Geraesta mkwawa, SURESH P. BENJAMIN, 2011

SURESH P. BENJAMIN, 2011, Phylogenetics and comparative morphology of crab spiders (Araneae: Dionycha, Thomisidae), Zootaxa 3080, pp. 1-108 : 17

Geraesta mkwawa sp. nov.

Figs 6 E, 6F, 44A–D, 45A–F, 46A–F

Type material: Holotype: male from TANZANIA: Iringa District: Uzungwa Scarp Forest reserve, 11 km SE Masisiwe, Kihanga Strm. 8°22’5.7’’ S 35°58’41.6’’ E, 1800 m, 17–27 May 1997, understory, ZMJC-SI Exp. 1997 ( USNM, more specimens are available in USNM and CAS).

Paratypes: 3 male 3 females, same data as holotype.

Etymology. Named after Tanzanian tribal Chief Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyinga (1855 –1898) commonly known as Chief Mkwawa . He was a tribal leader in German East Africa ( Tanzania) who opposed the German colonization. Mkwawa , meaning "conqueror of many lands" was a very early user of guerrilla warfare. Used as a noun in apposition.

Description. Male (holotype): Total length: 4.0; prosoma length: 2.0, width: 1.7. Leg I: femur 4.0, patella 0.8, tibia 3.8, metatarsus 3.2, tarsus 1.8. Prosoma light yellow, laterals darker. Opisthosoma brown-yellow with white and black patches as in Fig 6 E. AER and PER recurved. AME smaller than the rest. Palp as in Figs 44 A, 45A–F. Female: Total length: 5.4; prosoma length: 2.4, width: 2.2. Leg I: femur 3.6, patella 1.2, tibia 3.2, metatarsus 2.4, tarsus 1.2. Color and markings as in male. Epigynum and vulva as in Figs 44 C, 44D, 46D.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Photographs of Thomisidae. A Borboropactus nyerere sp. nov., female; B ditto, male; C Borboropactus sp., female; D Cebrenninus srivijaya sp. nov., male; E Geraesta mkwawa sp. nov., male; F ditto, female.

FIGURE 44. Geraesta mkwawa sp. nov. (USNM). A – B right male palp (A ventral, B retrolateral); C female epigynum, ventral view; D vulva, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm (C, D), 0.2 mm (A, B).