Diphya leroyorum, Omelko & Marusik & Lyle, 2020

Omelko, Mikhail M., Marusik, Yuri M. & Lyle, Robin, 2020, A survey of Diphya Nicolet, 1849 (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 4899 (1), pp. 259-279 : 264-266

Diphya leroyorum sp. nov.

Figures 1C , 2 F–G, 3G, 6C, 7F–G, 8D

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the Leroy family. Astri and John Leroy have been key role players in the establishment of the Spider Club of Southern Africa. They have shared their passion and excitement for arachnids to many others.

Diagnosis. This species, only known from the holotype male, can be distinguished from other congeners by the palp having a well-sclerotized conductor with a tip that bends anteriorly, forming a right angle, and with a short, abrupt tip of the cymbial process. Other species, such as D. foordi sp. nov. and D. simoni , have either a weakly sclerotized conductor or a long, sharply pointed cymbial process and the tip of conductor bent antero-ventrally. Female unknown.

Description. Male (Holotype). TL 2.88. CL 1.46, CW 1.13; carapace brown or dark brown with indistinct yellow-brown longitudinal band. Ocular area dark black. Edge of carapace in its rear half with very thin yellow line. Clypeus yellowish, somewhat higher than AME diameter. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Sternum brown with blackish edges, without longitudinal stripe. Femora and patellae light-brown; III-IV lighter than I-II. Tibiae light brown, grayish dorsally (except for III, which are uniformly colored). Metatarsi and tarsi of all legs light brown. Abdomen dorsally light brown, with 4 pairs of irregularly shaped spots (frontal pair of spots biggest), surrounded by line consisting of white guanine spots. Lateral sides blackish, with yellow spots and stripes. Ventrally yellow with blackish spots.

Palp and leg segment lengths

Palp as in Figs 7 F–G, 8D; femur slightly longer than cymbium; cymbial process short, broad at the base with abrupt tip, length wide ratio about 1.25; conductor well sclerotized, with tip bent anteriorly with right angle; embolus relatively short, ca. 2.7 times shorter than cymbium, with its process in anterior view ( Fig. 7G ).

Type material. Holotype ♁: SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumalanga: Mariepskop , 24°34.8’S, 30°52.2’E, leg. J. Horn, 18.V.2005 (forest, litter sifting) ( NCA 2010 /3454).

Comments. We are convinced that this species, known by holotype male only, cannot be conspecific with D. vanderwaltae sp. nov., only known from the holotype female. The two species have very different color patterns and leg spination arrangements.

Distribution. Type locality only ( Fig. 14 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Male habitus of Diphya wesolowskae sp. nov. (A–B), D. leroyorum sp. nov. (C), D. simoni Kauri, 1950 (D–F) and D. foordi sp. nov. (H–I). Scales = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Male habitus of Diphya wesolowskae sp. nov. (A, H), D. foordi sp. nov. (B, C), D. simoni Kauri, 1950 (D–E) and D. leroyorum sp. nov. (F–G). A–B, D, F Lateral; C, E, G–H Ventral. Scales = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Male palp of Diphya wesolowskae sp. nov. (A, D), D. foordi sp. nov. (B, E), D. simoni (C, H) and D. leroyorum sp. nov. (F–G). A–C, F Antero-prolateral; D–E, G–H Antero-retrolateral. Scales = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 14. Distribution records of Diphya species in South Africa. Arrows indicate type localities.