taxonID	type	description	language	source
039AE10AC253740889E6FC07FC94FBF0.taxon	materials_examined	Type species: Poachelas striatus Haddad & Lyle, 2008.	en	Haddad, Charles R. (2010): A new species of Poachelas from Maputaland, South Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae), with considerable range extension for Poachelas striatus. African Invertebrates 51 (2): 313, DOI: 10.5733/afin.051.0205, URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5733/afin.051.0205
039AE10AC253740D8A58FB8FFE77FE0F.taxon	description	Figs 1 – 7 Etymology: The species name is Latin for fugitive, and refers to adults that evaded capture for several years during field trips at the type locality. Diagnosis: This species is similar in size to P. montanus Haddad & Lyle, 2008 from South Africa but can be separated from P. montanus by the distinct abdominal stripe (Fig. 1) and presence of strong spines on the anterior legs (Figs 3, 4), which are erect setae in P. montanus. Females of P. refugus sp. n. can be further recognised from others in the genus by the anteriorly directed looping copulatory ducts and small anterior ST II (Figs 6, 7). This species belongs to the Poachelas striatus species group, defined by the presence of strong ventral leg spines in both sexes (Haddad & Lyle 2008). Description: Female. Measurements: CL 1.08 – 1.24, CW 0.87 – 0.99, AL 1.40 – 1.70, AW 0.83 – 1.00, TL 2.48 – 2.80, FL 0.12 – 0.15, SL 0.68 – 0.73, SW 0.55 – 0.59, AME – AME 0.04, AME – ALE 0.01, ALE – ALE 0.20, PME – PME 0.07, PME – PLE 0.05, PLE – PLE 0.32. Length of leg segments: I 1.00 + 0.49 + 0.83 + 0.65 + 0.37 = 3.34; II 0.84 + 0.44 + 0.65 + 0.56 + 0.32 = 2.81; III 0.59 + 0.37 + 0.41 + 0.49 + 0.29 = 2.15; IV 0.95 + 0.41 + 0.84 + 0.86 + 0.37 = 3.43. Carapace, including eye region, bright yellow, with pale grey stripe from PER to fovea, with short transverse extension near posterior end of marking (Fig. 1); carapace flattened, slightly elevated from PER to fovea, with highest point at fovea, sloping gently to posterior; surface smooth, with scattered short fine setae; fovea indistinct, lying in shallow median depression, at ⅔ carapace length. Eyes surrounded by black rings; AER procurved, lateral eyes very slightly larger than medians (Fig. 5); clypeus height equal to ⅔ AME diameter; AME separated by ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by approximately ⅛ AME diameter; PER recurved (Fig. 1), median eyes slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by approximately ⅞ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by ⅔ PLE diameter. Chelicerae pale yellow­orange; anterior surface smooth, with scattered short fine setae; promargin and retromargin each with two small subequal teeth, each pair situated close together. Sternum creamy­yellow, yellow­brown along border; surface smooth, covered in fine setae (Fig. 2); precoxal triangles present; intercoxal sclerites only present between endite and coxa I, and between coxa I and II (Fig. 2). Abdomen creamy, with distinct dark grey dorsal median stripe running the length of abdomen (Fig. 1); abdomen elongate, 1 ½ times longer than wide, broadest at ⅜ times its length; dorsal scutum absent; surface covered in short fine setae; two pairs of oval sigilla present, first pair indistinct, at ¼ abdomen length, second pair distinct, near ½ abdomen length (Fig. 1); venter without sclerites. Legs I to IV yellow, anterior pairs slightly darker than posteriors; patellae, tibiae and metatarsi of leg I dark orange­brown, of leg II slightly tinged with grey mottling (Fig. 3); all segments of anterior legs with several spines or spinules (Figs 3, 4), posterior pairs without spines or spinules; leg cusps on anterior legs absent; metatarsi and tarsi with weak scopulae, remaining leg segments covered in short fine setae; all tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi with several dorsal trichobothria; metatarsi III and IV with terminal preening comb. Leg spination: femora: I pl 4 spines, pl 6 spinules; patellae: I plv 4, II plv 2; tibiae: I plv 12 rlv 12, II plv 9 rlv 9; metatarsi: I plv 8 rlv 8, II plv 8 rlv 8; tarsi: I plv 9 rlv 5 spinules, II plv 5 – 8 rlv 4 spinules. Epigyne with copulatory openings situated posteriorly in short semi­circular ridges (Figs 6, 7); copulatory ducts directed anteriorly, looping before entering small oval anterior ST II, with transverse duct connecting ST II to lateral bilobed ST I. Male. Unknown. Holotype: ♀ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Tembe Elephant Park, Pioneer grassland, 27 ° 01.470 ' S: 32 ° 24.346 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 5 xii. 2009, C. Haddad (TMSA 23738). Paratype: ♀ together with 4 immatures: same data as holotype (TMSA 23739). Distribution: Known only from the type locality (Fig. 8). Habitat and biology: Adults of this species are rare and initially only immatures were collected from the base of grass tussocks, and occasionally by sweeping, in pioneer grassland and sparse woodland habitats at the type locality. Adults were collected from grass tussocks in early summer (December). Despite exhaustive sampling in the nearby Ndumo Game Reserve, approximately 10 km west of Tembe, no specimens of this new species have been collected there (Haddad et al. 2006), suggesting an association with the pioneer grassland and sparse woodland habitats that form a mosaic with sand forest endemic to Maputaland (Matthews et al. 1999, 2001). These habitats and soils are absent from Ndumo and could possibly explain the absence of P. refugus from this reserve. It may very well occur in Maputaland to the north and south of Tembe, where suitable habitat is available.	en	Haddad, Charles R. (2010): A new species of Poachelas from Maputaland, South Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae), with considerable range extension for Poachelas striatus. African Invertebrates 51 (2): 313, DOI: 10.5733/afin.051.0205, URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5733/afin.051.0205
039AE10AC256740C89DAFE29FDE5FBE3.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: 1 ♂ 3 km N of Paterson, 33 ° 24.878 ' S: 25 ° 57.531 ' E, base of grass tussocks, roadside, 23. iv. 2010, C. Haddad (TMSA 23759). Free State: 1 ♂ Boshoff district, Farm Boesmansrus, 28 ° 32.543 ' S: 25 ° 09.929 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 11. iii. 2010, C. Haddad (TMSA 23767); 3 ♂ 1 imm. Brandfort district, Amanzi Private Game Res., 28 ° 36.080 ' S: 26 ° 25.950 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 3. iv. 2010, C. Haddad (MRAC 230336); 1 ♂ 15 imm. Clocolan district, Mpetsane Conservation Estate, 28 ° 48.561 ' S: 27 ° 39.255 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 17. iii. 2010, C. Haddad (NCA 2010 / 395); 1 ♂ 12 imm. Kimberley district, Benfontein Nat. Res., 28 ° 50.452 ' S: 24 ° 49.473 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 13. iii. 2010, C. Haddad (TMSA 23769); 1 ♀ Ladybrand district, De Luc farm, 29 ° 17.524 ' S: 27 ° 24.267 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 5 xii. 2008, C. Haddad (NCA 2008 / 4283); 4 ♂ 9 ♀ Platberg Nat. Res., grassland plain, 28 ° 17.303 ' S: 29 ° 10.419 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 27. v. 2010, C. Haddad (TMSA 23802); 1 ♀ same locality, Bottom of Donkey Pass, 28 ° 16.836 ' S: 29 ° 11.992 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 27. v. 2010, C. Haddad (TMSA 23803); 4 ♀ Tussen-die-Riviere Nat. Res., 30 ° 28 ' S: 26 ° 07 ' E, active searching, grassland, 14 x. 2008, L. Lotz & C. Haddad (NMBA 12663); 1 ♂ 2 ♀ 1 imm. 2 km W of Deallesville, 28 ° 39.946 ' S: 25 ° 43.992 ' E, base of grass tussocks, 11. iii. 2010, C. Haddad (TMSA 23768). Mpumulanga: 1 ♂ Delmas, pitfall traps, unsprayed maize, 25. v. 2005, P. Marais (NCA 2008 / 2777). Northern Cape: 2 ♂ 1 ♀ 2 imm. 2 km S of Colesburg, 30 ° 44.917 ' S: 25 ° 05.139 ' E, base of grass tussocks, roadside, 23. iv. 2010, C. Haddad (TMSA 23766). Distribution: This species was described from three localities in the central Free State Province within a range of approximately 100 km (Haddad & Lyle 2008), all falling within the Grassland Biome of South Africa (Fig. 8). Here the first records are provided of the species’ occurrence in the Savannah (Benfontein), Thicket (Paterson) and Nama Karoo Biomes (Colesburg and Tussen­die­Riviere Nature Reserve). Given this newly found ecological flexibility and a strong association of the species with grasses, it is likely that P. striatus has a much broader distribution in South Africa and may occur wherever suitable grasses and grass densities are found. Only once additional focused sampling for this species has been done, can the environmental parameters restricting its distribution be determined. The new records reported here extend the range to the eastern, southern and western parts of the Free State, eastern Northern Cape, southern Eastern Cape and Mpumulanga provinces, thereby expanding the range of the species to approximately 900 km (Fig. 8). The records from Platberg Nature Reserve are also significant, providing the first case of sympatry in the genus. At this locality P. striatus and P. montanus appear to be altitudinally separated. P. striatus occurs in the grassland plains at the base of Platberg (altitude ca 1750 m), consistent with its habitat at other localities. This represents the highest altitude at which P. striatus has been collected thus far. In contrast, P. montanus occurs on the top of Platberg in montane grassland at an altitude of about 2300 m. Habitat and biology: The species is typically found at the base of grass tussocks of various genera (Themeda, Eragrostis, Cymbopogon, Panicum etc.) in open grassland plains with a compact soil substrate (sandy, loamy or clay). Here the first record is presented from an agroecosystem (maize at Delmas). Further details on the biology are provided in Haddad and Lyle (2008).	en	Haddad, Charles R. (2010): A new species of Poachelas from Maputaland, South Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae), with considerable range extension for Poachelas striatus. African Invertebrates 51 (2): 313, DOI: 10.5733/afin.051.0205, URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5733/afin.051.0205
