Garcorops jadis, Bosselaers, Jan, 2004

Bosselaers, Jan, 2004, A new Garcorops species from Madagascar copal (Araneae: Selenopidae), Zootaxa 445, pp. 1-7 : 2-6

Garcorops jadis sp. nov. (Figs. 1-7)

Type material. Holotype male, MADAGASCAR: Sambava area, enclosed together with several small dipterous insects, a cockroach, a mite and a juvenile araneid spider in a copal piece measuring 70 x 20 x 12 mm (Fig. 1), purchased from dealer ( MRAC) .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Garcorops madagascar Corronca 2003 through the possession of a well developed cymbial dorsal scopula, a long embolus circling the bulbus, a T-shaped conductor with a blunt lateral projection, a small, unbranched, subtriangular, retrolaterally pointing MA with an almost straight tip, and a trifid RTA with a long, pointed dorsal branch (Figs. 3-5, 7). However, it differs from Garcorops madagascar in the dorsal RTA branch being directed ventrally instead of apically and in the longer, more apically implanted lateral projection of the conductor.

Etymology. The species is named after Jadis, the Ice Queen from C.D. Lewis’ youth novel "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" because the beautiful holotype specimen seems like enclosed in ice, frozen in time forever.

Description.

Male. Total length 6.5. Carapace l: 3.0; w: 2.8. Carapace yellow-brown, with remnants of darker markings, covered by white hairs (Fig. 2). Clypeus straight, comparable in height to diameter of AME. First eye row composed of six eyes (Fig. 6): AME in the middle (diameter 0.22) flanked by large PME (diameter 0.27), and laterally from these small ALE, with diameter 0.11. PLE in a second row, with diameter 0.30. Chelicerae yellow-brown, small and pointed, bulging forward, with a pronounced cheliceral boss. Endites yellow-brown, subrectangular with blunt narrowed tip and tuft of terminal setae. Labium brown, short, with semicircular frontal rim. Sternum yellow-brown, shield-shaped, l: 2.0; w: 1.6.

Abdomen yellow-brown with darker brown markings (Fig. 2), covered with thin, pointed pale hairs.

Legs yellow-brown with clear remnants of darker annulations (Fig. 2), mt and ta III and IV missing. Leg spination: fe: I do 3-3-3; II do 1-1-2; III do 1-2-3; IV do 3-3-3; ti: I pl 1-0-1 rl 1-0-1 ve 2-2-2-2; II ve 2-2-2-2; III ve 2-(1)-2-1; IV pl 1-0-0 rl 1-0-1 ve 2-2-1; mt: I ve 2-2-2; II ve 2-2-2; III ve 2-?-?; IV ve 0-?-?.

Leg measurements:

Male palp as illustrated (Figs. 3-5, 7), ti with trifid RTA with short, pointed posterior branch, long, flattened and pointed anterior branch and blunt third branch (Figs. 3, 7). Embolus long, completely encircling bulbus. Conductor T-shaped, bearing a blunt lateral projection, rl tip long and pointed, directed backwards (Figs. 3-5). MA basally implanted on bulbus, subtriangular, pointing retrolaterally outwards (Figs. 3-5). Left palp could be observed laterally (Figs. 3, 7), right palp could only be seen from the frontal-ventral side (Fig. 4). Ventral view of left palp (Fig. 5) has been reconstructed from both observations.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from a beached piece of copal of uncertain origins and age, found in the vicinity of Sambava, Madagascar.

Discussion

Garcorops jadis clearly belongs in the genus Garcorops through the almost straight anterior row of six eyes with AME-ALE in a slightly recurved row, PME> AME with AME closer to clypeal edge, PME-ALE aligned and PME-PLE in a strongly recurved row (Fig. 6). Other characters which attribute the new species to Garcorops are the structure of the male palp (see diagnosis), the large cheliceral boss and the presence of four ventral spine pairs on ti I and II as well as three ventral spine pairs on mt I and II. Since the holotype specimen is enclosed in copal, Garcorop jadis may be an extant species not yet discovered in its natural habitat (Hills 1957). Tree resin can indeed function in a way similar to a trunk eclector trap (Dubois & LaPolla 1999), a capture method which is reputed for producing specimens of species seldom captured otherwise (Simon 1995). However, Garcorops jadis may also be already extinct.