Uduba andriamihajai, 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 : 18-19

Uduba andriamihajai , new species

Figures 6 B , 30 A, B, C ; Maps 6, 14.

Type material. Holotype male ( CASENT9010142 ) from malaise trap in forest at 1670m elevation at Korikory (20°23ʹ04ʺS, 47°40ʹ02ʺE), Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar, collected 13 March 2000, M. E. Irwin and E. I. Schlinger (SI-001), deposited in CAS. Five paratype males, same data, ( CASENT9064716 , 3♂♂) ( CASENT9006000 , 1♂) and ( CASENT9064717 , 1♂), deposited in CAS.

Etymology. The species epithet is a patronym in honor of Dr. Benjamin Andriamihaja, biochemist and soil scientist, director of the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE), ardent conservationist and facilitator of science in Madagascar. His continuing assistance to our scientific research is gratefully acknowledged.

Diagnosis. Uduba andriamihajai are members of Group I.b, the Uduba woodae group (Map 14) of Group I, the Epigynal atrium group. Specimens are ecribellate, with a colulus. The male palp has the TA2 highly sclerotized, black, concave medially against TA3 and forming a chela around TA3 apex ( Figs. 30 A, B, C ). Males of Uduba andriamihajai can be distinguished from those of Uduba schlingeri in that the latter has a divided cribellum. Female unknown.

Description. Male (Holotype): Total length 10.00. Markings typical for Uduba , as in Fig. 6B . Carapace 5.60 long, 4.30 wide, 2.10 high; clypeus 0.24 high. Eye diameters: AME and ALE 0.20, PME and PLE 0.24. Chelicerae 2.60 long; sternum 2.60 long, 1.80 wide; labium 1.20 long; palpal coxae 1.90 long. With colulus. Spination (paratype, CASENT9064717): palpus – femur d0-1-2; leg I – femur d1-1-1, p0-0-2, r0-0-1, patella p1, tibia d0-0-1-1, p0-1-1-0, v1-2-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus p1-1-1, v1-1-1-1, r0-1-1-0; leg II – femur d1-1-1, p0-1-1-0, r0-1-1-0, patella p1, tibia d0-1-1- 0, p0-1-1-0, v1-0-0-1, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus p0-1-1-0, v2-1-1-1, r0-1-1-0; leg III – femur d1-1-1, p0- 1-1-1, r0-1-1-0, patella r1, tibia d0-1-0, p0-1-1-0, v2-0-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus p1-2-2, v2-1-2, r1- 1-2, tarsus v0-1-0; leg IV – femur d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r0-0-1, tibia d0-1-0, p0-1-1-0, v2-1-3, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus p0-1-2, v2-2-2-2, r1-1-1-2. Scopulae: cymbium, apicodorsal; beneath all tarsi. Leg measurements (holotype): I: 5.50 + 2.10 + 5.80 + 6.00 + 3.10 = 22.50; II: 5.00 + 2.00 + 4.90 + 5.40 + 2.80 = 20.10; III: 4.40 + 1.70 + 2.90 + 4.20 + 2.20 = 15.40; IV: 5.70 + 1.70 + 5.60 + 6.80 + 2.90 = 22.70; palpus: 2.20 + 1.00 + 1.10 + NA + 2.60 = 6.90. Leg formula 4123. Male palp (holotype) ( Figs. 30 A, B, C ): palpal tibia 0.42 times cymbial length, RTA broadly triangular ( Fig. 30 C ), RTA length 0.30 tibia length, length equals width, with pointed apex, VTA length 1.67 times width, length 0.405 times tibia width, VTA cylindrical, straight, with rounded apex; tibia lacking stout spines; tegulum convex, without ridge, tegulum length 0.91 times width; TA1 extends distad of tegulum apex, TA1 extends past TA3 apex by 1.54 times tegulum length; TA3 transverse, tapering to a point, concave dorsally, TA3 apex straight, visible in front of TA2 ( Figs. 30 B, C ); TA2 highly sclerotized, black, concave medially against TA3, in this species forming a chela around TA3 apex ( Fig. 30 A ), base of TA2 with small bump just above MA base; MA transverse, concave in middle with proximal and distal enlargements, origin at 0.31 times tegulum length, tegulum apex at 0.29 tegulum length from MA apex, length (including apical processes) 0.72 times width, MA large, length 0.375 tegulum length, width 0.47 times tegulum width; conductor fan entire. Female. Unknown.

Variation. (N = 6): Total length = 9.50–14.00, carapace length / width = 1.33–1.69, carapace height / width = 0.44–0.57, PER / carapace width = 0.36–0.38, PER/OAL = 2.70–3.27, PER/AER = 1.30–1.40, OAL / OQL = 1.00–1.15, OQP / OQA = 1.11–1.24, clypeus height / AME = 1.14– 1.54, cheliceral length / clypeus height = 8.00–10.80, sternum length / width = 1.24–1.50, palpal coxa length / width = 2.33–2.86, femur I length / carapace width =1.28–1.38, metatarsus I length / carapace width = 1.36–1.49, femur IV length / carapace width =1.31–1.38, cymbium length / carapace width = 0.59–0.71, cymbium length / palpal patella length = 2.60–3.56, cymbium length / palpal tibia length = 2.42–3.20, cymbium length / palpal femur length = 1.06–1.26, palpal tibia length / palpal patella length = 1.10–1.30.

M aterial examined. MADAGASCAR: locality unknown ( CASENT9006076 , 2♂, FMNH) . Fianarantsoa Province: Korikory , SE of Fandriana, 20°23ʹ04ʺS, 47°40ʹ02ʺE, elev. 1670m, 13 March 2000, M. E. Irwin and E. I. Schlinger [SI-001] (Holotype, CASENT9010142 , 1♂, CAS), (Paratypes, CASENT9064716 , 3♂, CAS), (Paratype, CASENT9064717 , 1♂, CAS), (Paratype, CASENT9006000 , 1♂, CAS) ; RNI Andringitra, Anjavidilay, 8.5 km SE Atanifotsy, 22°09.5ʹS, 46°57.6ʹE, elev. 1990m, pitfall trap in Philippia -dominated sclerophyllus forest, 5–11 March 1997, S. E. Goodman ( CASENT9064648 , 12♂, FMNH) ; R. S. de Ivohibe, at source of Andranomainty River, 6.5 km ESE Ivohibe, S22.496°, E46.955°, Camp 3, elev. 1575m, pitfall trap, undisturbed mossy forest, 24–30 October 1997, S. E. Goodman [SEG1997] ( CASENT9006077 , 1♂, FMNH) . Toamasina Province: Réserve Nationale Intégrale Betampona, Betampona , 35.1 km NW Toamasina, 17°54ʹ58ʺS, 049°12ʹ07ʺE, elev. 550m, rainforest, malaise trap, 25 May–1 June 2008, B.L. Fisher [BLF19593_23] ( CASENT9042359 , 1♂, CAS) .

Natural history. The ecribellate species Uduba andriamihajai is known only from males collected in pitfall and malaise traps, suggesting that these spiders wander on the ground and up into vegetation when mature. Nothing is known of their use of silk. Most records are from high elevations: from 550m in rainforest to 1575m and 1670m in rainforest and mossy forest, even extending to high-elevation Philippia -dominated sclerophyllus forest at 1990m at Andringitra in southeastern Madagascar.

Distribution. The species Uduba andriamihajai is recorded from rainforest along the mountain spine of central-east Madagascar and even from high elevation sclerophyll vegetation. One record, from Reserve Nationale Intégrale Betampona, is from an isolated remnant patch of forest (Maps 6, 14).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Habitus photos of Uduba spp. A. U. valiha, female Paratype (CASENT9006071) from Massif Andringitra, dorsal. B. Uduba andriamihajai, new species, male (CAS9006077) R. S. Ivohibe, dorsal. C. U. madagascariensis (Vinson, 1863), CASENT9006029 male from forest near Ambohimanga, village (CASENT9006029), dorsal. D, E. U. rinha, female (CASENT9006108) from R.S. Manongarivo, dorsal and ventral. F, G. Uduba lamba, Betampona male, (CASENT9042542) dorsal and ventral. Scale bars: A–E = 5mm, F, G = 10 mm.

FIGURE 30. Uduba andriamihajai, new species, Holotype (CASENT9010142), Korikory, left male palpus. A. Prolateral. B. Ventral. C. Retrolateral. Illustrations by Daniele Polotow. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.