Falcaranea, Haddad & Lyle, 2024

Haddad, Charles R. & Lyle, Robin, 2024, Three new genera of arboreal dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae: Trachelidae), Zootaxa 5399 (5), pp. 451-504 : 474-475

Key to the genus Falcaranea gen. nov.

1 Males.............................................................................................. 2

− Females............................................................................................. 4

2 Embolus almost straight, base directed distally, with slight undulations along its length; ventral RTA an almost level lamina in retrolateral view; dorsal RTA short and thumb-like ( Figs 156, 157 )................................ F. amatola sp. nov.

− Embolus distinctly curved, base directed retrodistally, with distinct bend near middle of its length ( Figs 160 , 165 ); ventral RTA with rounded or undulating distal margin in retrolateral view; dorsal RTA short and tooth-like ( Figs 161 , 166 )............ 3

3 Embolus generally S-shaped, with sharp bend immediately after its base and sharp bend near the middle of its length, with basal and distal sections at almost 90 degrees to each other ( Fig. 165 ); cymbium with pronounced digitiform retrobasal process ( Fig. 166 )............................................................................... F. maputensis sp. nov.

− Embolus straight immediately after its base, with gradual curve near the middle of its length ( Fig. 160 ); cymbium with rounded blunt retrobasal process ( Fig. 161 ).......................................................... F. gladius sp. nov.

4 ST I smaller than ST II ( Figs 162–164 )........................................................ gladius sp. nov.

− ST II smaller than ST I ( Figs 159 , 167 ).....................................................................5

5 Copulatory openings hidden by large, tongue-like hood; ST I and ST II almost touching; ST I large, oval, orientated transversely ( Fig. 167 )........................................................................... F. maputensis sp. nov.

− Copulatory openings not covered, only a small triangular hood present; ST I subrectangular with rounded corners, orientated anterolaterally ( Fig. 158 )................................................................. F. amatola sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 156–159. Falcaranea amatola sp. nov. male (156, 157) and female (158, 159). 156. Left palp, ventral view; 157. Same, retrolateral view; 158. Epigyne, ventral view; 159. Same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 160–164. Falcaranea gladius sp. nov. male (160, 161) and female (162–164). 160. Left palp, ventral view; 161. Same, retrolateral view; 162, 163. Epigyne, ventral view, showing variations in scape lengths, whole (162) and broken off (163); 164. Same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 165–168. Falcaranea maputensis sp. nov. male (165, 166) and female (167, 168). 165. Left palp, ventral view; 166. Same, retrolateral view; 167. Epigyne, ventral view 168. Same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.