Cambalida compressa, Haddad, Charles Richard, 2012

Haddad, Charles Richard, 2012, A revision of the Afrotropical spider genus Cambalida Simon, 1909 (Araneae, Corinnidae), ZooKeys 234, pp. 67-119 : 73-78

Cambalida compressa sp. n. Figures 40, 50, 57-60

Type material.

Holotype female. NIGERIA:Niger State, Mokwa [09°17'N, 05°03'E], leg. A. Russell-Smith, 31.VIII.1974 (14 year savanna regrowth) (BMNH).

Paratypes.

BURKINA FASO: Bobo-Dioulasso, Matourkou, 11°05'N, 04°22'W, leg. J.O. Zongo, VIII–XII.1991 (sorghum field), 1♀ (MRAC 177035). IVORY COAST: Bouaké, F.-Foro, 07°41'N, 05°02'W, leg. G. Couturier, 19-21.VIII.1974 ( piège coloré), 1♀ (MRAC 216429); Ferké poste de Comoé, Komoé River, 09°35'N, 04°20'W, leg. J. Everts, 7.III.1980, 1♀ (MRAC 173980); Mbé Research Station, West African Rice Development Association [07°52'N, 05°06'W], near Bouaké, leg. A. Russell-Smith, 17.VIII.1994 (weed control experiment), 12♂ 5♀ (BMNH); Same locality, leg. A. Russell-Smith, 1.IX.1993 (in tall Andropogon fallow), 2♂ 1♀ (BMNH); Touba [08°17'N, 07°41'W], leg. A. Russell-Smith, VII–X.1994 (upland rice), 14♂ 3♀ (BMNH).

Other material examined.

TOGO: Bassari, 09°15'N, 00°47'W, leg. P. Douben, 6.VII.1984 (pitfalls), 1♂ (MRAC 173987).

Diagnosis.

The females are easily recognised by the very small spermathecae, large 6-shaped epigynal ridges and copulatory ducts that are initially directed medially (Figs 57, 58). Males have an embolus that is distinctly compressed on its longitudinal axis (Figs 40, 50, 59).

Etymology.

From the Latin for compact, compressed, referring to the structure of the male embolus.

Remark.

The majority of the specimens examined have a much lighter colouration than their congeners, as described below, i.e. a yellow carapace and legs and yellow abdomen with black mottling. The remaining specimens had a brown body and legs with similar markings to the majority of congeners. Since the genitalic morphology is very stable in all of the specimens examined it is clear that this species is a case of colour polymorphism.

Female

(holotype, Mokwa, BMNH). Measurements: CL 2.69, CW 1.84, AL 3.60, AW 2.10, TL 6.40 (5.80-7.00), FL 0.22, SL 1.19, SW 1.11, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.38, PME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.52, PERW 0.79, MOQAW 0.37, MOQPW 0.48, MOQL 0.49.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.10 + 0.85 + 1.78 + 1.66 + 1.20 = 7.59; II 1.95 + 0.78 + 1.45 + 1.54 + 1.07 = 6.79; III 1.80 + 0.75 + 1.38 + 1.68 + 0.95 = 6.56; IV 2.63 + 0.90 + 2.30 + 1.73 + 0.77 = 8.33.

Carapace dark orange-brown with black mottling, clypeus mottled black medially and yellow-brown laterally, eye region black; black striae radiating from fovea towards palps and leg coxae; surface finely granulate, sparsely covered in white plumose setae. All eyes with black rings; AER procurved, ALE larger than AME; AME separated by distance slightly less than ½ their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance slightly less than 1∕5 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly larger than AME diameter; PER procurved, PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to 3∕5 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance slightly less than ⅓ PME diameter; CW:PERW = 2.33:1. Chelicerae orange-brown with faint black mottling on anterior surface, orange proximally and along prolateral distal margin; three teeth on promargin, median tooth largest, proximal and distal teeth subequal, distal tooth situated closest to median tooth; two slightly separated subequal teeth on retromargin, closer to fang base than promarginal teeth; endites yellow-brown with faint black mottling, cream prolaterally; labium yellow-brown, cream distally; sternum bright yellow with faint black mottling. Legs finely granulate; legs I–III uniform yellow with black mottling laterally, except on tarsi; femora IV yellow with black mottling; patellae IV yellow with black mottling faint proximally, dark in distal half; tibiae IV yellow-brown with black mottling, yellow at distal end; metatarsi IV yellow-brown with black mottling, yellow proximally and distally; tarsi IV yellow. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 3, II pl 1 do 3, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 1; patellae with do 1 long distal seta; tibiae: I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 1 rlv 3, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora pl 1 do 2, patellae pl 1 do 1, tibiae pl 1 do 2 plv 1, tarsi pl 1 plv 3 rlv 1. Abdomen lilac-grey, with indistinct white chevrons of plumose setae and two small white patches above spinnerets; dorsal scutum pale brown, extending only 1∕10 abdomen length; venter pale lilac-grey with cream mottling, epigastric sclerite and inframamillary sclerite yellow-brown. Epigyne with large lateral 6-shaped epigynal ridges with prolateral copulatory openings (Fig. 57); copulatory ducts directed medially, curving anteriorly, entering ST II posterolaterally; ST II small and oval, joined broadly to narrow kidney-shaped posterior ST I (Fig. 58).

Male

(paratype, Mbé, BMNH). Measurements: CL 2.50, CW 1.75, AL 2.50, AW 1.30, TL 5.00 (4.15-5.75), FL 0.17, SL 1.11, SW 1.02, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.33, PME–PME 0.09, PME–PLE 0.04, PLE–PLE 0.48, PERW 0.73, MOQAW 0.35, MOQPW 0.43, MOQL 0.46.

Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.18 + 0.71 + 1.83 + 1.82 + 1.35 = 7.89; II 1.92 + 0.74 + 1.55 + 1.60 + 1.13 = 6.94; III 1.82 + 0.68 + 1.43 + 1.77 + 0.97 = 6.67; IV 2.73 + 0.83 + 2.41 + 2.92 + 1.33 = 10.22.

Carapace bright yellow with faint black mottling, yellow-brown in cephalic region, clypeus mottled black medially, yellow-brown laterally, eye region black; faint black striae radiating from fovea towards palps and leg coxae; surface finely granulate, densely covered in white plumose setae. All eyes with black rings; AER procurved, ALE very slightly larger than AME; AME separated by distance slightly less than ⅓ their diameter, AME separated from ALE by less than 1∕10 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly larger than AME diameter; PER procurved, PME very slightly smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance ½ their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance slightly less than ¼ PME diameter; CW:PERW = 2.40:1. Chelicerae yellow-brown with black mottling on anterior surface, yellow along prolateral distal margin; three teeth on promargin, median tooth largest, proximal tooth slightly smaller than distal tooth, distal tooth situated closest to median tooth; two slightly separated teeth on retromargin, distal tooth slightly smaller than proximal tooth, closer to fang base than promarginal teeth; endites pale yellow-brown with faint black mottling, cream prolaterally; labium pale orange-brown with faint black mottling, cream distally; sternum yellow with black mottling. Legs finely granulate; legs I–III pale yellow with faint black mottling dorsally and laterally; femora IV pale yellow with faint black mottling; patellae IV yellow with black mottling laterally and ventrally, faint dorsally; tibiae IV yellow with black mottling laterally and ventrally, faint dorsally, distal end pale yellow; metatarsi IV pale yellow with black mottling, faint distally, absent proximally; tarsi IV creamy-yellow. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 3, II pl 1 do 3, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 2; patellae with do 1 long distal seta; tibiae: I plv 3 rlv 3, II plv 1 rlv 3, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora pl 1 do 2, patellae pl 1 spine do 2 setae, one proximally and one distally, tibiae pl 1 plv 1, tarsi pl 2 plv 2. Abdomen with pale orange-brown dorsal scutum with faint black mottling, nearly covering entire dorsum, with small white spot of dense plumose setae just above spinnerets; sides of abdomen mottled dark grey; venter creamy grey, epigastric sclerite and post-epigastric sclerites yellow, ventral sclerite creamy-yellow, inframamillary sclerite yellow-brown. Palps yellow with faint black mottling; embolus short and compressed on its longitudinal axis, with one and a quarter coils, tip directed retrolaterally distally (Figs 40, 50, 59, 60).

Distribution.

Widespread in West Africa but only known from a few scattered localities (Fig. 65).

Biology.

Several records come from agroecosystems (fallow, sorghum and rice); the rest are from riparian forest and savanna habitats.