Drassodella aurostriata, Mbo & Haddad, 2019

Mbo, Zingisile & Haddad, Charles R., 2019, A revision of the endemic South African long-jawed ground spider genus Drassodella Hewitt, 1916 (Araneae: Gallieniellidae), Zootaxa 4582 (1), pp. 1-62 : 41-43

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4582.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9DC61794-4BD7-4F6D-BB8C-84D9855C8151

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B74F87AB-9E49-400B-53B3-CE1166DA98AA

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Drassodella aurostriata
status

sp. nov.

Drassodella aurostriata View in CoL sp. nov.

Figs 13 View FIGURES 5–17 , 71 View FIGURES 60–77 , 87 View FIGURES 78–92 , 159, 160 View FIGURES 157–171 , 176–179 View FIGURES 176–179

Etymology. From the Latin aurum (gold) and striatus (striped), referring to the two golden-orange longitudinal lateral stripes on the abdominal dorsum.

Diagnosis. Drassodella aurostriata sp. nov. can easily be recognised by the pair of golden-orange lateral

stripes on the dorsal surface of the abdomen, separated by a broad black median stripe ( Figs 13 View FIGURES 5–17 , 160 View FIGURES 157–171 ). Females have an unique elongate M-shaped anterior hood extending to nearly half of the epigynal length ( Figs 71 View FIGURES 60–77 , 177 View FIGURES 176–179 ). The male palps are most similar to those of D. quinquelabecula , but differ in having a prolaterally directed hook-like median apophysis and narrow oblique embolus ( Fig. 178 View FIGURES 176–179 ), while the median apophysis of D. quinquelabecula is curved and directed retrolaterally, and the embolus broad and curved ( Fig. 186 View FIGURES 184–187 ).

Description. Female (Paratype, Uitzicht Annex, NMBA 8616). Measurements: CL 3.31, CW 2.60, AL 4.15, AW 2.05, TL 7.95 (6.42–7.95), FL 0.32, SL 1.83, SW 1.48, CH 0.08, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.03, ALE- ALE 0.24, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.14, PLE-PLE 0.56, PERW 0.67, MOQAW 0.21, MOQPW 0.21, MOQL 0.32.

Length of leg segments: I 2.20 + 1.35 + 1.64 + 1.26 + 1.05 = 7.50, II 2.05 + 1.15 + 1.47 + 1.45 + 1.00 = 7.12, III 1.80 + 0.95 + 1.05 + 1.77 + 0.90 = 6.47, IV 2.70 + 1.34 + 1.96 + 2.65 + 1.10 = 9.75.

General appearance as in Fig. 159 View FIGURES 157–171 . Carapace orange-brown, with black mottling medially and anterolaterally; cephalic region with two medial lines; white feathery setae forming partial upsilon marking, for short distance medially behind eye region, diverging behind fovea, but not reaching posterior margin. Clypeus height equal to 0.63 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 1.13 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME equal to PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.50 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.50 PME diameter. Chelicerae darkbrown anteriorly, orange behind fang and posteriorly; promargin with three subequal teeth, median tooth slightly closer to distal tooth than proximal tooth; retromargin with two teeth, proximal tooth aligned with distal tooth of promargin. Endites pale yellow at maxillar hair tuft, dark orange to black distally, orange medially. Labium orange; longer than broad. Sternum orange, faintly mottled medially, densely mottled laterally. Legs orange, with brown mottling. Leg spination: femora: I do 1, II do 2, III pl 2 do 3, IV do 2; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1, IV pl 1 do 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 3 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 1, IV pl 4 do 1 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 2 vt 1; palpal spination: femora do 3; patellae do 2 rl 1 plv 2; tibiae do 2 rl 3 plv 1; tarsi pl 1 do 6 rl 2. Abdomen dark grey dorsally, with pair of narrow creamy-golden lateral stripes extending three-quarters abdomen length ( Fig. 159 View FIGURES 157–171 ), faint irregular median golden-brown marking to half abdomen length; elongate-oval lateral sclerites present behind booklungs; venter pale, with orange feathery setae and few black markings; postepigastric sclerites small. Spinnerets pale. Epigyne with shallow M-shaped anterior hood extending to nearly half of epigyne length; lateral margins of median septum weakly sclerotised, in posterior half of epigyne only, as wide as inner margin of ST II; ST I, ST II and connecting ducts orange-brown; ST II subspherical, separated by slightly more than their width, slightly larger than oval ST I ( Figs 71 View FIGURES 60–77 , 176, 177 View FIGURES 176–179 ).

Male (Holotype, Humansdorp, NMBA 8260). Measurements: CL 2.72, CW 2.24, AL 3.44, AW 1.58, TL 6.24 (5.46–6.76), FL 0.27, SL 1.50, SW 1.33, CH 0.10, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.27, PME- PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.13, PLE-PLE 0.54, PERW 0.66, MOQAW 0.24, MOQPW 0.27, MOQL 0.30.

Length of leg segments: I 2.00 + 1.08 + 1.58 + 1.46 + 0.96 = 7.08, II 1.82 + 1.00 + 1.40 + 1.46 + 0.96 = 6.64, III 1.48 + 0.82 + 1.00 + 1.44 + 0.82 = 5.56, IV 2.24 + 1.08 + 1.76 + 2.32 + 0.88 = 8.28.

General appearance as in Fig. 160 View FIGURES 157–171 . Carapace orange-brown, with black mottling radiating from the centre. Clypeus height equal to 1.25 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 0.75 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.25 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.63 PME diameter. Chelicerae orange; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, closer to proximal tooth, proximal and distal teeth equal in size; retromargin with two teeth, proximal tooth slightly larger. Endites orange, slightly darker medially, lighter laterally. Labium orange. Sternum dark orange, paler medially, with setae concentrated around posterior and lateral margins, few longer setae around anterior and medial section. Legs yellow, with black mottling. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 2, II do 2 rl 1, III do 4 rl 2, IV pl 1 do 3; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1, IV pl 2 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 3 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 4 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 3 do 3 rl 4 plv 3 rlv 2 vt 1; palpal spination; femora do 2 rl 1 plv 2; patellae do 2 rl 3 plv 1; tibiae do 6 rl 2 plv 1; tarsi spineless. Abdomen with brown median longitudinal stripe, flanked by two golden-orange lateral stripes, sides black ( Fig. 160 View FIGURES 157–171 ); oval lateral sclerites present behind booklungs; venter pale; post-epigastric sclerites and ante-epigastric sclerites present. Spinnerets pale. Palp yellow-brown; RTA long, laterally flattened, not obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium but positioned retrolateral of cymbium; in retrolateral view spatulate, with broad base followed by slight constriction, broadening again before tapering to rounded tip; cymbium quite narrow, 1.86 times longer than wide, narrowed to rounded point distally; embolus originating prolaterally, narrow and elongate, oblique and directed retrodistally, tapering to needle-shaped tip; median apophysis short, hook-shaped ( Figs 87 View FIGURES 78–92 , 178, 179 View FIGURES 176–179 ).

Type material. Holotype ♂: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: Humansdorp, Tsitsikamma National Park, De Vasselot , near Nature’s Valley , 33°58'S, 23°35'E, 12.I.1988, leg. L.N. Lotz (forest) ( NMBA 8260 View Materials ). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: George, Groeneweide Forest Station , 33°57'S, 22°27'E, II GoogleMaps .1984, leg. J. Huisamin (pitfall traps), 2♂ ( NCA 97 /420); Goukamma Nature Reserve, Groenvlei Lake hiking trail, 34°02'S, 22°33'E GoogleMaps , 18.III .2008 GoogleMaps , leg. J. Huisamin (coastal forest), 1♂ ( NCA 2009 /1127); Gouna and Diepwalle State Forest, North of Knysna   GoogleMaps , 33°57'S, 23°02'E, I.1984, leg. J.H. Koen (dry, humid forest, pitfall traps), 2♂ 1♀ ( NCA 97 /215); Knysna, Uitzicht Annex , 34°00'S, 23°20'E GoogleMaps , 16.X.1998, leg. L.N. Lotz (pitfall traps), 1♀ ( NMBA 8616 View Materials ) .

Distribution. Known from five localities in the Western Cape, South Africa ( Fig. 188 View FIGURE 188 ).

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