Lepthercus filmeri, Ríos-Tamayo & Lyle, 2020

Ríos-Tamayo, Duniesky & Lyle, Robin, 2020, The South African genus Lepthercus Purcell, 1902 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) phylogeny and taxonomy, Zootaxa 4766 (2), pp. 261-305 : 276-277

Lepthercus filmeri sp. nov.

( Figs. 2E , 8 A–E, 24)

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C0534EB5-4A0D-4EFE-A7C5-28B8CC73908A

Material examined. Type material: Holotype ♀. SOUTH AFRICA. Mpumalanga Province, Belfast [25°40’S 30°2’E], 1 Jun 1991, Filmer, M. leg., ( NCA 91 /1437) . — Paratypes. Same data as holotype, Leeuwenbank [25°48’S 29°57’E], 2.ii.1990, Filmer, M. leg., 3 ♀♀ ( NCA 91/560). Same data, 2.vi.1991, Filmer, M. leg., 1 ♀ ( NCA 91/1440).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case in honor of Martin R. Filmer, who was a prominent South African amateur arachnologist and who collected the specimens that this species is described from.

Diagnosis. L. filmeri sp. nov., can be recognized inside of “Group dregei” by the shape of their spermathecae with strong and twisted stalks with a developed receptacle ( Fig. 8E ). It can be differentiated too, by the presence of labial cuspules (only one), similar to L. lawrencei sp. nov., but differ in the less number of maxillary cuspules (97 vs 59) and chelicerae denticles (45 vs 15). Males are unknown.

Description. Female holotype (NCA 91/1437, Fig. 8 A–E). Total length 14.47. Carapace ( Fig. 8A ): length 4.87, width 3.71, with small marginal bristles and soft pubescence. Cephalic region: length 3.14, clypeus small (almost absent) with 4 marginal bristles; 6 bristles in front of the OQ and 7 between the PME, line of bristles until fovea. Fovea: width 0.43, almost straight (slightly procurved). Ocular measurements: AME 0.10, ALE 0.24, PME 0.18, PLE 0.17, OQ length 0.42, width 0.74; AME–ALE 0.07, PME–PLE 0.02, AME–PME 0.08, ALE–PLE 0.02, AME–AME 0.14, PME–PME 0.31. Chelicerae ( Fig. 8D ): length 2.99, width 1.83; with dorsal-retrolateral dark bristles. Fang groove with 8 promarginal teeth and 15 mesobasal denticles. Labium: length 0.39, width 0.90, dorsally slightly concave with 1 cusp. Maxillae: length 1.65, width 0.95, with 59 cuspules posterior on inner corner, prolateral face straight, soft area long, with long uniformly distributed hairs, serrula present on anterior inner corner ( Fig. 2E ). Sternum ( Fig. 8C ): length 2.35, maximum width 2.09. Abdomen ( Fig. 8B ): length 7.24, with small bristles in the dorsum. PMS: length 0.68; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 0.87:0.86:1.03; total length 2.76. Lengths of legs and palp: I: 3.15, 2.06, 2.14, 1.64, 1.15, 10.14. II: 2.88, 1.87, 1.78, 1.63, 1.20, 9.36. III: 2.61, 1.63, 1.49, 2.01, 1.26, 9.00. IV: 3.42, 1.90, 2.38, 2.52, 1.31, 11.53. Palp: 2.19, 1.38, 1.38, —, 1.38, 6.33.

Chaetotaxy: Leg I: femur, 1-1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 pa; tibia, 2-1-3 v; metatarsus, 2-1-1 V; tarsus, 0. Leg II: femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1 P, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 2-1-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg III: femur, 1-1- 1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 P, 1 R; tibia, 1-1 P, 1 D, 1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1 P, 1-1-1 D–P, 1-1-1 D–R, 2-1-3 V; tarsus, 0. Leg IV: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1 R A; patella, 1 R; tibia, 1 P, 1-1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1-1 P, 1-1-1 D–P, 1-1 D–R (1:2 A), 1-2 R (1:2 A), 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Palp: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 0; tibia, 1 P, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 2 V B.

Scopulae: Metatarsi: I, dense, uniformly distributed and divided by bristles; II, dense (3:4 A) and divided by band of bristles; III–IV, 0. Tarsi: I-II dense, uniformly distributed and divided (I, narrow band; II wide band of bristles); III–IV, sparse, uniformly distributed and divided by a wide band of setae. Trichobothria: Tibiae: palp 7-8; I 9- 10; II 9-8; III 9-9; IV 10-10. Metatarsi: I (4)1(2)1(4)1; II (4)1(2)1(5)1; III (4)1(2)1(4)1; IV (4)1(2)1(4)1(4)1. Tarsi: palp 10; I-II 11; III-IV 11. Preening combs: metatarsus: II 3 P V; III 4 P V–3 R V; IV 2 P V–3 R V. Spermathecae: as in Fig. 8E . Color: Overall brown–orange (chelicerae darker), sternum lighter. Abdomen and spinnerets light brown. Abdomen dorsally spotted with light spots, and covered with small hair and bristles, ventrally ligther.

Remarks. In the lack of any other data to support the georeference, the coordinates added to the paratype are based on the proximity of the locality (Leeuwenbank) to Belfast. There are several farms called Leew[en]bank around the country also.

Distribution. Mpumalanga Province, South Africa ( Fig. 24 ).

Figures

FIGURE. 2. Preening comb. A Lepthercus haddadi sp. nov. (female paratype, NCA 2007/3847). Maxillary cuspules (males). B L. dippenaarae. C L. kwazuluensis. Serrula. D L. mandelai sp. nov. (female, NCA 2014/415A); E L. filmeri sp. nov. (female, NCA 91/1437); F L. haddadi sp. nov. (male, NCA 2007/1486); G L. haddadi sp. nov. (female, NCA 2007/3847); H L. engelbrechti sp. nov. (female, NCA 2018/385); I L. engelbrechti sp. nov. (male, NCA 2018/384); J L. dregei Purcell, 1902 (female, NCA 2012/2333); K L. sofiae sp. nov. (male, NCA 97/395).

FIGURE. 8. Lepthercus filmeri sp. nov. (female holotype, NCA 91/1437). A cephalothorax, dorsal view; B abdomen, lateral view; C sternum, ventral view; D chelicerae, prolateral view; E spermathecae.

FIGURE. 24. Distribution map of Lepthercus spp: ● Lepthercus confusus sp. nov., ○ Lepthercus dippenaarae sp. nov., Ɨ Lepthercus dregei Purcell, 1902, O Lepthercus engelbrechti sp. nov., A Lepthercus filmeri sp. nov., * Lepthercus haddadi sp. nov., D Lepthercus kwazuluensis sp. nov., ■ Lepthercus lawrencei sp. nov., v Lepthercus mandelai sp. nov., ▼ Lepthercus rattrayi Hewitt, 1917, ▲ Lepthercus sofiae sp. nov. Solid black line indicates the two species overlapped.