Messapus seiugatus, Haddad, Charles R. & Mbo, Zingisile, 2015

Haddad, Charles R. & Mbo, Zingisile, 2015, Five new species of the Afrotropical dark sac spider genus Messapus Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Corinnidae), Zootaxa 4057 (3), pp. 385-398 : 393-394

Messapus seiugatus sp. n.

Figs 7 , 34 , 47, 48

Type material. Holotype ♀: GUINEA: Mt Nimba, Gba Valley, 07°42'N, 08°24'W, leg. D. van den Spiegel & A. Henrard, 11.X.2011 (beating, primary gallery forest, litter in trees and shrubs) ( MRAC 238097).

Etymology. From Latin seiugatus (separated), referring to its isolated distribution from all of the other Messapus species, in far West Africa.

Diagnosis. Messapus seiugatus sp. n. females are recognised by their nearly spherical spermathecae and small curved epigynal ridges ( Figs 34 , 47, 48 ). The epigynal ridges of M. seiugatus sp. n. are small and curved inwards, while those of M. tropicus sp. n. are larger and curved outwards (compare Figs 47 and 51 ). Male unknown.

Female (holotype, Mt Nimba, MRAC 238097). Measurements: CL 4.25, CW 3.60, AL 4.95, AW 3.55, TL 9.25, FL 0.45, SL 1.93, SW 2.14, CH 0.14, AME–AME 0.13, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.68, PME–PME 0.22, PME–PLE 0.16, PLE–PLE 0.94, PERW 1.30, MOQAW 0.67, MOQPW 0.70, MOQL 0.73.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 4.75 + 1.90 + 3.75 + 3.65 + 2.00 = 16.05; II 4.40 + 1.70 + 3.20 + 3.40 + 1.85 = 14.55; III 4.40 + 1.60 + 3.10 + 3.62 + 1.93 = 14.65; IV 5.12 + 1.76 + 3.90 + 4.75 + 2.05 = 17.58.

General appearance as in Fig. 7 . Carapace creamy-yellow, with dark brown mediolateral markings, median line in front of and surrounding fovea, mottled spots behind PER, small brown spots laterally between coxal pairs; eye region black, with silver-white FS between median eyes, also between carapace markings; markings covered in black FS. All eyes surrounded by black rings; clypeus height approximately half AME diameter; AER procurved; AME larger than ALE; AME separated by distance 0.44 times their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance 0.08 times AME diameter; PER slightly procurved; PME subequal to PLE; PME separated by distance 0.90 times their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance 0.65 times PME diameter. Chelicerae orangebrown; CPPM present; promargin with three slightly separated teeth, proximal tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; retromargin with six closely spaced teeth, proximal largest, remaining teeth decreasing in size distally. Endites and labium yellow-brown, cream distally; endites with distinct serrula; sternum shield-shaped, slightly broader than long, creamy-orange, with black median marking anteriorly. Legs with femora to tibiae cream, metatarsi and tarsi yellow-brown, with scattered short straight brown setae; black markings covered in black FS; femora with band at 2/3 their length and narrow distal black ring dorsally; patellae with dense black mottling proximally, distally and laterally; tibiae and metatarsi with broad median band; tarsi without markings. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 3, II pl 2 do 3 rl 1, III pl 1 do 3 rl 2, IV do 3 rl 1; tibiae: I plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, II rlv 2 vt 2, III plv 1 rlv 2 vt 2, IV plv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3, II plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, III plv 1 rlv 2 vt 3, IV plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2; patellae: do 1 pl 1; tibiae: pl 1 plv 1; tarsi: plv 1. Abdomen creamy-grey dorsally, laterally and ventrally, with mottled markings; dorsum with sparse short straight setae, very dense ventrally; markings covered in black FS, with creamy-yellow FS between them. Epigyne with small ridges medially, curved inwards; copulatory openings situated anteriorly in ridges ( Figs 34 , 47 ); spermathecae nearly spherical, anteriorly situated ( Fig. 48 ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 55 ).

Figures

FIGURE 55. Distribution of Messapus megae sp. n. (black circle), M. meridionalis sp. n. (black star), M. seiugatus sp. n. (black square), M. tigris sp. n. (open circles) and M. tropicus sp. n. (open squares) in the Afrotropical Region.

FIGURES 3 – 10. Digital microscope photographs of Messapus species, female right chelicerae in posterior view (3) and dorsal habitus (4 – 10): 3, 8 M. tigris sp. n., female; 4 M. megae sp. n., female; 5 Same, male; 6 M. meridionalis sp. n., female; 7 M. seiugatus sp. n., female; 9 M. tropicus sp. n., female; 10 Same, male. Scale bars: 3 = 1 mm, 4 – 10 = 2 mm. Abbreviations: CPPM—cheliceral promarginal pronounced mound; F—fang; P—paturon; PMT—promarginal teeth; RMT—retromarginal teeth.

FIGURES 32 – 40. Digital microscope photographs of Messapus species, cleared female epigynes in ventral view (32 – 36) and male palps in ventral (37, 39) and retrolateral views (38, 40): 32, 37, 38 M. megae sp. n.; 33 M. meridionalis sp. n.; 34 M. seiugatus sp. n.; 35 M. tigris sp. n.; 36, 39, 40 M. tropicus sp. n.. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 45 – 50. Female genitalic morphology of Messapus meridionalis sp. n. (45, 46), M. seiugatus sp. n. (47, 48) and M. tigris sp. n. (49, 50): 45, 47, 49 Epigyne, ventral view; 46, 48, 50 Same, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 51 – 54. Genitalic morphology of Messapus tropicus sp. n.: 51 Female epigyne, ventral view; 52 Same, dorsal view; 53 Male palp, ventral view; 54 Same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.