Diaphorocellus jocquei, Zonstein & Marusik, 2020

Zonstein, Sergei L. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2020, Two new species of Diaphorocellus Simon, 1893 from Madagascar (Araneae, Palpimanidae), African Invertebrates 61 (1), pp. 1-15 : 1

Diaphorocellus jocquei sp. nov. Figs 1E-H , 2C-D , 3C-D , 4D-F , 5C-D , 6B-C , 7E-F , 8B , 9

Etymology.

The specific name is a patronym in honour of the prominent Belgian arachnologist, Dr Rudy Jocqué, for his highly significant contribution to the study of African spiders.

Types.

Holotype ♂, Madagascar, Tamatave Province, Mahavelona ( “Foulpointe”, as labelled), 17°40'S, 49°31'E, 25.xi.1993, A. Pauly (RMCA ARA 200305). Paratypes: 1♀, collected together with the holotype (both deposited in the same vial); 1♂, 1♀, same collecting data but xii.1993 (RMCA ARA 177889); 1♀, same collecting data but xi.1994 (RMCA ARA 206925).

Diagnosis.

The new species can be distinguished from D. isalo sp. nov. by its smaller size and by the shape of the copulatory organs (the latter also distinguishes this new species from non-Malagasy congeners). Males of D. jocquei sp. nov. are characterised by the absence of cymbial spines (vs. present), and by a less dense cymbial brush composed of stronger setae (Figs 4F cf. Fig. 4C ). Females of these two species clearly differ in the shape of the membranous sacs: large subconical sacs in D. jocquei sp. nov. vs. globular ones in D. isalo sp. nov. In D. jocquei sp. nov. the PME are slightly distant from each other, while in D. isalo sp. nov. these eyes almost touch each other (Figs 2C-D cf. Figs 2A-B ). Additionally, D. jocquei sp. nov. differs from D. biplagiatus by possessing a finely spotted dorsal abdominal pattern, as well as by lacking very long retrolateral setae of the male palp, by having a shorter palpal femur (length/width ratio 2.8 vs. 3.2) and by presence of the membranous sacs in the endogyne (vs. absent). Other diagnostic characters of D. jocquei sp. nov. are noted in the Discussion.

Description.

Male. RMCA ARA 200305 (holotype).

Habitus: as in Figs 1E-F . Colour in alcohol: carapace and chelicerae deep scarlet red; legs I and abdominal scuta intense reddish orange; palps and legs II-IV pale milky orange; sternum, labium, maxillae and pedicel tube medium scarlet red; abdomen dorsally very pale brown with small and dense even paler whitish spots, ventrally uniformly pale milky orange, entirely covered with short and relatively dense brownish setae. Measurements: TL 4.35. CL 2.0, CW 1.85, CH 0.38, CyL 0.32, Femur I L/W 2.09 (1.63/0.78). Carapace: with moderately coarse granulations (Fig. 3C ). Eyes: AME 0.18, ALE 0.13, PME 0.09, PLE 0.07; AME-AME 0.09, AME-ALE 0.09, AME-PME 0.07, PLE-PME 0.09, PME-PME 0.02.

Copulatory organs: Palp as shown in Figs 4D-F , 5C-D , 6B-C . Femur 2.7 times longer than wide and 1.34 times longer than cymbium; patella globular, thinner than femur; tibia swollen, as long as wide, 1.55 times wider than femur. Cymbium retrolaterally with relatively sparse brush of strong setae. Bulb globular, partly embedded into the tibia; with 2 long (longer than tegulum) outgrowths: tegular apophysis and embolus. Tegular apophysis with 2 arms, pro- and retrolateral: prolateral arm with kind of comb on inner side; both arms bent on tip. Embolus located prolaterally, flat and long, almost as long as tegular apophysis.

Leg measurements: male RMCA ARA 200305 (female RMCA ARA 200305 in brackets):

	Femur	Patella	Tibia	Metatarsus	Tarsus	Total
Palp	0.58 (0.63)	0.19 (0.16)	0.30 (0.38)	-	0.43 (0.40)	1.50 (1.57)
I	1.63 (1.43)	1.40 (1.05)	0.93 (0.83)	0.40 (0.38)	0.50 (0.40)	4.86 (4.09)
II	1.08 (1.00)	0.60 (0.63)	0.75 (0.68)	0.60 (0.50)	0.38 (0.38)	3.41 (3.19)
III	0.88 (0.93)	0.55 (0.53)	0.63 (0.60)	0.63 (0.60)	0.35 (0.35)	3.04 (3.01)
IV	1.40 (1.25)	0.78 (0.65)	1.03 (1.08)	0.95 (0.95)	0.43 (0.45)	4.59 (4.38)

Female RMCA ARA 200305 (paratype).

Habitus: as in Figs 1G-H . Colour in alcohol: as in male, but entire body and legs I coloured slightly darker. Measurements: TL 4.75. CL 2.00, CW 1.40, CH 0.80, CyL 0.29, Femur I L/W 1.79 (1.43/0.80). Carapace: longer, with less coarse granulations than in male (Fig. 2D ). Eyes: AME 0.16, ALE 0.09, PME 0.09, PLE 0.14; AME-AME 0.09, AME-ALE 0.07, AME-PME 0.09, PME-PLE 0.17, PME-PME 0.02.

Copulatory organs: as in Figs 3D , 7E-F , 8B . Epigastral plate in intact specimen (before dissection) accompanied by 2 pairs of sclerites lying on postgaster (posterior to epigastral furrow): two small dot-like median sclerites and pair of longitudinal sclerites. Atrium broad, postgastral plug weakly sclerotised. Endogyne formed by pair of complex receptacles. Receptacle consists of complex sclerotised base and transparent, membranous subconical sac (Fig. 7G ). Each receptacle accompanied by brushes of fine threads and 3 grape-shaped glands attached to receptacles by short thread-like stems.

Habitat.

According to the collecting data, the specimens were found in the litter and mosses on a forest floor, and in a fern thicket dominated by Asplenium sp.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality (Fig. 9 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. n (A-D) and D. jocquei sp. n. (E-H). A, E male, dorsal B, F male, lateral C, H female, lateral D, G female, dorsal. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Figure 2. Prosoma, dorsal of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (A-B) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (C-D). A, C male B, D female. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 3. Prosoma, ventral of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (A-B) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (C-D). A, C male B, D female. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 4. Male palp of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (A-C) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (D-F). A, D entire palp, prolateral B, E terminal part, prolateral C, F terminal part, ventro-retrolateral. Abbreviations: Cs cymbial spines; Sc brush of thick setae on cymbium; Tc comb of prolateral arm of tegular apophysis. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 5. SEM micrograph of the male palp of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (A-B) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (C-D). A, C entire palp, ventral B, C terminal part, prolateral. Abbreviations: Cs cymbial spines; Em embolus; Pa prolateral arm of tegular apophysis; Ta tegular apophysis; Tc comb of prolateral arm of tegular apophysis; Te tegulum.

Figure 6. SEM micrograph of the male palp of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (A) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (B-C). A, C anterior B ventro-retrolateral. Abbreviations: Cs cymbial spines; Pa prolateral arm of tegular apophysis; Tc comb of prolateral arm of tegular apophysis; Tr retrolateral arm of tegular apophysis. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Figure 7. Female copulatory organs of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (A-D) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (E-F). A, D, E endogyne, ventral B-C epigastral scutum and anterior part of postgaster, ventral E - entire epigastral scutum and terminal part of postgaster showing 4 pairs of postgastral sclerites F epigastral sclerite and part of postgaster, postero-lateral, showing atrium and corresponding postgastral stopper. Abbreviations: At atrium; Bl book lung operculum; Ft fine threads; Gg grape-shaped glands; Ls longitudinal sclerites; Ms median sclerites; Pp postgastral plug; Re receptacle; Rs membranous cylindrical sac of receptacle; Sb sclerotised base. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 8. Anterior part of abdomen of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (A) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (B). A entire scutum, antero-lateral, showing large book-lungs (Bl) and round structures (Rs) B epigastral scutum and part of postgaster, postero-ventral. Abbreviations: At atrium; Bl book lung operculum; Ls longitudinal sclerite; Ms median sclerite; Pr ridges on the petiolar tube; Rr round rear structure. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figure 9. Records of Diaphorocellus isalo sp. nov. (square) and D. jocquei sp. nov. (circle).