Mystaria budongo, Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014

Honiball Lewis, Allet S. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S., 2014, Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 3873 (2), pp. 101-144 : 114-118

Mystaria budongo sp. n.

Figs 5 , 10 , 43, 44 , 111–115

Type material: Holotype: ♂, RWANDA: Kibungo Province , Ibanda Makera, Rusumo [02°09’S, 30°55’E], alt. 1450 m, gallery forest canopy fogging of Teclea nobilis , October 1993, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1307).

Paratypes: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC): Orientale Region, 1 ♂ , Cyamudongo, Nyakabuye [02°34’S, 28°59’E], alt. 1750 m, canopy fogging Carapa grandiflora , October 1993, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1304) . KENYA: Western Province , 2 ♂, Kakamega forest [00°22’N, 34°50’E], alt. 1600 m, secondary forest canopy fogging T. nobilis , January–February 2003, W. Freund (ZFMK AR 1305, 1306) . RWANDA: Eastern Province, 3 ♂ , Ibanda Makera, Rusumo [02°09’S, 30°55’E], alt. 1450 m, gallery forest canopy fogging T. nobilis , October 1993, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1308-1310) . UGANDA: Masindi Province, 3 ♂ , Budongo forest [01°45’N, 31°25’E], alt. 1200 m, secondary forest canopy fogging Cynometra alexandri , 15–25 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1311, 1316, 1319) ; 2 ♂, Budongo forest [01°45’N, 31°25’E], alt 1200 m, primary forest canopy fogging C. alexandri , 15–25 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1313, 1315) ; 1 ♂, same locality, swamp forest canopy fogging Rinorea beniensis , 15–25 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1312) ; 3 ♂, Budongo forest [01°45’N, 31°25’E], alt. 1200 m, primary forest canopy fogging R. beniensis , 5–15 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1314, 1317, 1318) .

Etymology. Named after the Budongo forest, where most specimens were sampled. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Differs from other species by pear-shaped carapace, narrowed in eye region, with pale orangeyellow median band centrally, dark brown-black bands laterally ( Fig. 10 ), lateral eyes situated closest to median eyes with AME situated on slight tubercles and carapace. Legs pale yellow with distinct spiniform setae. Bulb with long and relatively strong embolus; RTA sturdy, long, finger-shaped, VTA almost of same length as RTA, tip with distinct curve ( Figs 43, 44 ).

Description. Female. Unknown.

Male. Size, measurements (n = 2). TL: 2.80 (2.70–2.90); CL: 1.30 (1.22–1.37); CW: 1.23 (1.18–1.28); CI: 1.05 (1.03–1.07); CH: 0.65 (0.65–0.65); CLL: 0.19 (0.18–0.21); MOQ-L: 0.22 (0.22–0.22). Colour. Abdomen dark copper-brown laterally with orange-yellow band medially; ventrally pale. Carapace. Numerous long erectile setae present on postero-lateral edge of carapace and LE area. Chelicerae. As in ( Fig 5 ). Sternum. SL: 0.70; SW: 0.64; SI: 1.10. Eyes. PME nearer to each other than to PLE, lateral eyes large; eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.21; ALE–AME: 0.24; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.88; PME–PME: 0.25; PLE–PME: 0.31; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 0.80; ALE/AME: 1.13; PLE/PME: 1.6; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.85; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.26; Clyp/AME–AME: 0.91. Legs. Long with long spiniform setae present on femora and patellae of legs I–IV and ventrally on tibiae and metatarsi; spiniform setae on tibiae and metatarsi I and II often twice as long as on other leg segments; claws and claw tufts as in Figs 111–114 ; leg formula: II:I:III:IV; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 1.14, Pat 0.34, Tib 1.08, Mt 0.81, Ta 0.61, total 3.99; II—Fe 1.42, Pat 0.41, Tib 1.35, Mt 1.09, Ta 0.31, total 4.58; III—Fe 0.81, Pat 0.28, Tib 0.70, Mt 0.50, Ta 0.34, total 2.64; IV—Fe 0.80, Pat 0.28, Tib 0.68, Mt 0.48, Ta 0.36, total 2.60. Abdomen. With scutum long-oval shaped; AL: 1.51; AW: 1.10; AI: 1.40. Palp. Embolus long, darkly sclerotized; wide space between VTA and RTA, RTA with black tip ( Fig. 44 ).

Female. Unknown.

Natural history. Specimens were collected from primary and secondary forest canopy using fogging. They were sampled from various tree species such as Carapa grandiflora , Cynometra alexandri , Rinorea beniensis and Teclea nobilis . Only males are known and they were sampled between October and February.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC), Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda ( Fig. 115 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. SEM photographs of chelicerae of Mystaria species. 1 M. rufolimbata Simon, 1895 from Democratic Republic of Congo, Walikale; 2 M. flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. from South Africa, Richards Bay; 3 M. savannensis sp. n. from South Africa, Kruger National Park, Letaba Camp; 4 M. soleil sp. n. from Kenya, Kakamega; 5 M. budongo sp. n. from Kakamega. Scale lines = 100 µm (1,4,5), 10 µm (2,3).

FIGURES 10–24. Microscope photographs of dorsal and lateral views of Mystaria species. 10 Mystaria budongo sp. n. male from Rwanda, Ibanda Makera (dorsal view); 11–13 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. (11, 12 female from South Africa, Richards Bay antero-and postero-dorsal views, 13 male from South Africa, Punda Maria Camp dorsal view); 14–16 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n. (14, 15 female from Mozambique, Marracuene antero-and latero-dorsal views, 16 male form Marracuene postero-dorsal view); 17–19 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. (17, 18 female from South Africa, Kei River Mouth antero-and latero-dorsal view, 19 two males from South Africa, Mazeppa Bay dorsal views); 20–22 Mystaria lindaicapensis sp. n. (20, 21 female from South Africa, Jeffreys Bay antero-and latero-dorsal views (specimen damaged on carapace), 22 male from South Africa, Knysna dorsal view); 23–24 Mystaria mnyama sp. n. (23, 24 female from South Africa, Tembe Elephant Park antero-and latero-dorsal views).

FIGURES 43–56. Line drawings of copulatory organs in male and female Mystaria species, with ventral- (left) and retrolateral (right) views of male palps and ventral- (left) and dorsal (right) views of female epigynes. 43–44 Mystaria budongo sp. n. male left palp; 45–48 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n. (45, 46 male right palp, 47, 48 female epigyne); 49–52 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n. (49, 50 male left palp, 51, 52 female epigyne); 53–56 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. (53, 54 male left palp, 55, 56 female epigyne). Scale lines = 10mm.

FIGURES 103–114. SEM photographs of tarsal claws and tufts on leg IIV of male Mystaria species. 103–106 M. rufolimbata from South Africa, Ndumo Game Reserve; 107–110 M. soleil sp. n. from Kenya, Kakamega; 111–114 M. budongo sp. n. from Kakamega. Scale lines: 10 µm (103–106, 111–114), 100 µm (107–110).

FIGURES 115–118. Recorded geographical distribution of Mystaria species. 115 Mystaria budongo sp. n.; 116 Mystaria flavogutatta (Lawrence, 1952) comb. n.; 117 Mystaria irmatrix sp. n.; 118 Mystaria lata (Lawrence, 1927) comb. n. Scale lines = 1420 km (115), 1500 km (116), 1240 km (117, 118).