Sceliscelis marshi Oketch & Li, 2020

Oketch, Ambata D., Zonstein, Sergei, Kioko, Esther N. & Li, Shuqiang, 2020, Description of a new genus and three new species of the family Palpimanidae (Arachnida, Araneae) from Kenya, African Invertebrates 61 (2), pp. 93-106 : 93

Sceliscelis marshi Oketch & Li sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2

Type material.

Holotype ♂, Kenya, Taita Taveta County, near Mtito Andei, Tsavo West National Park, Rhino Sanctuary, 38°19.96'E, 03°1.230'S, 730 m, 28.VII.2016, sifting leaf litter, Grace Kioko leg. Paratype 1♀, same data as holotype.

Etymology.

This species is named after Mr. Brian Marsh OBE, the founder of the Marsh Christian Trust Awards for Ecologists in Africa, which the third author was awarded in 2019; noun (name) in genitive case.

Diagnosis.

See diagnosis of the genus.

Description.

Male. Habitus as in Fig. 1A-C . Total body length 3.83. Color in alcohol: carapace, sternum, chelicerae, labium, leg I coxa and epigastric scutum uniformly reddish orange to reddish brown, entire palp and most of leg I slightly paler reddish orange, legs II-IV with yellowish femur and patella and darkened distal segments. Carapace 2.13 long, 1.75 wide. Fovea longitudinal, open posteriorly. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, PME 0.05, PLE 0.06, ALE 0.06, AME-AME 0.09, PME-PME 0.19, AME-PME 0.09, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PLE 0.13, ALE-PLE < 0.01. AER almost straight. Labium triangular 0.25 long, 2 times the length of labium notch, clypeus 2 times shorter than length of chelicerae. Sternum 1.00 long, 0.78 wide, granulate. Endites trapezoidal, pale yellow anteriorly. Abdomen as in genus description. Palp: Patella sub-globular, as long as 1/3 length of tibia. Tibia 0.35 long, 0.31 wide. Cymbium about 2 times longer than wide.

Female. Cephalothorax in dorsal and ventral aspects as in Fig. 2A, B , respectively. Color in alcohol: carapace, sternum, chelicerae, labium, leg I coxa and epigastric scutum and abdomen same as in male. Body length 5.1. Carapace 3.1 long, 2.2 wide, fairly granulate. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.15, PME 0.08, PLE 0.06, ALE 0.06, AME-AME 0.09, PME-PME 0.19, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PLE 0.13, ALE-PLE < 0.01. Notch is approximately ½ the length of labium which is 0.24 long. Clypeus/chelicera length ratio 1:1. Epigastric scutum sclerotized, book lung operculum visible, lateral sclerites present, posterior edge strongly undulate. Vulva not visible through integument, distant from epigastric fold, with stalked grape-shaped glands. Receptacles oval, mounted on a pair of irregular receptive chambers, separated (Fig. 2C, D ). Leg and palp measurements in Table 1.

Distribution.

This species is currently known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figure 1. Sceliscelis marshi sp. nov., male holotype A-C habitus in dorsal, ventral and lateral aspects D-F palp: D prolateral E ventral and F retrolateral aspects. Abbreviations: am-accompanying membrane, co - " conductor, " cy - cymbium, ds - dorsal portion of scutum, em - embolus, hle - hook-like extension, pe - palm-like embolic extension. Scale bars: 1 mm (A-C), 0.1 mm (D-F).

Figure 2. Sceliscelis marshi sp. nov., female paratype. Cephalothorax A dorsal and B ventral aspects C, D endogyne, ventral and dorsal aspects, respectively. Abbreviations: Bl - book lung operculum, ch - receptive chamber, ds - dorsal portion of scutum, Gr - grape-shaped glands, Ls - lateral sclerite, Re - rigid extension of posterior wall of epigastric fold, sco - scopula, Sr - sac like receptacle. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B), 0.2 mm (C, D).