Opopaea sheldrick Tong & Li

Tong, Yanfeng, Liu, Shijia, Kioko, Esther N., Kioko, Grace M. & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, Taxonomic studies on seven species of the genus Opopaea (Araneae, Oonopidae) from Kenya, African Invertebrates 60 (2), pp. 255-289 : 255

Opopaea sheldrick Tong & Li sp. nov. Figs 15 , 16 , 17 , 21 J–L , 23E, F , 25F, L

Type material.

Holotype ♂ ( NMK Ar-25130), Kenya, Kwale County, Ukunda Town, Shimba Hills National Reserve, Shimba Hills Sheldrick falls, 04°17.121'S, 39°25.886'E, 127 m, 18.VII.2016, Kioko G.M., Yao Z. & Zhao Q. Paratypes: 1 ♀ ( NMK Ar-25125), same data as holotype; 2 ♂ ( NMK Ar-25126-25127), 2 ♀ ( NMK Ar-25128-25129), same data as holotype.

Etymology.

The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to O. antsiranana Andriamalala & Hormiga, 2013, but can be distinguished by the hook-like protuberance on the tip of the male palp ( Fig. 16E ) and the triangular postgynal depression of female ( Fig. 23E ). Opopaea antsiranana has a slightly curved male palp tip and very short and narrow postgynal depression of female ( Andriamalala and Hormiga 2013: figs 318, 323, 326, 328).

Description.

Male (holotype). yellowish brown. Habitus as in Fig. 15A, C, E . Body length 1.75. Carapace ( Fig. 15B ): oval in dorsal view; sides with longitudinal streaks; dorsal area granulate, with some hairs at lateral edges. Eyes: ALE largest, PLE smallest; posterior eye row procurved viewed from above, procurved from front; ALE separated by less than their radius, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius. Clypeus height about 1.2 times ALE diameter ( Fig. 15G ). Sternum ( Fig. 15F ) longer than wide, fused to carapace; surface finely reticulate; radial furrows present, with rows of small pits. Anterior end of endites with a small, sharply pointed projection. Legs light yellow. Abdomen: booklung covers small, ovoid, without setae. Pedicel tube short, ribbed, with small, dorsolateral, triangular extensions, scuto-pedicel region lower than diameter of pedicel, with nearly straight scutal ridges ( Fig. 15H ). Palp ( Figs 16 , 21 J–L ): reddish brown; palpal femur less than half the length of patella and inserted at the patella submedially; patella large; cymbiobulbus shorter than the patella; palpal fenestra small and located at nearly the tip of the palp. Tip of the palp with a hook-like protuberance.

Female. As in male except as noted. Habitus as in Fig. 17A, C, E . Body length 1.85. Endites without projections. Copulatory organ ( Figs 17G , 23E, F ): postgynal depression small, triangular, about one third the width between the lateral apodemes; with a short, stick-shaped dark mark in the depression; there is a paddle-like sclerite (pls) dorsally, with thin, long, distal curved arms; nail-like process (nlp) well separated.

Measurements.

Male (holotype). TL: 1.75; CL: 0.72; CW: 0.58; AL: 1.04; AW: 0.60; ALE: 0.10; PME: 0.08; PLE: 0.07; EGW: 0.23; ALE-ALE: 0.02; ALE-PLE: 0.01; PME-PME: 0; PLE-PME: 0; CBL: 0.24; CBW: 0.09; PTL: 0.32; FI: 0.14; FML: 0.13.

Female. TL: 1.85; CL: 0.77; CW: 0.61; AL: 1.12; AW: 0.76; ALE: 0.09; PME: 0.07; PLE: 0.06; EGW: 0.23; ALE-ALE: 0.02; ALE-PLE: 0.01; PME-PME: 0; PLE-PME: 0.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 15. Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov., male. A, C, E habitus, dorsal, lateral and ventral views B, D, F, G prosoma, dorsal, lateral, ventral and anterior views H abdomen, anterior view. Abbreviations: boc = booklung covers; dte = dorsolateral, triangular extensions; sr = scutal ridge. Scale bars: 0.4 mm (A, C, E); 0.2 mm (B, D, F-H).

Figure 16. Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov., male left palp, SEM. A, B prolateral and retrolateral views C, D, G cymbiobulbus, prolateral, retrolateral and dorsal views E, F, H distal part of cymbiobulbus, prolateral, retrolateral and dorsal views.

Figure 17. Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov., female. A, C, E habitus, dorsal, lateral and ventral views B, D, F, H prosoma, dorsal, lateral, ventral and anterior views G abdomen, ventral view. Abbreviation: boc = booklung covers. Scale bars: 0.4 mm (A, C, E); 0.2 mm (B, D, F-H).

Figure 21. Male left palp. A-C Opopaea berlandi D-F Opopaea makadara sp. nov. G-I Opopaea ngulia sp. nov. J-L Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov. A, D, G, J prolateral view B, E, H, K retrolateral view C, F, I, L dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 23. Female copulatory organ. A, B Opopaea berlandi C, D Opopaea kulczynskii E, F Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov. A, C, E ventral view B, D, F dorsal view. Abbreviations: apo = apodeme; asr = anterior scutal ridge; ga = globular appendix; lpr = linguiform projection; nlp = nail-like process; pd = postgynal depression; pls = paddle-like sclerite; rds = ring-shaped dark spot; sds = stick-shaped dark spot. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 25. Habitus of males (A-G) and females (H-M). A, H Opopaea berlandi B, I Opopaea kulczynskii C, J Opopaea makadara sp. nov. D Opopaea ngulia sp. nov. E, K Opopaea ngangao sp. nov. F, L Opopaea sheldrick sp. nov. G, M Opopaea wundanyi sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.8 mm.