Ballomma legala, Jocqué, Rudy & Henrard, Arnaud, 2015

Jocqué, Rudy & Henrard, Arnaud, 2015, Ballomma, a new Afrotropical genus in the Cryptothelinae (Araneae, Zodariidae): eyes on the run, European Journal of Taxonomy 163 (163), pp. 1-24 : 14-17

Ballomma legala gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:83C81CDA-F2F9-4D16-B8D7-B7CA396043F5

Figs 9 A–E, 10A–D, 14

Diagnosis

The female of B. legala gen. et sp. nov. is easily recognized by the dense field of spinules on the distal part of the endites and the epigyne with V-shaped mark in front of the transverse row of spermathecae. Also juveniles and subadult males have a field of spinules on the endites.

Etymology

The species name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Type material

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA: ♀, Limpopo Province, Legalameetse Nature Reserve, Balloon Forest Leg 0 1 , 2 4°11.966 S 30°20.327 E, 17 Jan. 2009, riverine to mixed woodland , leaf litter sifting, N. Hahn ( NCA 2015/3582 ) .

Paratype

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, same data as holotype .

Remark

The tube contains four juveniles and three subadult males, most likely conspecific with the holotype.

Description

Female (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.25; carapace 2.56 long, 0.92 high, 1.63 wide, narrowed to 0.98 in eye region.

COLOUR. Carapace ( Fig. 9 A, D) medium brown with thin dark margin; chelicerae medium brown; legs yellowish orange; and sternum yellow ( Fig. 9 B–C, E); abdomen ( Fig. 9 A–B, D): dorsum and sides with complex pale pattern on dark grey background; venter pale with three longitudinal bands of darker mottling; spinnerets yellow.

CARAPACE. Finely reticulate. Clypeus with dispersed setae. Endites with dense field of small spinules in distal half ( Fig. 9 E). With small crescent-shaped precoxal sclerite at coxae II and III.

EYES. AME: 0.09; ALE: 0.12; ALE–ALE: 0.0; AME–ALE: 0.04; PME: 0.09; PLE: 0.12; PME–

PME: 0.03; PME–PLE: 0.15. Clypeus 0.23 or 1.7 times width of ALE; slightly retreating.

CHILUM. Double, each part 0.04 high, 0.12 wide. Sternum shield-shaped, 0.99 long, 0.85 wide.

LEGS. Hinged hair on T I and II; preening brush on II–IV poorly developed.

SPINATION.

F P T Mt I d1 - - v 1 II d1 - v1-1 v1-1 dw 3 III d2 d1rl1 pl2d3rl2 v2-2 -2 8disp dw 6 IV d2 d1tl1 pl4d3rl3 v2-2 -2 10disp dw6 LEG MEASUREMENTS.

F P T Mt t total I 1.40 0.70 0.84 0.91 0.70 4.55 II 1.19 0.63 0.77 0.70 0.56 3.85 III 1.12 0.63 0.70 0.77 0.56 3.78 IV 1.47 0.77 1.12 1.26 0.70 5.32

PALP. Tarsus triangular, slightly flattened ventrally, with row of prolateral short spines; claw with three teeth, not turned inward.

EPIGYNE ( Fig. 10 A–D). Roughly quadrangular; anterior ducts clearly visible, forming a V-shaped pattern, followed by transverse row of globular structures.

Distribution

Only known from the type locality in the Limpopo Province, South Africa ( Fig. 14 ).

Figures

Fig. 9. Ballomma legala gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. As preceding, ventral view. C. As preceding, frontal view. D. As preceding, lateral view. E. Mouth parts, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 10. Ballomma legala gen. et sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. A. Epigyne, ventral view. B. As preceding, ventral view. C. Epigyne, digested, dorsal view. D. As preceding, dorsolateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 14. Distribution of species of Ballomma gen. nov.: B. erasmus gen. et sp. nov. (), B. haddadi gen. et sp. nov. (), B. legala gen. et sp. nov. () and B. neethlingi gen. et sp. nov. ().