Fuchibotulus, Haddad & Lyle, 2008

Haddad, Charles R. & Lyle, Robin, 2008, Three new genera of tracheline sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae), African Invertebrates 49 (2), pp. 37-37 : 57-59

Genus Fuchibotulus gen. n.

Etymology: The name is a combination of Fuchiba , a genus to which these spiders are related, and the Latin botulus (sausage), that refers to the sausage-shaped ST II of the female. Gender masculine.

Type species: Fuchibotulus bicornis sp. n.

Diagnosis: The carapace shape is evenly high and flat dorsally, with a sharp decline in the last fifth, and has a strongly tuberculate surface texture ( Figs 50, 51, 53, 54 ). The abdomen is notched anteriorly and has distinct dorsal sigillae with several pairs of tiny intermediate sclerites among them ( Figs 52, 55 ). The legs lack spines and ventral cusps, and are weakly scopulate. Males have a needle-like embolus originating prolaterally and curving retrolaterally around the tegulum, accompanied by a narrow membranous conductor ( Fig. 56 ); the palpal tibia has a larger single or bifid distal retrolateral apophysis and a small tooth-like proximal retrolateral dorsal apophysis ( Figs 57, 58 ); females have a narrow median epigynal hood and strongly twisted entrance ducts leading to long, sausage-shaped ST II, with corresponding twisted ducts leading from ST II to the small posterior ST I.

Description: Small spiders, 2.80–3.55 mm long; carapace red, surface strongly granulate; abdomen pale grey with darker dorsal chevron marking; AER procurved, clypeus height equal to or slightly larger than AME diameter; AME slightly smaller than ALE, or eyes subequal; AME closer to ALE than to each other; PER strongly recurved; PME slightly larger than PLE, or eyes subequal; PME closer to each other than to PLE; chilum single, triangular, tapring distally; cheliceral promargin and retromargin with three teeth each, retromarginal teeth often on single base; labium trapezoidal, posterior width equal to length; endites straight laterally with distinct serrula; carapace broadly oval, widest at midpoint, eye region smoothly connected to thoracic region; carapace with slight depression anterior to fovea, posterior margin slightly concave; pleural bars isolated; sternum shield-shaped; precoxal triangles present; intercoxal sclerites present between coxae I and II, II and III, and III and IV; legs I slightly more strongly built than others in males; legs without spines or ventral cusps, metatarsi and tarsi weakly scopulate, metatarsi III and IV with terminal preening brush; leg formula 1423 ♂, 4123 ♀; abdomen oval, distinctly notched anteriorly, tapering posteriorly; dorsal scutum absent in both sexes; dorsal sigilla present, with several intermediate sclerites between them; venter with paired tiny sclerites running from epigastric fold to spinnerets; small inframamillary sclerite present; male palp with subtriangular RTA, sometimes split distally, and small tooth-like dorsal apophysis; tegulum oval, embolus needle-like, originating prolaterally, directed retrolaterally along distal margin of tegulum, accompanied by narrow membranous conductor; female epigyne with narrow median epigynal hood, copulatory openings medially, entrance ducts strongly twisted, ST II long and sausage-like, directed posteriorly; duct leading from ST II to ST I twisted around entrance ducts; ST I small and oval, posterolaterally situated.

Species included: F. bicornis and F. kigelia (both new).

Key to species of the genus Fuchibotulus gen. n.

1 Males .................................................................................................................... 2

– Females ................................................................................................................. 3

2 Embolus tip at 2/3 of cymbium width ( Fig. 61 ); distal retrolateral tibial apophysis distinctly bifid ( Fig. 62 ) .............................................................. F. bicornis sp. n.

– Embolus tip at retrolateral margin of cymbium ( Fig. 67 ); distal retrolateral tibial apophysis triangular ( Fig. 68 ) ........................................................ F. kigelia sp. n.

3 ST II very elongate, extending posteriorly beyond anterior margin of copulatory openings ( Fig. 69 ) .......................................................................... F. kigelia sp. n.

– ST II oval-elongate, not extending to anterior margin of copulatory openings...... ( Fig. 65 ) ...................................................................................... F. bicornis sp. n.

Figures

Figs 50–55. General habitus of Fuchibotulus gen. n. species: (50–52) F. bicornis sp. n., Fisherhaven: (50) male, (51) female, (52) male abdomen, indicating anterior notch (AN), intermediate sclerites (IS) and sigilla (SI); (53–55) F. kigelia sp. n.: (53) male, Magaliesberg, (54) female, Ndumo Game Reserve, (55) female abdomen. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Figs 56–58. Scanning electron micrographs of Fuchibotulus gen. n. males: (56, 57) F. bicornis sp. n., palpal tegulum and retrolateral tibial apophysis in ventral view; (58) F. kigelia sp. n., retrolateral tibial apophysis, dorsal view.

Figs 59–66. Fuchibotulus bicornis sp. n., male (59–62) and female (63–66): (59, 63) carapace, lateral view; (60, 64) eye region, anterior view; (61, 62) palp, ventral and retrolateral views; (65, 66) female epigyne, ventral and dorsal views. Scale bars: 1.0 mm in Figs 59, 63; 0.1 mm in Figs 60–62, 64–66.

Figs 67–70. Fuchibotulus kigelia sp. n.: (67, 68) male palp, ventral and retrolateral views; (69, 70) female epigyne, ventral and dorsal views. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.