Asceua Thorell, 1887

Jocqué, Rudy & Henrard, Arnaud, 2024, A revision of Afrotropical Asceua (Araneae, Zodariidae), ant-eating spiders with puzzling distributions, African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 161-198 : 161-198

Asceua Thorell, 1887

Diagnosis

(modified from Jocqué 1991). Asceua belongs to the dual femoral organ clade ( Henrard and Jocqué 2015) which only contains Suffasia Jocqué, 1991 , Suffrica Henrard & Jocqué, 2015 and Suffascar Henrard & Jocqué, 2017 . Asceua are recognized by the narrow, compressed cymbium (male), the superficially intricately wound ducts in the epigyne (female) and the presence of only one or two spines on the femora.

Description

(modified from Jocqué 1991). Small spiders (2.5–4.5), with relatively high, oval carapace, without cervical grooves, widest at level of coxae II; narrowed in front to 0.65 maximum width in males and to about 0.75 times maximum carapace width in females. Highest point in profile between PME and fovea. Tegument smooth or finely granulated. Colour: Carapace, chelicerae, and sternum orange to dark brown; legs basically yellow to brown with dark stripes, femora usually with pale base. Abdomen dark grey with pale dorsal patches; venter pale or grey, rarely with pattern. Eyes in two procurved rows; ALE dark, circular; remainder pale, circular; eyes subequal. AME less than their diameter apart and at similar distance from ALE. PME about their diameter apart and slightly further from PLE, which are close to ALE. MOQ wider in back than in front and slightly longer than posterior width. Clypeus about three times as high as width of ALE, convex and protruding. Chilum single triangular sclerite, approximately as high as wide, rarely wider and oval. Chelicerae promargin with two small teeth; retromargin with one tooth near fang base (Fig. 11 A, B ); with patch of pores on inner face at anterior half (Fig. 11 A, C ). Endites and labium typical for subfamily (Fig. 11 D ); meso-apical part of the endites with modified, biseriate setae with dorsal tooth (Fig. 11 E ). Sternum bulging; roughly triangular with slight lateral triangles, corresponding with coxal concavities. Legs: Formula 4123 or 4132. Spination very poor; at most 1 or 2 dorsal spines on femora. Distoventral tuft of hairs poorly developed on Mt III and IV, but with clearly chisel-shaped setae (Fig. 11 H, I ). Hinged setae absent. Three claws: paired ones with about 10 teeth on legs I and II, with 4 or 5 teeth on legs III and IV. Inferior claw very small or vestigial, on protruding support. Tarsi I and II fusiform, III and IV laterally compressed. Legs beset with indented setae, which may be flat. Trichobothria in two rows on T, in one row on Mt and t; distal trichobothrium on Mt long (Fig. 11 J ). Femora provided with two femoral organs (Fig. 11 K, L ): a shallow perforated depression, with few curved, undivided setae. Abdomen oval, with dorsal scutum and epiandrum in male. Spinnerets 4 in male, 6 in female. Colulus represented by transverse row of few setae. Tracheal spiracle narrow, slightly procurved, anterior rim slightly sclerotized. Male palp with short tibia, provided with one or more short lateral and / or dorsal apophyses; cymbium very narrow as seen from above, due to wide lateral fold. Embolus thread-like, originating on mesoproximal side of tegulum, the latter with small median apophysis and membranous conductor. Female palp with finely pectinate claw, turned inward over 90 ° (Fig. 11 F ). Tarsus slightly fusiform. Epigyne often with transparent scape; copulatory ducts long, coiled, leading to tubular, rarely spherical, spermathecae.

Figures

Figure 11. Asceua lejeunei Jocqué, 1991, SEM views of somatic characters, female (RMCA _ 245370) A cheliceral fangs and promargins, ventral view. Arrows pointing to cheliceral pores B idem, detail of fang and promargin teeth C detail of cheliceral pores on proventral face D endites and labium, ventral view E apex of endites, detail of setae F apex of palpal tarsus, ventral view G claws of leg IV H apex of metatarsus III, ventral view I idem, detail of chisel-shaped setae J apex of metatarsus IV K Femoral organ of leg I, retrolateral side L idem, prolateral side. Scale bars: 20 µm (A – C, E – L); 0.1 mm (D).