Mystaria flavogutatta ( Lawrence, 1952 ) Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014

Honiball Lewis, Allet S. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S., 2014, Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3873 (2), pp. 101-144 : 118-119

Mystaria flavogutatta ( Lawrence, 1952) comb. n.

Figs 2 , 11–13 , 45–48 , 116

Paramystaria flavoguttata Lawrence 1952: 14 ; fig. 8 (descr. juvenile ♀). Jézéquel 1964: 1111.

Type material: Holotype (designated by Lawrence 1952): juvenile ♀, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC): Katanga Region, Grotte de Kakontwe [10°59’S, 26°40’E] found at entrance of cave beneath stones, 3 August 1948, N. Leleup (MRAC 81211, examined).

Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, sub-adult ♂, juvenile ♀, Cwebe Nature Reserve, The Haven [31°45’S, 29°16’E], beating of coastal dune forest, 30 October 2006, R. Lyle & C. Haddad (NCA 2007/332) . KwaZulu-Natal Province, 1 ♀, Ndumo Game Reserve [26°54’S 32°15’E], Malaise traps in sand forest and broad leaf deciduous forest, 4–8 December 2009, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs (NMBA) ; 1 ♀, Richards Bay [28°47’S, 32°06’E], tree beating, 26 April 2004, T. Wassenaar (NCA 2009/5037) . Limpopo Province, 1 ♂, Kruger National Park, Punda Maria Camp, Shipudze [22°27’S, 31°13’E], 19 December 1962, R.F. Lawrence (NM 23345) . SWAZILAND: Hhohho Region, juvenile ♀, Piggs Peak area, Hhlehhlele [25°50’S, 31°13’E], handpicked outside pit-toilet, at foot of mountain, 29 October 2011, A.S. Lewis (NCA 2012/325) .

Diagnosis. Both sexes recognised by carapace with highly elevated thoracic region; in female usually with pattern ( Fig. 12 ) or in holotype juvenile female abdomen uniform in colour with two prominent spots posteriorly. Femora I–IV with numerous short setae ventrally. Female epigyne with atrium well-defined cube-shape ( Fig. 47 ), intromittent canals as in Fig. 48 . Male palp with VTA finger-shaped, RTA tooth-like ( Fig. 45 ) extending laterally with a slight curve ( Fig. 46 ) and a small cymbial apophysis.

Re-description. Female. Size, measurements (n = 1). TL: 4.58; CL: 1.53; CW: 1.41; CI: 1.08; CH: 1.18; CLL: 0.24; MOQ-L: 0.31. Colour. Carapace and legs copper-brown to orange-yellow; leg III sometimes paler; abdomen pale copper, may resemble M. rufolimbata in both having two contrasting spots postero-dorsally; two spots may either be circles, or form contrasting border encircling abdomen ( Fig. 12 ). Chelicerae. As in Fig. 2 . Sternum. SL: 0.59 SW: 0.75 SI: 0.78. Eyes. PME fairly small; eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.29; ALE–AME: 0.35; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.83; PME–PME: 0.41; PLE–PME: 0.33; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.25; ALE/AME: 1.20; PLE/PME: 0.80; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.71; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.43; CLYP/AME–AME: 0.80. Legs. Two to three spiniform setae in a row, present on tibiae directed latero-ventrally to leg and dorsally on tibiae and patellae; leg formula: II:I:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.87, Pat 0.33, Tib 0.94, Mt 0.73, Ta 0.54, total 3.41; II—Fe 1.01, Pat 0.38, Tib 0.99, Mt 0.78, Ta 0.61, total 3.76; III—Fe 0.71, Pat 0.33, Tib 0.63, Mt 0.47, Ta 0.38, total 2.51; IV—Fe 0.89, Pat 0.35, Tib 0.73, Mt 0.54, Ta 0.40, total 2.91. Abdomen: AL: 3.06; AW: 2.59; AI: 1.18. Epigyne. Atrium well-defined cube-shaped; intromittent orifices open laterally ( Fig. 47 ); intromittent canals complex ( Fig. 48 ); spermathecae small, situated postero-laterally.

Male. Size, measurements (n = 1). TL: 3.43; CL: 1.36; CW: 1.36; CI: 1.00; CH: 0.96; CLL: 0.32; MOQ-L: 0.28. Resemble females but differs as follows: Colour. Carapace uniform reddish-brown; abdomen orange to copper. Legs uniform in colour, leg III sometimes paler. Carapace. With denser setae. Clypeu s. With long and numerous setae on edge. Sternum. SL: 0.59; SW: 0.67; SI: 0.88. Eye s. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.28; ALE–AME: 0.32; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.89; PME–PME: 0.40; PLE–PME: 0.35; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.13; ALE/AME: 1.13; PLE/PME: 0.88; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.89; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.13; MOQ-AW/ MOQ-PW: 0.71; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.40; CLYP/AME–AME: 1.13. Legs. Leg formula: I:II:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 1.08, Pat 0.35, Tib 0.94, Mt 0.73, Ta 0.56, total 3.67; II—Fe 1.13, Pat 0.38, Tib 0.89, Mt 0.68, Ta 0.56, total 3.64; III—Fe 0.75, Pat 0.31, Tib 0.59, Mt 0.45, Ta 0.35, total 2.44; IV—Fe 0.87, Pat 0.31, Tib 0.63, Mt 0.49, Ta 0.38, total 2.68; Abdomen. AL: 2.07: AW: 1.81; AI: 1.14. Palp (only left palp available). Embolus long, thin, coiling at least twice around bulb ( Fig. 45 ); RTA broad at base, tip sharply pointed; VTA finger-shaped ( Fig. 46 ).

Natural history. Sampled from trees in savanna and coastal forest habitats. The holotype was found under a stone at a cave entrance. Adults were sampled from December to April and juveniles in October.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC). New record: South Africa ( Fig. 116 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. SEM photographs of chelicerae of Mystaria species. 1 M. rufolimbata Simon, 1895 from Democratic Republic of Congo, Walikale; 2 M. flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. from South Africa, Richards Bay; 3 M. savannensis sp. n. from South Africa, Kruger National Park, Letaba Camp; 4 M. soleil sp. n. from Kenya, Kakamega; 5 M. budongo sp. n. from Kakamega. Scale lines = 100 µm (1,4,5), 10 µm (2,3).

FIGURES 10–24. Microscope photographs of dorsal and lateral views of Mystaria species. 10 Mystaria budongo sp. n. male from Rwanda, Ibanda Makera (dorsal view); 11–13 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. (11, 12 female from South Africa, Richards Bay antero-and postero-dorsal views, 13 male from South Africa, Punda Maria Camp dorsal view); 14–16 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n. (14, 15 female from Mozambique, Marracuene antero-and latero-dorsal views, 16 male form Marracuene postero-dorsal view); 17–19 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. (17, 18 female from South Africa, Kei River Mouth antero-and latero-dorsal view, 19 two males from South Africa, Mazeppa Bay dorsal views); 20–22 Mystaria lindaicapensis sp. n. (20, 21 female from South Africa, Jeffreys Bay antero-and latero-dorsal views (specimen damaged on carapace), 22 male from South Africa, Knysna dorsal view); 23–24 Mystaria mnyama sp. n. (23, 24 female from South Africa, Tembe Elephant Park antero-and latero-dorsal views).

FIGURES 43–56. Line drawings of copulatory organs in male and female Mystaria species, with ventral- (left) and retrolateral (right) views of male palps and ventral- (left) and dorsal (right) views of female epigynes. 43–44 Mystaria budongo sp. n. male left palp; 45–48 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. (45, 46 male right palp, 47, 48 female epigyne); 49–52 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n. (49, 50 male left palp, 51, 52 female epigyne); 53–56 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. (53, 54 male left palp, 55, 56 female epigyne). Scale lines = 10mm.

FIGURES 115–118. Recorded geographical distribution of Mystaria species. 115 Mystaria budongo sp. n.; 116 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n.; 117 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n.; 118 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. Scale lines = 1420 km (115), 1500 km (116), 1240 km (117, 118).