Fuchiba montana, 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 : 49-52

Fuchiba montana sp. n.

Figs 9, 10 , 36–40

Etymology: This species is named after the montane habitats where all specimens were collected.

Diagnosis: Males can be recognised by the embolus, which nearly forms a complete coil, with the tip directed at the cymbial tip. Females are recognised by the anterolaterally placed copulatory openings and the large oval ST II.

Description:

Male.

Measurements: CL 2.13, CW 1.85, AL 2.13, AW 1.93, TL 4.28, FL 0.07, SL 0.97, SW 0.93, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.06, ALE–ALE 0.42, PME–PME 0.17, PME– PLE 0.29, PLE–PLE 0.88. Length of leg segments: I 1.33+0.70+1.10+0.72+0.55=4.40; II 1.23+0.65+0.93+0.68+0.49=3.98; III 0.87+0.53+0.62+0.70+0.35=3.07; IV 1.17+0.60+0.93+1.03+0.43=4.16.

Carapace, including eye region, red-brown, dark grey laterally ( Fig. 9 ); carapace gradually rounded with highest point at 2/3 its length, last quarter with steep decline; surface finely granular, covered in dense, short fine setae; fovea short, distinct, slightly thickened, at 2/3 carapace length. Eyes surrounded by black rings; AER procurved, eyes subequal; clypeus height approx. equal to 1.5× AME diameter; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance slightly larger than 0.5×AME diameter; PER strongly recurved, median eyes larger than laterals; PME separated by 1.25× their diameter; PME separated from PLE by 2× PME diameter. Chelicerae red-brown, dark grey along inner and outer margins; anterior surface with scattered short, fine setae; promargin with three widely spaced teeth, median tooth largest, proximal tooth smallest; retromargin with three closely spaced teeth, proximal and median teeth subequal, distal tooth smallest; endites with anterolateral spur. Sternum orange with grey markings radiating from centre, orange-brown along border; surface smooth, with scattered erect short fine setae. Abdomen: pale grey dorsally with distinct dark grey dorsal chevron markings, branches extending laterally ( Fig. 9 ); venter pale grey with cream mottling; abdomen shield-shaped, tapering posteriorly, broadest at half its length, slightly longer than wide; dorsal scutum covering entire dorsum, yellowbrown; surface covered in short fine setae; four pairs of dorsal sigilla present, first pair elongate, at 1/3 abdomen length, remaining pairs smaller, near midpoint; venter with small oval sclerites running in single paired lines from epigastric fold to spinnerets. Legs I to IV uniform orange-brown; moderately dense scopulae on metatarsi and tarsi, remaining leg segments covered in fine, less dense setae; leg spines and cusps absent. Palp with small, triangular RTA with sharply pointed tip; embolus distal on tegulum, forming single complete coil with tip directed towards cymbial tip ( Figs 36, 37 ).

Female.

Measurements: CL 1.57–1.75, CW 1.42–1.58, AL 1.63–2.07, AW 1.60–1.70, TL 3.13– 3.70, FL 0.06–0.07, SL 0.85–1.00, SW 0.77–0.90, AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.37, PME–PME 0.16, PME–PLE 0.17, PLE–PLE 0.67. Length of leg segments: I 1.27+0.65+0.97+0.73+0.53=4.15; II 1.13+0.60+0.87+0.70+0.45=3.75; III 0.87+0.53+0.63+0.65+0.33=3.01; IV 1.30+0.62+1.13+1.12+0.43=4.60.

Carapace, including eye region, orange-brown, grey laterally ( Fig. 10 ); carapace gradually rounded with highest point at 2/3 its length, last quarter with steep decline; surface granular, covered in dense, short fine setae; fovea short, distinct, slightly thickened, at 2/3 carapace length. Eyes surrounded by black rings; AER procurved, lateral eyes slightly larger than medians; clypeus height equal to 1.25× AME diameter; AME separated by distance slightly less than their diameter; AME separated from ALE by approx. 0.5× AME diameter; PER strongly recurved, median eyes slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by 1.25× their diameter; PME separated from PLE by approx. 2× PME diameter. Chelicerae red-brown, grey along inner and outer margins; anterior surface with scattered short, fine setae; promargin with three widely spaced teeth, median and distal teeth subequal, proximal tooth smaller; retromargin with three subequal teeth sharing single base. Sternum orange, orange-brown along border; surface smooth, covered in erect short fine setae. Abdomen: pale grey with indistinct grey chevron markings ( Fig. 10 ); abdomen pale grey laterally, venter pale grey with cream mottling; abdomen oval, tapering posteriorly, broadest at half its length, slightly longer than wide; dorsal scutum absent; surface covered in short fine setae; two pairs of sigilla present; venter with small oval sclerites, running in two paired lines from epigastric fold to spinnerets. Legs I to IV uniform orange-brown; moderately dense scopulae on metatarsi and tarsi, remaining leg segments covered in fine, less dense setae; leg spines and cusps absent. Epigyne with copulatory openings situated anterolaterally in circular ridges ( Fig. 38 ); entrance ducts directed anteriorly before entering ST I and ST II; ST II initially with small oval anterior receptacle, then looping posteriorly then anteriorly before entering large oval anteromedian receptacles; ST I posteriorly located, small, comma-shaped, linked to fertilisation ducts by short duct ( Fig. 39 ).

Holotype: ♂ “ Lesotho, Mohale Lodge / 29°28'S, 28°03'E / 4 March 2003, C. Haddad / On wall in house //” ( NMBA, 9593).

Allotype: ♀“ Lesotho, Mohale Dam / Island, 29°25'S, 28°03'E / 6 March 2003, C. Haddad / between fern roots (2108 m) //” ( NMBA, 9594).

Paratype: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 1♀Cederberg Mts , between Clanwilliam and Packhuis, R. Lightfoot, xi.1899 ( SAMC, 5873) .

Distribution: Known from the central Maluti Mountains in Lesotho. The outlying record from the Cederberg Mountains in Western Cape suggests that this species may occur along mountain ranges between these two sites, but has not been collected there yet.

Biology: This species was collected from high altitude montane grassland in the Maluti Mts (2100–2300 m). The holotype was collected at night inside a bathroom, and the allotype and an immature were collected from the tangled roots at the base of ferns along a rocky outcrop.

Figures

Figs 5–14. General habitus of Fuchiba gen. n. species: (5, 6) F. aquilonia sp. n., male, Ndumo Game Reserve, and female, Marracuene; (7, 8) F. capensis sp. n., De Hoop Nat. Res., male and female; (9, 10) F. montana sp. n., male, Mohale Lodge, and female, Mohale Dam; (11) F. similis sp. n., female, Ngome State Forest; (12) F. tortilis sp. n., female, Fisherhaven; (13, 14) F. venteri sp. n., Jakobsbaai, male and female. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Figs 36–39. Fuchiba montana sp. n.: (36, 37) male palp, ventral and retrolateral views; (38, 39) female epigyne, ventral and dorsal views. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 40. Distribution of Fuchiba aquilonia sp. n., F. capensis sp. n. and F. montana sp. n.