Camafroneta oku, Frick & Scharff, 2018

Frick, Holger & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2018, Description of one new genus and four new species of mynoglenine spiders from Africa (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Mynogleninae), European Journal of Taxonomy 415, pp. 1-27 : 4-8

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2018.415
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D3B2953A-7727-4FA6-BADA-A74AEA6DF00B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5986244
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F50C5BCF-9115-4077-B335-AC9FAE5DB66E
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:F50C5BCF-9115-4077-B335-AC9FAE5DB66E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Camafroneta oku
status	gen. et sp. nov.

Treatment

Camafroneta oku View in CoL gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F50C5BCF-9115-4077-B335-AC9FAE5DB66E

Figs 1–3 View Fig. 1 View Fig. 2 View Fig. 3

Diagnosis

The males are recognised by the moderately sclerotised embolic membrane that is enlarged with an ectal outwards fold (see Frick & Scharff 2014: fig. 12B, EME) emerging on the prolateral side of the embolic membrane, encircling the distal half of the embolus. The retrolateral side of the embolic membrane has a fleshy appearance and is broadened distally before it narrows towards the tip. The size, degree of sclerotisation and complexity of the embolic membrane is unique within African mynoglenines.

The females can be diagnosed by their large dorsal plate scape that is almost as broad as the dorsal plate ( Fig. 1C–D View Fig. 1 ). It almost entirely extends over the posterior margin of the ventral plate, which is exceptional in mynoglenines.

Etymology

The species epiphet oku is derived from the type location close to Lake Oku near Mount Oku in western Cameroon. It is a name in apposition.

Type material

Holotype CAMEROON: ♂, Northwest Prov., Menchum Div., near Lake Oku , 06°12 ′ N, 10°27 ′ E, ca 2150 m a.s.l., 7–12 Feb. 1992, forest, C. Griswold, S. Larcher, N. Scharff and C. Wanzie leg. ( ZMUC00046889 View Materials ). GoogleMaps

Allotype CAMEROON: ♀, same data as for holotype, epigyne separate ( ZMUC00046889 View Materials ). GoogleMaps

Other material examined (9 ♂♂, 33 ♀♀)

CAMEROON: 1 ♀, together with holotype ( ZMUC00046889 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC 00046893 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046898 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 3 ♀♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046897 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046892 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046901 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀, same locality and collecting date, forest ( ZMUC00046900 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, same locality and collecting date, forest, pitfall traps ( ZMUC00046899 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046891 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, same locality and collecting date, forest ( ZMUC00046895 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046896 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046894 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♀♀, same locality and collecting date, forest, pitfall traps ( ZMUC00046890 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, same locality and collecting date, forest litter ( ZMUC00046888 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Description

Holotype (holotype, ZMUC 00046889)

SIZE. Total length 2.98. Cephalothorax 1.44 long, 0.98 wide. Sternum 0.85 long (0.76 without labium), 0.65 wide. Abdomen 1.70 long, 0.96 wide. AME diameter 0.04. Femur I 1.31 long, 0.91 times as long as cephalothorax.

COLOUR (preserved specimen, Fig. 3B, E–F View Fig. 3 ). Cephalothorax and chelicerae yellowish brown mottled with grey. Legs and pedipalps yellowish white, without annulations. Black rings around eyes. Abdomen light grey, with white markings.

BODY. Sternum shield–shaped with labium fused to sternum and long narrow extension of sternum between coxae IV (merged to carapace at the end) ( Fig. 3C, G View Fig. 3 ). Cephalothorax without setae. Fovea present, elongated, faint and shallow. Ocular area with several short thin setae between eyes. Clypeus height 5.5 times AME diameter. Subocular sulci present below ALE, long and wide, not clearly demarcated ( Fig. 3B View Fig. 3 , lines).

CHELICERAE. With 3 large widely spaced prolateral teeth (middle tooth largest) ( Fig. 3B View Fig. 3 ). With faint stridulating ridges. Three small closely spaced retrolateral denticles, positioned between the two first prolateral teeth.

LEGS. All femora with one short stout setae dorsally. Leg formula 1243 (legs 1, 2 of 4 almost same length). Tibial spinal formula 2222. Metatarsus I with 3 dorsal trichobothria.

PEDIPALP ( Figs 1A–B View Fig. 1 , 2A–D View Fig. 2 ). Patella with long strong distal dorsal spine ( Figs 1A, D View Fig. 1 , 2A View Fig. 2 ). Tibia with two retrolateral and one prolateral trichobothrium ( Fig. 1A View Fig. 1 ). Cymbium with one distal ventral and three prolateral macrosetae. Paracymbium U-shaped, with large broad base and two basal hairs ( Figs 1A View Fig. 1 , 2A View Fig. 2 ).

Protegulum elongated, triangular ( Figs 1A View Fig. 1 , 2A View Fig. 2 ). Suprategulum finger-like pointing retrolaterally. Radix drop-shaped with a tiny, in the light microscope almost invisible thorn on its retrolateral side ( Fig. 1B View Fig. 1 ). It resembles the radix retrolateral appendix described by Frick & Scharff (2014) for Metamynoglenes Blest, 1979 , but it is much smaller in Camafroneta gen. nov. Embolus long and thin embedded in the embolic membrane ( Figs 1B View Fig. 1 , 2B–C View Fig. 2 ). Embolic membrane moderately sclerotised and enlarged (compared to other African mynoglenines), exceeding the alveolus. Distal half peculiarly shaped with folds and seemingly fleshy sections.

Female (allotype, ZMUC00046889)

SIZE. Total length 3.22. Cephalothorax 1.43 long, 0.99 wide. Sternum 0.91 long (0.84 without labium), 0.66 wide, shield–shaped. Abdomen 1.69 long, 1.17 wide. AME diameter 0.04. Femur I 1.20 long, 1.19 times as long as cephalothorax.

COLOUR (preserved specimen). As holotype, but abdomen darker, greyish black ( Fig. 3A, D View Fig. 3 ).

BODY. Similar to male. Clypeus height 5.75 times AME diameter. Subocular sulci present below ALE, long and wide, not clearly demarcated ( Fig. 3A View Fig. 3 ).

CHELICERA. Cheliceral teeth and stridulation file as in male ( Fig. 3A View Fig. 3 ).

LEGS. Leg formula 1243. Metatarsus with 3 trichobothria ( Fig. 1E View Fig. 1 ). Spination of legs as in male.

EPIGYNUM AND VULVA ( Figs 1C–D View Fig. 1 , 2F–H View Fig. 2 ). The epigyne has a large dorsal plate scape. It is almost as broad as the dorsal plate in ventral view ( Fig. 1C View Fig. 1 ), extending the posterior margin of the ventral plate almost entirely ( Fig. 1C–D View Fig. 1 ). The copulatory ducts are simple, curved and extend beyond the round receptaculum anteriorly.

Variation

Males (n = 5): total length 2.79–3.06, cephalothorax length 1.28–1.51, cephalothorax width 0.87–1.05, femur I length 1.20–1.41. Females (n = 5): total length 2.98–3.90, cephalothorax length 1.36–1.60, cephalothorax width 0.97–1.13, femur I length 1.13–1.41.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality, forests around Lake Oku GoogleMaps (06°12 ′ N, 10°27 ′ E), Cameroon, at an altitude of 2150 m.

Life history

Little is known about the biology of this species. Specimens have been collected in forest litter and pitfall traps in montane rain forest.

Phylogenetic position

Camafroneta oku gen. et sp. nov. scored as follows in the phylogenetic analysis. The exact same methods (the same batch files in TNT) were used to run the analyses as described in Frick & Scharff (2014): 10000 0 1101 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 10001 0 1200 0 0 0 0 1 10001 10100 - 1101 0 0 0 11 0 0 110 11110 11011 0 1000 10010 0 0 0 0 0 11010 11000 10200 0 1101 11100 11011 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 00--- 0 0 100 11011 0 1122 0 0 110 10010 0 0 220 0 1021 0 1111 0 1211 11100 12101 0 0 101.

The analysis resulted in three most parsimonious trees of 893 steps (160 hits out of 1000). The three trees only differ in changes within Haplinis Simon, 1894 and are, apart from the addition of Camafroneta oku gen. et sp. nov., equal to the three trees found in Frick & Scharff (2014).

Camafroneta oku View in CoL gen. et sp. nov. is a sister to the highly supported genus Laminafroneta View in CoL ( Fig. 14 View Fig. 14 ). Together they are sister to Afroneta Holm, 1968 View in CoL . However, both relationships are not well supported (Bremer = 1; Jackknife <50%) and therefore likely to change. Since Camafroneta oku View in CoL gen. et sp. nov. did not emerge within a supported genus and morphologically differs highly from both presumably closely related genera Laminafroneta View in CoL and Afroneta View in CoL , a new monotypic genus is described. Erecting a new monotypic genus can also be justified by the fact, that the African mynoglenine fauna is highly undersampled. It is therefore likely, that more species of the genus will be discovered once the mountainous areas of central to western Africa are more thoroughly investigated. It could be argued, that as sister taxa to Laminafroneta View in CoL , we should place it within Laminafroneta View in CoL , but this would leave Laminafroneta View in CoL hard to define morphologically. Camafroneta View in CoL gen. nov. is morphologically very different (see remarks).