Coronarachne, Haddad & Lyle, 2024

Haddad, Charles R. & Lyle, Robin, 2024, Three new genera of arboreal dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae: Trachelidae), Zootaxa 5399 (5), pp. 451-504 : 455-458

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5399.5.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:ED0CE93C-3235-4DEE-951B-A46CBD3D6AF9
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10517257
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/633387D8-9D73-FFC6-FF3A-A829C52EF8A4
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Coronarachne
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Coronarachne gen. nov.

Type species. Coronarachne denticulata sp. nov.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin term corona, meaning crown, referring to the denticles at the distal end of the dorsal RTA that resemble a crown, and the Greek αράχνη (arachne), meaning spider. Incidentally, the genus is described amidst the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, so its name should serve as a reminder of this inconvenient event. Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. Males of Coronarachne gen. nov. can be recognized by the presence of two moderately small RTA, with the dorsal RTA distinguished by the presence of several fine denticles distally that resemble a crown ( Figs 57, 61 View FIGURES 53–64 ). The palps are further characterized by the absence of femoral, patellar and cymbial apophyses, the embolus coiled and closely associated with a long conductor ( Figs 58, 59 View FIGURES 53–64 ), and the embolus tip associated with several modified flattened setae on the ventral side of the cymbium in several species ( Fig. 63 View FIGURES 53–64 ), a trait shared with some species of Trachecymbius gen. nov. The female epigynes are weakly sclerotized, with a wrinkled integument surrounding the anterior copulatory openings ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 53–64 ), and usually with small bilobed posterior ST I.

Description. Small spiders, 2.08–3.20 mm in length; carapace bright orange to deep red-brown ( Figs 1 View FIGURES 1–4 , 5, 10 View FIGURES 5–14 , 65–73 View FIGURES 65–73 ); carapace oval, broadest at posterior of coxae II, gradually narrowed towards eye region ( Figs 15 View FIGURES 15–26 , 27 View FIGURES 27–32 ); fovea indistinct, a short shallow slit ( Figs 5, 10 View FIGURES 5–14 ); posterior margin very slightly concave, almost straight; weakly convex in lateral profile, slightly elevated from clypeus to approximately ⅓ carapace length, with steeper slope in posterior quarter ( Figs 6, 11 View FIGURES 5–14 ); carapace surface finely wrinkled, with scattered short fine curved setae with small tuberculate bases. All eyes surrounded by black rings ( Figs 5, 10 View FIGURES 5–14 ); AER procurved in anterior view, slightly recurved in dorsal view ( Figs 16 View FIGURES 15–26 , 28 View FIGURES 27–32 ), AME slightly smaller than ALE; AME separated by approximately ½ their diameter, almost touching ALE; PER strongly recurved in dorsal view, PME slightly oval and flattened, PLE round, PME approximately ¾ times PLE diameter; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter, separated from PLE by approximately 1¼ PME diameter; MOQ narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, posterior width slightly larger than length. Chilum indistinct, a narrow transverse sclerite; cheliceral promargin with two teeth, retromargin with two or three teeth; cheliceral escort seta absent; fang with distinct serrula; endites with parallel lateral margins, mesal margins with longitudinal groove ( Figs 17 View FIGURES 15–26 , 29 View FIGURES 27–32 ), distal margins with distinct serrula comprising sharp straight denticles ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 27–32 ) and dense maxillar hair tuft on mesal margins ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 15–26 ); labium trapezoidal, slightly longer than wide, narrower distally than basally ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 15–26 ). Pleural bars sclerotised, isolated; sternum pentagonal, longer than broad, broadest between coxae II and III ( Figs 7, 12 View FIGURES 5–14 , 18 View FIGURES 15–26 , 31 View FIGURES 27–32 ), surface smooth centrally, sparsely covered in long straight setae, setae with more pronounced tuberculate bases towards borders ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 27–32 ); precoxal triangles present, intercoxal sclerites present between all coxal pairs. Leg formula 4123 or 1423, sparsely covered in long fine setae; femora I swollen, with strongly convex dorsal surface, ventral surface slightly convex ( Figs 8, 13 View FIGURES 5–14 ); all femora strongly constricted proximally ( Figs 8, 13 View FIGURES 5–14 ); patellar indentation on retrolateral side narrow, with lyriform organ at proximal end ( Figs 19, 20 View FIGURES 15–26 ); anterior legs of males with pronounced tuberculate setal bases on tibiae and metatarsi, less pronounced on tarsi ( Figs 8 View FIGURES 5–14 , 21–26 View FIGURES 15–26 , 33–38 View FIGURES 33–41 ), less strongly developed in females ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 5–14 ); metatarsi with sparse chemosensory setae and trichobothria dorsally ( Figs 42, 43 View FIGURES 42–52 ), with strongly developed metatarsal stopper ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 42–52 ) and ventral preening comb at distal end ( Figs 9, 14 View FIGURES 5–14 , 39 View FIGURES 33–41 ); tarsi with sparse tactile hairs, few dorsal trichobothria and chemosensory setae ( Figs 25 View FIGURES 15–26 , 37 View FIGURES 33–41 , 45–48, 51 View FIGURES 42–52 ); trichobothria with slightly lowered distal plate, distal margin of hood overlapping plate, hood with four curved ridges, roughly concentric ( Fig. 47 View FIGURES 42–52 ); tarsal organ at approximately ¾ tarsus length, only very slightly elevated from integument, surface finely wrinkled, opening oval and distally placed ( Figs 45, 46, 49, 51, 52 View FIGURES 42–52 ); paired tarsal claws short, with at least eight ( Fig. 50 View FIGURES 42–52 ) to twelve ( Fig. 40 View FIGURES 33–41 ) teeth and dense tenant setae forming claw tufts in between; female palpal claw simple, sharply curved distally. Abdomen oval, with two pairs of cream markings on grey background, clearly larger in females than males, with dorsal scutum in males only ( Figs 5, 6, 10, 11 View FIGURES 5–14 ); dorsum with very sparse fine setae ( Fig. 41 View FIGURES 33–41 ) and two pairs of sigilla, distinct in females, barely distinguishable on scutum in males; venter without sclerites or markings ( Figs 7, 12 View FIGURES 5–14 ), sparsely covered in fine setae ( Fig. 53 View FIGURES 53–64 ). Spinnerets short, conical, in compact group ( Fig. 54 View FIGURES 53–64 ), spigot detail not studied. Male palpal femora and patellae without apophyses ( Figs 55, 56, 59 View FIGURES 53–64 ), patella with retrolateral lyriform organ ( Figs 56, 60 View FIGURES 53–64 ); palpal tibiae with denticulate dorsal and digitiform ventral retrolateral apophyses ( Figs 55, 57, 61 View FIGURES 53–64 ); tegulum transversely oval in ventral view ( Fig. 62 View FIGURES 53–64 ), broader than cymbium, rarely with prolateral tegular apophysis ( Fig. 62 View FIGURES 53–64 ), with spiralling conductor and embolus ( Figs 55, 58, 59, 62 View FIGURES 53–64 ); embolus tip slender or sharply hooked, with modified spatulate setae ventrally on cymbium in close proximity ( Fig. 63 View FIGURES 53–64 ). Female epigyne occupying most of epigastric plate length, with translucent spiralling wrinkles, with at least one corresponding to internal connecting ducts, with copulatory openings near centre of epigyne or anteriorly ( Figs 64 View FIGURES 53–64 , 76 View FIGURES 74–78 , 83 View FIGURES 79–84 , 88 View FIGURES 86–89 , 92 View FIGURES 90–93 ); posterior of epigyne often with pronounced median lip; copulatory ducts weakly sclerotized, initially spiralling in C. denticulata sp. nov. ( Fig. 76 View FIGURES 74–78 ), with single loop in C. penicillus sp. nov. ( Fig. 83 View FIGURES 79–84 ), but not in C. setosa sp. nov. ( Fig. 88 View FIGURES 86–89 ) and C. unigena sp. nov. ( Fig. 92 View FIGURES 90–93 ), continuing around periphery of epigyne to posterior ST I with posteriorly-directed fertilization ducts.

Composition. Five species, all newly described: C. denticulata sp. nov., C. neethlingi sp. nov., C. penicillus sp. nov., C. setosa sp. nov. and C. unigena sp. nov.