Afroneta elgonensis Merrett, 2004

Frick, Holger & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2018, Description of one new genus and four new species of mynoglenine spiders from Africa (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Mynogleninae), European Journal of Taxonomy 415, pp. 1-27 : 13-16

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2018.415
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D3B2953A-7727-4FA6-BADA-A74AEA6DF00B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5986250
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/761887FA-FFF7-EC79-FDDF-FCC7E0299F3D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Afroneta elgonensis Merrett, 2004
status

Treatment

Afroneta elgonensis Merrett, 2004 View in CoL

Figs 6D–G View Fig. 6 , 7–8 View Fig.7 View Fig. 8

Afroneta elgonensis Merrett, 2004: 4 View in CoL , figs 11–13.

Diagnosis

The male can be diagnosed by the very long palpal tibia. It is clearly longer than the cymbium. This is not the case in any other Afroneta with a short, robust and straight embolus.

Type material

Allotype

KENYA: 1 ♂, Mount Elgon, eastern side , 2900 m a.s.l., 13–15 Jan. 1965, Å. Holm leg., H. Frick det., collection Holm UZM No. 40 ( UPSZMC 67572 ).

Other material examined (1 ♂, 4 ♀♀)

KENYA: 1 ♀, same data as for allotype ; 2 ♀♀, Mount Elgon, E side , 3050 m a.s.l., 16 Jan. 1965, Å. Holm leg., H. Frick det., collection Holm UZM No. 80 ( UPSZMC 67583 ) ; 1 ♂, Mount Elgon, eastern side , “sålln., lövförne i Hagenia skog i dal” (sifted litter in Hagenia forest, in valley), 3200 m a.s.l., 9 May 1948, Å. Holm leg., H. Frick det., (originally listed by Holm as Afroneta longipalpis MS in the unpublished report from Uppsala), Collection Holm UZM No. 130 ( UPSZMC 67558 ) ; 1 ♀, Mount Elgon, East of Koitoboss , “sålln., lövförna mln grästuvor” (sifted litter between grass tussocs), 3300 m a.s.l., 28 Mar. 1938, Å. Holm leg., H. Frick det. (originally listed by Holm as Afroneta longipalpis MS in the unpublished report from Uppsala), collection Holm UZM No. 174 ( UPSZMC 67559 ).

Description

Male (allotype, UPSZMC 67572)

SIZE. Total length 3.17. Cephalothorax 1.47 long, 1.06 wide. Sternum 0.86 long (0.79 without labium), 0.73 wide. Abdomen 1.68 long, 1.21 wide. AME diameter 0.04. Femur I 1.32 long, 1.11 times as long as cephalothorax.

COLOUR (preserved specimens, Figs 6D View Fig. 6 , 7A–H View Fig.7 ). Cephalothorax, chelicerae, pedipalps and legs yellowish brown. Abdomen light to dark grey with small white dots. Black rings around eyes ( Fig. 6D View Fig. 6 ).

BODY. Sternum shield–shaped with labium fused to sternum and long narrow extension of sternum between coxae IV (merged to carapace at the end). Cephalon with short setae. Fovea present, canoeshaped, faint/shallow. Ocular area with several short thin setae between eyes. Clypeus height 5.25 times AME diameter. Subocular sulci present below ALE, long and wide, not clearly demarcated ( Fig. 6D View Fig. 6 ). Chelicerae with 3 large widely spaced prolateral teeth ( Fig. 6D View Fig. 6 ) and three small closely spaced retrolateral denticles. Chelicerae with stridulating file.

LEGS. All femora with one short stout setae dorsally. Leg formula 1243 (legs 1,2 of 4 almost same length). Trichobothrium metatarsus I = 0.58. Tibial spine formula 2222. As seen in the females, the males also lack metatarsal macrosetae and retrolateral tibial macrosetae. This is diagnostic according to Merrett (2004). However, Afroneta flavescens sp. nov. also lacks these macrosetae.

PEDIPALP ( Figs 7A–H View Fig.7 , 8A–D View Fig. 8 ). Patella with long strong distal dorsal spine ( Fig. 8D View Fig. 8 ). Tibia with two retrolateral and one prolateral trichobothrium ( Figs 7E–F View Fig.7 , 8D View Fig. 8 ). Cymbium with two prolateral macrosetae. Paracymbium U-shaped with two basal hairs ( Figs 7E View Fig.7 , 8D View Fig. 8 ). Suprategulum straight, finger-like, pointing retrolaterally ( Fig. 8B View Fig. 8 ). Tegular mynoglenine process weakly developed ( Fig. 8C View Fig. 8 ), Radix drop-like, embolus robust and straight ( Figs 7D View Fig.7 , 8A View Fig. 8 ). This type of embolus is very rare in Afroneta and otherwise only known from Afroneta flavescens sp. nov. and Afroneta bamilekei . The embolic membrane is simple, as large as the embolus.

Female

The female of this species was described by Merrett (2004) based on 11 specimens from Mount Elgon at 3100 m a.s.l. Holm’s material was taken on Mount Elgon from 2900 to 3300 m a.s.l.; the epigyne and vulva ( Figs 7I –K View Fig.7 , 8E–F View Fig. 8 ) match the drawings of Merrett (2004: figs 11, 13). Furthermore, Merrett (2004) mentions an unusual chaetotaxy that is diagnostic for the species. Afroneta elgonensis has no metatarsal spines or retrolateral tibial spines. This is also the case for the specimens in Holm’s collection. Moreover, the male and the female have a relatively long palpal tibia.

Distribution

Only known from Mount Elgon, Kenya, at altitudes from 2900–3300 m a.s.l.

Life history

Little is known about the biology of this species. The few specimens recorded have all been taken from litter in montane forest or grasslands.