Heradida minutissima, Russell-Smith & Jocqué, 2015

Russell-Smith, Anthony & Jocqué, Rudy, 2015, New Zodariidae (Araneae) from Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania, African Invertebrates 56 (2), pp. 455-455 : 466-470

Heradida minutissima sp. n.

Figs 41–51

EtYmOlOgY: The specific name is derived frOm the Latin meaning “exceedinglY little”, in recognition that this is the smallest zodariid species described to date.

Diagnosis: This species is recognised by the very enlarged AMEs, approximately twice the diameter of the PLEs. Unlike H. griffinae Jocqué, 1987 (the only other species for which males are known), the male palpal cymbium lacks a cymbial furrow and excrescences or specialised hairs. The RTA is long, narrow and hooked at the tip, unlike that of H. griffinae .

Description:

Male.

Total length: 1.50. Carapace: length 0.62, width 0.42. Colour ( Figs 41, 42 ): Carapace golden yellow suffused with brown marginally, area of AMEs black. Chelicerae and sternum coloured as carapace. Palps golden yellow, cymbium slightly darker yellow brown. Legs coloured as carapace, with femora slightly darker. Abdomen with dorsal scutum golden yellow with three diffuse black transverse bands, anterior two joined by narrow longitudinal stripe. Ventral scutum golden yellow. Spinnerets white. Eyes: a) 1.00 (0.07); b) ca. 0.50; c) ca. 0.33; d) ca. 0.40; e) 0.33; f) 0.20 g) 2.50; h) 0.25.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t Total

I 0.47 0.15 0.35 0.25 0.30 1.52

II 0.35 0.10 0.27 0.25 0.27 1.24

III 0.27 0.10 0.22 0.20 0.25 1.04

IV 0.40 0.15 0.35 0.37 0.35 1.62 Legs: Without spines but clothed in indented hairs. Femoral organ on I and II an oval alveolus with prominent club-shaped central hair.

Male palp ( Figs 45, 46 , 48, 49 ): Viewed dorsally, cymbium without dividing furrow and excrescences but with specialised setae at tip ( Fig. 49 ). Viewed laterally, RTA one third length of cymbium, broad at base but tapering and curved to hooked tip. Tegular apophysis with ventrally directed sclerotised spike. Viewed ventrally, tegular apophysis large, complex and projecting beyond external margin of cymbium. Embolus arising basally, thin, curving around inner margin of cymbium, with tip concealed beneath tegular apophysis.

Female.

Total length: 1.75. Carapace: length 0.62, width 0.42. Colour ( Figs 43, 44 ): Carapace, chelicerae and sternum as in male. Legs pale brown with femora slightly darker. Dorsal scutum Of abdOmen gOlden YellOw with transverse dark bands verY faint, first almOst absent. Ventral scutum absent, venter and spinnerets white. Eyes: a) 1.00 (0.05); b) ca. 0.70; c) ca. 0.25; d) ca. 0.25; e) ca. 0.20; f) ca. 0.10; g) ca. 4.00; h) ca. 0.10.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t Total

I 0.40 0.12 0.42 0.32 0.32 1.58

II 0.37 0.10 0.27 0.25 0.27 1.26

III 0.32 0.12 0.25 0.22 0.27 1.18

IV 0.42 0.17 0.40 0.42 0.32 1.73

Legs:As in male. Femoral organ ( Fig. 50 ) with numerous short spine-like setae. Femoral organ on II smaller than that of male.

Female epigyne ( Fig. 47 ): In ventral view, spermathecae (seen through cuticle) very large, reniform.

HOlOtYpe ♂: TANZANIA: MkOmazi G.R., IbaYa , Acacia /Commiphora bushland, pitfall traps, 21–26. xi.1995 (MRAC 244013).

ParatYpe ♀: Same lOcatiOn and dates as hOlOtYpe ( MRAC 244006 ) .

Other material examined: TANZANIA: Mkomazi G.R., Ibaya , Acacia /Commiphora bushland, pitfall traps, 19–20.xi.1994, 1♂; same site, pitfall traps, 5–10.vii.1995, 3♂; same site, pitfall traps, 3–8.viii.1995, 3♂; same site, pitfall traps, 6–11.ix.1995, 6♂ 3♀; same site, pitfall traps, 11–16.x.1995, 3♂ 3♀; same site, pitfall traps, 15–20.xi.1995, 6♂ 1♀; same site, pitfall traps, 21–26.xii.1995, 16♂ 3♀; same site, pitfall traps, 19–24.i.1996, 5♂ 2♀; same site, pitfall traps, 23–28.ii.1996, 2♀; same site, pitfall traps, 21–26. iii.1996, 8♂ 2♀; MkOmazi G.R., IbaYa, seasOnallY inundated grassland, pitfall traps, 5–10.vii.1995, 4♂; same site, pitfall traps, 6–11.ix.1995, 1♂; same site, pitfall traps, 21–26.xii.1995, 1♂; same site, pitfall traps, 21–26.iii.1996, 1♀; MkOmazi G.R., Kisima, Vachellia reficiens / Senegalia mellifera woodland, pitfall traps, 3.i.1997, 1♂ (MRAC 215730).

Remarks:All previously described species of Heradida are from southern Africa ( South Africa and Namibia), making H. minutissima sp. n. the species with the most northerly distribution in the genus.

Distribution: Only known from Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania .

Natural history: Heradida minutissima sp. n. was frequently collected in pitfall traps in Acacia /Commiphora bushland, where peak activity was observed in December 1995, coinciding with the main early rains. Small numbers were trapped in seasonally inundated grassland also at Ibaya, and a single male was collected at Kisima in V. reficiens / S. mellifera woodland.

Figures

Figs 41–44. Heradida minutissima sp. n. male and female, Mkomazi (MRAC 215727): (41) male habitus, dorsal view; (42) idem, ventral view; (43) female habitus, dorsal view; (44) idem, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 45–47. Heradida minutissima sp. n. male and female, Mkomazi (MRAC 215727): (45) male palp, ventral view; (46) idem, retrOlateral view; (47) epigYne, ventral view. Scale bars = 50 μm.

Figs 48–51. Heradida minutissima sp. n. SEM images; male and female, Mkomazi (MRAC 215727): (48) male palp, ventral view; (49) idem, distal part Of cYmbium, shOwing mOdified setae and pectinated setae; dorsal view;(50) female,femoral organ, leg 2, dorsal view; (51) female, rightfemur and patella 2, shOwing patellar crack. Scale bars = 50 μm.