Andromma raffrayi Simon, 1899

Figs 1B, 32–35, 40

Andromma raffrayi Simon, 1899: 180, figs A–C (description ♂ ♀).

Andromma raffrayi inhacorense Lessert, 1936: 220, figs 13–14 (description ♂).

Andromma raffrayi inhacorense Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2021: 7 . Syn. nov.

Remark

Type material of Andromma raffrayi inhacorense not seen.

Diagnosis

Males of Andromma raffrayi differ from all other males of Andromma by the palp with a VTA which is anvil-shaped in ventral view and a RTA consisting of two horns. The female is recognized by the epigyne with a sinuous posterior margin and oval copulatory openings separated by their long axis.

Type material

Lectotype (here designated)

SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; Cape Good Hope; around 1897; A. Raffray leg.; MNHN AR1673. Collected deep within ant nests of Plagiolepis (= Anoplolepis) fallax (Mayr, 1865), together with a specimen of Pentaplatarthrus paussoides Westwood, 1833 (Carabidae) .

Paralectotype

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for lectotype; MNHN AR1673 .

Other material

NAMIBIA • 1 ♀; Sitwa near Choy, 10 km S of Kongola, camp of ‘ Water Affairs’; 17°50′ S, 23°25′ E; R. Jocqué leg.; by night in vicinity of ant’s nest; BE_ RMCA _ARA _Ara 168628 .

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Ndumo Game Reserve, Mahemane-Mgagabuhleni Roads; 26°53′ S, 32°12′ E; 20 Jun. 2008; C. Haddad and F. Jordaan leg.; under logs in Albizia Durazz., 1772; savannah; BE_RMCA_ARA _Ara 220165 .

Translation of original description

MF length 3 mm. Cephalothorax dull orange, laterally and posteriorly gradually fainter, smooth, oval and rather convex. In the middle rather densely and towards the margin more sparingly covered with black hairs. Eight eyes: anterior eyes closely spaced, AER slightly procurved, AME dark and round, more than four times the size of the pale ALE. All posterior eyes pale, PER strongly procurved, PME very small, closer to PLE than to each other. Median ocular quadrangle much wider than long and narrower anteriorly. Clypeus slightly slanting, larger than diameter of AME. Abdomen short and oval, convex, a pale brownish yellow, sparsely covered in short hairs. Spinnerets brownish yellow, the anterior ones somewhat tapering, narrowly spaced. Chelicerae brownish orange, rather smooth, strong, long and cylindrical, with a lengthy, strong fang. Cheliceral rims long and oblique, with three equidistant teeth on anterior rim, the one furthest from fang base smaller, and one small tooth close to fang base on posterior rim. Mouthparts brownish yellow. Sternum a pale brownish yellow, smooth and shiny. Legs rather robust, with rather short hairs, brownish orange, base of coxae and femora, as well as patellae, being paler. Tarsi of anterior legs longer than those of posterior legs, slightly shorter than metatarsi. Epigyne large, a bit wider than high, anterior and posterior end truncated, somewhat narrower posteriorly, dark reddish brown and smooth. On both sides an oval depression including a yellow-brown tubercle. Female palp yellow-brown, tibia cylindrical, somewhat longer than patella, tarsus flattened and slightly curved, longer and a bit thicker than tibia. Male palp brownish orange, darker at the end. Femur strong and slightly curved. Patella convex, tibia about as long as patella and a bit thicker. Tibia retrolaterally with two dark, pointed and subequal apophyses and a more or less ventral, ruddy and flattened apical apophysis with an abruptly narrowing tip and a deep, noticeable fold. Tarsus broadly oval, convex. Lives on the promontorium of Cape Good Hope. Original Latin text: Simon (1899: 180, fig. 32).

Additional description data

Male (BE_RMCA_ARA_Ara 220165, Figs 34A–B, 35A–B)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 3.34. Carapace length 2.20, width 1.35, height 0.78.

COLOUR (Figs 33A–B, 34A–B). Carapace orange, gradually paler towards posterior margin, with dark area around AME, reddish fovea and dispersed darker setae pointing forward; chelicerae orange; endites and labium yellowish orange, pale along anterior margin; sternum yellow with thin dark brown margin; legs with pale yellow femora, remainder yellowish orange; abdomen cream with dispersed darker setae and thin orange transverse stripe at sperm pore.

PROSOMA. Fovea pronounced, length 0.28, anterior end 0.78 from PME. MOQ length 0.18, anterior width 0.25, posterior width 0.25, AER straight from above, width 0.38, PER procurved from above, width 0.44. AME circular, remainder oval; AME 0.12, ALE and PLE 0.04, PME 0.03. AME–AME: 0.03, AME–ALE: 0.02, ALE–PLE: touching, PME–PME: 0.15. Clypeus vertical, 0.10, with eight long setae. Chilum absent. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth. Sternum 1.14 long, as wide.

LEG SPINATION. All femora with one dorsal spine.

LEG MEASUREMENTS.

MALE PALP (Figs 33E–H, 35A–B). VTA anvil-shaped, bifid, RTA a two-horned prong; embolus long, originating on posteromedial part of tegulum, curved along anterior cymbial margin, distal part strongly curved out and backward along membranous conductor positioned distomedially.

Female (BE_RMCA_ARA_Ara 220165, Figs 34–35)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 3.34. Carapace length 2.20, width 1.35, height 0.62.

COLOUR (Fig.34C–D). As in male. The female paralectotype (MNHN AR 1673) is strongly bleached (Fig. 33C–D).

PROSOMA. Fovea pronounced, length 0.36, anterior end 1.21 from PME. MOQ length 0.34, anterior width 0.33, posterior width 0.41, AER straight from above, width 0.59, PER procurved from above, width 0.71. AME circular, remainder oval; AME 0.12, ALE and PLE 0.07, PME 0.05; AME–AME: 0.10, AME–ALE: 0.07, ALE–PLE: touching, PME–PME: 0.30. Clypeus vertical, 0.12, with eight long setae. Chilum two trianguar sclerites, each 0.03 high, 0.04 wide. Chelicerae with three teeth on promargin and one small teeh near fang base. Sternum 1.28 long, 1.42 wide.

LEG SPINATION. All femora with one dorsal spine. Preening brush on metatarsus III. Tarsi slightly widened towards tip.

LEG MEASUREMENTS.

LEG FORMULA. 4123.

EPIGYNE (Figs 33I–J, 35C–G). Roughly heart-shaped, with an oval copulatory opening on either side of the center, leading to the first stretch of the copulation duct which is kidney-shaped in transverse section (Fig. 35C); copulatory ducts voluminous, intricately wound, with poorly delimited small spermathecae. Fertilisation duct indistinct.

Distribution

South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique (Fig. 40). The species is myrmecophilous.

Note on synonymy

Comparing the illustrations of Andromma raffrayi in Simon (1989) with those of Lessert (1936) and Dippenaar et al. (2021: 7) leads to the conclusion that there is no objective reason to consider A. raffrayi inhacorennsis as a valid subspecies.