Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Theridiidae

Anelosimus darwini Agnarsson, Kuntner & Jencik sp. n. Fig. 12

Type material.

Holotype female holotype from Ambohitantely Special Reserve (18.197°S, 47.285°E), 1600 m alt, Analamanga region, Ankazobe district, Madagascar, 28.iv.2008, montane forest, col. Agnarsson and Kuntner, in NMNH.

Other material.

Juveniles from same locality.

Etymology.

The species epithet is a noun in the genitive case and honors Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary biology.

Diagnosis.

Anelosimus darwini can be diagnosed from all other Anelosimus, expect Anelosimus may, and Anelosimus ata, by the anchor-shaped septum (Fig. 12B) and from Anelosimus may and Anelosimus ata by the pathway of the copulatory duct with a near 90° bend (Fig. 12C). Anelosimus darwini can be diagnosed from other Madagascan Anelosimus on the basis of the following unique mtDNA nucleotide substitutions at the following standard DNA barcode alignment positions: T (84), T (190), T (526), A (848). It can also be readily diagnosed from most other Anelosimus based the following partially shared nucleotide substitutions, and all other species by their unique combination: T (127, except Anelosimus nazariani and Anelosimus ata), T (130, except Anelosimus nazariani), A (133, except Anelosimus huxleyi), G (229, except some Anelosimus may), G (244, except Anelosimus may), T (352, except Anelosimus may and Anelosimus sallee), T (364, except Anelosimus torfi), G (556, except Anelosimus nazariani), T (631, except Anelosimus salut), G (838, except Anelosimus andasibe).

Description.

Female (holotype): Total length 3.70. Cephalothorax 1.88 long, 1.27 wide, 0.93 high. Red-brown. Sternum 1.04 long, 0.82 wide, extending between coxae IV, dark brown. Abdomen 1.79 long, 1.63 wide, 2.45 high. Brown pattern with 2 white streaks. Eyes subequal in size about 0.11 in diameter. Chelicerae each with 1 large tooth, 3 denticles located prolaterally. Clypeus height about 2.3 times one AME diameter. Leg I femur 2.10, patella 0.62, tibia 1.86, metatarsus 1.49, tarsus 0.93. Legs roughly same color as cephalothorax. Leg formula 1432. Numerous (3-4) small trichobothria dorsally on all tibiae. 2-3 trichobothria on metatarsus, absent on tarsus.

Variation: only known from holotype.

Distribution.

Only known from type locality.

Natural history.

Unknown, predicted to be subsocial.