Cicynethus decoratus ( Lawrence, 1952 ) 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 : 12-15

Cicynethus decoratus ( Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov.

Figs 7–8 , 21

Chariobas decorata Lawrence, 1952: 195 , fig. 24 (descr. ♀).

Diagnosis

The female of Cicynethus decoratus comb. nov., is recognized by the epigyne with broad plate deeply indented in front and by the dark rings on the ventral part of all Fe and TII–IV.

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA: ♀, Kwazulu-Natal Province, Port Edward , 31°03′ S, 30°13′ E, Nov. 1943, R. Lawrence and R. Holiday leg. (NM 3923).

Other material

SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀, Kwazulu-Natal Province, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, 30°40.791′ S, 30°15.571′ E, sifting leaf litter, 450 m a.s.l., 13 Jan. 2011, C. Haddad leg. ( NCA 2014/3298); 1 ♀, Eastern Cape Province, Port St Johns District, Ingogo Forest Reserve, 31°37′ S, 29°32′ E, in humus, Dec. 1961, N. Leleup leg. ( RMCA _ARA_131806); 1 ♀, 16 juveniles, including subadult ♂♂ and ♀♀, same collection data as for preceding ( RMCA _ARA_131933).

Description

Holotype (female)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 12.57. Carapace: length 5.11, width 2.91, height 1.42.

COLOUR ( Fig. 7A ). Carapace reddish brown, with paler median spot near posterior margin. Chelicerae reddish brown with pale patch near fangs. Endites reddish brown fading to yellowish in front; labium dark reddish brown, paler in front. Sternum uniform dark reddish brown, darkened along anterior margins. Legs yellowish orange; anterior legs darker reddish brown from P onwards; F with dark ventral distal spot; d F II with dark distal ring interrupted dorsally; F II–IV with dark ring on distal third; all P darkened on sides; T II with basal dark ring; T II–IV with dark ring on distal third. Abdomen cream, dorsum with dark dorsal pattern: lateral bands with three ill-defined triangles and median band consisting of diamond, stripe, 2 chevrons and 2-segmented spot in front of spinnerets; sides with one large frontal spot and two small posterior ones; venter with two longitudinal dark lines.

STERNUM. Elongated oval, 1.35 wide, 2.20 long. Precoxal sclerites in front of coxae II.

CHILUM. Two poorly defined triangles, each 0.09 high, 0.21 wide.

EYES. ALE 0.18; AME 0.16; PLE 0.18; PME 0.16; ALE–AME 0.08; AME–AME 0.07; PLE–PME 0.16; PME–PME 0.08. Clypeus 0.30 high.

LEGS SPINATION. With distal ventral spines Mt I: d3 sd1; Mt II: d3 sd1; Mt III: d2 sd1; Mt IV: d2 sd1–1.

EPIGYNE ( Fig. 7D ). With broad plate, longer in front; with deep median indentation, without median septum; frontal corners of plate surrounded by dark circular area.

Female (NCA 2014/3298)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 9.23. Carapace: length 4.12, width 2.34, height 1.21.

COLOUR ( Fig. 7B ). Carapace reddish brown, slightly suffused with black in cephalic region, with narrow long dark ‘V’ in front of fovea and four dark marginal triangles on either side. Chelicerae reddish brown with pale patch near fangs. Endites yellowish orange, darker at base. Labium reddish brown. Sternum medium brown, darkened along margin and with faint dark spots in posterior half; legs yellowish orange, darkened to medium brown on M tI, t I and t II, and extremity of t III and t IV; F and T II–IV with median ring on ventral half. Abdomen cream, dorsum with complex sepia dorsal pattern: diamond-shaped and 3-segmented black spot in front of spinnerets; sides with one large frontal spot and two small posterior ones; venter with two longitudinal dark lines.

STERNUM ( Fig. 8C ). Elongated oval, 1.14 wide, 1.63 long. Precoxal sclerites in front of coxae II.

CHILUM. Two poorly defined triangles, each 0.07 high, 0.18 wide.

EYES. ALE 0.15; AME 0.16; PLE 0.18; PME 0.15; ALE–AME 0.05; AME–AME 0.03; PLE–PME 0.12; PME–PME 0.08. Clypeus 0.30 high.

LEGS. All Mt with four distal ventral spines in a series 1–2–1 with central ones closely set behind each other.

EPIGYNE ( Fig. 7E ). With broad plate, longer in front; with deep median indentation; produced into median septum; frontal corners of plate surrounded by dark circular area.

Male

Unknown. Subadult male ( Fig. 8E ) with contrasted pattern on carapace and abdomen.

Distribution

Known from the vicinity of Port Edward ( Fig. 21 ).

Variation

Total length: 9.23–12.57. Carapace: length 4.12–5.11, width 2.34–2.91. The lateral dark triangles on the carapace may be very vague ( Fig. 7C ). The median septum in the epigyne is sometimes strongly developed, as in the female from Ingogo Forest (RMCA_ARA_131806) ( Fig. 7F, H ). Juveniles (n = 16, including subadult males and females from RMCA_ARA_131806) have a yellow carapace with a medium brown pattern consisting of a median band widening from the fovea towards the front, including the eye region and margins with a row of dark coalescing triangular spots ( Fig. 8E ); sternum with broad dark margins; legs and abdomen as in the adult female.

Figures

Fig. 7. Cicynethus decoratus (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov. A, D. holotype,♀. B, E, G. Female specimen (NCA2014/3298). C, F, H. Female specimen (RMCA_ARA_131806). A–C. Habitus, dorsal view. D–H. Epigyne, ventral view. Scale bars: A–C = 2 mm; D–H = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 8. Cicynethus decoratus (Lawrence, 1952) comb. nov. A–D. ♀ (RMCA_ARA_131806). E. Subadult ♂ (same sample). A. Habitus, ventral view. B. As preceding, lateral view. C. Prosoma, ventral view. D. Female palp, prolateral view. E. Habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars: A–B, E = 2 mm; C–D = 1 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).