Thyene volombavatanany, Murray & Escobar-Toledo & Pett, 2024

Murray, Katie I., Escobar-Toledo, Jaime & Pett, Brogan L., 2024, Three new species of plexippine jumping spiders (Salticidae, Salticinae, Plexippini) from dry forest in Boeny region, north-western Madagascar, African Invertebrates 65 (2), pp. 61-74 : 61-74

Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov.

Figs 26–31

Material examined.

Holotype • ♂ Madagascar; Mahajanga province, Mariarano classified forest ; 15.468°S, 46.741°E; 28 June 2017, 20: 25; “ long grass, net sweep ”, Brogan L. Pett leg. ( BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara.247708 ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, amalgamating the Malagasy words for “ arm ” (tanany) and “ moustache ” (volombava). Reference is made to the extensive hairs on the ventral part of the femur and tibiae.

Diagnosis.

Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov. resembles T. aperta (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1903) ( Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Zimbabwe) by the elongated body, large legs I and in general palpal conformation. Both share a bulb rounded, twice surrounded by embolus running clockwise with narrow, long, flat tegular expansion prolaterally at base. Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov. is distinguished by: (i) an abdomen that is generally uniform in colouration with black mottling without white spot (vs. large black area divided into three parts with distinct white spot); (ii) RTA that is approximately the length of the tibia with an apex that is about 1 / 3 basal tibia width (vs. ½ length of tibia and apex under).

Description.

Male (holotype). Measurements. CL 2.52, CW 1.94, CH 1.04, SL 1.02, SW 0.48, AL 2.82, AW 1.12. AME 0.44, ALE 0.20, PME 0.09, PLE 0.15. Leg I: 1.22, 0.80, 1.16, 0.76, 0.40. Leg II: 0.88, 0.64, 0.68, 0.42, 0.28. Leg III: 1.04, 0.66, 0.68, 0.76, 0.40. Leg IV: 1.28, 0.64, 0.78, 0.74, 0.40.

Colouration: carapace generally light orangish brown, eyes ringed with dark brown patches, pale streak from fovea to posterior margin; chelicerae orange; sternum, coxae generally pale orange; legs II – IV pale orange-beige with faint brown retro lateral and prolateral patches; labium, maxillae, legs I orangish brown with black ventral femoral setae; abdomen beige with some brown-black mottling; pedipalp orangish-brown. Carapace: low and flat, highest at PLE, shallow depression midway between lateral eyes; patches of short thick white setae around fovea, posterior to AME, ventral to PLE, ventral lateral part of carapace; ventral lateral sparse strip of long thin black setae. Sternum: broadly oval-shaped, widest between coxae II & III, margin darker orange than centre. Legs: Legs I much broader and darker; dense long black ventral setae interspersed with longer sparser white ventral setae on femur, patella, tibia. Abdomen: long and thin, more than twice as long as wide; beige with brown-black mottling; long brown lateral setae; brown and white tuft of setae at anterior face. Pedipalp: femur slightly longer than patella and tibia together, patella and tibia about the same length; RTA thumb- like, short and rounded; SD arises medially and loops around tegulum for half its length; embolus moderately short and straight, directed prolaterally tapering to a sharp point. Leg spination: I: F d 3 pl 2, P pl 1, Ti v 4-3, Mt v 2-2; II: F d 2 pl 3, P pl 1 (small), Ti pl 2 v 1-2, Mt v 2-2.

Figures

Figures 26–33. Thyene volombavatanany sp. nov. 26–31 male holotype habitus 32, 33 pedipalp 26 frontal 27 lateral 28 dorsal 29 ventral 30 - leg I 31 femur I detail 32 retrolateral 33 ventral. Scale bars: 1 mm (26–31); 0.5 mm (32, 33).