Heriaeus transvaalicus Simon, 1895

Niekerk, P. van & Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. S., 2013, A revision of the crab spider genus Heriaeus Simon, 1875 (Araneae: Thomisidae) in the Afrotropical Region, African Invertebrates 54 (2), pp. 447-447 : 469-471

Heriaeus transvaalicus Simon, 1895

Figs 1 , 11 , 45–48 , 58

Heriaeus transvaalicus: Simon 1895: 438 (♀); 1910: 195; Loerbroks 1983: 130, figs 24, 85–87 (♀).

Simon (1895) described H. transvaalicus based on female, although there were apparently two specimens available to him. When Loerboks (1983) examined the type material, he erroneously attributed the other specimen to the male of H. transvaalicus . It is proved now to belong to H. peterwebbi sp. n. The male of H. transvaalicus is described here for the first time.

Diagnosis: The species is recognized by a combination of long, spiniform abdominal setae ( Fig. 1 ), the female epigyne with a wide transverse hood, and internal organs visible externally as two black longitudinal marks below the hood ( Fig. 47 ). Male palp with the embolus having a broad tip that resembles that of H. peterwebbi sp. n., but differs in the RTA being darkly sclerotized with a short, comma-shaped hooked tip ( Figs 45, 46 ).

Redescription:

Female ( NCA 2008/1320).

Size: TL 4.29, CL 2.04, CW 1.91. Colour: Carapace with two longitudinal brown stripes and irregular V-shaped white lines medially; setae transparent; clypeus yellow-brown; eye region white. Abdomen brown with central longitudinal white stripe with three white crossbars; laterally with curved white lines and number of dark spots; abdominal setae transparent except a few widely spaced posterior brown setae ( Fig. 11 ) that are easily lost. Legs with brown spots, especially femora I and II. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.22, ALE–AME 0.27, PME–PME 0.19, PLE–PME 0.32, AME–PME 0.21, MOQL AME–PME 0.24, MOQAW AME–AME 0.30, MOQPW PME–PME 0.25. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 1.98, Pat 0.62, Tib 1.68, Mt 1.81, Ta 0.70, total 6.79; leg II Fe 1.54, Pat 0.62, Tib 1.37, Mt 1.51, Ta 0.76, total 5.80; leg III Fe 1.19, Pat 0.45, Tib 0.73, Mt 0.70, Ta 0.49, total 3.56; leg IV Fe 0.74, Pat 0.50, Tib 1.0, Mt 0.73, Ta 0.45, total 0.42. Abdomen: Oval; setae long, spiniform with acute tips. Epigyne: Wide transverse hood, internal organs externally visible as two dark longitudinal marks below hood ( Fig. 47 ); copulatory ducts thick with coils ( Fig. 48 ).

Male ( NCA 2008/1320).

Size: TL 3.31, CL 1.43, CW 1.59. Colour: Carapace yellow-brown with two indistinct longitudinal brown stripes extending to PEs; setae transparent in posterior half, brown in anterior half; chelicerae yellow-brown; clypeus yellow-brown; eye region white centrally, brown around AMEs; eye tubercles white. Abdomen yellow­brown; white markings form six transverse bands; 3 or 4 longitudinal striae laterally bearing some setae with dark bases. Legs spotted with brown; coxae each with distal white spot. Carapace: Eye measurements: AME–AME 0.16, ALE–AME 0.10, PME–PME 0.13, PLE–PME 0.27, AME–PME 0.18, MOQL AME–PME 0.24, MOQAW AME–AME 0.25, MOQPW PME–PME 0.21. Leg measurements: leg I Fe 2.57, Pat 0.82, Tib 2.66, Mt 2.46, Ta 1.00, total 9.51; leg II Fe 2.16, Pat 0.68, Tib 2.10, Mt 2.12, Ta 0.89, total 7.95; leg III Fe 1.03, Pat 0.59, Tib 0.88, Mt 0.74, Ta 0.51, total 3.75; leg IV Fe 0.87, Pat 0.47, Tib 1.15, Mt 0.87, Ta 0.49, total 3.85. Abdomen: Oval, narrower than in female; setae long, spiniform, with acute tips, sometimes with 2–6 brown setae posteriorly. Male palp: Embolus winding less than once around tegulum; embolus tip broad, curving posteriorly; VTA digitiform; RTA with darkly sclerotized short comma-shaped tooth, directed dorsally ( Figs 45, 46 ).

Holotype (examined): ♀ (together with 1♂ H. peterwebbi sp. n.) SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: ‘ Makapan’ [= Mokopane, 24.18°S 29.01°E] ( MNHN).

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: 1♀ 3♂ Polokwane Nat. Res. (23.58°S 29.28°E), 8.iii.2005, T. Khoza & M. Modiba, sweeping open savannah ( NCA 2008 /1838, 2008/1319) ; 1♀ same locality, 9.iii.2005, T. Khoza & M. Modiba, sweeping false grassland ( NCA 2008 /1837) ; 2♂ 1♀ same locality, 15.iii.2005, T. Khoza & M. Modiba, sweeping woodland ( NCA 2008 /1320) ; 1♀ same locality, 11.v.2005, T. Khoza & M. Modiba, sweeping false grassland ( NCA 2008 /1338) ; 1♀ 4 imm. ♀ 6 imm. ♂ same locality, 21.i.2006, T. Khoza & M. Modiba, sweeping open savannah ( NCA 2008 /1212) ; 1♀ same locality, 7.ii.2006, T. Khoza & M. Modiba, sweeping open savannah ( NCA 2008 /1321) . North West: 2♀ Rustenburg Nat. Res. (25.72°S 27.18°E), 17.ii.1983, A. van den Berg & T. Marren, sweeping grass ( NCA 1984 /402) .

Distribution: South Africa (Limpopo and North West provinces) ( Fig. 58 ).

Natural history: All the specimens were collected by sweeping grassland, false grassland, woodland and open savannah. Females were collected from January to May and adult males in March.

Figures

Figs 1–9. Heriaeus spp., habitus:(1) Heriaeus sp. long spiniform abdominal setae; (2) H.allenjonesi antoni sp. n. female; (3) H.antoni sp. n. female; (4) H.copricola sp. n. male; (5) H. crassispinus Lawrence, 1942 male; (6) H. foordi sp. n. male; (7) H. latifrons Lessert, 1919 female; (8) H.madagascar sp. n. male; (9) H. muizenberg sp. n. female.

Figs 10–13. Heriaeus spp., habitus: (10) H. peterwebbi sp. n. female; (11) H. transvaalicus Simon, 1895 female; (12) H. xanderi sp. n. female; (13) H. zanii sp. n. female.

Figs 45–52. (45–48) Heriaeus transvaalicus Simon, 1875: (45) male palp, ventral view; (46) male palp, lateral view; (47) epigyne, ventral view; (48) epigyne, dorsal view; (49–52) Heriaeus xanderi sp. n.: (49) male palp, ventral view; (50) male palp, lateral, view; (51) epigyne, ventral view; (52) epigyne, dorsal view.

Figs 57–59. Distribution of Heriaeus spp. in the Afrotropical Region.