Ekapa, Ríos-Tamayo & Lyle & Sole, 2023

Rios-Tamayo, Duniesky, Lyle, Robin & Sole, Catherine L., 2023, Ekapa, a new genus of mygalomorph spiders (Araneae, Entypesidae) from South Africa, African Invertebrates 64 (1), pp. 1-12 : 1

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/afrinvertebr.64.97018
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1BBCC36B-FB24-4D32-8332-F5B3528431B4
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D93C9440-E3B3-4815-A4FC-C00F8DE56F22
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:D93C9440-E3B3-4815-A4FC-C00F8DE56F22
treatment provided by	African Invertebrates by Pensoft
scientific name	Ekapa
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Genus Ekapa gen. nov.

Type species.

Hermacha curvipes Purcell, 1902, by present designation.

Etymology.

The new name " Ekapa " is taken from the type locality and means "Cape Town" in the Xhosa language. The gender is neutral.

Diagnosis.

The new genus can be distinguished from all other related genera in the family Entypesidae by the presence of a retroventral projection in the male palpal tibia (absent in all other entypesid genera; Figs 2D View Figure 2 , 4E View Figure 4 ). Males of Ekapa gen. nov. can also be distinguished from Hermachola and Brachytheliscus by the presence of retrolateral apical megaspines on tibia I (Figs 1F View Figure 1 , 4H View Figure 4 ), similar to Afropesa and Hermacha . They can be differentiated from Afropesa by the male palpal bulb morphology which is piriform, with dorsal keels and strong flanges (Figs 2A-C View Figure 2 , 4A-D View Figure 4 ) and from Hermacha by the presence of preening combs in both sexes. Ekapa gen. nov., differs from Lepthercus by the lack of a megaspine on a raised cuticular spur on tibia I of males. Females possess spermathecae with a high basal portion (fused or not) and stalks that open in oval apical receptacles (Fig. 5D, E View Figure 5 ).

Relationships.

Given the morphological characters presented here, this new genus shows affinities with Afropesa , Hermacha and the Australian genus Stanwellia Rainbow & Pulleine, 1918 (currently belonging to the family Pycnothelidae ), since they all present a retrolateral apical megaspine on tibia I. Nevertheless, Ekapa gen. nov. differs from them due to its characteristic retroventral projection on the male palpal tibia. Stanwellia spp, demonstrate a similar shape of the spermathecae (with a high base), but differ from Ekapa gen. nov. since they possess flexuous leg tarsi, and a straight thoracic fovea ( Harvey et al. 2018).

Description.

Cephalothorax and legs covered with short bristles; cephalothorax with dark setae on the margin, more abundant towards the posterior part. Thoracic fovea short, straight or slightly recurved. Eyes group broader than long, anterior row slightly procurved and posterior row recurved (Figs 1C View Figure 1 , 3F View Figure 3 , 5C View Figure 5 ); clypeus short. Abdomen covered with short black hairs, with a pattern of yellow chevrons (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ). Sternum oval, covered with black hairs, with posterior sigilla well defined and separated from the sternal margin. Labium broad, with few cuspules (principally in females), labiosternal sigilla consisting of a pair of well-marked sigilla. Maxillae with strong cuspules on the posterior inner edge. Stout short bristles as a rastellum, chelicerae with bristles on dorsal and retrolateral face. Chelicerae with a continuous line of equidistant teeth on the promargin, with many small basal denticles (no equidistant line with a few basal denticles in Hermacha ). Male intercheliceral tumescence well-marked and setose (Fig. 3E View Figure 3 ). Serrula absent in both sexes. Leg formula 4123; all legs sparsely covered with hairs. Legs with all tarsi aspinose. Tibia I of male with a megaspine, and with a series of spines, all of which are almost the same size (Figs 1F View Figure 1 , 4H View Figure 4 ). Palpal tibia slightly swollen, with prolateral spines, ventrally with some rigid setae and a projection on the retroventral side (Figs 2D View Figure 2 , 4E View Figure 4 ). Cymbium short without spines. Copulatory bulb piriform, flanged, with long dorsal keels and with a short slightly curved embolus (Figs 2A-C View Figure 2 , 4A-D View Figure 4 ). Scopulae: on metatarsi I-II distributed in the entire segment; III sparse, apical; IV absent. Present on tarsi I-II, throughout each segment (dense in females), III-IV sparse. Trichobothria: filiform in two rows from basal to anterior; metatarsi with one straight line, tarsi with a narrow zigzag row along length. Metatarsal preening combs present in legs II-IV. Spermathecae: receptacles with a high base (fused or not), and with stalk that ends in the oval apical receptacle (Fig. 5D, E View Figure 5 ).