Heriaeus peterwebbi, Niekerk & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2013

Niekerk, P. van & Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. S., 2013, A revision of the crab spider genus Heriaeus Simon, 1875 (Araneae: Thomisidae) in the Afrotropical Region, African Invertebrates 54 (2), pp. 447-447 : 466-468

Heriaeus peterwebbi sp. n.

Figs 10 , 39–42 , 58

Heriaeus transvaalicus Simon, 1895 : Loerbroks 1983: 130, figs 24, 85–87 (♂ misidentified).

Etymology: Named for Peter Webb for his contributions photographing South African spiders for the SANSA Virtual Museum.

Diagnosis: Species recognized by a combination of long spiniform, acute abdominal setae ( Fig. 10 ), the epigynal shape consisting of a narrow small hood ( Fig. 41 ), and the broad tipped embolus ( Fig. 39 ). The palp resembles that of H. transvaalicus , but differs in the RTA having a darkly sclerotized elongated hooked tip ( Fig. 40 ).

Description:

Female (allotype).

Size: TL 4.60, CL 1.95, CW 1.79. Colour: Carapace with two longitudinal brown stripes extending to PEs and white irregular V-shaped lines; setae transparent; eye region white, except between MEs; eye tubercles white; clypeus yellow­brown. Abdomen yellow-brown, mottled white, with a central white mark anteriorly and three white crossbars; laterally with curving white lines and numerous dark brown spots; abdominal setae transparent, 0–6 brown setae may be present posteriorly. Legs with brown spots. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.22, ALE–AME 0.14, PME–PME 0.17, PLE–PME 0.32, AME–PME 0.24, MOQL AME–PME 0.29, MOQAW AME–AME 0.29, MOQPW PME–PME 0.26. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.94, Pat 0.81, Tib 1.43, Mt 1.51, Ta 0.90, total 6.59; leg II Fe 1.30, Pat 0.80, Tib 1.38, Mt 1.27, Ta 0.81, total 5.56; leg III Fe 0.88, Pat 0.62, Tib 1.25, Mt 0.68, Ta 0.48, total 3.91; leg IV Fe 0.84, Pat 0.57, Tib 0.84, Mt 0.69, Ta 0.57, total 3.51. Abdomen: Oval, setae long, spiniform, with acute tips. Epigyne: Hood small, narrow elongated, with a round opening ( Fig. 41 ); copulatory ducts bulbous with folds ( Fig. 42 ).

Male (holotype).

Size: TL 3.78, CL 1.73, CW 1.66. Colour: Carapace with two longitudinal brown bands extending to PEs and two irregular white V-shaped lines; white line also present laterally on carapace edge; setae transparent; chelicerae with white marks at distal and proximal ends; clypeus white; eye region and tubercles white. Legs with brown spots and white marks distally on coxae, femora and patella I–IV. Abdomen yellow-brown, with broad indistinct white central marks and six transverse white bands posteriorly; laterally with 3 or 4 longitudinal striae; abdominal macro setae transparent; venter white. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.19, ALE–AME 0.12, PME–PME 0.14, PLE–PME 0.24, AME–PME 0.18, MOQL AME–PME 0.23, MOQAW AME–AME 0.25, MOQPW PME–PME 0.19. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 2.64, Pat 0.96, Tib 2.50, Mt 2.61, Ta 1.09, total 9.80; leg II Fe 2.40, Pat 0.74, Tib 2.08, Mt 2.03, Ta 0.91, total 8.16; leg III Fe 1.14, Pat 0.49, Tib 1.01, Mt 0.93, Ta 0.49, total 4.06; leg IV Fe 1.38, Pat 0.45, Tib 1.20, Mt 1.15, Ta 0.52, total 4.70. Abdomen: Oval, narrower than that of female; setae long, spiniform, with acute tips. Male palp: Embolus short, winding less than once around tegulum; embolus tip broad, curving proximally; VTA digitiform but somewhat irregular; RTA elongated with anterior half sclerotized, ending in a broad hooked tooth, pointing dorsally ( Figs 39, 40 ).

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Blouberg Nat. Res. (22.99°S 29.04°E), 27.xi.2005, I. Simthumule, sweepnetting ( NCA 2009 /1980a).

Allotype: ♀ same data as holotype ( NCA 2009 /1980b).

Paratypes: NAMIBIA: 1♀ Gobabis (22.27°S 18.35°E), Museum Staff (SMFD 8487) ; 1♀ Etosha National Park, Site 7 (18.95°S 15.90°E), iii.1998, A. Russell­Smith ( MRAC 215819 ) . SOUTH AFRICA: Free State: 2♀ Swartrus (27.75°S 25.50°E), 18–19.xi.1985, Museum Staff ( NMBA 1067 ) . Gauteng: 1♀ Irene (25.85°S 28.16°E), 3.iv.1984, O. Neser, sweepnetting grass layer ( NCA 84 /904) ; 1♀ Roodeplaat Dam Nat. Res. (25.64°S 28.36°E), 25.x.1982, I. van Rooyen & A. van den Berg, sweepnetting grass layer ( NCA 84 /68) ; 1♀ Roodeplaat Research Station (25.64°S 28.36°E), i.1970, T.J. Coates, strawberry plants ( AMGS 29 ) . Limpopo: 1♂ ‘ Makapan’ [= Mokopane, 24.18°S 29.01°E] ( MNHN) ; 1♂ same locality as holotype, 27.xi.2005, F. Maanda, active search ( NCA 2009 /2086) , 1♀ same locality, 27.xi.2005, F. Mbedzi, sweepnetting plants ( NCA 2009 /1979) ; 1♀ 1 imm. ♀ same locality, 24.iii.2006, M. Muelelwa, sweepnetting plants ( NCA 2009 /2087) ; 1♀ Polokwane Nat. Res. (23.9°S 29.47°E), 26.i.2006, T. Khoza & M. Madiba, sweepnetting woodland ( NCA 2008 /1211) ; 2♂ same data but 3.ii.2006, beating riverine sweet thorn ( NCA 2008 /1791) ; 1♀ Lajuma Mountain Retreat (23.03°S 29.45°E), 6.ii.2008, AFRAS members, by hand ( NCA 2008 /3367) ; 1♀ Swartwater, Viswater Farm (22.85°S 28.19°E), 28.v.1981, R. Harris, soil surface ( NCA 81 /753) . Mpumalanga: 1♀ Marble Hall (24.96°S 29.29°E), 16.i.1997, H. Loots, by hand, cotton ( NCA 96 /606) . North West: 1♀ Skeerpoort (25.81°S 27.75°E), 22.iii.1980, A. Leroy, on plants ( NCA 84 /654) .

Distribution: Namibia and South Africa (Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga provinces) ( Fig. 59 ).

Natural history: This species was collected from the ground as well as plants, such as grasses, riverine sweet thorn trees and crops (cotton and strawberries). The females were collected during January to May and again during October and November, while the males were sampled during February and November.

Remarks: Simon (1895) described H. transvaalicus based on female, although there were apparently two specimens available to him. When Loerboks (1983) examined the type material, he described the other specimen as the male of H. transvaalicus . With abundant material available now, it is clear that the male described by Loerbroks is not that of H. transvaalicus but belongs to H. peterwebbi sp. n.

Figures

Figs 10–13. Heriaeus spp., habitus: (10) H. peterwebbi sp. n. female; (11) H. transvaalicus Simon, 1895 female; (12) H. xanderi sp. n. female; (13) H. zanii sp. n. female.

Figs 37–44. (37, 38) Heriaeus muizenberg sp. n.: (37) male palp, ventral view; (38) male palp, lateral view; (39–42) Heriaeus peterwebbi sp. n.: (39) male palp, ventral view; (40) male palp, lateral view; (41) epigyne, ventral view; (42) epigyne, dorsal view; (43, 44) Heriaeus sossusvlei sp. n.: (43) epigyne, ventral view; (44) epigyne, dorsal view.

Figs 57–59. Distribution of Heriaeus spp. in the Afrotropical Region.