Leptodrassex capensis, Haddad & Booysen, 2022

Haddad, Charles R. & Booysen, Ruan, 2022, The ground spider genera Leptodrassex Murphy, 2007 and Leptopilos Levy, 2009 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) in southern Africa, including the description of a new genus and seven new species, Zootaxa 5194 (1), pp. 1-32 : 16

Leptodrassex capensis sp. nov.

Figures 45 , 80, 81

Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Fisherhaven, near Hermanus , 34°21.430’S, 19°07.557’E, 30.IX.2007, leg. C. Haddad & R. Lyle (sifting leaf litter) (NCA 2008/360).

Paratype: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Outeniquastrand, near George , 34°02.754’S, 22°17.037’E, 7.I.2015, leg. C. Haddad (base of grass tussocks), 1♀ (NCA 2015/1755) .

Etymology. This species is named for terra typica, the Western Cape Province of South Africa, from which it is known.

Diagnosis. Females of L. capensis sp. nov. are most similar to those of L. murphyi sp. nov., but differ by the smaller copulatory openings and the slight curvature of the copulatory ducts ( Fig. 80 ), which are respectively larger and strongly curved in the latter species ( Fig. 82 ). Male unknown.

Description. Female (holotype, NCA 2008/360). Colouration ( Fig. 45 ): carapace and chelicerae creamy-yellow; endites and labium cream; sternum cream, margins yellow-brown at coxae; femora cream, remaining segments creamy-yellow. Abdomen cream dorsally and ventrally.

Measurements: CL 1.04, CW 0.85, AL 1.52, AW 1.02, TL 2.85. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.02, PME–PME 0.06, PME–PLE 0.05, ALE–PLE 0.01. Leg measurements: I 0.76, 0.34, 0.57, 0.48, 0.35 = 2.50; II 0.79, 0.37, 0.61, 0.54, 0.39 = 2.70; III 0.63, 0.33, 0.44, 0.40, 0.25 = 2.05; IV 1.00, 0.57, 0.76, 0.82, 0.22 = 3.37.

Leg spination: femora: I and II spineless, III do 1, IV do 1 rl 1; patellae spineless; tibiae: I plv 2 rlv 2, II rlv 2, III pl 2 plv 1, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 1-4 rlv 1-3, II plv 0-1 rlv 1-2, III pl 2 rl 1 plv 1 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 2 plv 1 vt 3; palp: femur and patella spineless, tibia pl 2 plv 1 rlv 1, tarsus pl 2 plv 2 rlv 1.

Epigyne with weakly sclerotized recurved hemispherical ridges anteriorly, continuing along midline into posterior half, forming oval atria; copulatory openings transverse, situated in anteromesal part of atria; copulatory ducts narrow and initially directed posteriorly, bending laterally and diverging, with slight lateral bend before entering ovoid lateral spermathecae along their anterior margin; fertilization ducts on posteromesal margin of spermathecae, directed mesally ( Figs 80, 81 ).

Additional material examined. None.

Variation. The single female paratype is 2.57 mm in total length.

Habitat and biology. Both of the known females had plugged epigynes. This species was sampled from the ground (leaf litter and grass tussocks) in the Fynbos and Thicket biomes of South Africa.

Distribution. Only known from two localities in the coastal parts of south-western South Africa ( Fig. 44 ).

Figures

FIGURE 44. Distribution of Afrodrassex balrog sp. nov. (black stars), A. catharinae sp. nov. (inverted triangle), Leptodrassex capensis sp. nov. (black triangles) and L. murphyi sp. nov. (open circles) in southern and central Africa.

FIGURES 45–47. Dorsal habitus of Leptodrassex species: 45. L. capensis sp. nov. female; 46, 47. L. murphyi sp. nov. female (46) and male (47). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 80–81. Leptodrassex capensis sp. nov., female epigyne in ventral (80) and dorsal (81) views. Scale bar: 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 82–86. Leptodrassex murphyi sp. nov., female epigyne in ventral (82) and dorsal (83) views, and male palp in prolateral (84), ventral (85) and retrolateral (86) views.Abbreviations:ATP—anterior tegular process; dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; E—embolus; MA—median apophysis; PTA—prolateral tibial apophysis; RTP—retrolateral tegular process; vRTA—ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.