Ranops dippenaarae, 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 : 470-475

Ranops dippenaarae sp. n.

Figs 52–68

EtYmOlOgY: The specific name is in hOnOur Of Dr Ansie Dippenaar-SchOeman, whO has made outstanding contributions to the study of African spiders.

Diagnosis: This species resembles Ranops caprivi Jocqué, 1991 in the form of the RTA but differs in that the tip is nOt bifid. The tegular apOphYsis alsO resembles that Of R. caprivi but is more sickle-shaped, while the tegulum lacks a sinuous dentate ridge as seen in the latter species. The female epigyne viewed ventrally is similar to that of R. caprivi but the central plate has a circular pit, absent in the latter species.

Description:

Male.

Total length: 2.25. Carapace: length 1.25, width 0.85. Colour ( Figs 52, 53 ): Carapace chestnut brown, chelicerae and sternum pale yellowish brown. Legs: coxae yellow, femora chestnut brown suffused with black, other segments pale yellowish brown. Abdomen deep purple to black with 3–4 cream chevrons dorsally. Spinnerets pale cream dorsally. Palpal patella and femur chestnut brown, cymbium blackish brown. Eyes: a) 1.00 (0.07); b) ca. 0.85; c) ca. 0.80; d) ca. 0.75; e) 1.00; f) 0.70; g) 2.33; h) 0.30.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t Total

I 1.00 0.15 0.82 1.05 0.65 3.67

II 1.17 0.25 0.92 1.25 0.70 4.29

III 1.27 0.25 1.20 1.55 0.77 5.04

IV 1.62 0.35 1.20 1.80 0.95 5.92

Legs: NO distinct spines, all segments clOthed in flattened indented setae.

Male palp ( Figs 56, 57 , 61, 62 , 64, 65 ): In lateral view, tibia with down-curved lateral apOphYsis tapering tO a fine tip, nOt bifid. In ventral view, tegulum lacks a sinuOus dentate ridge, tegular apophysis sharply recurved, sickle-shaped. Embolus arises basally, fOllOwing bOrder Of cYmbium and smOOthlY tapered tO tip, which is nOt reflexed.

Female.

Total length: 2.87. Carapace: length 1.25, width 0.87. Colour ( Figs 54, 55 ): Carapace, chelicerae and sternum as in male. Abdomen somewhat darker than in male and dorsal chevrons larger, occupying most of dorsal surface. Legs as in male, palps pale chestnut suffused with grey. Eyes: a) 1.00 (0.07); b) ca. 0.50; c) ca. 0.35; d) ca. 0.75; e) 1.00; f) 0.80; g) 3.00; h) 0.50.

Leg measurements:

F P T Mt t Total

I 0.90 0.15 0.60 0.92 0.41 2.98

II 1.02 0.21 0.71 1.00 0.61 3.55

III 1.20 0.25 0.95 1.12 0.68 4.20

IV 1.50 0.25 1.00 1.50 0.82 5.07 Legs: Spination as in male.

Female epigyne ( Figs 58–60 , 63 , 66 ): In ventral view with elongate central plate with curved margins and central circular pit ca. 0.5× width of plate. Epigyne in methyl salicylate as in Figs 59, 60 .

HOlOtYpe ♂: TANZANIA: MkOmazi Game Reserve , between NdeYa & Mbula, pitfall traps in Senegalia senegal woodland, 21–23.xi.1994 (MRAC 215719).

ParatYpe ♀: same lOcalitY, 21–23.xi.1994 ( MRAC 244006 ) .

Other material examined: TANZANIA: Mkomazi G.R., Ibaya , seasonally inundated grassland, pitfall traps, 19–20.viii.1993, 1♂; same site, pitfall traps, 14–28.xi.1994, 5♂ 1♀; same site, pitfall traps, 4–9.iv.1995, 13♂ 7♀; same site, pitfall traps, 5–10.v.1995, 23♂ 6♀; same site, pitfall traps, 7–12.vi.1995, 9♂ 7♀; same site, pitfall traps, 5–10.vii.1995, 2♂ 3♀; same site, pitfall traps, 21–26.xi.1995, 10♂ 1♀; same site, pitfall traps, 19–24.i.1996, 23♂ 4♀; same site, pitfall traps, 23–28.ii.1996, 60♂ 12♀; same site, pitfall traps, 21–26.iii.1996, 52♂ 10♀; same site, pitfall traps, 5–10.v.1995, 1♀; same site, pitfall traps, 7–12.vi.1995, 1♂; same site, pitfall traps, 3–8.viii.1995, 1♀; same site, pitfall traps, 11–16.x.1995, 1♀; same site, pitfall traps, 19–24.i.1996, 1♂; same site, pitfall traps, 28.ii.1996, 2♂; same site, pitfall traps, 21–26.iii.1996, 1♂ 1♀; MkOmazi G. R ., IbaYa , Acacia / Commiphora bushland, pitfall traps, 19–20.viii.1993, 1♂; same site, pitfall traps, 14–28.xi.1994, 79♂ 20♀; MkOmazi G. R ., between NdeYa & Mbula, in Open Senegalia senegal wOOdland, pitfall traps, 21–24.xi.1994, 10♂ 3♀; MkOmazi G. R ., Dindira , in Dichrostachys cinerea scrub, pitfall trap, 12.v.1995, 1♂; MkOmazi G. R ., near Dindira dam, in Open Combretum bushland, pitfall trap, 16.i.1996, 1♂ ( MRAC 215730 ) .

Remarks: The genus Ranops is only known from two species, the type species R. caprivi Jocqué, 1991 and R. expers (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876) . The genus is among the best-defined genera in the femOral Organ clade: the dense cOver Of the teguments with overlapping incised setae ( Figs 67–69 ) and the very broad sternum ( Figs 53, 55 ) make representatives easily recognisable, and several undescribed species from southern Africa match this diagnosis. Ranops expers , however, does not have these characters and is misplaced here ( Levy 1992).As with Heradida minutissima sp. n., R. dippenaarae sp. n. appears to be the northernmost species in the genus.

Distribution: Only known from Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania .

Natural history: This species was the most abundant small zodariid in pitfall traps in Acacia /Commiphora bushland at Ibaya but was almost absent from closely adjacent grassland, where only 9 specimens were collected as opposed to 242 in bushland. In the bushland habitat, it showed a strong peak of adults in February and March during the main early rains (when more than half of all specimens were trapped) and a smaller peak in April and May during the short rains. Adults were absent during the dry season from August to November. It also occurred in S. senegal woodland, dense D. cinerea scrub and open Combretum bushland in the eastern half of the reserve.

Figures

Figs 52–55. Ranops dippenaarae sp. n. male (MRAC 215713) and female (MRAC 215719), Mkomazi: (52) male habitus, dorsal view; (53) idem, ventral view; (54) female habitus, dorsal view; (55) idem, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 56–60. Ranops dippenaarae sp. n. male (MRAC 215713) and female (MRAC 215719), Mkomazi: (56) male palp, retrolateral view; (57) idem, ventral view; (58) epigyne, ventral view; (59) epigyne, cleared, dOrsal view; (60) idem, ventral view. Scale bars: (56, 57) = 200 μm, (58–60) = 100 μm.

Figs 61–63. Ranops dippenaarae sp. n. male and female (MRAC 215520), Mkomazi: (61) male palp, ventral view; (62) idem, retrOlateral view; (63) epigYne, ventral view. Scale bars: (61, 62) = 200μm, (63) = 100 μm.

Figs 64–69. Ranops dippenaarae sp.n.male (64, 65) and female (66–69) (MRAC 215520),Mkomazi:(64) male palp, retrolateral view; (65) idem, ventral, slightly retrolateral view; (66) epigyne, digested, dOrsal view; (67) female, femOral Organ amidst flattened incised setae On leg 2; (68) flattened setae pOinting fOrwards, in frOnt Of fOvea; (69) flattened incised setae On tip Of tibia 4. Scale bars: (64–66) = 100 μm, (67) = 20 μm, (68, 69) = 50 μm.