Cteniogaster toxarchus, Jan Bosselaers & Rudy Jocque, 2013

Jan Bosselaers & Rudy Jocque, 2013, Studies in Liocranidae (Araneae): a new afrotropical genus featuring a synapomorphy for the Cybaeodinae, European Journal of Taxonomy 40, pp. 1-49 : 13-16

Cteniogaster toxarchus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CBA4D351-0360-4F20-A6ED-CF4CCB6E7BBB

Figs 2E-H , 4A-B, 8D-F, 9, 11A, E, 14; Appendix 1C, F

Diagnosis

Cteniogaster toxarchus sp. nov. differs from all other Cteniogaster gen. nov. species by the male palp with a straight, blunt, subtrapezoidal RTA and a pointed subtriangular rl apical MA with a pl membranous border, and by the vulva with widely separated, kidney-shaped median ST1.

Etymology

The species name is a noun in apposition and is derived from the Greek ToξaRχoς, commander of the archers, referring to the array of arrow-like setae on the posterior ve part of the male abdomen in Cteniogaster gen. nov., and to the present species’ status as typus of the genus.

Type material

Holotype

♀: TANZANIA, E. Usambara Mts., Kwamkoro Forest Reserve , 5°10.9’S 38°35.8’E, 6 Nov. 1995, 950 m asl, Griswold C., Scharff N., Ubick D. ( ZMUC) .

Paratypes

4 ♀♀ 3 j.: same data as holotype ; 17 ƋƋ, 25 ♀♀, 5 j.: TANZANIA, E. Usambara Mts., Amani , 5°5.7’S 38°38’E, 28 Oct.-9 Nov. 1995, 950 m asl, sifting litter, Griswold C., Scharff N., Ubick D. ( ZMUC) ; 3 ♀♀, 5 j.: as previous, 27 Oct.-9 Nov. 1995 ; 18 ƋƋ 1 ♀ 1 j.: as previous ; 1 Ƌ 3 ♀♀ 1 j.: as previous, Mbomole Hill, 5°5.7’S 38°37’E, 5-8 Nov. 1995, sifting litter, 100 m asl. ; 5 ƋƋ, 2 ♀♀: Tanga, W. Usambara Mts., Mazumbai Forest , 4°49’S 38°30’E, 11-19 Nov. 1995, pitfall traps, 1400-1600 m asl, Griswold C., Scharff N., Ubick D. ( ZMUC) ; >100 ƋƋ & ♀♀: as previous, sifting litter, 1400-1800 m asl ; 3 ƋƋ, 4 ♀♀, 15 j. Mazumbai Forest, 4°49’S 38°29.5’E, 12-20 Nov. 1995, 1800-1900 m asl, sifting litter, Griswold C., Scharff N., Ubick D. ( ZMUC; 2 ƋƋ 2 ♀♀ in MRAC) ; 2 ƋƋ, 2 ♀♀: Tanga, W. Usambara Mts., Mazumbai Forest , 4°49’S 38°30’E, 11-20 Nov. 1995, sifting litter, 1400-1800 m asl, Griswold C., Scharff N., Ubick D. ( CAS).

Description

Male

From Mazumbai (CAS)

TOTAL LENGTH. 2.47. Carapace length 1.10, width 0.88, yellow brown, somewhat iridescent, with a thin border and grey mottling on sides ( Figs 2E , 9A). Fovea brown, pronounced, length 0.13, anterior end 0.66 from front end of carapace. MOQ length 0.13, anterior width 0.11, posterior width 0.16, AER width 0.24, PER width 0.32. All eyes subcircular, LE equal in size, their diameter more than twice the diameter of ME, which are also equal in size. AME separated by less than their diameter, almost touching ALE. PME separated by 2.5 times their diameter, 1.5 diameters from PLE ( Fig. 9A ). Both eye rows recurved from above. Clypeus vertical, equal to diameter of AME. Chilum pale, about the size of the AME group. Chelicerae yellow brown. Labium slightly wider than long, half as long as endites. Sternum yellow, with a thin border, length 0.66, width 0.58. PCT weak and pointed.

ABDOMEN. Grey dorsally, covered with long thin hairs, with brown, poorly deFned, subtriangular anterior do scutum covering less than 10 % of the do surface area. Ventral side of abdomen greyish white, with a brown sclerotised elliptic posterior patch carrying long, strong setae ( Figs 2F , 9B). ALS separated by their diameter. Legs pale brown, somewhat iridescent. Retrocoxal hymen pronounced, subglobular. Tarsus IV bent. Leg spination as in Appendix 1C.

LEG MEASUREMENTS: MALE PALP. As illustrated ( Figs 9C-D , 11A), with a straight, blunt, subtrapezoidal RTA, a short, pointed, pl apical embolus, a median, fan shaped membranous apical conductor and a simple pointed subtriangular rl apical MA with a pl membranous border ( Fig. 11A ).

	fe	pa	ti	mt	ta	Total
I	0.92	0.37	0.79	0.63	0.53	3.23
II	0.79	0.37	0.60	0.53	0.47	2.76
III	0.71	0.26	0.53	0.60	0.47	2.58
IV	0.95	0.39	0.87	0.87	0.60	3.68

Female (holotype)

TOTAL LENGTH. 2.68. Carapace length 1.16, width 0.95, brown, laterally mottled as in male ( Fig. 2G ). Fovea pronounced, length 0.16, anterior end 0.66 from front end of carapace ( Fig. 9H ). MOQ length 0.11, anterior width 0.11, posterior width 0.15. AER width 0.27, PER width 0.36. Relative eye sizes, eye row curvatures and clypeus as in male. Chilum as in male, but wider. Sternum brown, with a thin border, length 0.71, width 0.66. PCT as in male.

ABDOMEN. Coloured as in male, but without do scutum or ve modiFed setae. Legs pale brown, somewhat iridescent. Retrocoxal hymen large, oval, subglobular and pearly white. Leg spination as in Appendix 1F.

LEG MEASUFREMENTS: EPIGYNE. With a small, narrow anterior hood, and two posterior lateral ridges, semitransparent and showing spermatecae in posterior half ( Figs 2H , 9E). Vulva with widely separated, kidney-shaped median ST1 with thin internal spikes and posterior ST2 carrying a porous glandular structure ( Figs 4A-B , 8D-F).

	fe	pa	ti	mt	ta	Total
I	1.00	0.42	0.79	0.60	0.50	3.31
II	0.89	0.34	0.68	0.53	0.47	2.92
III	0.79	0.32	0.58	0.66	0.47	2.81
IV	1.08	0.39	0.89	1.03	0.63	4.02

Distribution

Tanzania, East and West Usambara mountains, 950-1800 m asl.

Figures

Fig. 2. A-D. Cteniogaster conviva sp. nov. A. Ƌ, habitus dorsal view. B. Idem, ventral view. C. ♀, habitus, dorsal view. D. Idem, ventral view. E-H. Cteniogaster toxarchus gen. et sp. nov. E. Ƌ, habitus dorsal view. F. Idem, ventral view. G. ♀, habitus, dorsal view. H. Idem, ventral view. I-P. Cteniogaster hexomma sp. nov. I. ♀, prosoma, dorsal view. J. Idem, habitus, dorsal view. K. Idem, abdomen, ventral view. L. Idem, habitus, ventral view. M. Idem, Ƌ, habitus, dorsal view. N. Idem, prosoma, dorsal view. O. Idem, habitus, ventral view. P. Idem, abdomen, ventral view. Scale bars: A-O = 0.5 mm; P = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 4. Female genitalia, ventral view. A, C, E: cleared in methyl salicylate. A-B. Cteniogaster toxarchus gen. et sp. nov. C-D. Cteniogaster hexomma sp. nov. E-F. Cteniogaster lampropus sp. nov. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 9. Cteniogaster toxarchus gen. et sp. nov. A. Ƌ, habitus, dorsal view. B. Idem, abdomen, ventral view. C. Idem, palp, ventral view. D. Idem, retrolateral view. E. Epigyne, ventral view. F. ♀, carapace, lateral view. G. Ƌ, carapace, lateral view. H. ♀, carapace, dorsal view. Scale bars: A-C, F-H = 0.5 mm, C-E = 0.25 mm.

Fig. 11. A. Cteniogaster toxarchus gen. et sp. nov. Tip of male palp, ventral view. B-D. Cteniogaster hexomma sp. nov. B. Tip of male palp, ventral view. C. Tip of male tarsus IV, retrolateral view. D. Bent male tarsus IV. E. Cteniogaster toxarchus gen. et sp. nov., tip of male tarsus IV. F. Apostenus spinimanus (Koch & Berendt, 1854), tip of male tarsus IV. G. Apostenus fuscus Westring, 1851, tip of male tarsus IV. H. Arabelia pheidoleicomes Bosselaers, 2009, tip of female tarsus IV. Scale bars: D = 200 μm; A-C, E-G = 100 μm. Abbreviations: C = conductor; E = embolus; MA = median apophysis.