Dusmadiores orientalis, Jocqué & Harten, 2015

Jocqué, Rudy & Harten, Antonius van, 2015, Three new species of Zodariidae (Araneae) from mainland Yemen and the Island Socotra, African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 393-393 : 403-407

Dusmadiores orientalis sp. n.

Figs 30–41

Etymology: The species name refers to its far eastern distribution.

Diagnosis: The male of this species is recognised by the shape of the RTA, with a broad base and long upturned prong, and broad strongly curved embolus with toothed base. The female is recognised by the epigyne with simple quadrangular central marking and lateral spermathecae seen in transparency.

Description:

Male (holotype).

Total length 1.82. Carapace ( Fig. 30 ): 0.90 long, 0.64 wide, 0.42 high. Colour ( Figs 30, 31 ): Carapace and chelicerae brownish orange with faintly darkened radiating striae, cervical grooves and margin along midline of clypeus; darker around eyes; chelicerae, mouthparts and sternum brownish orange; legs uniform yellow, anterior femora orange. Abdomen: dorsum entirely covered by sepia scutum with pale mottling; sides, venter and spinnerets white; venter yellowish in front of epigastric fold. Carapace with a few long setae on clypeus. Clypeus 0.18 high. Eyes:AME large, round, dark; other eyes oval, pale; both eye rows procurved; AME: 0.10; ALE: 0.07; PME: 0.07; PLE: 0.05; AME–AME: 0.03; AME–ALE: touching; PME–PME: 0.08; PME–PLE: 0.18. MOQ: width 0.21 in front, 0.19 at the back, 0.18 long. Sternum: 0.51 long, 0.53 wide.

Legs: spination: F with three long ventral setae in large sockets.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t tot

I 0.69 0.24 0.57 0.57 0.42 2.49 II 0.63 0.27 0.45 0.51 0.39 2.25 III 0.60 0.21 0.45 0.45 0.42 2.13 IV 0.63 0.24 0.54 0.75 0.45 2.61

Palp ( Figs 34, 35 , 38, 39 ): RTA with broad base and long parallel-sided prong, curved upward. Cymbium with distal spine and four retrolateral serrated setae. Embolus broad, strongly curved, with small prolateral tooth at base; tip strongly sclerotised, blunt. MA compact, with caudal appendage, curved backward with sharp tip. Conductor broad, sclerotised, rounded.

Female (paratype).

Total length 2.43. Carapace ( Fig. 32 ): 1.06 long, 0.77 wide, 0.32 high. Colour ( Figs 32, 33 ): similar to male except for dorsum of abdomen: dark sepia with pale pattern of two round spots, followed by three transverse bars and white patch above spinnerets. Carapace with several long setae on clypeus and one between fovea and eyes. Clypeus 0.15 high. Eyes: AME: 0.08; ALE: 0.07; PME: 0.08; PLE: 0.07; AME–AME: 0.05; AME–ALE: 0.02; PME–PME: 0.08; PME–PLE: 0.03. MOQ: width 0.21 in front, 0.23 at the back, 0.18 long. Sternum: 0.64 long, 0.56 wide.

Legs: spination as in male.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t tot

I 0.81 0.30 0.60 0.63 0.48 2.82 II 0.75 0.30 0.45 0.57 0.48 2.55 III 0.66 0.301 0.45 0.69 0.36 2.46 IV 0.81 0.33 0.66 0.96 0.54 2.30

Epigyne ( Figs 36, 37 , 40 ): Wider than long, with roughly rectangular pale brown pattern in the centre, on either side with larger, brown kidney-shaped mark showing spermathecae in transparency. Spermathecae far apart, curved, with two constrictions visible as incisions on mesal side.

Variation: Males vary in total length between 1.6 and 1.8 mm. The dorsal scutum may be uniform dark sepia.

Holotype ♂: YEMEN: near Sana’a, 15°44'N 44°18'E, leg. A. van Harten , iv.1998 (pitfall trap) ( MRAC 243301 ).

Paratypes: YEMEN: 3♀ Near Sana’a, leg. A. van Harten , ii.1998 (pitfall trap) ( MRAC 243300 ) ; 1♀ Between Ta’izz, 14°47'N 44°02'E and Mafraq , 13°22'N 43°37'E, leg. A. van Harten , 13.vii.1999 ( MRAC 243310 ) ; 1♂ Ta’izz, 13°59'N 44°02'E, leg. A. van Harten , i.1998, light trap ( MRAC 243299 ) .

Remark: With the species described in this volume, Dusmadiores now contains six species. The genus is widespread in the Afrotropical Region from west Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, where it reaches its easternmost distribution. Many species remain to be described.

Distribution: Known only from three localities in Yemen ( Fig. 41 ).

Figures

Figs 30–33. Dusmadiores orientalis sp. n. male paratype, Yemen (MRAC 243300): (30) habitus, dorsal view; (31) habitus, ventral view; female paratype, Yemen (MRAC 243310): (32) habitus, ventral view; (33) habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 34–37. Dusmadiores orientalis sp. n. male paratype, Yemen (MRAC 243300): (34) male palp, ventral view; (35) idem, retrolateral view; female paratype, Yemen (MRAC 243310): (36) epigyne, ventral view; (37) epigyne, cleared, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1mm.

Figs 38–40. Dusmadiores orientalis sp. n. male holotype, Yemen: (38) male palp, retrolateral view; (39) idem, ventral view; female paratype, Yemen (MRAC 243310): (40) epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1mm.

Fig. 41. Distribution map of Dusmadiores orientalis sp. n. Arrow indicates Socotra.