Uduba rajery, Griswold & Ubick & Ledford & Polotow, 2022

Griswold, Charles, Ubick, Darrell, Ledford, Joel & Polotow, Daniele, 2022, A Revision of the Malagasy Crack-Leg Spiders of the Genus Uduba Simon, 1880 (Araneae, Udubidae), with Description of 35 New Species from Madagascar, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 67, pp. 1-193 : 73-74

Uduba rajery , new species

Figures 8 E , 55 A–C , 56 A–F , Maps 9 , 19 .

Type material. Holotype male ( CASENT9026393 ) from a yellow pan trap in littoral rainforest at 20m elevation in Forêt Ambohidena , Ile Sainte Marie, Toamasina Province, Madagascar, collected 21–24 November 2005 by Brian L. Fisher et al., deposited in CAS.

Etymology. The species epithet is patronym is honor of the Malagasy musician Rajery, born Germain Randrianrisoa, who is a player of the bamboo tube zither (valiha) and who founded the modern valiha orchestra. In spite of a childhood accident that cost him the fingers of one hand he developed a unique and memorable style of playing the valiha, invented notation for this instrument, and is one of Madagascar’s finest recording artists.

Diagnosis. Uduba rajery belong to Group V, the Uduba rajery group ( Map 19 ). Males can be distinguished from those of other Uduba by the form of the male palp ( Figs. 55 A–C , 56 A–F ), with a thick, swollen VTA on the tibia, the spine-like TA3 extending through a notch at the apex of the tegulum, and the large, triangular MA: Uduba rajery may be distinguished from U. rakotozafy by having the MA apex with two spikes ( Figs. 55 C , 56 B, D, E ) ( U. rakotozafy has an apical lobe and spike, Fig. 58 A ). Females of Uduba rajery are unknown.

Description. Male (holotype): Total length 6.00. Markings as in Fig. 8 E , with a striking pattern of black legs, tan coxae and trochanters, and black lateral stripes on a tan carapace. Carapace 3.80 long, 2.60 wide, 1.60 high; clypeus 0.25 high. Eye diameters:AME, PME and PLE 0.16, ALE 0.15. Chelicerae 1.70 long; sternum 2.00 long, 1.40 wide; labium 0.90 long; palpal coxae 1.30 long. Ratios– carapace length / width = 1.46, carapace height / width = 0.62, PER / carapace width = 0.39, PER / OAL = 2.83, PER / AER = 1.28, OAL / OQL = 1.06, OQP / OQA = 1.11, clypeus height / AME = 1.56, cheliceral length / clypeus height = 6.80, sternum length / width = 1.43, palpal coxa length / width = 2.60, femur I length / carapace width = 1.23, metatarsus I length / carapace width = 1.27, femur IV length / carapace width = 1.27, cymbium length / carapace width = 0.62, cymbium length / palpal patella length = 3.20, cymbium length / palpal tibia length = 2.29, cymbium length / palpal femur length = 1.23, palpal tibia length / palpal patella length = 1.40. Cribellum divided. Spination: palpus–femur d1-0-1, patella d0-1; leg I–femur d1-1-1, p0-0-2, tibia p0-1-1-0, v2-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus p1-1-1, v2-2-2, r1-1-1; leg II–femur d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r0-0-1, tibia d0-1-1-0, p0-1-1-0, v2-2-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus p1-1-1, v2-2-3, r1-1-1; leg III–femur d1-1- 1, p0-1-1-0, r0-1-1-0, tibia d0-0-1-0, p0-1-1-0, v2-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1-2, v2-2- 2, r1-1-2, tarsus v0-1-0; leg IV–femur d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r0-0-1, patella r1, tibia d0-1-0, p0-1-1-0, v2- 2-3, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1-1, v2-2-2, r1-1-1. Scopulae: cymbium, apicodorsal ( Figs. 56 A, C ); very weak beneath all tarsi. Leg measurements: I: 3.20 + 1.40 + 3.10 + 3.30 + 2.20 = 13.20; II: 2.80 + 1.20 + 2.50 + 2.70 + 1.60 = 10.80; III: 2.40 + 1.10 + 1.60 + 2.20 + 1.20 = 8.50; IV: 3.30 + 1.20 + 2.80 + 3.60 + 1.70 = 12.60; palpus: 1.30 + 0.50 + 0.70 + NA + 1.60 = 4.10. Leg formula 1423. Male palp: palpal tibia 0.52 times cymbial length, RTA broad, very short, sharply-curved to ventrad ( Fig. 55 C ), RTA length 0.09 tibia length, length 0.44 times width, VTA unique, large, swollen, transversely wider than long and truncate apically ( Figs. 55 B, C , 56 A ), length 0.705 times width, length 0.44 tibia width; tibia lacking stout spines; tegulum convex, without ridge, tegulum length 0.98 times width; TA1 serrate medially and with pointed apex, extends distad of tegulum apex, TA1 extends slightly past TA3 apex; TA3 elongate with recurved apex extending through notch at tegular anterior margin ( Figs. 56 B, F ), TA3 extends apicad of TA2 by 1.25 tegulum length, TA2 a mound partly forming the notch from which the TA3 apex emerges and partially covering mesal margin of MA ( Figs. 55 B , 56 B, E ); MA origin at 0.26 times tegulum length, MA apex extends distad of tegulum apex, length (including apical processes) 2.00 times width, MA very large, length 0.81 times tegulum length, width 0.395 times tegulum width, oval with a swollen, rounded base and with retrolateral and prolateral acutely-pointed apical projections ( Fig. 55 B , 56 D, E ); conductor fan entire. Female: Unknown.

Variation. Unknown: the species Uduba rajery is only known from one male, the holotype.

Material examined. MADAGASCAR: Toamasina Province: Ile Sainte Marie, Forêt Ambohidena , 22.8 km 44°NW Ambodifotatra, 16°49ʹ28ʺS, 49°57ʹ51ʺE, elev. 20m, yellow pan trap, littoral rainforest, 21–24 November 2005, B. L. Fisher et al. [BLF12839] (Holotype, CASENT9026393 , 1♂, CAS) .

Natural history. The lone specimen of Uduba rajery was collected in littoral rainforest. Like all adult male Uduba it was wandering when trapped. The vestige of a divided cribellum on the male suggests that U. rajery females deploy cribellate sticky silk, but we know nothing of their behavior.

Distribution. Uduba rajery is known only from the type locality on Ile Sainte Marie, off the northeast coast of Madagascar ( Maps 9 , 19 ).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Habitus photos of Uduba spp., males, dorsal views. A. U. rinha, MRAC174.445 from 25 km W Morarano Chrome, Toamasina Province. B. U. pseudoevanescens, Paratype (CASENT9006006) collected at 57 km Route d’Anosibe de Moramanga. C. U. evanescens (Dahl, 1901), (CASENT900687) from Ranomafana. D. U. fisheri, (CASENT9002693) from montane rainforest near Anjozorobe. E. U. rajery, Holotype (CASENT9026393) from littoral rainforest in Forêt Ambohidena, Ile Sainte Marie. F. U. valiha, Holotype (CASENT9026394) from Forêt de Vevembe. G. U. rakotozafy, Holotype (CASENT9006024) from forest at Parc National Périnet. Scale bars = 2 mm.

FIGURE 55. Uduba rajery, new species, Holotype (CASENT9026393) from Forêt Ambohidena, Ile Sainte Marie, left male palpus. A. Prolateral. B. Ventral. C. Retrolateral. Illustrations by Giovanni Maki. MA, median apophysis; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis on male palp; TA1, proapical apophysis of the tegulum; TA2, proapical apophysis of the tegulum; TA3, retroapical apophysis of the tegulum; UTA, basal tibial apophysis on male palp; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis on male palp. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 56. Uduba rajery, new species, Holotype male (CASENT9026393) from Forêt Ambohidena, Ile Sainte Marie, right palpus, SEM. A. Tibia and tarsus, retrolateral. B. Tarsus, ventral. C. Tibia and tarsus, prolateral. D. Bulb, retrolateral. E. Bulb, proventral. F. Bulb, prolateral. C, conductor; CmS, cymbial scopula (arrows); E, embolus; Eb, embolic base; MA, median apophysis; ST, subtegulum; TA1, proapical apophysis of the tegulum; TA2, proapical apophysis of the tegulum; TA3, retroapical apophysis of the tegulum. Scale bars: A–C, F = 100 µm, D, E = 30 µm.

MAP 9. Distributions of Uduba fisheri, Uduba MAP 10. Distributions of Uduba hiragasy, Uduba rakotofrah, Uduba rajery, Uduba rakotozafy and Uduba valiha, Uduba taralily, Uduba danielae and Uduba sarotra. kavanaughi.

MAP 19. Distribution of Group V, the Uduba rajery MAP 20. Distribution of Group VI, the Uduba danielae group: Uduba rakotozafy and U. rajery. group: Uduba jayjay and U. danielae.

FIGURE 58. Uduba rakotozafy, new species, Holotype (CASENT9006024) from Parc National Périnet, left male palpus. A. Prolateral. B. Ventral. C. Retrolateral. Illustrations by Jenny Speckels. RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis on male palp; TA3, retroapical apophysis of the tegulum; UTA, basal tibial apophysis on male palp; VTA, ventral tibial apophysis on male palp. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.