Andromma prosopion, Bosselaers & Jocqué, 2022

Bosselaers, Jan & Jocqué, Rudy, 2022, Studies in the Liocranidae (Araneae): revision of Andromma Simon, 1893, European Journal of Taxonomy 850, pp. 1-78 : 61-63

Andromma prosopion sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5B10395A-F137-4BA6-A29F-52D614ED5803

Figs 31 , 39

Diagnosis

The female of Andromma prosopion sp. nov. is characterized by the epigyne with large obliquely oval copulatory openings separated by their long axis.

Etymology

The species name is a noun in apposition from the Greek ‘προσωπεiον’, meaning ‘mask’, because the epigyne resembles a mask ( Fig. 31C–D ).

Type material

Holotype

CAMEROON • ♀; Faro Game Reserve ; 8°58′ N, 13°42′ E; 21 Apr. 2007; R. Jocqué, K. Loosveldt, L. Baert and M. Alderweireldt leg.; wooded savannah, termite mound; BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara 221315 .

Paratype

CAMEROON • 1 ♀; Hossere Vokre , western slope; 8°02′ N, 12°49′ E; 270 m a.s.l.; 22 Apr. 1983; R. Bosmans and J. Van Stalle leg.; Faro River, degraded savannah; BE_RMCA_ARA _Ara 162783 .

Description

Female (holotype, Fig. 31 )

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.76. Carapace length 2.13, width 1.78, height 0.92.

COLOUR ( Fig. 31A–B ). Carapace yellowish orange, gradually paler towards posterior margin; legs and palp yellowish orange; fovea reddish; chelicerae orange; endites yellowish orange, paler along median and anterior margins; labium orange, paler in distal half; sternum orange with dark brown precoxal triangles; abdomen uniform grey with pale ring around yellow spinnerets.

PROSOMA. Fovea pronounced, length 0.36, anterior end 1.14 from PME. MOQ length 0.25, anterior width 0.28, posterior width 0.31. AER straight from above, width 0.51, PER procurved from above, width 0.57. All eyes circular; AME 0.12, ALE 0.08, PLE 0.07, PME 0.05; AME–AME: 0.02, AME–ALE: 0.03, ALE–PLE: touching, PME–PME: 0.21. Clypeus vertical, 0.15, with four long setae. Chelicerae with few setae. Sternum 1.35 long, 1.28 wide.

LEG SPINATION. All femora with one dorsal spine, F I pl; T I v 2-2-2-2-2; Mt I v 2-2-2; T II v 2-2-2-2-2; T III pl 1 v 1-2; T IV pl 1 rl 1 v 2; Mt IV pl 1 rl 1 v 2-2.

LEG I MEASUREMENTS. Fe: 2.06, P: 0.71, T: 1.63, Mt: 1.56, t: 0.99; total: 6.95.

PALP. Female palpal tarsus curved, with scopula.

EPIGYNE ( Fig. 31C–F ). Roughly rectangular area, wider than long, with posterior rim sinuous with small, triangular, central protrusion; large obliquely oval copulatory openings separated by their long axis. Copulatory ducts tightly consisting of three loose coils followed by a tightly wound stretch running in posterior direction, ending in well-delimited globular spermathecae; sickle-shaped sclerites ducts procurved. Fertilisation ducts posterior, short and indistinct.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Known only from the northern Cameroon ( Fig. 39 ). The species is termitophilous.

Figures

Fig. 31. Andromma prosopion sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara 221315). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Same, ventral view. C–D. Epigyne, ventral view. E–F. Same cleared, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B =1 mm; C–F =0.1 mm.

Fig. 39. Distribution map of species of Andromma Simon, 1893. A. albinovani sp. nov. (green), A. delphiurumsp. nov. (yellow), A. elephantactes sp. nov. (red), A. helix sp. nov. (black) and A. prosopion sp. nov. (white).