Cicynethus acer, Jocqué & Henrard, 2018

Jocqué, Rudy & Henrard, Arnaud, 2018, A revision of the genus Cicynethus Simon, 1910 (Araneae, Zodariidae), a tale of colour patterns, European Journal of Taxonomy 465, pp. 1-35 : 7-11

Cicynethus acer sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:227C79D9-B0F1-42EF-9D74-A9BFAB78873B

Figs 3–6 , 21

Diagnosis

The male of Cicynethus acer sp. nov. is recognized by the sharp excrescence at the tip of the RTA and the retrolateral knob on the tegular swelling. The epigyne is similar to that of C. floriumfontis , but the median septum is provided with two conspicuous anterior arches in the latter.

Etymology

The species name ‘acer’ is an adjective meaning ‘sharp’ and referring to the sharp excrescence of the RTA.

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA: ♂, MpumAlanga Province, Pilgrim’s Rest, Mariepskop , 24°32′ S, 30°52′ W, 25 Nov. (no year but before 1990), G. Van Dam leg. ( TM 6162 ).

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♂, together with holotype; 1 ♀, Limpopo Province, Pietersburg (now Polokwane) 23°54′ S, 27°23′ E, 4 Nov. 1916, C.A. Thompson leg. ( TM 13375; formerly 2217).

Other material

SOUTH AFRICA: 2 juv., MpumAlanga Province, Pilgrim’s Rest, forest of Mariepskop, 24°32′ S, 30°52′ E, Aug. 1960, in humus, N. Leleup leg. ( RMCA _ARA_131816).

MOZAMBIQUE: 1 juv., Chidenguele, Paraiso de Chidenguele , 24°95′ S, 34°11′ E, 15 Dec. 2007, beating shrubs, dune forest, R. Lyle, C. Haddad and R. Fourie leg. ( RMCA _ARA_223066; DNA Z130).

Description

Holotype (male)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 10.30. Carapace: length 4.62, width 2.63, height 1.35.

COLOUR ( Fig. 3 A–C). Carapace medium reddish brown, darker on sides, with paler median spot near posterior margin and central dark band in front of fovea, widened behind and reaching ocular area; chelicerae medium brown with pale mediodistal patch; sternum medium brown, paler towards posterior, pale yellow tip, darker along margins; endites and labium pale yellow, darker along margins; legs pale yellow with all P medium brown on sides; leg I with distal half of T, Mt and t medium brown; leg II with Mt and t brownish yellow, legs III and IV with distal part of Mt and t brownish yellow; abdomen: dorsum with dark grey mottling provided with two median triangles and white median stripe in front of spinnerets; sides with dark grey mottling; venter pale with poorly defined dark stripes in posterior half.

STERNUM ( Fig. 3B ). Elongated oval, 1.42 wide, 2.06 long. No precoxal sclerites.

CHILUM. Two sclerites 0.10 high, 0.25 wide, with few setae.

EYES. AME larger than other eyes: ALE 0.20; AME 0.16; PLE 0.15; PME 0.15; ALE–AME 0.10; AME– AME 0.07; PLE–PME 0.15; PME–PME 0.08. Clypeus 0.28 high.

LEG SPINATION. With distal ventral spines MT I: D2 SD1; MT II: D2 SD1; MT III: D3 SD2; MT IV: D3 SD3.

LEGS. Mt I and II with four distal ventral spines in a series 1–3 with central ones closely set behind each other, Mt III with 2–3 and IV with 3–3.

MALE PALP ( Figs 3 D–F, 6A–B). RTA broad and straight, widened at tip with narrow lamellate extension pointing up and outward, with sharp tip in ventral view; tegulum with central swelling itself with retrolateral knob; embolus slightly curved, long, almost reaching tip of cymbium; MA sharply curved outward, distal section straight.

Paratype (female)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 17.04. Carapace: length 4.97, width 2.98, height 1.56. COLOUR ( Fig. 4 A–D). Carapace uniform reddish brown, with paler triangle behind fovea reaching posterior margin. Chelicerae reddish brown, with pale patch near fangs. Endites reddish brown at base, fading to yellowish in front; labium reddish brown, paler in front. Sternum uniform dark reddish brown, paler near posterior tip. Legs I with F yellow, distal part and remainder of legs orange; legs II yellow, with distal orange rings on F and T orange, P, Mt and t orange; legs III–IV yellow, with narrow distal ring on F, T and Mt; entire P and distal part of t orange. Abdomen pale with three longitudinal dark stripes, the central one with two faint triangles in front of white longitudinal bar; sides dark mottled grey; venter with two ill-defined longitudinal stripes.

STERNUM ( Fig. 4C ). Elongated oval, 1.49 wide, 2.41 long. Precoxal sclerites in front of coxae II poorly delimited.

EYES. ALE 0.18; AME 0.18; PLE 0.16; PME 0.16; ALE–AME 0.07; AME–AME 0.08; PLE–PME 0.21; PME–PME 0.12. Clypeus 0.36 high.

LEG SPINATION. With distal ventral spines Mt I: d2; Mt II: d2 sd1; Mt III: d2 sd1; Mt IV: d2 sd1–1.

EPIGYNE ( Figs 4E , 6C ). With sclerotized, boat-shaped transverse bar delimiting longitudinal oval openings separated by well developed, narrow Y-shaped septum; anterior part of openings narrowed by dark brown, slightly swollen sclerotized area.

Variation

In the juveniles ( Fig. 5 A–C) the colour pattern is much more contrasted than in the adults. The carapace has three well-defined dark bands and in the median stripe of the dorsal abdominal pattern, the two triangles in front of the white bar are much more clearly marked than in the adults.

Distribution

Known from the type locality in northern MpumAlanga Province, from Limpopo Province and from southern Mozambique ( Fig. 21 ).

Figures

Fig. 3. Cicynethus acer sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (TM 6162). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. As preceding, ventral view. C. As preceding, lateral view. D. Palp, retrolateral view. E. As preceding, detail of RTA. F. Palp, ventral view. Abbreviations: E = embolus; MA = median apophysis; TS = tegular swelling. Scale bars: A–C = 5 mm; D, F = 0.5 mm; E = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 4. Cicynethus acer sp. nov., paratype, ♀ (TM 13375). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. As preceding, closer view. C. As preceding, ventral view. D. As preceding, lateral view. E. Epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars: A–D = 5 mm; E = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 5. Cicynethus acer sp. nov., juvenile (RMCA_ARA_131816). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. As preceding, lateral view. C. As preceding, frontal view. Scale bars: 2 mm

Fig. 6. Cicynethus acer sp. nov., genitalia drawings. A. Male palp, retrolateral view. B. As preceding, ventral view. C. Epigyne, ventral view. Abbreviations: E = embolus; MA = median apophysis; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; TS = tegular swelling. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 21. Distribution map: Cicynethus acer sp. nov. (●); C. decoratus (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov. (★); C. floriumfontis Jocqué, 1991 (■); C. peringueyi Simon, 1910 (▲); C. subtropicalis (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov. (Ä).