Jocquestus harrisi, Lyle & Haddad, 2018

Lyle, Robin & Haddad, Charles R., 2018, Jocquestus, a new genus of trachelid sac spiders from the Afrotropical Region (Arachnida: Araneae), Zootaxa 4471 (2), pp. 309-333 : 319-320

Jocquestus harrisi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4F864F6A-8177-478E-BA13-F84566471A96

Figs 12 , 50, 51

Etymology. This species is named after Rupert Harris, who collected the holotype.

Diagnosis. A distinctive species that can be recognised by a combination of the recurved, C-shaped epigynal ridges and the narrow ST II ( Fig. 50 ). All other species in the genus have broad ST II and obliquely aligned epigynal ridges, with the exception of J. incurvus sp. nov., which also has recurved epigynal ridges ( Fig. 55 ). Male unknown.

Female (holotype, Westphalia, NCA 95/165). Measurements: CL 1.40, CW 1.23, AL 1.88, AW 1.40, TL 3.28, FL 0.08, SL 0.83, SW 0.73, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.30, PME–PME 0.10, PME– PLE 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.45.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 1.00 + 0.45 + 0.55 + 0.58 + 0.40 = 2.98; II 0.90 + 0.40 + 0.65 + 0.58 + 0.35 = 2.88; III 0.65 + 0.38 + 0.40 + 0.50 + 0.25 = 2.18; IV 0.85 + 0.38 + 0.65 + 0.50 + 0.23 = 2.61.

Carapace reddish-brown ( Fig. 12 ); surface finely granulate, almost smooth, covered with short fine setae; fovea distinct, at two thirds CL; ocular region brown; clypeus height approximately equal to AME diameter; ALE slightly larger than AME; AME separated by distance equal to 0.7 times their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.4 AME diameter; PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to twice their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to twice PME diameter. Chelicerae reddish-brown, anterior surface covered with scattered long fine setae; one distal promarginal tooth present; two retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest. Sternum brown, darker towards borders; surface smooth, covered with scattered short fine setae. Abdomen pale yellow with grey mottling dorsally; two pairs of pale brown sigilla, one pair anterior to midpoint, second pair darker, posterior to midpoint ( Fig. 12 ). Legs I to IV uniform pale brown, anterior legs darker than posteriors; leg I with granulate texture, other legs smooth; regular leg spines, cusps absent. Epigynal ridges Cshaped, recurved, with lateral CO; ST II narrow, twisted, close to midline of epigyne anteriorly, with narrow ducts leading to oval ST I near epigastric fold ( Figs 50, 51 ).

Type material. Holotype: ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Westphalia, 23°18'S, 29°10'E, leg. R. Harris, 27.V.1983 (NCA 95/165).

Distribution. Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 70 ).

Habitat and biology. Collected from the savanna biome of northern South Africa.

Figures

FIGURE 70. Distribution of the genus Jocquestus gen. nov. in the Afrotropical Region: J. capensis sp. nov. (black circles), J. griswoldi sp. nov. male (yellow circle), J. harrisi sp. nov. (black square), J. incurvus sp. nov. (yellow squares), J. obliquus sp. nov. (black star), J. roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. (yellow stars) and J. schenkeli (Lessert, 1923) comb. nov. (black triangles).

FIGURES 9–20. Digital microscope photographs of the dorsal habitus of Jocquestus gen. nov. species. 9. J. capensis sp. nov., male; 10. Same, female; 11. J. griswoldi sp. nov., male; 12. J. harrisi sp. nov., female; 13. J. incurvus sp. nov., male; 14. Same, female; 15. J. obliquus sp. nov., male; 16. Same, female; 17. J. roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov., male; 18. Same, female; 19. J. schenkeli (Lessert, 1923) comb. nov., male; 20. Same, female.

FIGURES 47–51. Jocquestus griswoldi sp. nov. male (47–49) and J. harrisi sp. nov. female (50, 51): 47. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 48. Left palp, ventral view; 49. Same, retrolateral view; 50. Epigyne, ventral view; 51. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 52–55. Jocquestus incurvus sp. nov. male (52–54) and female (55): 52. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 53. Left palp, ventral view; 54. Same, retrolateral view; 55. Epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.