Mistaria nyassana (Roewer, 1955) Roewer, 1955

Kioko, Grace M., Jaeger, Peter, Kioko, Esther N., Ji, Li-Qiang & Li, Shuqiang, 2019, On the species of the genus Mistaria Lehtinen, 1967 studied by Roewer (1955) from Africa (Araneae, Agelenidae), African Invertebrates 60 (1), pp. 109-132 : 109

Mistaria nyassana (Roewer, 1955) comb. nov. Figs 9, 12H, 13

Agelena nyassana Roewer 1955: 52.

Type material examined.

Holotype ♀, Nyassaland [=Malawi], 1953, Coll. C.F. Roewer (SMF 9905260).

Diagnosis.

M. nyassana comb. nov. can be distinguished from M. zorica and M. zuluana comb. nov. by the shape of the anterior lobe which is cichlid fish-shaped in this species (Fig. 9B) compared to ovoid in the latter two species (see fig. 4B in Kioko et al. 2018) and the absence of a septum in the former species which is present in M. zorica (see fig. 4A, B in Kioko et al. 2018; Figs 9B, 11B). M. nyassana comb. nov. can also be distinguished from M. zuluana comb. nov. by the shape and distance of copulatory ducts which are reduced and further apart in M. nyassana comb. nov. (Fig. 9B) compared to clearly visible and close together in the latter species (Fig. 11B).

Redescription.

Total length 6.10. Carapace 2.50 long 2.19 wide. Abdomen 3.60 long 2.60 wide. Habitus as in Fig. 12H. Carapace longer than wide, yellow suffused with black, four pairs of lateral bands, fovea short. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE 0.19, PME 0.13, PLE 0.18, AME–AME 0.06, AME–PME 0.20, ALE–PLE 0.08, PME–PME 0.14, PME–PLE 0.13. Chelicerae brown. Labium to endite length ratio 1:2. Labium wider than long, yellow suffused with black. Endites yellow. Both endites and labium with white apex. Sternum as long as wide, yellow suffused with black, distinct cream median line. Legs yellow. Leg measurements: I 10.19 (2.50, 3.25, 2.88, 1.56) II 8.54 (2.13, 2.81, 2.00, 1.60), III 9.28 (2.40, 3.08, 2.40, 1.40), IV 11.20 (3.20, 3.20, 3.00, 1.80). Abdomen brown-yellow two parallel brownish lines present ventrally. Proximal segment of the posterior spinnerets brown, distal segment yellow (Fig. 12H).

Epigyne as in Fig. 9A, B. Epigynal teeth missing. Anterior delimiting edge concave (Fig. 9A). Copulatory ducts reduced, widely separated (Fig. 9B). Anterior lobe cichlid fish shaped (Fig. 9B).

Male unknown.

Distribution.

Malawi (Fig. 13).