Anelosimus ata Agnarsson, Kuntner & Jencik

Agnarsson, Ingi, Jencik, Brian B., Veve, Giselle M., Hanitriniaina, Sahondra, Agostini, Diego, Goh, Seok Ping, Pruitt, Jonathan & Kuntner, Matjaz, 2015, Systematics of the Madagascar Anelosimus spiders: remarkable local richness and endemism, and dual colonization from the Americas, ZooKeys 509, pp. 13-52 : 32-33

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Theridiidae

Anelosimus ata Agnarsson, Kuntner & Jencik sp. n. Fig. 11

Notes.

In 2005 we described Anelosimus may Agnarsson, based on a holotype male and females both from Ambohitantely and Périnet ( Agnarsson and Kuntner 2005). Here we establish based on DNA analyses that Anelosimus may as currently circumscribed contains two species. Anelosimus may is indeed as originally thought found both in Ambohitantely and Périnet, while the very similar species described here, Anelosimus ata is so far restricted to Périnet.

Type material.

Holotype female from Périnet Special Reserve (P.N. Andasibe Mantadia), Toamasina Province, Madagascar, (18.935°S, 48.418°E), 7-8.v.2001, montane forest, 900-1000 m, (I. Agnarsson and M. Kuntner) (NMNH), based on the paratype originally attributed to Anelosimus may , see Agnarsson and Kuntner (2005) p. 580.

Other material.

Several female specimens from same locality.

Etymology.

The species epithet is a noun in apposition named in the honor of the first author’s father-in-law Jorge May-Barquero, affectionately known to his grandchildren as ‘Ata’.

Diagnosis.

Anelosimus ata can be diagnosed from all other Anelosimus , expect Anelosimus may , by the anchor-shaped septum (Fig. 11D) and from A. may by the juxtaposed spermathecae and the pathway of the copulatory ducts following the septum edge (Fig. 11E). Anelosimus ata can be diagnosed from other Madagascan Anelosimus on the basis of the following unique mtDNA nucleotide substitutions at the following standard DNA barcode alignment positions: A (88), G (166), A(169), G (253), G (358), T (835), G (910). It can also be readily diagnosed from most other Anelosimus based the following partially shared nucleotide substitutions, and all other species by their unique combination: T (127, except Anelosimus nazariani and Anelosimus darwini ), T (181, except Anelosimus may ), T (355, except Anelosimus may ), G (487, except Anelosimus hookeri ), G (625, except Anelosimus torfi and Anelosimus huxleyi ), T (709, except Anelosimus andasibe ), G (751, except some Anelosimus may ).

Description.

Female: Total length 5.01. Cephalothorax 2.28 long, 1.82 wide, 1.45 high, brown. Sternum 1.35 long, 1.16 wide, extending halfway between coxae IV, brown. Abdomen 2.93 long, 2.44 wide, 2.52 high. Pattern as in Fig. 3A. Eyes subequal in size about 0.12 in diameter. Clypeus height about 2.4 one AME diameter. Chelicerae with one large and two small prolateral teeth, three denticles retrolaterally. Leg I femur 2.89, patella 0.98, tibia 2.70, metatarsus 2.57, tarsus 0.94. Femur about 5 longer than wide, metatarsus I about 16longer than wide. Leg formula 1243, with leg II very slightly longer than leg IV. Leg base colour as carapace, light orange-brown, with distal tip of tibia darkened, and metatarsus/tarsus junction dark. Tarsal organs slightly distal (0.55-0.60) on tarsi I and II, central (0.5) on III, slightly proximal (0.45) on IV, distal (0.85) on female palp, positions vary slightly between specimens. Numerous (seven to eight) small trichobothria dorsally on all tibia, seven on tibia III, eight on tibia I. Trichobothria on metatarsi I–III central or slightly proximal (about 0.45-0.50), absent on metatarsus IV. Four to five dorsal trichobothria on female palpal tibia.

Variation: female total length 4.90-5.15.

Distribution.

Only known from type locality.

Natural history.

This species is common at its type locality and webs have been found with females and up to 80 spiderlings. Juveniles cohabit in the web with the mother until she dies and appear to disperse close to adulthood. Webs without adult females generally contained instar 4-6 juveniles.