Dusmadiores laminatus, Russell-Smith & Jocqué, 2015

Russell-Smith, Anthony & Jocqué, Rudy, 2015, New Zodariidae (Araneae) from Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania, African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 455-455 : 462-466

Dusmadiores laminatus sp. n

Figs 23–40

EtYmOlOgY: The specific name is derived frOm the Latin lamina (flattened blade), and refers to the form of the male palpal embolus.

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from other members of the genus by the small translucent branches of the RTA, a broad, strongly curved embolus and bulky S-shaped MA, and the cup-shaped tegular apophysis of the male palp. The female is recognised by the poorly sclerotised epigyne showing the wide entrance ducts in transparencY and with an ill-defined pOsteriOr plate with recurved anteriOr margin.

Description:

Male.

Total length: 1.87. Carapace: length 0.85, width 0.65. Colour ( Figs 23–24 ): Carapace chestnut brown suffused with grey. Chelicerae coloured as carapace, sternum and maxillae pale chestnut brown. Legs pale chestnut brown, femora slightly darker. Abdomen with chestnut scutum covering whole dorsal surface, ventrally creamy white. Spinnerets white. Eyes: a) 1.00; b) 0.50; c) 0.50; d) 0.25; e) 0.25; f) 0.25; g) 0.70; h) 0.38.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t Total

I 0.72 0.25 0.62 0.52 0.47 2.58

II 0.62 0.17 0.45 0.52 0.45 2.21

III 0.50 0.17 0.37 0.42 0.40 1.86

IV 0.75 0.22 0.52 0.80 0.47 2.76

Legs: FemOral Organ ( Figs 37–40 ) with a grOup Of either 3 Or 2 flattened, feathershaped setae.

Male palp ( Figs 27, 28 , 30, 31 , 33–35 ): In retrOlateral view, RTA small, bifid; upper branch shorter with a rounded tip; lower branch longer and tapering to sharp tip. Both branches semi-translucent and difficult tO discern. COnductOr with twO rOws Of small teeth. CYmbium with shOrt rOw Of mOdified hairs mesallY, terminal spine shOrt and pale. In ventral view, embolus arising basally as in other Dusmadiores species, but relatively narrow. Tegular apophysis a dished, cup-like sclerite not resembling that of any previously described species.

Female.

Total length: 2.12. Carapace: length 1.20, width 0.70. Colour ( Figs 25–26 ): Carapace, chelicerae and sternum as in male. Legs as in male but slightly paler. Abdomen dorsally dark purple-black, without scutum. Ventrally creamy white. Spinnerets white. Legs as in male. Eyes: a) 1.00; b) 0.50; c) 0.50; d) 0.37; e) 0.25; f) 0.20; g) 0.75; h) 0.25.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t Total

I 0.65 0.17 0.45 0.45 0.37 2.09

II 0.62 0.15 0.45 0.40 0.15 1.77

III 0.37 0.15 0.31 0.28 0.29 1.40

IV 0.66 0.18 0.42 0.85 0.40 2.51

Female epigyne ( Figs 29 , 32 , 36 ): Viewed ventrally, rather indistinct, central plate with a more or less straight posterior margin and spermathecae widely separated.

Epigyne in methyl salicylate as in Fig. 29 .

HOlOtYpe ♂: TANZANIA: MkOmazi G.R. , between NdeYa and Mbula, 03°55'S 37°52'E, Senegalia senegal woodland, 22–24.xi.1994 (MRAC 244014).

ParatYpes: Same data as hOlOtYpe, 3♂ 1♀ ( MRAC 244007 ); MkOmazi G. R ., IbaYa Camp, 03°58'S 37°46'E, burnt grassland, 8.v.1995, 1♀ ( MRAC 215707 ) .

Other material examined: Mkomazi G. R ., Dindira, in Vachellia drepanolobium woodland, vlei near dam, 2.ii.1996, 7♂ 3♀ ( MRAC 215716 ) .

Remarks: Dusmadiores is now known from six described and many more undescribed species. The genus is distributed across Africa from the Cape Verde Islands (unpublished) to the Arabian Peninsula (Jocqué & van Harten, this volume). Species of the genus are sometimes mistaken for Microdiores , in which the embolus has a rounded section and the spermathecae in the epigyne are adjacent. In Dusmadiores the embOlus is flat and the spermathecae widely separated.

Distribution: Only known from Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania .

Natural history: D. laminatus was found in pitfalls together with specimens of Microdiores aurantioviolaceus Nzigidahera & Jocqué, 2010 , in S. senegal bushland, V. drepanolobium woodland and in burnt grassland.

Figures

Figs 23–26. Dusmadiores lamellatus sp. n. male paratype (MRAC 215725), female (MRAC 215716) Mkomazi:(23) male habitus, dorsal view; (24) idem, ventral view; (25) female habitus, dorsal view; (26) idem, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 27–29. Dusmadiores lamellatus sp. n. male paratype (MRAC 215725), female (MRAC 215716) Mkomazi: (27) male palp, ventral view; (28) idem, retrolateral view; (29) epigyne, cleared, dorsal view. Scale bars: (27, 28) = 100 μm, (29) = 200 μm.

Figs 30–32. Dusmadiores lamellatus sp. n. male paratype (MRAC 215725), female (MRAC 215716) Mkomazi: (30) male palp, ventral view; (31) idem, retrolateral view; (32) epigyne, ventral view. C: cOnductOr, E: embOlus, EB: embOlus base, MA: median apOphYsis. Scale bar = 100 μm.

Figs 33–36. Dusmadiores lamellatus sp. n. SEM views; male (MRAC 215716), female (MRAC 215716) Mkomazi: (33) male palp, retrolateral view; (34) part of male palp, ventral view; (35) male palp, tibia and base of bulbus, retrolateral view; (36) epigyne, after digestion, dorsal view. Scale bars = 100 μm (33), 50 μm (34–36). C: cOnductOr,E: embOlus, EB: embOlus base, MA: median apOphYsis.

Figs 37–40. Dusmadiores lamellatus sp. n. dorsolateral SEM views of femoral organ, male, Mkomazi (MRAC 215716): (37) leg 1; (38) leg 2; (39) leg 3; (40) leg 4. Scale bars = 10 μm.