A survey of Diphya Nicolet, 1849 (Araneae: Tetragnathidae) from South Africa
Omelko, Mikhail M.
Marusik, Yuri M.
Lyle, Robin
Zootaxa
2020
2020-12-30
4899
1
259
279
98Z7M
Omelko & Marusik & Lyle, 2020
Omelko & Marusik & Lyle
2020
[151,408,1722,1749]
Arachnida
Tetragnathidae
Diphya
Animalia
Araneae
11
270
Arthropoda
species
vanderwaltae
sp. nov.
Figures 3H, 4C, 5F, 11C, 13A–C, 14
Etymology.The specific name is a matronym in honour of Vida van der Walt. She is a Salticidaephotographer who has contributed to the field with her photography of living jumping spiders in South Africa.
Diagnosis.The new species differs of all other Diphyaspecies by the dark coloration of the body and femora, lacking a distinct abdominal pattern, having a triangular epigynal septum, closely spaced copulatory openings and receptacles almost touching each other (vs. at least abdomen with pattern, femora colored as other leg segments, septum not triangular, and receptacles distinctly spaced). Male unknown.
Description. Female( Holotype, NCA 2007/306).TL 3.30, CL 1.46, CW 1.16. Carapace dark brown, with black triangular spot in central part, median band indistinct. Ocular area black. Clypeus dark-brown, higher than AME diameter. Chelicerae and mouthparts brown. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth. Sternum uniformly black, without dark edges, spots or stripes. Femora dark gray, with yellowish longitudinal lines. Patellae, tibiae and metatarsi of all legs uniformly dark gray. Tarsi dark gray; III–IV lighter than I–II. Abdomen dorsally dark gray (lighter in frontal part, with some guanine spots). Lateral and ventral sides almost black, with few yellowish spots. FIGURE 7.Male palp of Diphya wesolowskae sp. nov.(A, D), D. foordi sp. nov.(B, E), D. simoni(C, H) and D. leroyorum sp. nov.(F–G). A–C, F Antero-prolateral; D–E, G–H Antero-retrolateral. Scales = 0.2 mm. Palp and leg segment lengths Fe Pa Ti Mt Ta Total palp 0.31 0.19 0.34 - 0.46 1.30 I 1.29 0.59 1.29 1.40 0.74 5.30 II 1.36 0.56 1.14 1.14 0.60 4.80 III 0.93 0.36 0.60 0.64 0.43 2.96 IV 1.07 0.36 0.89 0.86 0.46 3.63 Spination of legs I–II Fe Pa Ti Mt I 1p 1d 2d3p1r 1d II - 1d 1d2p1r 1d FIGURE 8.Retrolateral view of male palp of Diphya foordi sp. nov.(A), D. wesolowskae sp. nov.(B), D. simoni Kauri, 1950(C) and D. leroyorum sp. nov.(D). Scales = 0.2 mm. Epigyne as in Figs 11C, 13A–C; with large and triangular base of septum (width/height ratio 3.0), very short and thin septal stem, and 2 distinct, closely separated copulatory openings; receptacles elongate, with shallow constrictions, almost touching each other.
Type material. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: Cwebe Nature Reserve, 32°16.8’S 28°54’E, leg. C. Haddad, 30.X.2006(sifting leaf litter, coastal dune forest) ( NCA 2007/306).
Comments.We are convinced that this species, known from the female only, cannot be conspecific with D. leroyorum sp. nov., known from the holotypemale only. The two species have very different patterns and leg spination arrangements.
Distribution. Typelocality only ( Fig. 14).
3019610322
2006-10-30
NCA
C. Haddad
South Africa
-32.28
Cwebe Nature Reserve
787
28.9
14
273
NCA 2007
1
1
Eastern Cape
holotype