Palindroma avonova gen. et sp. nov .

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E54283 D6-495A-4859-B5D0-84887059EBA2

Figs 8 A–D, 9 A–C, 10 A–D, 16

Diagnosis

The male of P. avonova gen. et sp. nov. is easily recognized by the characters of the palp: the swollen patella, the thick RTA, the ridged tegulum and the sickle shaped embolus. The female has a characteristic epigyne with longitudinal central depression separated from the posterior margin by a rectangular plate.

Etymology

The species name is an arbitrary combination of letters forming a noun in apposition and containing ‘nova’ (new) as the genus as well as the species are new.

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, Muheza district, Manga Forest Reserve, 5°02’ S, 38°47’ E, Oct.–Dec.1994, Frontier Tanzania (ZMUC) .

Paratypes

TANZANIA: 1 ♂, together with holotype (MRAC 244092); 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, together with holotype (ZMUC); 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Muheza district, Marimba Forest Reserve, 5°01’ S, 38°41’ E, no date, Frontier Tanzania (ZMUC) .

Other material

TANZANIA: 1 ♀, Coastal Region, Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve, 6°57’ S, 39°3’ E, Jan.–Feb. 1991, Frontier Tanzania (ZMUC) ; 2 ♀♀, as previous; 1 ♂, as previous; 1 ♀, Pugu Forest Reserve, 9°59’ S, 39°7’ E, 25 Apr. 1981, leaf litter, K.M. Howell (MRAC 159097) .

Description

Male (holotype)

Total length 7.60; carapace 3.83 long, 2.63 wide, narrowed to 1.28 in eye region.

Colour: Carapace dark brown with few silvery setae (Fig. 8 A–B); chelicerae, sternum and legs medium brown; Mt I, II with white hairs. Abdomen: dorsum with white setae, denser in front and on posterior white bar; three pairs of white spots, one pair of adjacent white bars and a white bar in front of spinnerets; four apodemes well developed; sides dark grey; venter pale grey, well separated from sides by oblique white band on either side; sclerotized in front of epigastric fold; four rows of apodemes; spinnerets yellowish brown.

Carapace granulated.

Eyes: AME: 0.10; ALE: 0.14; ALE-ALE: 0.15; AME-ALE: 0.13; PME: 0.08; PLE: 0.13; PME-PME: 0.12; PME-PLE: 0.30. Clypeus 0.39 or 2.8 times width of ALE.

Chilum double, each sclerite 0.13 high, 0.20 wide; no setae. Chelicerae with distomesal membranous swelling. Sternum shield-shaped, 1.42 long, 1.28 wide.

Legs: anterior tarsi slightly longer than metatarsi.

Spination

* 3 long, slender setae + 2 or 3 short, thick, distal setae Leg measurements

Male palp (Figs 9 A–B, 10 A–C): patella large, swollen; tibia with short, rounded dorsal process; RTA strongly sclerotized, short, thick, with truncated tip; cymbium with several spines in distal half; with basal swellings near dorsal tibial process and RTA; tegulum with longitudinal ventral ridge ending medially in poorly developed knob; embolus short, sickle shaped; MA strongly sclerotized, conical, pointing backward; subtegulum large, strongly sclerotized.

Female (paratype from Marimba Forest)

Total length 8.02; carapace 3.76 long, 2.63 wide, narrowed to 1.63 in eye region.

Colour: carapace dark brown without silvery setae (Fig. 8 C–D); chelicerae, sternum and legs medium brown without white setae; abdomen: pattern as in male but without white setae and not sclerotized in front of epigastric fold but for epigyne. Further as in male.

Carapace: finely reticulated. Clypeus with dispersed setae.

Eyes: AME: 0.18; ALE: 0.20; ALE-ALE: 0.18; AME-ALE: 0.20; PME: 0.13; PLE: 0.16; PME-PME: 0.10; PME-PLE: 0.31. Clypeus 0.43 or 2.2 times width of ALE.

Chilum double, each sclerite 0.10 high, 0.26 wide; no setae. Sternum shield-shaped, 1.42 times as long as wide.

Legs:

Spination

* 2 long, slender setae + 1 or 3 short, thick, distal setae

Leg measurements

Palp: claw with three teeth, turned inward over 45°. Tarsus provided with strong retrolateral spines.

Epigyne (Figs 9 C, 10 D): dark, fairly large central depression longitudinal, separated from posterior margin by transverse rectangular plate.

Distribution

Known from forest in Muheza District in Tanzania (Fig. 16).