Echinax similis, Haddad, Charles R., 2012

Haddad, Charles R., 2012, A revision of the spider genus Echinax Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 (Araneae: Corinnidae) in the Afrotropical Region, Zootaxa 3450, pp. 33-61 : 54-56

Echinax similis sp. nov.

Figs 11, 12 , 29–34 , 43, 44 , 50 , 73–76

Etymology. Derived from the Latin for similar, referring to the close resemblance of the genitalia to those of E. spatulata sp. nov.

Diagnosis. This species closely resembles E. spatulata sp. nov. in colour and genitalic morphology. Females can be recognised from the latter species by the shorter ST II, oblique copulatory ducts and more strongly curved epigynal hoods ( Figs 43 , 73 ). Males can be recognised by the absence of spatulate setae on the palpal cymbium and the much broader embolus base (compare Figs 50 and 51 ).

Female (holotype, Ndumo, TMSA 23829). Measurements: CL 2.25, CW 1.73, AL 3.40, AW 2.48, TL 5.60 (3.85–5.60), FL 0.30, SL 1.05, SW 1.03, AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.37, PME–PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.07, PLE–PLE 0.42, PERW 0.61, MOQAW 0.36, MOQPW 0.37, MOQL 0.40.

Length of leg segments: I 2.08 + 0.68 + 1.60 + 1.55 + 0.79 = 6.70; II 1.92 + 0.69 + 1.50 + 1.54 + 0.78 = 6.43; III 1.83 + 0.68 + 1.48 + 1.65 + 0.74 = 6.38; IV 2.25 + 0.73 + 1.85 + 2.35 + 0.85 = 8.03.

General appearance as in Fig. 11 . Carapace cream, eye region black except between PME; broad median band of black feathery setae from PER to posterior slope, broken up by asetose line from PME to midpoint and asetose Y-shaped marking from fovea; two mottled black Y-shaped markings present, first larger, to anterior of fovea, second smaller, on posterior margin of carapace, markings joined along midline by black line covering fovea; lateral margins black, markings expanded from coxae, with broad stripe of black feathery setae from palpal coxa to posterior margin. 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 equal to 1½ AME diameter; PER strongly procurved, medians slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance slightly larger than their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly less than ½ PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.83: 1. Chelicerae cream, with pectinate curved setae on promargin; two closely spaced teeth on promargin, distal tooth larger than proximal; retromargin with two adjacent subequal teeth, distal tooth larger than proximal tooth, close to fang base. Endites, labium and sternum cream, labium with transverse black marking along proximal margin. Legs cream, spine bases with distinct large black spot; femora all with black retrolateral spot at ½ their length and black ventral marking distally; patellae black dorsally and laterally at distal end, marking extended retrolaterally, surrounding patellar indentation but broken medially at patellar indentation expansion; tibiae with faint mottling laterally; metatarsi with proximal, medial and distal rings, corresponding to paired leg spines; palp cream, all femoral spines with black spots, only lateral patellar, tibial and tarsal spines with spots. Leg spination: femora: I pl 2 do 3 rl 2, II pl 2 do 3 rl 2, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 1; all femora with plv and rlv rows of erect setae; patellae: all with do 1 terminal spine; tibiae: I pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3-4 rlv 1-2, II pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2-3 rlv 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2; metatarsi: I pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2 rl 1, with plv 1 and rlv 5 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 2 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 rl 1 plv 4 rlv 3. Abdomen with small dorsal scutum extending less than ¼ abdomen length; dorsum cream, with narrow black marking anteriorly, black X-shaped marking just behind midpoint, lateral margins with irregularly black mottling; black feathery setae on markings, white feathery setae surrounding them and along lateral margins of abdomen; venter creamy-grey, covered in short straight setae with scattered longer setae, with black subrectangular marking medially. Epigyne with strongly curved ridges at midpoint of epigyne, separated by approximately ½ their width, with copulatory openings distinct, situated laterally in ridges ( Figs 43 , 73 ); copulatory ducts initially straight, oblique, curving sharply medially, entering oval anterior ST II that are projected posteromedially; broad ducts connecting ST II to broad, kidneyshaped posterior ST I; ST I clearly narrower than ST II ( Fig. 74 ).

Male (paratype, Ndumo, TMSA 23827). Measurements: CL 2.16, CW 1.68, AL 2.48, AW 1.46, TL 4.62 (3.40–4.62), FL 0.28, SL 1.05, SW 1.00, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.34, PME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.40, PERW 0.57, MOQAW 0.33, MOQPW 0.34, MOQL 0.38.

Length of leg segments: I 1.98 + 0.65 + 1.58 + 1.63 + 0.75 = 6.59; II 1.93 + 0.63 + 1.53 + 1.58 + 0.73 = 6.40; III 1.78 + 0.65 + 1.45 + 1.69 + 0.73 = 6.30; IV 2.13 + 0.68 + 1.80 + 2.30 + 0.85 = 7.76.

General appearance as in Fig. 12 , male more slender and smaller than female. Carapace cream, eye region black except between PME; two mottled black Y-shaped markings present, first slightly larger, to anterior of fovea, second narrower, on posterior margin of carapace, markings joined along midline by black line covering fovea; broad median band of black feathery setae covering markings, extending from PER to posterior slope, broken up by asetose line from PME to front of first marking and asetose V-shaped marking from fovea; lateral margins black, markings expanded medially from coxae, with broad stripe of black feathery setae from palpal coxa to posterior margin. All eyes with black rings; AER procurved, medians much larger than laterals; AME separated by distance slightly less than ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance approximately 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly less than 2x AME diameter; PER strongly procurved, medians slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly larger than ½ PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.95: 1. Chelicerae cream, with curved setae on promargin not pectinate; two closely spaced teeth on promargin, distal tooth larger than proximal; retromargin with two adjacent teeth, distal tooth slightly larger, close to fang base. Endites and sternum cream, without markings; labium yellow, cream distally, with small black spots in lateral corners proximally. Legs with cream femora, remaining distal segments pale yellow, spine bases with distinct black spot; coxae with large black pl spot dorsally, small rl spot retrolaterally; femora all with black incomplete ventral distal ring, extended retrolaterally a short distance to midpoint of femora; patellae all black distally, marking extended retrolaterally, surrounding patellar indentation; tibiae all with faint black lateral markings medially and distally; metatarsi with black rings proximally, medially and distally, corresponding to paired spines. Leg spination: femora: I pl 2 do 3 rl 2, II pl 2 do 3 rl 2, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 2; all femora with plv and rlv rows of erect setae; patellae: all with do 1 terminal spine; tibiae: I pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2, II pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2; metatarsi: I pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2 rl 1, with two rows of erect ventral setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 plv 3 rlv 1. Abdomen with dorsal scutum extending slightly past midpoint; dorsum cream, with black rectangular marking anteriorly, Xshaped marking at ½ abdomen length, with black mottling laterally; dorsal markings covered in black feathery setae, with yellowish feathery setae surrounding them, white feathery setae covering lateral markings; venter cream, with grey rectangular median marking; venter covered in short straight setae, with scattered longer straight setae. Male palp cream, cymbium yellow, with a few thickened straight setae dorsally in distal ½ ( Fig. 76 ); tegulum pear-shaped, pale orange with dark red-brown ducts; embolus long and thickened, with broad, oblique base and 1½ coils, distal section curved; longitudinal distance from retrolateral bend to prolateral bend approximately ¼ the distance from prolateral bend to embolus tip ( Figs 50 , 75 ).

Type material. Holotype 3: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Ndumo Game Reserve, Shokwe Pan, Ficus forest, 26°52'S, 32°12'E, 43 m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, V. Swart & A. Kirk-Spriggs, 2.XII.2009 (canopy fog 33, Kigelia africana ) ( TMSA 23829).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Ndumo Game Reserve, Shokwe Pan, Ficus forest, 26°52'S, 32°12'E, 43 m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, R. Lyle, V. Butler, 5.VII.2009 (canopy fog 12, Kigelia africana ), 13 4Ƥ ( TMSA 23826); same locality, leg. C. Haddad, V. Swart & A. Kirk-Spriggs, 1.XII.2009 (canopy fog 30, Trichilia emetica ), 13 2Ƥ ( TMSA 23827); same locality, leg. C. Haddad, V. Swart & A. Kirk-Spriggs, 4.XII.2009 (canopy fog 39, Ficus sycomorus ), 2Ƥ ( TMSA 23828).

Additional material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Ndumo Game Reserve, Shokwe Pan, Ficus forest, 26°52'S, 32°12'E, 43 m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, R. Lyle & V. Butler, 5.VII.2009 (canopy fog 13, Kigelia africana ), 33 3Ƥ ( MACN, for molecular analysis).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 81 ).

Natural history. All specimens were collected by canopy fogging from three broad-leaved tree species in seasonally inundated Ficus sycomorus forest.

Figures

FIGURE 81. Distribution of Echinax scharffi sp. nov. (white circles), E. similis sp. nov. (black star) and E. spatulata sp. nov. (black circles) in Africa.

FIGURES 1 – 16. Digital stereomicroscope photographs of Echinax clara sp. nov. (1, 2), E. hesperis sp. nov. (3, 4), E. longespina (Simon, 1909) (5, 6), E. natalensis sp. nov. (7, 8), E. scharffi sp. nov. (9, 10), E. similis sp. nov. (11, 12) and E. spatulata sp. nov. (13 – 16): 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13. Female habitus, dorsal view. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14. Male habitus, dorsal view. 15. Male patella and tibia I and II, retrolateral view, indicating distal dorsal patellar spines (PS). 16. Male palpal cymbium, dorsal view, indicating modified distal setae (MDS) and spatulate setae (SS). Scale bars: 1 – 15 = 1.0 mm, 16 = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 29 – 34. Scanning electron microscope photographs of Echinax similis sp. nov. female (29, 30) and male (31 – 34): 29. Chelicerae, anteroventral view. 30, 31. Serrula. 32. Patella I, detail of lyriform organ at proximal end of patellar indentation. 33. Tarsus IV, trichobothrium. 34. Same, tarsal claw and claw tuft.

FIGURES 41 – 44. Scanning electron microscope photos of Echinax natalensis sp. nov. (41, 42) and E. similis sp. nov. (43, 44) genitalia: 41, 43. Female epigyne, ventral view. 42. Male embolus, ventral view. 44. Tip of embolus, prolateral view.

FIGURES 45 – 51. Digital microscope photographs of male emboli of Afrotropical Echinax species in ventral view: 45. Echinax clara sp. nov.. 46. E. hesperis sp. nov.. 47. E. longespina (Simon, 1909). 48. E. natalensis sp. nov.. 49. E. scharffi sp. nov.. 50. E. similis sp. nov.. 51. E. spatulata sp. nov.. Stipple lines indicate the points of separation between the basal and distal coils of the embolus. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 73 – 76. Genitalia of Echinax similis sp. nov.: 73. Female epigyne, ventral view. 74. Same, dorsal view. 75. Male palp, ventral view. 76. Same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.