Festucula lawrencei Lessert, 1933

Azarkina, Galina N. & Foord, Stefan H., 2014, A revision of the Afrotropical species of Festucula Simon, 1901 (Araneae: Salticidae), African Invertebrates 55 (2), pp. 351-351 : 365-366

Festucula lawrencei Lessert, 1933

Figs 15 , 77–87

Festucula lawrencei Lessert, 1933: 152 , fig̹ 72 (Ô, examined)̹

F. lawrencei : WesoΙowska 1992: 50, figs 26—27̹

Diagnosis: F. lawrencei resembles F. leroyae sp. n. Both species have a relatively thin VTA, but the LTA of F. lawrencei is concave (Fig̹ 78, arrowed) compared to the dorsally straight LTA of F. leroyae sp̹ n̹ ( Figs 89, 92 )̹ F. lawrencei is also distinguished from F. leroyae sp. n. and F. robustus sp. n. by the yellow longitudinal median stripe on the dorsum (Fig̹ 84)̹

Description:

Male.

Measurements: Carapace: 1.80 long, 1.10 wide, 0.50 high. Abdomen: 2.80 long, 0̹70 wide̹ Eye field: 0̹70 long, anterior 0̹90 wide, posterior 0̹95 wide̹ Cheliceral length 0.40. Clypeal height 0.05. Diameter of AME 0.30. Length of leg segments (holotype): I 1̹10+0̹80+1̹20+0̹80+0̹40; II 0̹75+0̹35+0̹40+0̹30+0̹25; III 0̹65+0̹35+0̹40+0̹45+0̹35; IV 1̹00+0̹50+0̹65+0̹60+0̹40̹

Leg spination: I: Tb v 0-1-1-1; Mt v 0-2-2ap.

Coloration ( Figs 84—87 ): Carapace low, flat, brown with median yellow bands, laterally with two longitudinal light-brown bands covered with white adpressed hairs. Clypeus brown, very low, covered with white hairs (Fig̹ 87)̹ Chelicerae brown̹ Clypeus and sternum yellow-brown̹Abdomen yellow (Fig̹ 85), dorsum with two longitudinal brown stripes (Fig̹ 84)̹ Booklungs and spinnerets yellow̹ Legs I long and robust, brown̹ Ɵther legs yellow. Palps brown-yellow. All legs and palps covered with long thin bristles. Palpal structure as in Figs 77–81 .

Female unknown.

Material examined: Holotype Ô ANGƟLA, Santo Amaro, 12°43'S 15°52'E, date unknown (A̹ Monard) (MRAC 12022; 12023, only left palp belongs to specimen #12022)̹

Distribution: Known only from the type locality in Angola (Fig̹ 26)̹

Comments: We studied both types of F. lawrencei from MRAC ( Figs 82—83 )̹ Sample #12022 has no left palp, while vial #12023 only contains a left palp̹ We therefore assume that the parts found in vials ## 12022 and 12023 belong to one exemplar, the holotype of F. lawrencei .

Figures

Figs 8–25. Festucula spp̹: (8) palpal tibia of F. leroyae sp. n., ventral view; (9) ditto, retrolateral view; (10) palpal tibia of F. robustus sp̹ n̹, ventral view; (11) ditto, retrolateral view; (12) palpal tibia of F. australis Lawrence, 1927, retrolateral view; (13) palpal tibia of F. lineata Simon, 1901, basalretrolateral view; (14) ditto, F. australis Lawrence, 1927; (15) ditto, F. lawrencei Lessert, 1933; retrolateral view;(16) palp of F.festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925),ventral view; (17) ditto, F.haddadi sp̹ n̹; (18) epigyne of F. robustus sp̹ n̹, dorsal view view; (19) ditto, F. leroyae sp̹ n̹; (20) ditto, F. australis Lawrence,1927, ventralview; (21) ditto, F. haddadi sp̹n̹; (22) spermathecaeof F. australis Lawrence, 1927, dorsal view; (23) ditto, F. vermiformis Simon, 1901 (from Prószyṅski, 1987; with modification); (24) ditto, F. haddadi sp̹ n̹; (25) ditto, F. festuculaeformis (Lessert, 1925)̹

Figs 77–83. Festucula lawrencei Lessert, 1933: (77) male palp, ventral view; (78) ditto, retrolateral view; (79) tibial apophysis, dorsal view; (80) ditto, ventro-retrolateral view; (81) ditto, retrolateral-apical view; (82, 83) labels of type specimen̹ Scale bars: 0̹1 mm̹

Figs 84–87. Festucula lawrencei Lessert, 1933, general appearance: (84) male, dorsal view; (85) ditto, ventral view; (86) ditto, lateral view; (87) male “face”̹ Scale bars: (84—86) 1 mm, (87) 0̹2 mm̹

Figs 88–96. Festucula leroyae sp̹ n̹: (88) male palp, ventral view; (89) ditto, retrolateral view; (90) tibial apophysis, dorsal view; (91) ditto, ventro-retrolateral view; (92) ditto, retrolateral-apical view; (93) diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts; (94, 95) epigyne, ventral view; (96) spermathecae, dorsal view̹(88—92) Ɵranjeville,Free State; (95)near Lanseria, Gauteng;(94, 96) Pretoria/Tshwane, Gauteng. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.