Cangoderces globosa, Wang, Chunxia, Li, Shuqiang & Haddad, Charles R., 2018

Wang, Chunxia, Li, Shuqiang & Haddad, Charles R., 2018, A new species of the spider genus Cangoderces (Araneae, Telemidae) from South Africa, African Invertebrates 59 (1), pp. 37-46 : 38-41

Cangoderces globosa sp. n. Figs 1-4, 5-7, 8-12, 13-14

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin word “globosus”, meaning “spherical”, and refers to the ball-shaped spermatheca in the female; adjective.

Diagnosis.

Males of this new species can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by the distally broadened embolus, forming two rounded lobes (Figs 2-4, 10-12) and the presence of a rod-like modifier retrolaterally on the male palpal bulb (Figs 2, 4, 12). In this genus, females share only with C. lewisi the ball-shaped spermatheca, but can be distinguished from the latter species by the gradual broadening of the copulatory duct before the spermatheca (Figs 7, 14), while in C. lewisi , the copulatory duct is almost parallel-sided before expanding abruptly at the base of the spermatheca (see Harington 1951: figs 5, 6; Brignoli 1978: fig. 3).

Description.

Male (paratype, NCA 2017/1190).

Total length 1.32. Prosoma 0.63 long, 0.55 wide. Opisthosoma 0.66 long, 0.63 wide. Carapace, sternum saffron yellow (Fig. 1). Legs, labium, endites and chelicerae yellow. Six eyes, anterior row of four eyes slightly recurved; AME close together, nearly touching, separated from ALE by 1/4 of ALE diameter; lateral eyes contiguous. Chelicerae (Fig. 8) longer than endites, with seven tiny granulate denticles on promargin, six small triangular teeth on retromargin. Leg patellae I–IV with one long spine distally, tibiae I–IV with one long spine medially. Leg measurements: I 3.95 (1.25, 0.19, 1.12, 0.81, 0.58); II 3.42 (1.12, 0.17, 1.00, 0.63, 0.50); III 2.40 (0.80, 0.16, 0.62, 0.44, 0.38); IV 3.27 (1.06, 0.17, 0.94, 0.60, 0.50). Leg formula 1243. Abdomen baby-blue, pear-shaped, decorated with long hairs; colulus shield-shaped (Fig. 9). Palp (Figs 2-4, 10-12) without prolateral cymbial apophysis; bulb yellowish, nearly round in ventral view, with one rod-like modifier retrolaterally; embolus membranous, forming two broad rounded lobes distally, with distal part sclerotised.

Female (holotype, NCA 2017/1191).

Similar to male in colouration and general features, but with smaller body size and shorter legs (Figs 5, 6). Total length 1.09. Prosoma 0.58 long, 0.54 wide. Opisthosoma 0.81 long, 0.50 wide. Leg measurements: I 3.64 (1.12, 0.17, 1.10, 0.69, 0.56); II 3.21 (1.00, 0.16, 0.93, 0.62, 0.50); III 2.29 (0.75, 0.17, 0.60, 0.41, 0.36); IV 3.12 (0.95, 0.16, 0.88, 0.69, 0.44). Leg formula: 1243. Genital area swollen (Fig. 13). Spermatheca (Figs 7, 14) short, strong and ball-shaped, copulatory duct broadening distally to base of spermatheca.

Type material.

Holotype ♀, SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga Province, Sabie, Mountain Gorge on Road 37, 25°10.150'S, 30°45.832'E, 30.IX.2012, leg. J.A. Neethling, sifting leaf litter in Afromontane forest (NCA 2017/1191). Paratype: 1♂, same data as holotype (NCA 2017/1190).

Remark.

After the male paratype was photographed and measurements taken, the abdomen broke off and was lost.