Orthobula milloti Caporiacco, 1949

Haddad, Charles R., Jin, Chi & Platnick, Norman I., 2022, A revision of the spider genus Orthobula Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Trachelidae) in the Afrotropical Region. I. Continental species, Zootaxa 5133 (3), pp. 355-382 : 374-375

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5133.3.3

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:44C7B333-7D3E-4235-A158-60E70849ED60

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6522695

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AE2487D1-B53F-FF5B-52DF-94F6CF3EFDF0

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Orthobula milloti Caporiacco, 1949
status

 

Orthobula milloti Caporiacco, 1949 View in CoL

Figs 9, 10 View FIGURES 1–12 , 90–95 View FIGURES 90–95

Orthobula milloti Caporiacco, 1949: 441 View in CoL , fig. 75a–c (♂ and ♀ syntypes: KENYA: Nairobi   GoogleMaps [01°15’S, 36°50’E], 1500 m a.s.l., 1944, leg. Toschi & Meneghetti, deposited in MSNVR—not examined).

Remark. Although we were unable to examine the syntypes of O. milloti , we were able to redescribe a topotypical female and match that to other specimens from East Africa, both males and females.

Diagnosis. Females of O. milloti share with those of O. aethiopica sp. nov. a broad, semicircular anterior ridge in the epigyne, but can be distinguished by the short copulatory ducts that are approximately equal in length to the width of the SBB ( Fig. 90 View FIGURES 90–95 ), while twice as long as the width of SBB in O. aethiopica sp. nov. ( Fig. 54 View FIGURES 54–58 ). Males of O. milloti most closely resemble those of O. radiata in the short, straight spike-like embolus, but can be distinguished by the shape of the RFA, which is simple and finger-like in O. milloti ( Fig. 95 View FIGURES 90–95 ), while bifid in O. radiata ( Fig. 100 View FIGURES 96–100 ).

Female (Nairobi, BMNH). Measurements: CL 1.15, CW 0.86, AL 1.04, AW 0.98, TL 2.52, PERW 0.24, MOQAW 0.10, MOQPW 0.13, MOQL 0.11. Length of leg segments: I 0.47 + 0.21 + 0.44 + 0.41 + 0.21 = 1.74; II 0.43 + 0.17 + 0.33 + 0.35 + 0.29 = 1.57; III 0.35 + 0.16 + 0.27 + 0.33 + 0.18 = 1.29; IV 0.48 + 0.18 + 0.42 + 0.47 + 0.22 = 1.77.

Colour: carapace dark brown, with faint black mottling; chelicerae dark brown; endites and labium dark brown, creamy-grey distally; sternum dark brown, margins slightly darker; palps brown, distal ends of segments with yellow rings; legs with femora, patellae and tibiae I and II brown, of III and IV yellow-brown, all with black mottling laterally; distal ends of femora and tibiae, and basal end of patellae, with yellow rings; metatarsi yellow-brown, with faint mottling; tarsi yellow; abdomen black dorsally, with pair of cream longitudinal patches anterolaterally and transverse cream band at midpoint; venter creamy-grey; spinnerets cream.

Leg spination: femora and patellae: spineless; tibiae: I plv 6 rlv 6, II plv 5 rlv 5; metatarsi: I plv 4 rlv 4, II plv 4 rlv 4; tarsi: I plv 3 rlv 3, II plv 3 rlv 3.

Epigyne with lateral CO in broad semi-circular anterior epigynal ridge ( Fig. 90 View FIGURES 90–95 ); CD very short, initially directed mesally, curving sharply before entering round SBB at centre of epigyne; CO separated by approximately SBB diameter, SBB separated by approximately ¼ their width; CD approximately as long as SBB width; BU ovoid, almost round, with teardrop-shaped accessory gland on their anteromesal surface; SBB connected to ST I by short looping longitudinal ducts, entering transversely oval ST I on their mesal surface; ST I almost touching along their mesal surfaces ( Fig. 91 View FIGURES 90–95 ).

Male (Pugu Forest Reserve, MRAC 159243). Measurements: CL 0.81, CW 0.66, AL 0.83, AW 0.65, TL 1.64, PERW 0.32, MOQAW 0.12, MOQPW 0.16, MOQL 0.14. Length of leg segments: I 0.62 + 0.24 + 0.53 + 0.49 + 0.27 = 2.15; II 0.54 + 0.21 + 0.42 + 0.42 + 0.27 = 1.86; III 0.43 + 0.19 + 0.33 + 0.39 + 0.26 = 1.60; IV 0.57 + 0.21 + 0.49 + 0.57 + 0.31 = 2.15.

Colour: carapace deep brown, pits with darker edges, lateral margins black; chelicerae brown, with faint black mottling; endites and labium brown, lighter distally; sternum orange-brown, with sparse mottling, margins darker; palps yellow-brown; legs yellow-brown, anterior femora darker; all femora, patellae and tibiae with distal mottled patches laterally; abdomen black, with pair of dark yellow-brown oval anterolateral markings; venter brown, with dense black mottling laterally, epigastric plate deep brown; spinnerets yellow-brown.

Leg spination: femora and patellae: spineless; tibiae: I plv 5 rlv 5, II plv 5 rlv 4; metatarsi: I plv 4 rlv 4, II plv 4 rlv 4; tarsi: I plv 3 rlv 3, II plv 3 rlv 2.

Palpal femur with curved, finger-like RFA ( Fig. 95 View FIGURES 90–95 ); tibia with small, simple triangular RTA; retrodistal tegular ridge short, not curving around ventrally to base of embolus ( Fig. 92 View FIGURES 90–95 ) embolus short, straight, spike-like ( Figs 92–94 View FIGURES 90–95 ).

Material examined. KENYA: Nairobi, grounds of National Museum [01°16’S, 36°48’E], 12.IV.1988, leg. A. Russell-Smith (in tall grass), 1♀ ( BMNH) GoogleMaps . TANZANIA: Pwani Region: Kisarawe district, Pugu Forest Reserve , 09°59’S, 39°07’E, 11.XI.1979, leg. K.M. Howell, 1♂ ( MRAC 159243 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . Lindi Region: Lindi District, Litipo Forest Reserve , 10°02’S, 39°29’E, VII–IX.1993, leg. Frontier Tanzania, 1♀ ( ZMUC) GoogleMaps . Tanga Region: Mlola, Mafia , 07°53’S, 39°50’E, X–XI.1990, leg. Frontier Tanzania (evergreen coastal thicket on clay, coral rag), 2♂ ( ZMUC) GoogleMaps .

Habitat and biology. A rare ground-dwelling spider sampled in urban natural habitat fragments, and forest and savanna habitats.

Distribution. Only known from western Kenya and eastern Tanzania ( Fig. 101 View FIGURE 101 ).

ZMUC

Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Trachelidae

Genus

Orthobula

Loc

Orthobula milloti Caporiacco, 1949

Haddad, Charles R., Jin, Chi & Platnick, Norman I. 2022
2022
Loc

Orthobula milloti

Caporiacco, L. di 1949: 441
1949
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