Uduba lavitra, Griswold & Ubick & Ledford & Polotow, 2022

Griswold, Charles, Ubick, Darrell, Ledford, Joel & Polotow, Daniele, 2022, A Revision of the Malagasy Crack-Leg Spiders of the Genus Uduba Simon, 1880 (Araneae, Udubidae), with Description of 35 New Species from Madagascar, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 67, pp. 1-193 : 59-60

Uduba lavitra , new species

Figures 75 A–C, F , Maps 8, 15.

Type material. Holotype female ( CASENT9030898 ) and paratype female ( CASENT9064776 ) collected 29 March 2004 by the Malagasy ant team from a rotten log at marsh edge in montane rainforest at 1070m elevation at Torotorofotsy (18°52ʹ15ʺS, 048°20ʹ51ʺE), Toamasina Province, Madagascar, deposited in the CAS . Paratype female ( CASENT9030895 ), collected 23 March 2004 by the Malagasy ant team at 1075m elevation from montane rainforest at Ambatovy, 18°51ʹ03ʺS, 048°19ʹ17ʺE, Toamasina Province, Madagascar, also deposited in CAS .

Etymology. The species epithet is from a Malagasy word lavitra, meaning far, referring to the great distance from the end of the epigynal medial lobe (ML) to the epigynal groove; an adjective in apposition.

Diagnosis. Uduba lavitra belong to Group I.c, the Uduba funerea group ( Map 15 ) of Group I, the Epigynal atrium group. They are ecribellate, with a colulus; female with epigynal plate with median lobe surrounded by depressed atrium, epigynal plate extensive posteriad of atrium, height greater than 0.15 times epigynal length, median lobe narrow, especially anteriorly, atrium width greater than three times ML width ( Figs. 75 A, C ). Male unknown.

Description. Male unknown. Female (Holotype): Total length 17.50. Markings typical of

Uduba . Carapace 7.70 long, 5.50 wide, 3.20 high; clypeus 0.55 high. Eye diameters: AME 0.24, ALE 0.26, PME 0.28, PLE 0.34. Chelicerae 2.00 long; sternum 3.40 long, 2.70 wide; labium 1.90 long; palpal coxae 2.70 long. With a colulus. Spination: palpus–femur d0-1-2, patella p1-0, tibia d1-0, p2-0, tarsus p2-1, r0-1-0; leg I–femur d1-0-0, p0-0-2, tibia v2-2-2-2, metatarsus v2-2-3; leg II–femur d1-0-0, p0-0-1, tibia p0-1-0, v2-1-1-2, metatarsus v2-2-3; leg III–femur d1-0-0-1, p0-1- 1-0, r0-1-1-0, tibia p0-1-1-0, v1-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus p1-2-2, v2-2-2, r1-1-2; leg IV–femur d1- 0-0, r0-0-1, tibia v1-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1-2, v2-2-2, r1-2-2. Scopulae: strong ventral beneath tarsi I–IV and metatarsus I, apical half of metatarsi I and II and apices of metatarsi III and IV. Leg measurements: I: 6.40 + 2.80 + 5.50 + 4.80 + 3.00 = 22.50; II: 5.50 + 2.60 + 5.50 + 4.30 + 2.60 = 20.50; III: 4.40 + 2.20 + 2.70 + 3.70 + 2.10 = 15.10; IV: 6.00 + 2.40 + 5.10 + 6.00 + 2.40 = 21.90; palpus: 2.60 + 1.35 + 1.70 + NA + 2.70 = 8.35. Leg formula 1423. Female genitalia: epigynal plate with median lobe surrounded by depressed atrium ( Fig. 75 A ), epigynal plate width 1.25 times length; atrium sides convex, atrium width 1.82 times atrium length; epigynum length 2.36 times atrium length, atrium width 0.62 epigynum width; atrium width at side of ML 1.22 times ML width; epigynal plate extending far posteriad of atrium, atrium origin at 0.28 times epigynum length from epigastric groove; median lobe ( Fig. 75 A ) very narrow, nearly straight sided and slightly wider at base, median lobe length 2.67 times width, length 1.47 times atrium length, 0.60 times epigynal length, extending far anteriad of atrium, ML extent anteriad of atrium 0.59 times epigynal length; lateral lobes narrow, atrium width 5.17 times LL width; copulatory openings beneath midpoint of lateral margin of atrium. Vulva ( Fig. 75 B ) with spermathecal ducts making 2–3 broad curves, vulva length 0.68 times width, vulva width 3.88 times distance between fertilization ducts.

Variation. (N=3). Total length 17.00–17.50; carapace length / width 1.40–1.54, carapace height/ width 0.56–0.61, PER/ carapace width 0.45–0.47, PER/OAL 3.24–3.34, PER/AER 1.29– 1.43, OAL/OQL 1.12–1.19, OQP/ OQA 1.09–1.18, clypeus height/ AME diameter width 1.54– 2.29, cheliceral length / clypeus height 7.65–9.25, sternum length / width 1.26–1.29, palpal coxa length / width 2.00–2.45, femur I length / carapace width =1.08–1.16, metatarsus I length / carapace width 0.87–0.90, femur IV length / carapace width 1.09–1.17, palpal tarsus length / carapace width 0.49–0.52, palpal tibia length / palpal patella length 1.86–2.00, palpal tarsus length / palpal tibia length 1.59–1.73, palpal tarsus length / palpal femur length 0.96–1.04, palpal tibia length / palpal patella length 1.07–1.26. Epigynal plate ( Figs. 75 A, C ) width 1.25–1.36 times length; atrium width 0.56–0.62 epigynum width; atrium origin at 0.18–0.275 times epigynum length from epigastric groove; median lobe length 2.67–2.83 times width, length 1.24–1.47 times atrium length, 0.52–0.60 times epigynal length, ML spreads narrowly ( Fig. 75 C ) or broadly ( Fig. 75 A ) at base; atrium width 4.17–5.17 times LL width. Vulva with spermathecal ducts making two ( Fig. 75 B ) or three ( Fig. 75 F ) broad curves, vulva length 0.68–0.83 times width, vulva width 3.88–7.25 times distance between fertilization ducts ( Figs. 75 B, F ). Male variation unknown, only females have been collected.

Material examined. MADAGASCAR: Toamasina Province: Torotorofotsy , 18°52ʹ15ʺS, 048°20ʹ51ʺE, elev. 1070m, ex-rotten log, marsh edge, montane rainforest, 29 March 2004, collectors Malagasy ant team (holotype, CASENT9030898 , 1♀, CAS, paratype, CASENT9064776 , 1♀, CAS,) ; Ambatovy , 18°51ʹ03ʺS, 048°19ʹ17ʺE, elev. 1075m, general collecting spiders, montane rainforest, 23 March 2004, (paratype, CASENT9030895 , 1♀, CAS) .

Natural history. These ecribellate spiders have been collected in montane rainforest. The holotype of Uduba lavitra was found hiding within a rotten log, but we know nothing of any use of silk.

Distribution. Uduba lavitra are known only from two nearby localities in montane rainforest in Toamasina Province in central Madagascar (Maps 8, 15). Their forest habitat is threatened by a huge chrome-ore strip mine, which currently extends to less than a kilometer from the collection site of the paratype (GoogleEarth, 26 October 2021).

Figures

FIGURE 75. Uduba spp., female genitalia drawings. A, B. U. lavitra, new species, holotype (CASENT9030898) from Torotorofotsy. C, F. U. lavitra, new species, paratype (CASENT9030895) from Ambatovy. D, E. U. orona, new species, holotype (CASENT9006101) from Andringitra Reserve. A, C, D. Epigynum, ventral. B, E, F. Vulva, dorsal. Illustrations by Charles Griswold. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

MAP 15. Distribution of Group I.c, the Uduba funerea MAP 16. Distribution of Group II, the Epigynum lateral group of Group I, the Epigynal atrium group: Uduba projection group, or Uduba evanescens group: Uduba funerea Simon, 1906, U. barbarae, U. lavitra, U. orona and evanescens (Dahl, 1901), U. rakotofrah, U. volana, U. milamina. U. heliani, U. goodmani and Uduba pseudoevanescens.