Izithunzi lina, Labarque & Pérez-González & Griswold, 2018

Labarque, Facundo M., Pérez-González, Abel & Griswold, Charles E., 2018, Molecular phylogeny and revision of the false violin spiders (Araneae: Drymusidae) of Africa, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 183, pp. 390-430 : 415-418

IZITHUNZI LINA SP. NOV.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:269AB044-0E94-4F7A-9A18-CEEA44D74686

( FIGS 5, 7, 10–12, 14, 16, 17)

Type material: Holotype: ♀ from South Africa, Western Cape Province, Overberg DC, Fernkloof Nature Reserve, 3.98 km 90° E Hermanus , −34.412683, 19.288350, 13 October 2011, elev. 14 m, general collecting at wet, mossy cliff and caves, L. Almeida, C. Griswold cols., preparation codes FML-01103 and FML-01351-01352 [♀], deposited in NMBA . Paratypes: ♂, same data as the type, preparation codes FML-01152 and FML-01353 [♂], NMBA ; 2♀, same data, CAS ( CASENT9043225 ) ; ♂ and three immatures, same locality, 2.81 km 43° NE Hermanus , −34.394617, 19.266117, 12 October 2011, elev. 97 m, general collecting at night in riparian vegetation, L. Almeida, C. Griswold, T . Meikle , V . Hamilton-Attwell cols., CAS ( CASENT9043181 ) .

Further material examined: One immature, same city, Kogelberg Nature Reserve , [−34.292400, 18.919390], 5 July 2007, UGB Forest, ‘banc hand’, technician students cols., NCP (2008/4425) .

Etymology: The specific name is a name in apposition to honour our friend and fellow arachnologist Lina Maria Almeida-Silva , who collected part of the type series.

Diagnosis: Females of I. lina sp. nov. resemble those of I. capense comb. nov. by the epigastrium protruded, the inner and outer spermathecae separated and the uterus externus extending beyond the vulval plates anterior borders ( Figs 7, 10, 13, 16), but it can be distinguished by the epigastrium densely covered with long, thick and dark setae, and the vulval plates pressed together anteriorly squeezing the uterus externus ( Figs 7, 10, 16), whereas I. capense comb. nov. has thin setae on the epigastrium and separated vulval plates ( Figs 7, 10, 13). Males of I. lina sp. nov. resemble those of I. capense comb. nov. by having the cheliceral fang promarginally and distally excavated, and the pro- and retromarginal cheliceral teeth close to the base of the fang extremely modified, enlarged and flattened, which fit in the fang’s excavation ( Fig. 14), but it can be distinguished by having an indented transition between the base and apex of the copulatory bulb, and the apex two times longer than the base, heavily sclerotized, and with a broad tip ( Fig. 16), whereas I. capense comb. nov. presents a smooth transition between the base and apex, and the apex 1½ times longer than the base with an acute and slightly curved tip ( Fig. 13).

Description female (Fernkloof Nature Reserve: Habitus and measurements NMBA): Total length 12.4. Prosoma: length 5.2, width 3.36, height 3.08. Sternum: length 2.6, width 1.79. Leg measurements: femur: I: 13.65, II: 11.7, III: 9.4, IV: 12.02; patella: I: 1.4, II: 1.48, III: 1.48, IV: 1.41; tibia: I: 12.65, II: 10.3, III: 7.76, IV: 10.3; metatarsus: I: 13.15, II: 10.9, III: 8.64, IV: 10.9; tarsus: I: 1.88, II: 1.76, III: 1.76, IV: 2.37; podotarsite: I: 0.21, II: 0.22, III: 0.19, IV: 0.25; total: I: 42.94, II: 36.36, III: 29.23, IV: 37.25. Leg formula: 1423. Opisthosoma: Length 7.6, width 3.46, height 3.02. Thoracic area lateral margins and central V-shaped pattern darkish, forming a continuum ( Fig. 17). Chelicerae promargin with five bracket setae and a row of seven macrosetae against the triangular lamina. Labium dun, reddish at narrow area and white at apex ( Fig. 17). Sternum dun ( Fig. 17). Femora and tibiae dun, patellae, metatarsi and tarsi tan ( Fig. 17). Opisthosoma colour overall dark brown forming thick chevrons extending anteriorly ( Fig. 17). Chevrons well-spaced anteriorly, clustered posteriorly, the first two forming a continuum ( Fig. 17). Anterior plate heavily sclerotized, and both vulval plates curved anteriorly ( Fig. 16). Both spermathecae oval ( Fig. 16).

Description male (Fernkloof Nature Reserve: Habitus and measurements NMBA): Total length 8.56. Prosoma: length 4.2, width 3.14, height 2.27. Sternum: length 2.22, width 1.59. Leg measurements: femur: I: 12.52, II: 11.2, III: 8.96, IV: 11.0; patella: I: 1.23, II: 1.16, III: 1.16, IV: 1.18; tibia: I: 11.2, II: 9.44, III: 7.52, IV: 9.5; metatarsus: I: 12.0, II: 9.1, III: 8.32, IV: 10.5; tarsus: I: 1.84, II: 1.73, III: lost, IV: 2.22; podotarsite: I: 0.16, II: 0.23, III: lost, IV: 0.16; total: I: 38.9, II: 32.86, III: 25.96 (without tarsus-podotarsite), IV: 34.56. Leg formula: 1423. Opisthosoma: length 4.2, width 2.32, height 2.06. Male pedipalp: femur: 1.1, patella: 0.37, tibia: 0.89, tarsus: 0.44. Coloration as in female ( Fig. 17). Chelicerae promargin with four bracket setae, and a row of six to seven macrosetae against the triangular lamina ( Fig. 15). Epiandrous spigots arising in five bunches from isolated pits ( Fig. 17). Pedipalpal prolateral femoral thorn distally acute ( Fig. 16); femora narrow (L ≤ 3.5× W); tibiae swollen, longer than width (L <2× W) ( Fig. 16). Copulatory bulb apex elongated and broad distally ( Fig. 16). In addition, the copulatory bulb apex appears straight in lateral view (both pro- and prolateral) and slightly curved in apical view (i.e. of the cymbium) ( Fig. 16).

Distribution: Western Cape Province, South Africa, Fernkloof Nature Reserve, from Fernkloof east to Hermanus ( Fig. 5; Supporting Information, Fig. S1).