Opopaea mahafaly, Daniela & Andriamalala & D.C. & Hormiga & D.C., 2013

Daniela, Andriamalala, D. C., Hormiga, Gustavo & D. C., 2013, Systematics Of The Goblin Spider Genus Opopaea (Araneae, Oonopidae) In Madagascar, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2013 (380), pp. 1-156 : 98-103

Opopaea mahafaly , new species

Figures 545–579; map 5

TYPES: Male holotype and female allotype from Toliara province: Réserve spéciale de Beza Mahafaly, 26 km ENE Betioky, 23 ° 39918.20S, 44 ° 37958.80E, 135 m, sifted litter, gallery forest, 23 April 1997, B.L. Fisher (CASC PBI_OON 34407).

ETYMOLOGY: The species is named after the Malagasy tribe from the type locality.

DIAGNOSIS: Males of O. mahafaly resemble those of O. bemaraha in having a cymbiobulbus with a tip that opens into a small hole, but can be distinguished by the shape of the cymbiobulbus, which is flattened on prolateral side and with the upper part almost arclike (figs. 569–572) and a very simple, narrow tip that curves upward (fig. 577), instead of downward or on the lateral side like in O. tsimbazaza and O. bemaraha , respectively. Females of O. mahafaly resemble those of O. andringitra in having the scutal ridge thick and posteromedially drops down into a small reverse triangle shape, but can be differentiated by the undivided, unsclerotized scutal ridge and the shape and location of the small parmula, far above the epigastric furrow (figs. 547, 567, 568).

DESCRIPTION: Male (holotype) ( PBI _ OON 34407). Small to medium-sized species. Total length 1.32. Color: yellowish orange. Carapace: pars cephalica not elevated posteriorly with one row of two widely separated sets of two denticles (figs. 558, 559). Carapace anterolateral corners without sclerotized triangular extension. Clypeus low, not rebordered. Chilum absent. Eyes large. ALE and PME largest. ALE oval, PME almost rectangular, PLE circular ; PME darkened compared to other eyes, posterior eye row straight viewed from above, procurved from front; ALE separated by less than their radius, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius. Sternum longer than wide with radial furrows between coxae, surface smooth, without pits, shape of posterior part

627. Dorsal view. 628. Ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

between coxae IV hexagonal not constricted. Lateral margins of area between coxae III unmodified, without lumps; setae sparse, densest at margins, originating from surface, without hair tufts (figs. 557–560). Male palp cymbiobulbus almost same length as patella, posterior margin with two protuberances: a smooth and large proximal one and one small and pointed distal one, tip with a short sclerotized liplike extension that curves upward. Palpal femora one third the length of palpal patella and inserted almost medially to it, patella thick. Fenestra thin and elongated located at one third of the palp, fenestra anterior top flattened, slightly sclerotized and sloping downward toward the tip (figs. 545, 546, 561, 562, 565, 566, 569–579).

Female (allotype) (PBI_OON 34407). Total length 1.64. Yellowish orange, abdomen round and flattened posteriorly. Postgynum

depression ridge thin, not sclerotized (figs. 547, 567, 568).

MEASUREMENTS: Male (holotype) ( PBI _ OON 34407). TL: 1.32 ; CL: 0.59; CW: 0.47; CH: 0.27; AL: 0.78; AW: 0.51; ALE: 0.08; PME: 0.07; PLE: 0.06; EGW: 0.20; ALE- ALE: 0.03; ALE-PLE: 0.01; PME-PME: 0; PLE-PME: 0; CBL: 0.19; CBW: 0.08; CBL/ PTL: 0.82; FI: 0.11.

Female (allotype) ( PBI _OON 34407). TL: 1.64 ; CL: 0.67; CW: 0.54; CH: 0.31; AL: 1.04; AW: 0.71; ALE: 0.09; PME: 0.08; PLE: 0.06; EGW: 0.20; ALE-ALE: 0.03; ALE-PLE: 0.01; PME-PME: 0; PLE-PME: 0.01; EFL: 0.14; LAL: 0.06; PGI (LAL/EFL): 0.43; PDL/LAL: 0.5; PDW/EFL: 0.28.

VARIATION: Male: TL: 1.32–1.38; CL: 0.59–0.62; CW: 0.47–0.54; AL: 0.78–0.81; AW: 0.51–0.56.

Female: TL: 1.64–1.64; CL: 0.66–0.67; CW: 0.52–0.54; AL: 0.98–1.04; AW: 0.70–0.71.

NATURAL HISTORY: O. mahafaly was mostly found in tropical dry forest, gallery

forest, and spiny forest from 30–600 m elevations.

DISTRIBUTION: O. mahafaly was mostly found in the south, southwestern, and southcentral regions of Madagascar in the provinces of Toliara, Mahajanga, and Fianarantsoa (Beza Mahafaly, Kirindy Mite, Ranobe, Antafoky, Manderano, Fiherenana, Tsingy de Bemaraha, Bemarivo, Vevembe) (map 5).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: MADA- GASCAR: Toliara: Réserve spéciale Beza Mahafaly, 26 km ENE Betioky, 23 ° 39918.20S, 44 ° 37958.80E, 147 m, general collecting day and night, gallery forest, 17–20 January 2009, coll. Fisher et al., Frontier Project (CASC PBI_OON 35102), 2♀. 135 m, sifted litter, gallery forest, 23 April 1997, B.L. Fisher (CASC PBI_OON 34407), 448, 45♀. Pitfalls, 18 January 2009, D. Andriamalala, C. Griswold, G. Hormiga, A. Saucedo, N. Scharff, and H. Wood. (AMNH PBI_OON 35229), 18, 1♀. Park National Kirindy Mite, 16.3 km 127 ° SE Belo sur mer, 20 ° 479430S, 44 ° 89490E, 80 m, EF19 sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), tropical dry forest, 06–10 December 2001, coll. B.L. Fisher et al. (CASC PBI_ OON 3116), 38, 5♀. Ranobe, 23 ° 029220S, 43 ° 369370E, 30 m, EH11 sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), spiny forest/thicket, 05–28 January 2003, coll. Fisher et al., Frontier Project (CASC PBI_OON 35042), 2♀. Antafoky, 23 ° 289450S, 44 ° 39580E, 60 m, leaf litter extraction, gallery forest, 21 January 2002, coll. Frontier Project (CASC PBI_OON 3832), 188, 36♀. Manderano, 23 ° 109370S, 43 ° 579390E, 100 m, EF19 sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), gallery forest, 03–07 Nov 2002, coll. Fisher et al., Frontier Project (CASC PBI_OON 3118), 1♀. Fiherenana, 23.52722 ° S, 44.0875 ° E, 70 m, leaf litter extraction, gallery forest, 27 January 2006, coll. Frontier Project (CASC PBI_OON 34404), 10♀. Mahajanga: Park National Tsingy de Bemaraha, 10.6 km ESE 123 ° Antsalova, 19 ° 429340S, 44 ° 43950E, 150 m, EF19 sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), tropical dry forest on Tsingy, 16–20 November 2001, coll. B.L. Fisher et al. (CASC PBI_OON 35051), 128, 18♀. Park National de Baie Baly, 12.4 km 337 ° NNW Soalala, 16 ° 009360S, 45 ° 159540E, 10 m, EF19 sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), tropical dry forest, 26–30 November 2002, C. Griswold and B. Fisher, et al. (CASC PBI_OON 34399), 28, 6♀. Réserve spécial de Bemarivo, 23.8 km 223 ° SW Besalampy, 16 ° 559300S, 44 ° 229060E, 30 m, EF19 sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), tropical dry forest, 19–23 May 2002, coll. B.L. Fisher and Griswold et al. (CASC PBI_OON 3778), 68, 19♀. Fianarantsoa: Forêt de Vevembe, 66.6 km 293 ° WNW Farafangana, 22 ° 479280S, 47 ° 109550E, 600 m, winkler, tropical dry forest, 23 April 2006, coll. B.L. Fisher et al. (CASC PBI_ OON 34410), 2♀.