Heriaeus copricola, Niekerk & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2013

Niekerk, P. van & Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. S., 2013, A revision of the crab spider genus Heriaeus Simon, 1875 (Araneae: Thomisidae) in the Afrotropical Region, African Invertebrates 54 (2), pp. 447-447 : 456-458

Heriaeus copricola sp. n.

Figs 4 , 22–25 , 59

Etymology: From Latin copros (dung) and colere (to dwell in). The species name was suggested by Dr R.F. Lawrence (in litt.), who marked the type specimens as being a new species but did not publish its description.

Diagnosis: The species is recognized by the combination of long, slender, blunt abdominal setae and the epigyne having a shallow hood over a small round opening ( Fig. 24 ), with the internal organs visible as two light brown kidney-shaped structures below the hood ( Fig. 24 ). The embolus of the male palp is short, winding less than once around tegulum, with the tip slender and straight; VTA broad ( Fig. 23 ); RTA with short distal tooth when viewed laterally ( Fig. 22 ). The male palp resembles that of H. zanii sp. n. ( Fig. 53 ) but differs in the shape of the RTA, having a single tooth and the uniquely shaped abdominal setae ( Fig. 4 ).

Description:

Female (allotype).

Size: TL 4.88, CL 2.31, CW 2.04. Colour: Carapace with two longitudinal brown bands extending to PEs; setae brown; clypeus w ith brown marks; sternum white along edge; chelicerae yellow-brown; eye region white. Abdomen beige, mottled with white, with faint transverse lines posteriorly as well as a number of dark brown markings; venter white with fine hairs, with some brown spots laterally. Legs beige with brown spot on proximal end of tibiae and distal ends of metatarsi III and IV; some white mottling on coxae. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.14, ALE–AME 0.30, PME–PME 0.22, PLE–PME 0.31, AME–PME 0.24, MOQL AME–PME 0.31, MOQAW AME– AME 0.36, MOQPW PME–PME 0.28. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.89, Pat 1.04, Tib 1.76, Mt 1.80,Ta 0.51, total 7.0; leg II Fe 1,50, Pat 0.82, Tib 1.23, Mt 1.23, Ta 0.36, total 5.14; leg III Fe 0.92, Pat 0.59, Tib 0.74, Mt 0.74, Ta 0.55, total 3.54; leg IV Fe 1.37, Pat 0.41, Tib 0.94, Mt 0.76, Ta 0.48, total 3.96. Abdomen: Oval, truncated anteriorly, with long slender either transparent or pale brown setae with blunt tips; darker brown setae along lateral edge of dorsum. Epigyne: Hood shallow with small round opening, internal organs visible as two pale brown kidney-shaped structures, touching anteriorly and narrower posteriorly ( Fig. 24 ); copulatory ducts large and bulbous anteriorly, tubular posteriorly ( Fig. 25 ).

Male (holotype).

Size: TL 3.88, CL 1.89, CW 1.70. Colour: Carapace with two longitudinal brown bands extending to PEs and into eye region; setae brown ( Fig. 4 ); chelicerae yellow-brown; clypeus with brown marks; eye region white. Abdomen brown, mottled with white; laterally with some brown marks; setae on abdomen dark brown with dark spots at their bases laterally; venter white, covered with fine hairs. Legs yellow­brown, with white spot on each coxa. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.23, ALE–AME 0.53, PME–PME 0.23, PLE–PME 0.30, AME–PME 0.21, MOQL AME–PME 0.29, MOQAW AME–AME 0.28, MOQPW PME–PME 0.29. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 2.69, Pat 0.76, Tib 2.23, Mt 2.17, Ta 1.06, total 8.91; leg II Fe 2.26, Pat 0.64, Tib 1.76, Mt 1.56, Ta 0.99, total 7.21; leg III Fe 1.31, Pat 0.44, Tib 1.02, Mt 0.71, Ta 0.58, total 4.06; leg IV Fe 1.62, Pat 0.37, Tib 0.97, Mt 0.87, Ta 0.54, total 4.37. Abdomen: Oval, truncated anteriorly, but narrower than that of female. Male palp: Embolus short, winding less than once around tegulum; embolus tip slender and straight ( Fig. 22 ); VTA short, somewhat flattened but variable in shape; RTA broad anteriorly, ending in short distal tooth viewed laterally ( Fig. 23 ).

Juveniles. Recognized by long and blunt setae.

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu­Natal: Pietermaritzburg (29.60°S 30.38°E), xi.1942, R.F. Lawrence ( NMSA 3844 a).

Allotype: 1♀ same data as holotype ( NMSA 3844 b).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng: 1♂ Krugersdorp (26.09°S 27.78°E), 2.xii.2003, H. Roux, pitfall trap ( NCA 2009 /1552) ; 1♀ 1♂ Krugersdorp, Magaliesberg, Farm Nooitgedacht , 4171Q (25.88°S 27.52°E), 2.xii.2003, H. Roux, pitfall trap, grassland ( NCA 2010 /2877) . KwaZulu­Natal: 3♀ Pietermaritzburg, Scottsville (29.60°S 30.40°E), x.1943, R.F. Lawrence ( NMSA 3906 ) . Limpop o : 1♀ 1♂ Polokwane Nat. Res. (23.9°S 29.47°E), 8.xii.2005, T. Khoza & M. Madiba, hand sampling, false grassland ( NCA 2008 /1792) .

Distribution: South Africa (Gauteng, KwaZulu­Natal and Limpopo) ( Fig. 59 ).

Natural history: Most specimens were collected with pitfall traps in grassland and savanna. Adult females were collected in October and December, and males during November and December.

Figures

Figs 1–9. Heriaeus spp., habitus:(1) Heriaeus sp. long spiniform abdominal setae; (2) H.allenjonesi antoni sp. n. female; (3) H.antoni sp. n. female; (4) H.copricola sp. n. male; (5) H. crassispinus Lawrence, 1942 male; (6) H. foordi sp. n. male; (7) H. latifrons Lessert, 1919 female; (8) H.madagascar sp. n. male; (9) H. muizenberg sp. n. female.

Figs 22–29. (22–25) Heriaeus copricola sp. n.: (22) male palp, ventral view; (23) male palp, lateral view; (24) epigyne, ventral view; (25) epigyne, dorsal view; (26–29) Heriaeus crassispinus Lawrence, 1942: (26) male palp, ventral view; (27) male palp, lateral view; (28) epigyne, ventral view; (29) epigyne, dorsal view.

Figs 57–59. Distribution of Heriaeus spp. in the Afrotropical Region.

Figs 53–56.Heriaeus zanii sp.n.: (53) male palp, ventral view; (54) male lateral view; (55) epigyne, ventral view; (56) epigyne, dorsal view.