Rumburak laxus ( Zhang & Maddison, 2012 ) Wesołowska & Azarkina & Russell-Smith, 2014

Wesołowska, Wanda, Azarkina, Galina N. & Russell-Smith, Anthony, 2014, Euophryine jumping spiders of the Afrotropical Region-new taxa and a checklist (Araneae: Salticidae: Euophryinae), Zootaxa 3789 (1), pp. 1-72 : 37-38

Rumburak laxus ( Zhang & Maddison, 2012) comb. nov.

Figs 126–134

Thyenula laxa Zhang & Maddison 2012: 74 , figs 88–91.

Thyenula nelshoogte Zhang & Maddison 2012: 75 , figs 92–94, syn. nov.

Material. SOUTH AFRICA, Gauteng Province, Pretoria National Botanical Gardens, 25°43'S: 28°16'E, hand collected, 1 male, 6 October 2007, leg. E. Kassimatis ( NCA 2010 /2264); Pretoria, Waverley Guest House , in the garden, hand collected, 26°17'S: 28°14'E, 1 male, 4 October 2011, leg. G.N. Azarkina ( ISEA 001.3935 ) ; Mpumalanga Province, Barberton , 25° 47'S: 31°03'E, 1 male, March 1960, leg. R.F. Lawrence ( NMSA 7969 ) ; Barberton, Agnes, Gold Mine, 25°49'S: 30°58'E, creeper, 1 male, 26 February 1976, leg. E. Ueckermann ( NCA 76 / 985); same locality, 1 female, 15 November 1997, leg. W. Croucamp ( NCA 2010 /3590); Sabie, Bergvliet, 25°10':30°48'E, pine forest path, sweep net, 1 male, 8 March 1987, leg. M. Filmer ( NCA 87 /359); same data, 1 male, 4 female ( NCA 87 /649); same data, 10 females ( NCA 87 /650); same data, 7 females ( NCA 87 /645); same data, 4 females ( NCA 2012 /2482); same data, 3 females ( NCA 2012 /2483); same data, 1 female ( NCA 2012 /2494); same data, 1 male, 11 females ( NCA 2012 /2485); same locality, pitfall traps, 7 females, July 1984 – January 1985, leg. A. van den Berg ( NCA 87 /645); Sabie, Bergvliet State Forest, 25°07'S: 30°53'E, grass and ferns next to Sabie river , sweep net, 1 male, 19 September 1984, leg. A.S. Dippenaar ( NCA 2012 /2484); Sabie, Bridal Veil waterfall, 25°05'S: 30°43'E, forest, sifting leaf litter, 1 female, 29 September 2012 leg. J.A. Neethling ( NCA 2012 /5694); Graskop, forest falls, 24°58'S: 30°49'E, 1 male, leg. J.A. Neethling ( NCA 2012 /5693); Wakkerstroom, Skurwekoppie, 27°21'S: 30°08'E, sweep net, 1 male, 14 December 2003, leg. E. Kassimatis ( NCA 2010 /3276) ; Limpopo Province, Grootbosch Forest, 23°43'S: 30°01'E, indigenous afromontane forest, 1 female, 29 March 2001, leg. J. Horn ( NCA 2010 /3946); Forest Glens, indigenous afromontane forest, 23°58'S: 29°54'E, sweep net, 1 female, 8 January 2002, leg. J. Horn ( NCA 2010 /3945); Magoebaskloof Pass , 23°52'S: 30°00'E, 1190 m a.s.l., 2 males, 3 females, 6 November 2012, leg. J.A. Neethling ( NCA 2012 /5695); Mariepskop , 24°32'S: 30°52'E, 1 male, March 1960, leg. R.F. Lawrence ( NMSA 7471 ) .

Diagnosis. A distinctive species, the male is distinguished by the shape of the embolus (with a flange in its median part) and by the presence of a notch on the tip of the tibial apophysis. The female has a narrow median ridge divided epigynal depressions and seminal ducts which are clearly longer than in congeners.

Synonymization. T. laxa was originally described from the male only and T. nelshoogte from the female only. The material studied contains both sexes together, so the species names are synonymized here.

Description. Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax: length 1.8–3.0/2.4–3.3, width 1.4–2.2/1.8–2.3, height 1.2–1.6/1.2–1.5. Abdomen: length 1.6–2.6/2.8–3.9, width 1.0–2.0/2.1. Eye field: length 0.8–1.3/1.0–1.3, anterior width 1.4–1.8/1.6–2.0, posterior width 1.3–1.8/1.5–1.9.

Male. General appearance as in Fig. 126 . Carapace moderately high, sloping posteriorly, dark brown, eye field black, white broad stripe composed of light hairs on thoracic part anteriorly and extending to lateral slopes. Distance between anterior lateral eyes slightly larger than between posteriors. Clypeus, “cheeks” and chelicerae dark brown, covered with sparse brown hairs and bristles. Chelicerae with two teeth on promargin and single retromarginal tooth. Sternum yellow to brown. Abdomen dark brown dorsally, anterior rim velvet black, wide transverse yellow strip near anterior edge (poorly visible in dark specimens) and large light patch and some chevrons posteriorly. Light areas covered with white hairs. Venter greyish brown to dark brown, in some specimens light with darker patches. Book-lung covers greyish brown, spinnerets brown to dark brown. Legs dark brown (first pair darkest), only tarsi light brown to yellow, femora I and II with yellow streaks on lateral surfaces. Pedipalps brown. Palpal femora and patellae with white dense adpressed hairs dorsally. Palpal organ as in Figs 127, 128 , tibial apophysis with small notch on tip ( Fig. 128 ). Base of embolic spiral wide, embolus large with “wing” in median part, accompanying terminal apophysis long, with bent tip ( Figs 127, 129 ).

Female. General appearance as in Fig. 130 . Colouration similar to male. White hairs on carapace absent. “Cheeks” and clypeus brown, chelicerae dark brown. Sternum light brown. Abdominal pattern poorly defined, composed of dense small dark and light spots, anterior rim of abdomen velvet black, venter yellowish with grey spots. Book-lungs and spinnerets brown. Legs brown, tarsi slightly lighter, yellowish brown. Epigyne as in Figs 131, 133 , with median ridge. Seminal ducts long, spermathecae bean-shaped ( Figs 132, 134 ).

Distribution. The species is distributed in the north-eastern parts of South Africa.

Remarks. The structure of the embolus is typical for the genus Rumburak .

Figures

FIGURES 126–129. Rumburak laxus (Zhang et Maddison, 2012). 126 male, dorsal view; 127 palpal organ, ventral view; 128 palpal organ, retrolateral view; 129 embolus, ventroapical view.

FIGURES 130–134. Rumburak laxus (Zhang et Maddison, 2012). 130 female, dorsal view; 131, 133 epigyne; 132 internal structure of epigyne, ventral view; 134 internal structure of epigyne, dorsal view.