally and laterally; tibia and metatarsi I–IV with shorter spiniform setae distally on ventral side; tibiae III–IV with longer spiniform setae; tarsal claws differ from other species, in 2 nd comb strongly curved at tip ( Figs 107–110 ); leg formula: I:II:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 1.23, Pat 0.36, Tib 1.13, Mt 0.92, Ta 0.57, total 4.21; II—Fe 1.26, Pat 0.36, Tib 1.16, Mt 0.86, Ta 0.54, total 4.17; III—Fe 0.79, Pat 0.27, Tib 0.62, Mt 0.43, Ta 0.33, total 2.43; IV—Fe 0.80, Pat 0.24, Tib 0.62, Mt 0.49, Ta 0.32, total 2.47. Abdomen. Longoval, with oval scutum. AL: 1.43; AW: 1.05; AI: 1.36. Palp. Bulb large with a well-defined, dark tegulum, slightly tilted to the lateral side ( Fig. 79 ), differs from M. stakesbyi sp. n. whose tegulum is less sclerotized and smaller; VTA slender, slightly longer than RTA ( Fig. 80 ).

Natural history. Newly sampled material suggests that individuals occur in secondary- and middle-aged primary rainforests and swamp forests. Canopy fogging indicated that they occur on trees species such as Teclea nobilis , Rinorea beniensis and Cynometra alexandri . Adults were present from January until October.

Distribution. Uganda and Kenya ( Fig. 125 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. SEM photographs of chelicerae of Mystaria species. 1 M. rufolimbata Simon, 1895 from Democratic Republic of Congo, Walikale; 2 M. flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. from South Africa, Richards Bay; 3 M. savannensis sp. n. from South Africa, Kruger National Park, Letaba Camp; 4 M. soleil sp. n. from Kenya, Kakamega; 5 M. budongo sp. n. from Kakamega. Scale lines = 100 µm (1,4,5), 10 µm (2,3).

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 69–82. 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. 69–70 Mystaria oreadae sp. n. female epigyne; 71–74 Mystaria rufolimbata Simon, 1895 (71, 72 male left palp, 73, 74 female epigyne); 75–78 Mystaria savannensis sp. n. (75, 76 male left palp, 77, 78 female epigyne); 79–82 Mystaria soleil sp. n. (79, 80 male left palp, 81, 82 female epigyne). Scales = 10mm.

FIGURES 103–114. SEM photographs of tarsal claws and tufts on leg IIV of male Mystaria species. 103–106 M. rufolimbata from South Africa, Ndumo Game Reserve; 107–110 M. soleil sp. n. from Kenya, Kakamega; 111–114 M. budongo sp. n. from Kakamega. Scale lines: 10 µm (103–106, 111–114), 100 µm (107–110).

FIGURES 123–126. Recorded geographical distribution of Mystaria species. 123 Mystaria rufolimbata Simon, 1895; 124 Mystaria savannensis sp. n.; 125 Mystaia soleil sp. n.; 126 Mystaria stakesbyi sp. n. Scale lines = 2400 km (123, 126), 1240 km (124, 125).