Jocquestus griswoldi, 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 : 318

Jocquestus griswoldi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:59DAB783-8609-4920-A94C-0D1D9ABC0910

Figs 11 , 47–49

Etymology. This species is named after Charles Griswold, who collected the holotype, in recognition of the vast contribution he has made to the systematics of African spiders.

Diagnosis. The male of this species can be recognised by the strongly curved RPA, which ends in a rounded tip, and the triangular RTA ( Fig. 49 ). The embolus origin is similar to that of J. roeweri comb. nov. and J. capensis sp. nov., but the embolus is broader and ends in a broad, rounded tip, and is associated with a narrow conductor ( Fig. 48 ), while those of the other two species are pointed ( J. roeweri comb. nov. — Fig. 62 ) or rounded with a small bend at the tip ( J. capensis sp. nov. — Fig. 42 ), and lack a conductor. Female unknown.

Male (holotype, Mazumba, CAS). Measurements: CL 1.60, CW 1.33, AL 1.20, AW 1.30, TL 3.30, FL 0.13, SL 0.85, SW 0.78, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.33, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.15, PLE– PLE 0.58.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 1.13 + 0.53 + 0.78 + 0.65 + 0.45 = 3.54; II 0.95 + 0.43 + 0.70 + 0.68 + 0.40 = 3.11; III 0.70 + 0.38 + 0.45 + 0.55 + 0.25 = 2.35; IV 0.88 + 0.40 + 0.65 + 0.73 + 0.28 = 2.51.

Carapace reddish-brown ( Fig. 11 ); surface finely wrinkled, covered with short fine setae; fovea short, distinct, at two thirds CL; ocular region reddish-brown; clypeus height approximately equal to AME diameter; AME and ALE equal in size; AME separated by distance equal to 0.5 times their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance almost equal to 0.5 AME diameter; PME and PLE equal in size; PME separated by distance slightly larger than PME diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.5 times PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, anterior surface with scattered short fine setae; two promarginal teeth, proximal tooth largest; 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; dorsal scutum brown, covering almost entire length of abdomen; two pairs of brown sigilla present, first pair very pale, anterior to midpoint, second pair darker, distinct, posterior to midpoint ( Fig. 11 ). Legs I to IV uniform brown, anterior legs darker than posterior legs; leg spination: tibiae: I plv 2 cusps; metatarsi: I plv 2 cusps ( Fig. 47 ). Palp brown; RPA strongly curved, with rounded tip; RTA triangular, positioned slightly dorsally; embolus originating prolaterally, proximally on tegulum, extending prolaterally around tegulum, ending in broad slightly rounded tip retrolaterally, associated with narrow membranous conductor ( Figs 48, 49 ).

Type material. Holotype: ♂: TANZANIA: Tanga: West Usambara Mountains, Mazumba , 04°49'S, 38°30'E, 1400–1800 m a.s.l., leg. C.E. Griswold, N. Scharff & D. Ubick, 10–20.XI.1995 (forest) ( CAS) .

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

Habitat and biology. Collected from forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania.

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 61–64. Jocquestus roeweri (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. male (61–63) and female (64): 61. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 62. Left palp, ventral view; 63. Same, retrolateral view; 64. Epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 41–46. Jocquestus capensis sp. nov. male (41–43) male and female (44–46): 41. Schematic representation of cusp arrangement on legs I and II; 42. Left palp, ventral view; 43. Same, retrolateral view; 44. Epigyne, ventral view; 45. Variation of epigyne, ventral view; 46. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.