Palindroma aleykyela, Rudy Jocqué & Arnaud Henrard, 2015

Rudy Jocqué & Arnaud Henrard, 2015, The new spider genus Palindroma, featuring a novel synapomorphy for the Zodariidae (Araneae), European Journal of Taxonomy 152, pp. 1-33 : 11-14

Palindroma aleykyela gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D41FD227-07BF-4D3C-AA5D-C2571D88E741

Figs 6 A–D, 7 A–B, 16

Diagnosis

The males of P. aleykyela gen. et sp. nov. are easily recognized by large palpal patella and the conspicuous basal extension of the tegulum.

Etymology

The species name is an arbitrary combination of letters forming a noun in apposition and containing ‘Kyela’, the name of the type locality.

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA: ♂, 8 km NE of Kyela , 9°35’ S, 33°48’ E, 19 Nov.–1 Dec. 1991, pitfalls in miombo relict, R. Jocqué ( MRAC 173610 ) .

Other material

MALAWI: 1 ♂, Chintheche , 11°50’ S, 33°13’E, Feb. 1977, R. Jocqué R. ( MRAC 152373 ) ; 2 ♂♂, Nkhata Bay, Nkwazi evergreen forest , 11°36’ S, 34°18’ E, 2–20 Jan. 1978, R. Jocqué ( MRAC 153031 ) ; 2 ♂♂, Nkhata Bay, Nkwazi evergreen forest , 11°36’ S, 34°18’ E, 23 Nov.–13 Dec. 1977, R. Jocqué ( MRAC 153248 ) ; 1 ♂, Nyika Plateau, near entrance gate on the Chelinda-Rumphi road , 10°40’ S, 33°50’ E, 3–22 Dec. 1981, secondary Brachystegia woodland with Uapaca , pitfalls, R. Jocqué ( MRAC 156005 ) ; 1 ♂, as previous ( MRAC 156064 ) .

Description

Male (holotype)

Total length 9.87; carapace 4.97 long, 2.98 wide, narrowed to 1.42 in eye region.

Colour: carapace uniform dark brown with dispersed silvery hairs ( Fig. 6 A–B); chelicerae sternum and legs brownish orange; abdomen: dorsum grey with two pairs of reddish apodemes, white dispersed short setae, denser in posterior half, white spot in front of yellow spinnerets; sides grey with well delimited frontal reddish apodeme; venter pale grey, sclerotized and orange in front of epigastric fold.

Carapace coarsely granulate. Clypeus without erect setae.

Eyes: AME: 0.16; ALE: 0.20; ALE-ALE: 0.21; AME-ALE: 0.07; PME: 0.12; PLE: 0.18; PME-PME: 0.15; PME-PLE: 0.41. Clypeus 0.62 or 3.1 times width of ALE.

Chilum double, each sclerite 0.08 high, 0.16 wide; no setae. Sternum shield-shaped with sinuous sides, 2.00 long, 1.70 wide.

Chelicerae with mesodistal membranous extension. Endites swollen at base.

Legs: anterior tarsi fusiform, longer than metatarsi.

Spination

Leg measurements

Epiandrum well developed, with two small, white, membranous spots.

Male palp ( Figs 6 C–D, 7 A–B): patella large, with conspicuous mesolateral bulge; tibia with prolateral dorsal protrusion; RTA broad, short, with strongly sclerotized, rounded extremity; base strongly tapered to sharp extremity turned upward and outward; cymbium with seven prolateral spines in distal half; subtegulum strongly sclerotized; tegulum with large, pointed, basal extension, distally with short, dark, hooked process (HP); embolus short, curved, with rounded process at base.

Female

Unknown.

Distribution

Known from miombo woodland in northern Malawi and northern Tanzania ( Fig. 16 ).

Figures

Fig. 6. Palindroma aleykyela gen. et sp. nov., holotype, ♂. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Idem, ventral view. C. Palp, retrolateral view. D. Idem, ventral view. Scale bars: A – B = 1 mm, C – D = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 16. Distribution map of P. avonova gen. et sp. nov. (●), P. aleykyela gen. et sp. nov. (●), P. morogorom gen. et sp. nov. (●), P. obmoimiombo gen. et sp. nov. (■) and P. sinis gen. et sp. nov. (▲).