Copa kei, Haddad, Charles Richard, 2013

Haddad, Charles Richard, 2013, A revision of the continental species of Copa Simon, 1885 (Araneae, Corinnidae) in the Afrotropical Region, ZooKeys 276, pp. 1-37 : 28-31

Copa kei sp. n. Figures 5, 610 –1219–3049–5457–606672– 7576

Type material.

Holotype female. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province: Kei Mouth, 32°41.206'S, 28°22.497'E, leg. C. Haddad, 25.IX.2004 (grass at tree base) (NCA 2007/3843).

Paratypes.

SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province: Cwebe Nature Reserve, The Haven, 32°14.497'S, 28°54.653'E, leg. C. Haddad, 30.X.2006 (grassy litter behind dunes), 1♂ (NCA 2008/270); Dwesa Nature Reserve, 32°16.2'S, 26°52.2'E, leg. M. Mgobozi, X.2004 (pitfall traps), 2♂ 2♀ (NCA 2008/1967); East London, Pineapple Research Station, 33°00.6'S, 26°54.0'E, leg. D. Keetch, 15.III.1985 (on soil, coastal dune forest), 1♂ 5♀ (NCA 95/325); Hogsback, Never Daunted Lodge, 32°35.729'S, 26°55.894'E, 1250m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, 7.I.2011 (night collecting), 1♀ (NCA 2010/2750); Same locality, Tyume Forest, near Big Tree, 32°36.123'S, 26°56.687'E, 1070m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, 28.III.2011 (sifting litter, Afromontane forest), 1♂ (TMSA 24012); Katberg, Katberg Pass, 32°28.710'S, 26°40.337'E, leg. J.A. Neethling & C. Luwes, 4.X.2011 (leaf litter, Afromontane forest), 2♂ (NCA 2012/5502); Kei Mouth, 32°41.280'S, 28°22.484'E, leg. C. Haddad, 6.XII.2005 (leaf litter, coastal dune forest), 1♀ (NCA 2008/1907); Same locality, 32°41.206'S, 28°22.497'E, leg. C. Haddad, 10.VIII.2002 (leaf litter, coastal dune), 1♂ (NCA 2002/414); Lusikisiki district, Mzimhlava River mouth, 31°20'S, 29°40'E, leg. Baddeley, II.1980 (coastal evergreen forest), 1♀ (MRAC 164163). KwaZulu-Natal Province: Howick, Shooter's Hill [29°26'S, 30°19'E, 790m a.s.l.], leg. R.F. Lawrence, X.1937, 1♀ (NMSA 2124); Karkloof Nature Reserve, 29°19.1'S, 30°15.5'E, 1325m a.s.l., leg. M. Mostovski, 28. IX– 3.X.2005 (yellow pan trap), 2♂ 2♀ (NMSA 21486); Pietermaritzburg, Town Bush [29°36'S, 30°23'E], leg. R.F. Lawrence, IX–XI.1950, 2♂ (NMSA 5513); Same locality, southern slopes of Hogsback, 29°33'S, 30°21'E, 1000m a.s.l., leg. C.E. Griswold & T. Meikle-Griswold, 20.IX.1984 (Berlese extracted leaf litter, native forest), 1♂ (NMSA 24463).

Other material examined.

None.

Diagnosis.

The species is easily recognisable by the distinct dorsal black spot on the anterior margin of the abdomen. Males are characterised by the narrow coiled embolus and females by the small copulatory openings and the nearly transverse copulatory ducts.

Etymology.

The specific name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality, the town Kei Mouth, located at the estuary of the Great Kei River in the Eastern Cape Province.

Female

(holotype, Kei Mouth, NCA 2007/3843). Measurements:CL 3.84, CW 2.75, AL 6.00, AW 4.55, TL 9.65 (6.40-9.80), FL 0.40, SL 1.75, SW 1.60, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.46, PME–PME 0.20, PME–PLE 0.13, PLE–PLE 0.63, PERW 0.83, MOQAW 0.44, MOQPW 0.51, MOQL 0.54.

Length of leg segments: I 2.60 + 1.25 + 2.03 + 2.05 + 1.18 = 9.11;II 2.50 + 1.24 + 1.90 + 2.00 + 1.16 = 8.80; III 2.45 + 1.23 + 1.88 + 2.30 + 1.16 = 9.02;IV 3.15 + 1.38 + 2.63 + 3.40 + 1.39 = 11.95.

General appearance as in Fig. 10. Carapace bright yellow-orange, eye region black except between PME; broad median black line covered in black feathery setae from PER to posterior slope of carapace, broken up by asetose line from PME to midpoint and paired oblique asetose line from fovea towards anterior coxae; black striae present, falling within broad median band; lateral margins black from chelicerae to posterior marking, markings expanded from coxae I and from coxae I–IV, densely covered in black feathery setae; areas between markings covered in white feathery setae. All eyes with black rings; AER procurved, medians much larger than laterals; AME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance approximately 1∕10 AME diameter; clypeus height approximately 1½ AME diameter; PER strongly procurved, medians very slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance equal to 1¼ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 4∕5 PME diameter; CW:PERW = 3.31:1. Chelicerae yellow-orange, with pectinate curved setae on promargin; three closely spaced teeth on promargin, distal tooth smallest, median tooth largest; median tooth closer to distal tooth than to proximal tooth; retromargin with two teeth separated by their basal width, distal tooth slightly smaller than proximal tooth, close to fang base. Endites yellow, cream prolaterally; labium yellow-brown, cream distally, with broad transverse black marking along proximal margin; sternum bright yellow, with broad black marking along margins, expanded at coxae (Fig. 12). Legs yellow-brown, with faint black mottling; spine bases with distinct black spot; trochanters with distal margins black laterally; femora all with black lateral and distal mottling, ventrally with faint distal ring; patellae with fine dorsal proximal line and lateral and distal mottling; tibiae with faint rings proximally and medially corresponding to ventral spines, distal ends with black ring; metatarsi with proximal, medial and distal rings, corresponding to paired leg spines; tarsi yellow; palp yellow, spines with black spots. Leg spination: femora: I pl 2 do 3 rl 1, II pl 2 do 3 rl 1, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 2; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: I & II with fine proximal and distal do setae, III & IV with proximal and distal do spines, proximal spine finer and shorter than distal; tibiae: I do 1 long fine seta, plv 2 rlv 2, II do 1 long fine seta, plv 1 rlv 2 spines, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1-2 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, with scattered erect ventral setae, mainly retrolaterally; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 2 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 rl 1 plv 3 rlv 1. Abdomen with very small red-brown anterior dorsal scutum beneath marking; dorsum mottled grey, with large black spot anteriorly, dark grey median stripe from anterior spot to midpoint, and small cream chevrons posteriorly; short straight black setae and white feathery setae on markings dorsally and laterally; sides of abdomen cream; venter cream, covered in short straight black setae, with dark marking medially on epigastric plate covering epigyne, broadened from epigastric furrow, extending to and surrounding spinnerets. Epigyne small, with strongly curved ridges laterally at midpoint of epigyne, separated by approximately three times their width, with copulatory openings distinct (Figs 57, 72); copulatory ducts almost straight, nearly transverse, slightly oblique, entering rounded anterior ST II; broad ducts connecting ST II to subrectangular posterior ST I; ST I slightly narrower than ST II (Fig. 73).

Male

(paratype, Kei Mouth, NCA 2002/414). Measurements: CL 3.44, CW 2.54, AL 3.50, AW 2.30, TL 6.98 (5.20-6.98), FL 0.34, SL 1.55, SW 1.48, AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.40, PME–PME 0.20, PME–PLE 0.11, PLE–PLE 0.55, PERW 0.75, MOQAW 0.42, MOQPW 0.48, MOQL 0.52.

Length of leg segments: I 2.35 + 1.13 + 1.87 + 1.97 + 1.20 = 8.52; II 2.32 + 1.10 + 1.75 + 1.93 + 1.15 = 8.25; III 2.28 + 0.98 + 1.75 + 2.13 + 1.10 = 8.24; IV 2.90 + 1.13 + 2.40 + 3.30 + 1.30 = 11.03.

General appearance as in Fig. 11, male more slender than female. Carapace deep orange, markings and setae as for female. All eyes with black rings; AER procurved, medians much larger than laterals; AME separated by distance equal to 2∕5 their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance approximately 1∕10 AME diameter; clypeus height equal to 1½ AME diameter; PER strongly procurved, medians very slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance equal to 1½ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly larger than 4∕5 PME diameter; CW:PERW = 3.39:1. Chelicerae yellow-orange, with curved setae on promargin not pectinate; dentition as for female. Endites, labium, sternum and leg colouration and markings as for female. Leg spination: femora: I pl 2 do 3 rl 1, II pl 2 do 3 rl 1, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 2; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: I & II with fine proximal and distal do setae, III & IV with proximal and distal do spines, proximal spine finer and shorter than distal; tibiae: I do 1 long fine seta, plv 3 rlv 3 spines, II do 1 long fine seta plv 2 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 1-2 rlv 1-2 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2, with scattered erect ventral setae, mainly retrolaterally; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 2 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 1. Abdomen with narrow red-brown dorsal scutum extending just past midpoint; dorsum mottled grey, with large black spot anteriorly, broad dark grey median stripe from anterior spot narrowing towards posterior of scutum, and small cream chevrons in posterior half; short straight black setae and white feathery setae on markings dorsally and laterally; lateral margin of abdomen creamy-grey; venter creamy-grey, covered in short straight black setae, with narrow dark grey marking medially on epigastric plate, broadened from epigastric furrow, extending to and surrounding spinnerets. Male palpal cymbium yellow, with several thicker bent setae distally (Fig. 75); tegulum pear-shaped, orange-brown, with nearly black ducts; embolus with narrow base and 1½ narrow coils around a central prong; distal section slightly curved (Figs 58, 66, 74).

Distribution.

Known from the south-eastern parts of South Africa (Fig. 76); endemic to the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Centre of Endemism ( Driver et al. 2005).

Biology.

Specimens were mainly collected from the leaf litter layer of closed canopy Afromontane and coastal forest habitats.