Mystaria mnyama, Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014

Honiball Lewis, Allet S. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S., 2014, Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3873 (2), pp. 101-144 : 122-123

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3873.2.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AC318953-2804-4BBB-B885-27A8F1DB1EAB

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4948165

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D1BD0C-FFB6-9458-FF34-EC92E5BCEB0B

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Mystaria mnyama
status

sp. nov.

Mystaria mnyama View in CoL sp. n.

Figs 23–25 View FIGURES 10–24 View FIGURES 25–42 , 61–64 View FIGURES 57–68 , 120 View FIGURES 119–122

Type material: Holotype: ♀, SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province, Tembe Elephant Park , sparse woodland, sweeping grasses [26°52’S, 32°27’E], 7 July 2007, C. Haddad (NCA 2008/2839) GoogleMaps . Paratype: 1 ♂, Tembe Elephant Park [27°03’S, 32°24’E], open woodland, beating short shrubs, 7 July 2007, C. Haddad (NCA 2008/2822).

Etymology. ‘Mnyama’ means black in Zulu, as this species is recognised by the black-tinted areas on the cephalic and eye area. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Females can be recognised by the distinct colour patterns on body ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 10–24 ); epigyne with atrium bullet-shaped and small notch anteriorly ( Fig. 63 View FIGURES 57–68 ). Male is very dark with pale legs ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 25–42 ); bulb with sturdy RTA ( Fig. 62 View FIGURES 57–68 ); RTA with long tip directed antero-laterally, tutaculum present retro-laterally ( Fig. 61 View FIGURES 57–68 ).

Description. Female. Size, measurements (n = 1). TL: 2.64; CL: 1.06; CW: 0.94; CI: 1.13; CH: 0.73; CLL: 0.23; MOQ-L: 0.24. Colour. Carapace copper-red, black tint in eye region and postero-lateral side of carapace ( Fig. 23, 24 View FIGURES 10–24 ); clypeus with orange patch; sternum dark; abdomen dorsally very pale with two dark spots laterally; ventrally blue tint with metallic purplish-blue to pinkish-brown striae; legs uniform yellow with femora I–II a darker orange ( Fig. 24 View FIGURES 10–24 ). Carapace. Slightly granular. Sternum. SL: 0.43; SW: 0.46; SI: 0.95. Eye s. AME large; eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.22; ALE–AME: 0.29; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.75; PME–PME: 0.34; PLE–PME: 0.26; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.27; ALE/AME: 1.33; PLE/PME: 0.79; MOQ-AW/PW: 0.64; MOQ-L/ MOQ-W: 0.37; Clyp/AME–AME: 1.06. Legs. All legs with medium-length setae; spiniform setae present on the following leg segments: on femora I–III three short, thick setae; tibiae I–IV with at least three setae; tibiae III–IV dorsally and ventrally with setae; leg formula: I:II:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.74, Pat 0.29, Tib 0.64, Mt 0.52, Ta 0.40, total 2.58; II—Fe 0.76, Pat 0.29, Tib 0.61, Mt 0.50, Ta 0.37, total 2.53; III—Fe 0.50, Pat 0.20, Tib 0.40, Mt 0.30, Ta 0.24, total 1.64; IV—Fe 0.60, Pat 0.23, Tib 0.49, Mt 0.41, Ta 0.29, total 2.02. Abdomen. AL: 1.58; AW: 1.58; AI: 1.00. Epigyne. Atrium small, bullet-shaped, small notch anteriorly ( Fig. 63 View FIGURES 57–68 ); intromittent orifices small, open antero-laterally; intromittent canals as in ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 57–68 ).

Male. Size, measurements (n = 1). TL: 2.29; CL: 0.97; CW: 0.88; CI: 1.11; CH: 0.66; CLL: 0.22; MOQ-L: 0.22. Differ from female as follows: Colour. Body dark blackish to copper with a white border in anterior half of abdomen; ventrally greyish to brownish-purple striae; legs uniformly pale-yellow in contrast to body ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 25–42 ). Carapace. Round. Sternum. SL: 0.40 SW: 0.44 SI: 0.89. Eyes. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.20; ALE–AME: 0.28; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.74; PME–PME: 0.31; PLE–PME: 0.23; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.37; ALE/ AME: 1.35; PLE/PME: 0.73; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.65; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.33; Clyp/AME–AME: 1.06. Legs. With dense short to medium setae on all segments; femora I–III with three spiniform setae; patella and tibiae I–IV with fairly long, thick and erectile spiniform setae; leg formula: II:I:III (leg IV damaged); leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.77, Pat 0.25, Tib 0.68, Mt 0.55, Ta 0.42, total 2.68; II—Fe 0.84, Pat 0.26, Tib 0.76, Mt 0.55, Ta 0.42, total 2.83; III—Fe 0.52, Pat 0.23, Tib 0.46, Mt 0.31, Ta 0.29, total 1.80; IV—Fe 0.60. Abdomen. Round, anteriorly straight border, posteriorly slightly pointed; scutum with fine setae; AL: 1.32; AW: 1.18; AI: 1.12. Palp. With RTA longer than VTA, with sharp blackened tip ( Fig. 61, 62 View FIGURES 57–68 ).

Natural history. Sampled from sweeping and beating vegetation in open woodlands of Tembe Elephant Park. Known from only two adults sampled in July, during Winter.

Distribution. South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal Province) ( Fig. 120 View FIGURES 119–122 ).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Thomisidae

Genus

Mystaria

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