Messapus tigris Haddad & Mbo, 2015

Haddad, Charles R. & Grismado, Cristian J., 2025, Further additions to the rare dark sac spider genus Messapus Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Corinnidae), Zootaxa 5637 (2), pp. 351-362 : 358-359

Messapus tigris Haddad & Mbo, 2015

Figs 27–39

Messapus tigris Haddad & Mbo, 2015: 395 , figs 1–3, 8, 23–31, 35, 49–50.

Material examined. BOTSWANA: Ngamiland: Okavango Delta, Near Shakawe, Lesideng Research Camp , 18°25.822’S, 21°53.771’E, 26.XI.2006, leg. C. Haddad (on reed fence at night), 2♂ ( MACN-Ar 12953 , 12956 ); same data, 4♀ ( MACN-Ar 12952 , 12954 , 12955 , 12957 ) . ZIMBABWE: Matabeleland North: St James Mission , 19°56’S, 28°02’E, XII.1995, leg. S. Wilson, 1♂ ( NMZ/A14555 ) .

Diagnosis. Females can be distinguished from congeners by the broad epigyne with two obliquely orientated incomplete oval ridges that are directed posterolaterally ( Haddad & Mbo 2015: figs 35, 49). Males share with M. mygaloides sp. nov. the sickle-shaped RTA in lateral view but can be distinguished by the thin spike-like prodistal tegular apophysis (in addition to the shared semicircular retrodistal tegular apophysis) and the short, flattened, mediodistally placed embolus (cf. Figs 32–39 ).

Female. See Haddad & Mbo (2015) for description.

Male (Lesideng, MACN-Ar 12953). Measurements: CL 3.36, CW 2.92, AL 3.92, AW 2.68, TL 7.11, SL 1.60, SW 1.72, CH 0.20, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.08, ALE–ALE 0.66, PME–PME 0.22, PME–PLE 0.16, PLE– PLE 0.90, PERW 1.10, MOQAW 0.56, MOQPW 0.56, MOQL 0.54. Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 3.12 + 1.36 + 2.44 + 2.00 + 1.08 = 10.00; II 2.68 + 1.28 + 1.96 + 1.76 + 1.04 = 8.72; III 2.40 + 1.20 + 1.80 + 2.04 + 1.04 = 8.48; IV 3.40 + 1.52 + 2.72 + 3.08 + 1.20 = 11.92. General appearance as in Figs 27– 30 ; colouration, markings and cheliceral morphology as for female, except the following: chelicerae dark brown, labium dark brown with cream anterior margin; and presence of a reddish-brown dorsal scutum on the abdomen. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 2, II pl 1 do 2, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV do 2 rl 1; tibiae: I rlv 1, II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 1 rl 2 plv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2, II plv 1 rlv 1 vt 2, III pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3, IV pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora do 2, patellae pl 1, tibiae plv 1. Male palp with femur and patella light yellow, tibia and cymbium brown; tibia with short finger-like prolateral apophysis ( Figs 31 , 36 ), longitudinal ventral depression ( Figs 32 , 37 ), finger-like ventral RTA (variable in length, Figs 32–35 , 37–39 ) and large sickle-shaped dorsal RTA with sharp, distally directed tip ( Figs 33–35 , 39 ); tegulum oval, with complex sperm duct with numerous loops, leading to short, narrow, flattened embolus originating mediodistally on tegulum, directed retrodistally; broad semicircular tegular apophysis at distal end of tegulum retrolaterally, with additional spike-like tegular apophysis prodistally; conductor absent ( Figs 32 , 37 ).

Variation. The male MACN-Ar 12956 from the type locality has a total length of 7.43, whereas the male from Zimbabwe has a total length of 8.38.

Sequence data. A male and female from Lesideng Research Camp in Botswana were successfully sequenced for Ultraconserved Elements (UCE; Kelly et al. in press).

Distribution. Known from the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the Caprivi Strip in Namibia, and recorded from Zimbabwe for the first time here ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Messapus martini (red circles), M. mygaloides sp. nov. (green circles) and M. tigris (yellow circles) in the Afrotropical Region.

FIGURES 27–35. Somatic and genitalic morphology of Messapus tigris, male from Shakawe, Botswana: 27. Habitus, dorsal view; 28. Same, lateral view; 29. Same, ventral view; 30. Leg I, lateral view; 31. Left palp, prolateral view; 32. Same, ventral view; 33. Same, retrolateral view; 34. Same, dorsal view; 35. Detail of retrolateral tibial apophysis, retrolateral view.

FIGURES 36–39. Genitalic morphology of Messapus tigris, males from Shakawe, Botswana (36, 37, 39) and St James Mission, Zimbabwe (38): 36. Left palp, prolateral view; 37. Same, ventral view; 38. Variation of base of retrolateral tibial apophysis, ventral view; 39. Left palp, retrolateral view.Abbreviations: dRTA—dorsal retrolateral tibial apophysis; EM—embolus; pTA— prodistal tegular apophysis; PTA—prolateral tibial apophysis; SD—sperm duct; rTA—retrodistal tegular apophysis; vRTA— ventral retrolateral tibial apophysis.