Wadicosa benadira ( Caporiacco, 1940 ) Caporiacco, 1940

Torbjörn Kronestedt, 2015, Species of Wadicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae): transfer of two species from Pardosa and description of three new species from Africa, European Journal of Taxonomy 132, pp. 1-19 : 3-5

Wadicosa benadira ( Caporiacco, 1940) comb. nov.

Figs 1 A–C, 2 A–D, 3 A, D, 4 A, D, 5 C, D, 7 A, 8 A, D, 9 ; Table 1

Pardosa benadira Caporiacco, 1940: 770 , fig. 1 (♂). — Roewer 1959: 60, fig. 18 (♂).

Diagnosis

The male differs from other Wadicosa species by a short, characteristically shaped embolus with a proximal conical protrusion ( Fig. 2C–D ); the female differs by the shape of the epigyne, having a characteristically shaped median depression which is longer than wide and flanked by two narrow elongate furrows ( Figs 3 D, 7 A).

Material examined

Lectotype

SOMALIA: ♂, Middle Juba, Jilib (‘Gelib’), 0.49º N, 42.77º E, 20 Apr. 1937 ( MZUF), examined and here designated .

Other material

KENYA: Isiolo, 5 km NNE of Isiolo, 0º24.3’ N, 37º35.7’ E, 19 Jun. 1999, J.S. Schweikert & W.J. Pulawski, 1 ♀ ( CAS-ENT 9046046 ) . Laikipia, Mpala Ranch , 0°17‘ N, 37°52’ E, along edge of pond, 20 Apr. 2002, R. Jocqué & C. Warui, 1 ♀ ( MRAC 212184 ) . Marsabit, Marsabit National Reserve, Lake Paradise , 2°12’ N, 37°56’ E, bare soil on shore, 16 Jan. 1975, T. Kronestedt, 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ (together with Wadicosa oncka ) ( NHRS) . Kwale, 65 km WNW of Mombasa, at main road to Nairobi , 3°47’ S, 39°17’ E, open grassy vegetation at water hole, 3 & 7 Jan. 1972, T. Kronestedt, 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀ (together with W. oncka ) ( NHRS) . Taita-Taveta, Tsavo East National Park, Mudanda Rock , 3°10’ S, 38°31’ E, dense grassy vegetation at small pool, 7 Jan. 1972, T. Kronestedt, 2 ♀♀ (together with W. oncka ) ( NHRS) .

SOMALIA: same data as for lectotype, 1 ♂ (single palp only) . Middle Shabelle, Garsaale (‘Gaersale’), 2.63º N, 45.37º E, 1 Aug. 1968, S.B.S. (Spedizione Biologica in Somalia del Centro di Studio per la Faunistica ed Ecologia Tropicali del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) , 1 ♀ ( MRAC 173158 ) .

Description

Male (Kenya: WNW of Mombasa)

Total length 5.2 mm; carapace 2.70 mm long, 2.10 mm wide.

CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace brown to blackish brown with yellowish brown, wide, jagged-edged median field. No lateral bands. Sides of thoracic part with short dark recumbent hairs, median field in addition with dense pubescence of adpressed light hairs. Clypeus brown to blackish brown. Chelicerae brown to blackish brown. Sternum yellowish grey.

EYES. Width of row I 50 (slightly procurved as seen from front), row II 62, row III 77, row II–III 59. Diameter of AME 12, ALE 9, PME 24, PLE 19. Distance between AME 9, between AME and ALE 2.

ABDOMEN. Dorsum blackish with pattern of yellowish spots and bars. Lanceolate stripe greyish yellowish. Three yellowish spots at each side of lanceolate stripe, one at anterior half, one at middle and one at rear end. Posterior to lanceolate stripe a series of 3–4 yellowish transverse bars. Venter light yellowish to greyish with adpressed whitish pubescence and more erect scattered light hairs (difficult to see). Spinnerets yellowish.

LEGS (Table I). Yellowish brown with more or less distinct dark annulation on Ti and Mt. Fe I mostly darkened, prolaterally with prominent yellowish spot. (Fe may also be more or less darkened with lighter markings obscured: probably more aged specimens.) Ta yellow. Ti I with two retrolateral spines.

PALP ( Figs 2C–D , 3 A, 4 A, D, 5 C–D). Pt 0.45, Ti 0.45, Cy 1.10. Fe mostly darkened, Pt and Ti more or less darkened yellowish, Cy more or less dark brownish, distally yellowish. Tegular apophysis inconspicuous, largely unsclerotized, widening distally ( Figs 3 A, 4 A). Anterior retrolateral process comparatively short ( Fig. 4 D). Conductor long, narrow, distally bent about 90º ( Fig. 5 C–D). Embolus comparatively short, stout, proximally with conspicuous conical protrusion directed backwards, tip with wide concavity ( Figs 2C–D , 5 C–D).

Female (Kenya: WNW of Mombasa)

Total length 6.1 mm; carapace 3.25 mm long, 2.35 mm wide.

CEPHALOTHORAX AND ABDOMEN. Carapace greyish brown (slightly lighter than in male). Median field wide, yellowish brown (sometimes weakly discernible), with jagged edges. Lateral bands (when discernible) present as yellowish brown spots, posterior one elongated. Thoracic part richly furnished with short dark hairs; median field and lateral spots in addition with numerous adpressed light hairs. Chelicerae with dark and light hairs of varying length. Colour, pattern and hairiness of abdomen similar to those of male.

EYES. Width of row I 58 (slightly procurved as seen from front), row II 71, row III 89, row II–III 70. Diameter of AME 14, ALE 10, PME 27, PLE 23. Distance between AME 8, between AME and ALE 2.

LEGS ( Table 1 ). Yellowish brown with darker annulation. Fe I mostly dark with distinct yellowish brown spot prolaterally in distal half. Fe II–IV dark except for “pseudoannulation”, i.e., lighter dorso-lateral spots (distally) and dorso-lateral groups of whitish hairs.

EPIGYNE ( Figs 3 D, 7 A, 8 A, D). Median depression longer than wide. Bottom of depression with longitudinal median ridge. Elongated deeper pit at each side of median depression. Lateral elevations with more or less sclerotized rims, protruding like two lips slightly converging rearwards. Anterior part of median depression with two well separated deep foveolae. Receptacula pear-shaped, directed forwards ( Fig. 8 D).

Size variation

Carapace lengths of material measured: males 2.65–2.95 mm (N = 4), females 2.85–3.45 mm (N = 16).

Habitat

Collected in habitats close to water.

Distribution

Somalia, Kenya. ( Roewer (1959) erroneously placed ‘Gelib’ in Ethiopia.)

Figures

Fig. 1. Habitus, dorsal view. — A–C. Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco). A ♂ from Kenya, Marsabit. B ♂ and C ♀ from Kenya, WNW of Mombasa. — D. W. russellsmithi sp. nov., holotype, ♀. — E–F. W. cognata sp. nov. E ♂ and F ♀ from Kenya, Lake Magadi. — G–H. W. jocquei sp. nov. G ♂ from Comoros, Pomoni. H ♀ from Mayotte. Scale bar: A–H = 2 mm.

Fig. 2. — A–D. Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco). A. Left male palp, from Caporiacco (1940: fig. 1). B. Right male palp, from Roewer (1959: fig. 18). C–D. Left embolus in ♂ from Kenya, Marsabit; anterior (C) and ventral (D) view. — E–F. W. jocquei sp. nov. Left embolus (E), frontal view, and left cymbium (F) in ♂ from Comoros, Anjouan. Arrow points at projecting retrolateral rim of cymbium. Scale bars: C–E = 0.2mm, F = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 3. Right male palp, ventral view (A – C) and epigyne (D – H). — A, D. Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco) (A from Kenya, WNW of Mombasa; D from Kenya, Marsabit). — B, E. W. cognata sp. nov. B. Holotype. E. Paratype. — C, G. W. jocquei sp. nov. C. Holotype. G. Allotype. — F. W. Fdelis (Pickard-Cambridge) from Spain. — H. W. russellsmithi sp. nov., holotype. Scale bar: A – H = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 4. Bulbus of left male palp in ventral (A – C) and retrolateral (D – F) view. — A, D. Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco), from Kenya, WNW of Mombasa. — B, E. W. cognata sp. nov., from Kenya, Lake Magadi. — C, F. W. jocquei sp. nov., from Comoros, Moheli. a. rl. p, anterior retrolateral process; co, conductor; em, embolus; p. rl. p, posterior retrolateral process; sc, scutra; tg. a, tegular apophysis. Scale bar: A – F = 300 µm.

Fig. 5. Terminal part of left male palp with embolus (em) and conductor (co). — A. Wadicosa cognata sp. nov., from Kenya, Lake Magadi, ventral view. — B. W. Fdelis (Pickard-Cambridge), from Spain, ventral view. — C – D. W. benadira (Caporiacco), from Kenya, WNW of Mombasa. C. Ventral view. D. More frontal view. — E. W. jocquei sp. nov., from Comoros, Moheli, frontal view. Scale bars: A – B = 200 µm, C – E = 200 µm.

Fig. 7. Epigyne, ventral view. — A. Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco), from Kenya, Tsavo East NP. — B. W. cognata sp. nov., allotype. — C. W. jocquei sp. nov., from Madagascar, Mahafaly. — D. W. russellsmithi sp. nov., holotype. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 8. Epigyne in ventral (A – C) and dorsal (D – F) view. — A, D. Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco), from Kenya, Marsabit. — B, E. W. cognata sp. nov., from Kenya, Lake Magadi. — C, F. W. jocquei sp. nov. C. From Mauritius. F. From Comoros, Anjouan. fo, foveola; l. el. lateral elevation; sp, spermatheca; arrow points at lateral elevation partly covering foveola. Scale bars: A – F = 300 µm.

Fig. 9. Collection localities for Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco) (stars), W. cognata sp. nov. (triangle) and W. jocquei sp. nov. (circles). One symbol may refer to more than one locality.

Tables

Table 1. Leg (I–IV) measurements (mm) in Wadicosa benadira (Caporiacco), W. cognata sp. nov., W. jocquei sp. nov. and W. russellsmithi sp. nov.

	Fe	Pt	Ti	Mt	Ta	Total
W. benadira ( Caporiacco, 1940)
Male
I	2.15	0.95	1.80	1.90	1.40	8.20
II	2.10	0.90	1.60	1.85	1.30	7.75
III	2.00	0.85	1.50	2.00	1.15	7.50
IV	2.70	1.00	2.20	3.40	1.55	10.85
Female
I	2.60	1.15	2.10	2.00	1.45	9.30
II	2.50	1.10	1.90	1.95	1.35	8.80
III	2.35	1.05	1.75	2.20	1.20	8.55
IV	3.20	1.20	2.65	4.00	1.75	12.80
W. cognata sp. nov.
Male
I	2.40	1.10	1.95	2.15	1.35	8.95
II	2.30	1.05	1.70	2.05	1.20	8.30
III	2.25	1.00	1.55	2.20	1.05	8.05
IV	2.90	1.15	2.25	3.45	1.45	11.20
Female
I	2.75	1.30	2.15	2.20	1.40	9.80
II	2.65	1.25	1.90	2.10	1.35	9.25
III	2.50	1.15	1.75	2.35	1.20	8.95
IV	3.40	1.35	2.50	3.80	1.60	12.65
W. jocquei sp. nov.
Male
I	2.30	1.05	1.90	2.10	1.40	8.75
II	2.25	1.00	1.70	2.00	1.30	8.25
III	2.15	0.95	1.55	2.20	1.20	8.05
IV	2.90	1.10	2.30	3.60	1.60	11.50
Female
I	2.70	1.25	2.15	2.15	1.50	9.75
II	2.65	1.20	1.95	2.10	1.45	9.35
III	2.50	1.10	1.85	2.40	1.35	9.20
IV	3.40	1.30	2.75	4.30	1.85	13.60
W. russellsmithi sp. nov.
Female
I	1.95	0.95	1.55	1.50	1.10	7.05
II	1.90	0.90	1.40	1.50	1.05	6.75
III	1.80	0.90	1.30	1.65	0.95	6.60
IV	2.40	1.00	2.00	2.90	1.30	9.60