Revision of the Afrotropical crab-spider genus Parabomis Kulczyński, 1901 (Araneae: Thomisidae) Dippenaar-Schoeman, Anna S. Foord, Stefan H. Zootaxa 2020 2020-12-30 4899 1 161 174 98Z95 Dippenaar-Schoeman & Foord, 2020 Dippenaar-Schoeman & Foord 2020 [151,367,942,969] Arachnida Thomisidae Parabomis Animalia Araneae 7 168 Arthropoda species megae sp. nov.   Figures 15 –20   Etymology.Named in honour of Ms Meg Cumming ( Harare, Zimbabwe), in recognition of her contribution to our knowledge of Zimbabwean spiders.   Diagnosis.The species is distinguished from other congeners by the male palp having the RTA straight, with the apex directed dorsally, while directed laterad in others, except for  P. elsae  sp. nov.It differs from  P. elsae  sp. nov.by the sharply pointed tip of the apex ( Fig. 18).  Parabomis megae  sp. nov.resembles the female of  P. elsae  sp. nov.in the shape of the epigyne, but the colour differs, being uniform in  P. megae  sp. nov.and strongly mottled in  P. elsae  sp. nov.( Fig. 19).   Description. Male ( holotype).Measurements: TL 1.90; CL 0.95; CW 1.03. Legs: I 1.44 (0.52, 0.13, 0.30, 0.27, 0.22); II 1.44 (0.63, 0.22, 0.28, 0.20, 0.11); III 1.09 (0.34, 0.12, 0.32, 0.21, 0.10); IV 1.32 (0.47, 0.15, 0.32, 0.19, 0.19). Carapace dark brown ( Fig. 15); eyes circled with black; chelicerae dark brown; mouthparts yellowish brown; palp dark brown; carapace slightly wider than long; strongly granulated, bearing numerous small tubercles, each with translucent seta. Sternum brown; granulose. Eyes as for genus. Legs: coxae, trochanters and tibiae brown, with blackish hue; femora I-IV dark brown, with femora I and II usually darker than rest; patellae yellowish brown; tibiae, metatarsi and partly tarsi of legs I and II clothed with numerous fine erect setae. Abdomen dorsum white with brown hue, shield-like with scattered black spots. Male palp with RTA straight, tip directed dorsally and apex pointed ( Fig. 18).   Female.Measurements: TL 3.2; CL 1.1; CW 1.4. Legs: I 1.83 (0.67, 0.29, 0.42, 0.25, 0.27); II 1.84 (0.61, 0.28, 0.43, 0.24, 0.28); III 1.61 (0.41, 0.22, 0.26, 0.12, 0.70); IV 1.71 (0.55, 0.46, 0.27, 0.31, 0.12). Carapace fawn, in some specimens darker laterally ( Figs 16-17); strongly granulated, bearing numerous small tubercles, each with translucent seta; eye region infused with white; eyes sometimes circled with black; chelicerae creamish white. Sternum granulated, bearing tubercles with seta. Legs creamish white, with distinct white bands at joints; femora frequently darker. Abdomen fawn to white, with scattered dark setae giving it spotted appearance; depressions on dorsum darker, bearing two brownish markings ( Fig. 16). Epigyne with atrium oval ( Fig. 19); spermathecae with short ducts ( Fig. 20).   Type material.  Holotype³:  ZIMBABWE: Doddieburn Dam, Doddieburn Ranch, 21°28’S, 29°24’E, leg. J. Minshull,  12.XII.1985( NMZ/ A4208a).   Paratypes:  ZIMBABWE: Doddieburn Dam, Doddieburn Ranch,  21°28’S, 29°24’E, leg. J. Minshull,  12.XII.1985, 1♀, 3³, 4imm.( NMZ/ A4208b); Tshowe Riverrapids, Matetsi Safari Area,  18°31’S, 28°40’E, leg. J. Minshull,  6.XII.1988, 1³ ( NMZ A6916); Walmer Drive, Harare,  17°49’S, 31°05’E, leg. M. Cumming, 14. VI .2004 (spider ballooning), 1♀( NCA 2012/327); Samelocality data, leg. M. Cumming,  15.I.2004(sweeping grass and herbs in garden), 1♀, 3imm.( NCA 2012/326); Samelocality data, leg. M. Cumming, 1. III .2004, 1♀( NCA 2009/ 258).   FIGURES 15–20.  Parabomis megae  sp. nov.15 Male habitus, dorsal view; 16 Female habitus, dorsal view; 17 Female habitus, dorsal view; 18 Left palp, ventral view; 19 Epigyne, ventral view; 20 Epigyne, dorsal view. Scales: 1 mm.  Other material examined.   ZIMBABWE: Humani Ranch, Store Camp, 20°29’S, 32°15’E, leg. Falcon College,  6. IV.1987, 1imm.( NMZ A 5882);  Doddieburn Dam, Doddieburn Ranch, 21°28’S, 29°24’E, leg. E. Nyathi,  20. IV.1986, 2 imm.( NMZ/ A4661);  Samelocality, leg. J. Minshull,  11.XII.1985, 1 imm. ♀( NMZ 4227);  Chelo Farm Homestead, 2029A3, leg. F. Nyathi,  5.X.1988, 5 imm.( NMZ 715),  4 imm.( NMZ/ A7190);  Namakukwe, Zambeziconfluence, 17°51’S, 25°23’E, leg. Falcon College,  26.VIII.1986, 1 imm.( NMZ 4794);  Sabi-Lundiconfluence, Gomarezhou National Park, 21°23’S, 33°50’E, leg. J. Minshull,  21. IV.1985, 1 imm.( NMZ 3289);  Tshowe Riverrapids, Matetsi Safari Area 18°31’S, 28°40’E, leg. J. Minshull,  4.XII.1988( NMZ 6895);  KatomboraCampsite, 17°50’S, 25°24’E, leg. Falcon College,  1.X.1986, 1 imm.( NMZ 4720),  1 imm.NMZ 5040, 1 imm NMZ 5079, 1 imm. NMZ 5086);  1.5 kmNW of Kazuma Forestrycamp, 1825B3, leg. Falcon College,  15. IV.1988, 2 imm.( NMZ/ A 6704);  Farm 2 km E. Glenmore, 2028C, leg. F.Nyathi,  28.IX.1988, 1 imm.( NMZ/ A 7094);  Sengwa Plot, leg. M. Cumming,  2.XII.2002(beating  Tricheliastree), 1³ ( NCA 2009/456).   Distribution.Known only from Zimbabwe( Fig. 32).   Biology/Habitat.Specimens were sampled sweeping grass and herbs. Most of the adult specimens were sampled from December to March. 3023423403 1985-12-12 NMZ J. Minshull Zimbabwe -21.466667 Doddieburn Dam 1264 29.4 Doddieburn Ranch 7 168 A4208 1 holotype 3023423306 [199,977,1986,2013] Doddieburn Dam Zimbabwe Doddieburn Ranch 7 168 1 paratype 3023423317 1985-12-12 NMZ J. Minshull Zimbabwe 8 169 -21.466667 Matetsi Safari Area 1264 29.4 Tshowe River 7 168 A4208 5 1 paratype 3023423327 1988-12-06 NMZ J. Minshull Zimbabwe -18.516666 Walmer Drive 1275 28.666666 8 169 A6916 1 Harare paratype 3023423355 [883,1371,186,213] VI M. Cumming Zimbabwe -17.816668 1277 31.083334 8 169 1 paratype 3023423363 NCA Zimbabwe Same 8 169 NCA 2012 1 1 paratype 3023423376 2004-01-15 NCA M. Cumming Zimbabwe Same 8 169 NCA 2012 4 1 paratype 3023423311 [1173,1241,259,285] NCA Zimbabwe 8 169 NCA 2009 1 1 paratype 3023423335 1987-04-06 IV, NMZ Falcon College Zimbabwe -20.483334 Humani Ranch 1268 32.25 Store Camp 8 169 A 5882 1 3023423358 1986-04-20 IV, NMZ E. Nyathi Zimbabwe -21.466667 Doddieburn Dam 1264 29.4 Doddieburn Ranch 8 169 A4661 2 3023423316 [565,1355,1532,1559] 1985-12-11 NMZ J. Minshull Zimbabwe Same 8 169 NMZ 4227 1 1 3023423408 1988-10-05 NMZ F. Nyathi Zimbabwe Chelo Farm Homestead 8 169 NMZ 715 5 3023423362 [1012,1274,1568,1594] 1988-10-05 NMZ F. Nyathi Zimbabwe true Chelo Farm Homestead 8 169 A7190 4 3023423401 1986-08-26 NMZ Falcon College Zimbabwe -17.85 Namakukwe 1277 25.383333 Zambezi 8 169 NMZ 4794 1 3023423304 1985-04-21 IV J. Minshull Zimbabwe -21.383333 Sabi-Lundi 1264 33.833332 Gomarezhou National Park 8 169 NMZ 3289 1 3023423330 1988-12-04 NMZ J. Minshull Zimbabwe -18.516666 Tshowe River 1275 28.666666 Matetsi Safari Area 8 169 NMZ 6895 1 3023423394 1986-10-01 NMZ Falcon College Zimbabwe -17.833334 Katombora 1277 25.4 8 169 NMZ 4720 1 3023423322 NMZ Zimbabwe 8 169 NMZ 5086 2 3023423378 1988-04-15 IV, NMZ Falcon College Zimbabwe Kazuma Forestry 8 169 A 6704 2 3023423385 [337,1277,1784,1811] 1988-09-28 NMZ E. Glenmore & F. Nyathi Zimbabwe Farm 8 169 A 7094 1 3023423405 2002-12-02 NCA M. Cumming & Trichelias Zimbabwe Sengwa Plot 8 169 NCA 2009 1