Massagris natalensis, Wesolowska & Haddad, 2009

Wesolowska, Wanda & Haddad, Charles R., 2009, Jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) of the Ndumo Game Reserve, Maputaland, South Africa, African Invertebrates 50 (1), pp. 13-103 : 53-55

Massagris natalensis sp. n.

Figs 93–98, 218

Etymology: The species is named after the KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Diagnosis: The male of the species differs from congeners by the absence of a tibial apophysis and by the shape of the embolus, which is longer than in the other species. Female unknown.

Description:

Male.

Measurements: Carapace length 2.2, width 1.6, height 1.0. Abdomen length 1.9, width 1.3. Eye field length 1.2, anterior width 1.3, posterior width 1.2.

General appearance in Figs 93, 218. Carapace rounded, medium high, gently sloping posteriorly; eye field large, occupying half carapace length, eyes set on well developed tubercles; fovea long, sulciform; carapace brown, vicinity of eyes black, with darker lines radiating from fovea; clypeus low, brown. Labium and endites brownish with light tips, sternum light brown; chelicerae pluridentate, both margins with five small teeth ( Fig. 94); long, thick bristles form basket-like structure above dorsal surface of chelicerae. Abdomen narrower than carapace, oval, greyish yellow with small brown spots; silver guanine crystals translucent through integument; venter yellow. Legs light brown, first tibia with two pairs of ventral spines, metatarsus with one pair. Pedipalps rather large, brown; palpal organ as in Figs 95–98.

Holotype: ơ Western shore of Shokwe Pan, 26 ° 52.013'S: 32 ° 12.982'E, F. sycomorus forest, Ficus bark, 25.xi.2000 (NCA 2009/669).

Paratype: 1ơ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Ophathe Game Reserve, Ophathe R . bed, 28 ° 22.693'S: 31 ° 24.442'E, leaf litter, 5.vii.2007, C. Haddad & R . Fourie ( NCA 2007 /2974) .

Habitat and biology: This species was collected from under bark in FF at Shokwe Pan. The paratype was collected from leaf litter in a dry river bed at Ophathe Game Reserve , approximately 200 km south of NGR, also in savannah .