Cambalida Simon, 1909

Haddad, Charles Richard, 2012, A revision of the Afrotropical spider genus Cambalida Simon, 1909 (Araneae, Corinnidae), ZooKeys 234, pp. 67-119 : 69-73

Genus Cambalida Simon, 1909

Cambalida insulana Simon, 1909, by original designation. Cambalida Simon 1909: 369; Reiskind 1969: 165; Dippenaar-Schoeman and Jocqué 1997: 128; Bosselaers and Jocqué 2000: 315. [Type species]

Diagnosis.

Cambalida is most closely related to Castianeira but can be recognised by the relatively broader carapace (width approximately 0.75 carapace length, usually less than 0.70 in Castianeira ), ALE that are usually considerably larger than the AME, and the posterior eyes that are larger than those of the anterior eye row. Males can further be distinguished from all other castianeirines by the presence of two or three rows of very distinct, longer thickened setae at the distal end of the dorsal surface of the palpal cymbium (Figs 38, 39). These setae usually number between six and 10 and are sometimes accompanied by slightly shorter thickened setae to the sides of these rows. Other genera that possess thickened setae do not show such an arrangement and usually only have two or three thickened setae at the apex of the cymbium.

Description.

Small to medium sized spiders, 4.00-7.10mm in length; carapace yellow-brown to dark brown with black markings, sometimes nearly black (Figs 1-8, 11); carapace surface very finely granulate, appearing wrinkled, with scattered plumose and straight setae (Figs 8, 11, 14); several curved setae on clypeus, in eye region and posterior to PER, sometimes also along midline towards fovea (Figs 15, 16); carapace oval, broadest at coxae II, eye region narrowed; carapace slightly elevated posterior to PER, highest at one-quarter its length, depressed slightly at fovea, declining gradually behind fovea; fovea distinct, narrow, quite long; posterior margin strongly concave (Figs 8, 11). AER procurved, AME usually considerably smaller than ALE, rarely subequal in diameter; AME separated by approximately ½ their diameter, close to ALE (Figs 15, 16); PER procurved (Figs 8, 11), PME usually very slightly smaller than PLE, rarely subequal in diameter; PME closer to PLE than to each other; MOQ much wider posteriorly than anteriorly, length approximately equal to posterior width. Chilum single, triangular; anterior surfa ce of chelicerae with scattered long and short erect straight setae; shaggy seta absent; curved setae on cheliceral promargin finely plumose in females (Fig. 17) and males (Figs 18, 19); cheliceral promargin with three teeth, retromargin with two teeth (Fig. 19); endites slightly convex laterally, with distinct serrula comprising short, slightly ventrally curved denticles (Figs 20, 21) and dense maxillar hair tuft on mesal margins (Fig. 20); labium hemispherical, nearly twice as broad as long. Pleural bars weakly sclerotised, isolated; sternum very slightly longer than broad, shield-shaped, slightly narrowed anteriorly; surface finely granulate, covered in short straight setae, with many long erect straight setae (Fig. 22); precoxal triangles and intercoxal sclerites weakly sclerotised, intercoxal sclerites only present between coxae I and II, and II and III. Leg formula 4123 in both sexes; legs finely granulate, with short spines; all segments covered in short straight black setae, with scattered black and white plumose setae (Figs 24-33), usually corresponding to markings; plumose setae sparse on tarsi; retrocoxal window on coxa I small; trochanters notched; femora usually with a single erect ventral seta proximally; patellae each with long fine distal dorsal seta (Figs 24, 25); patellar indentation narrow, slightly broadened at proximal end (Fig. 26); tibiae I and II with long do seta at ¾ tibia length, absent from tibiae III and IV; metatarsi III sometimes longer than metatarsi I and II, otherwise shorter than metatarsus I but longer than II; metatarsi scopulate distally (Fig. 29), tarsi scopulate; tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi with several dorsal and lateral trichobothria with sunken distal plate (Figs 28, 30), patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi also with several short erect setae dorsally, laterally and ventrally (Fig. 31); tarsal organ 8-shaped, slightly elevated from integument, surface finely wrinkled, opening oval and towards one side (Fig. 32); paired tarsal claws short, situated laterally, with dense claw tufts between them (Fig. 33); metatarsi III and IV without terminal preening brush or comb; palpal claw very elongate, with several ventral teeth increasing in length distally (Fig. 34). Abdomen oval, mottled grey in females, deep red with black markings in males, often with paler grey chevron markings (Fig. 9), rarely with pale median stripe (Fig. 7); three pairs of short fine straight setae on anterior margin above pedicel; dorsal scutum small and extending less than ½ abdomen length in females, covering entire dorsum in males; two pairs of distinct sclerotised dorsal sigilla present in females, absent in males (Figs 9, 12, 35); dorsum covered in short straight black setae, with scattered black and white plumose setae corresponding to chevron markings, in live specimens appearing white, yellow-brown or grey (Figs 1-4, 35); venter densely covered in plumose setae, with scattered short straight setae (Fig. 36); venter of females with moderately sclerotised epigastric region, without post-epigastric sclerites and ventral sclerite, inframamillary sclerite present, distinct, densely covered in short setae (Fig. 10); venter of males with strongly sclerotised epigastric region, post-epigastric sclerites, ventral sclerite and inframamillary sclerite, latter covered in dense short setae (Fig. 13); female with two paired rows of tiny sclerites from epigastric furrow to spinnerets, outer row weakly sclerotised and indistinct. Spinnerets (observed here in Cambalida dippenaarae sp. n. and by Bosselaers and Jocqué [2002] in Cambalida coriacea ): ALS of females with two major ampullate gland spigots, many piriform gland spigots and several small nubbins (Fig. 44; Bosselaers and Jocqué 2002: fig. 9B); ALS of males with single major ampullate gland spigot, single large adjacent nubbin and many piriform gland spigots (Fig. 47; Bosselaers and Jocqué 2002: fig. 9A); PMS of females with three large cylindrical gland spigots, one small minor ampullate gland spigot and several aciniform gland spigots (Fig. 45; Bosselaers and Jocqué 2002: fig. 9D), female of Cambalida dippenaarae sp. n. also with a distinct tartipore; PMS of Cambalida dippenaarae sp. n. male with one large minor ampullate gland spigot, one tartipore and one nubbin, with several aciniform gland spigots (Fig. 48); PMS of Cambalida coriacea male with only a single minor ampullate gland spigot and nubbin ( Bosselaers and Jocqué 2002: fig. 9C); PLS of females with two large cylindrical gland spigots and several aciniform gland spigots (Fig. 46; Bosselaers and Jocqué 2002: fig. 9F); PLS of Cambalida dippenaarae sp. n. male with several aciniform gland spigots and tiny nubbins (Fig. 49), of Cambalida coriacea male with only a single aciniform gland spigot ( Bosselaers and Jocqué 2002: fig. 9E). Female epigyne weakly sclerotized, with 6-shaped or curved epigynal ridges covering or leading to lateral copulatory openings (Fig. 37); copulatory ducts directed obliquely or transversely before entering ST II along their lateral or posterior margin; ST II oval, round or subtriangular, usually connected broadly to kidney-shaped posterior ST I. Male palpal segments without apophyses; cymbium short and broad, with spines prolaterally and ventrally, covered dorsally with short straight and plumose setae; unique thickened setae arranged in two or three rows located distally on dorsal cymbium surface (Figs 38, 39); embolus situated distally, with one complete coil, breadth of base and shape of coil variable (Figs 40-43, 50-56).