Asceua incensa, Jocqué & Henrard, 2024

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 incensa sp. nov.

Figs 7 , 8 , 9 , 24

Type material.

Holotype: D. R. Congo • ♂; Mayombe, Luki Biosphere Reserve ; 5°38'S, 13°04'E; 23. IX. 2007; canopy fogging, secondary rainforest; D. De Bakker and J. P. Michiels leg; RMCA_247724 .

Paratypes: • 1 ♀; same data as holotype; RMCA_234808 ; • 3 ♂♂ 1 ♀; 19. IX. 2007; secondary rainforest; further as previous; RMCA_235127 ; • 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀; 18. IX. 2007; canopy fogging, secondary rainforest; further as previous; RMCA_235126 .

Diagnosis.

Both sexes are recognised by the wide chilum and the dark colour including the venter of the abdomen (Fig. 7 B – D ). Males are further characterised by the palp (Figs 8 A – E , 9 A, B ) with stout median apophysis with pear-shaped base and claw-shaped tip, cymbial fold not strongly narrowed towards the extremity, stopping short of the cymbium tip. Females are recognised by the epigyne scape with widened tip ending at posterior half in front of copulatory openings (Figs 8 F , 9 C ), and the genitalia with anterior loops tight and obliquely transverse (Fig. 8 G, H ).

Etymology.

The species name is an adjective (Latin incensus = burnt) referring to the dark colour of the species.

Description.

Male Holotype. Fig. 7 A – C . TL 2.68. Colour in ethanol: carapace dark brown, cephalic area slightly paler with faint darker ‘ V’ in front of fovea; chelicerae medium brown; endites medium brown with lateral margins darkened; labium medium brown with pale frontal margin; sternum dark brown, darker towards lateral margins; legs: coxae pale cream with narrow prolateral dark stripe; femora pale cream in proximal third, dark brown in distal two thirds; patellae, tibiae and metatarsi yellow with dark brown ventral stripe; abdomen: dorsum almost black with black scutum, on either side with small oval pale spot; sides and venter dark grey, lighter in front of epigastric fold, at its extremities with rounded white spot.

Carapace 1.32 long, 0.99 wide, 0.70 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME: 0.10; ALE: 0.10; AME – AME: 0.03; AME – ALE: 0.03; PME: 0.08: PLE: 0.08; PME – PME: 0.10; PME – PLE: 0.15. MOQ: frontal width 0.23, posterior width 0.26, length 0.28. Clypeus 0.34 high. Chilum: wide sclerite 0.28 wide, 0.08 high, dorsal margin procurved, ventral margin almost straight. Sternum shield-shaped, 0.71 long, 0.64 wide. All femora with one short dorsal spine in proximal half.

Legs: measurements in Table 4 .

Palp (Figs 8 A – E , 9 A, B ): large: length including Ti 0.75 times carapace length. Tibia with three apophyses: dorsal one (DP) narrow, slightly concave in prolateral view, slightly curved forward, with distal spine shaped prong smoothly following curve of basal part; median tibial apophysis ( MP) parallel sided with rounded extremity, with thin extension behind it (Ex); inferior one (VP) short, curved upward with rounded extremity; cymbium laterally compressed with large lateral semicircular fold, not strongly narrowed towards the extremity, stopping short of the cymbium tip; tegulum with three appendages: largest one voluminous mainly visible prolaterally with smoothly rounded posterior tip pointing back; median apophysis (MA) pear-shaped with small tapered, rounded, upward directed prong; one extra small triangular tooth sub apically (TT); conductor membranous, directed forward; embolus long and whip shaped with large triangular base directed backward.

Female Paratype ( RMCA _234808 ). Fig. 7 D, E . TL 3.43. Colour as in male but for the absence of a scutum, pale dorsal spots larger and rounded, venter with small paler area behind epigastric fold. Carapace 1.73 long, 1.20 wide, 0.91 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME: 0.08; ALE: 0.08; AME – AME: 0.05; AME – ALE: 0.05; PME: 0.08: PLE: 0.08; PME – PME: 0.10; PME – PLE: 0.13. MOQ: frontal width 0.21, posterior width 0.26, length 0.30. Clypeus 0.31 high. Chilum: 0.39 wide, 0.08 high, shape as in male. Sternum shield-shaped, 0.66 long, 0.59 wide.

Legs: All femora with one short dorsal spine in proximal half. Leg measurements in Table 5 .

Epigyne (Figs 8 C – E , 9 C ): quadrangular area, as wide as long; scape (Sc) moderately long (0.75 time epigyne height), with widened tip; copulatory openings in front of scape tip; ducts relatively wide, strongly wound, posterior part with short dense spires, anterior part with three densely superposed, obliquely transverse loops.

Variation.

Males (n = 6): TL 2.68–2.94, CL 1.32–1.41; dorsum of abdomen with spots sometimes slightly larger. Females (n = 3): TL 3.43–3.84, CL 1.47–1.73; dorsum with spots sometimes slightly more oval.

Distribution.

The species is known from the type locality in western DR Congo (Fig. 24 ).

Figures

Figure 7. Asceua incensa sp. nov., male and female habitus A, B male holotype C – E female paratype (RMCA _ 234808) A, C dorsal view B, D ventral view E lateral view.

Figure 8. Asceua incensa sp. nov., genitalia A – C male holotype D, E male paratype (RMCA _ 235127) F – H female paratype (RMCA _ 234808) A palp, prolateral view B idem, slightly ventral C idem, retrolateral view D idem, SEM view, details E idem, detail of palpal tibial apophyses F epigyne, ventral view G idem, cleared H vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: MA = median apophysis; MP = median prong of palpal tibial apophysis; TT = tegular triangular tooth; VP = ventral prong of palpal tibial apophysis. Scales bars: 0.2 mm (A – C); 0.1 mm (D – H).

Figure 9. Asceua incensa sp. nov., genitalia drawings A, B male holotype C female paratype (RMCA _ 234808) A palp, retrolateral view B idem, prolateral view C epigyne, ventral view. Abbreviations: CF = cymbial fold; DP = dorsal prong of palpal tibial apophysis MA = median prong of palpal tibial apophysis; Sc = scape. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 24. Distribution map of Asceua species occurring in the Afrotropics.