Nimbanahita montivaga, Henrard & Jocqué, 2017

Henrard, Arnaud & Jocqué, Rudy, 2017, Morphological and molecular evidence for new genera in the Afrotropical Cteninae (Araneae, Ctenidae) complex, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 180 (1), pp. 82-154 : 120-122

NIMBANAHITA MONTIVAGA SP. NOV. ( FIGS 24A – D , 25A – C, 26A, B , 27A – D )

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D7933F36-AD8D-4C61-92F3-946CFB7F3F70

Type material

Holotype, male: GUINEA: Mt. Nimba , near Geology base, mare d’Hivernage, 7 ° 39 0 N, 8 ° 22 0 W, 1614 m asl, 15.II.2012, pitfall, Van den Spiegel D., Henrard A., Allard C., Bimou P. & Sidibe M. ( DNA-N69 , MRAC 239024 ).

Paratypes: 1 ♀: together with holotype ( MRAC 239024 ) ; 2♂: further data as holotype ( MRAC 239741 ) ; 1 ♀: Guinea, Mt. Nimba, Geology Base Kaiser 2, 7 ° 40 0 N, 8 ° 22 0 W, 1465 m asl, 13.II.2012, pitfall, Van den Spiegel D., Henrard A., Allard C., Bimou P. & Sidibe M. ( DNA-N68 , MRAC 239239 ) ;

Etymology

The species name is an adjective referring to the mid-altitude habitat of the species.

Diagnosis

Males of Nimbanahita montivaga are recognized by the peculiar palp ( Figs 25A, B, 26A, B ) with short tibia and very short RTA, complex, large MA and long, curved, cylindrical embolus. The female is recognized by the wide epigyne ( Figs 25C, 27A – D ) with a pointed posterior margin and the widely separated, globular spermathecae.

Description

Male (holotype). Total length 10.3. Carapace 5.8 long and 4.5 wide. Clypeus 0.13 high. Eye diameters: AME 0.13, ALE 0.13, PME 0.33, PLE 0.33. Coloration: ( Fig. 24A, B ) carapace brownish yellow with broad paler median and lateral bands; with dark radiating striae in between bands; legs yellow, metatarsi dark brown, tarsi pale brown; chelicerae yellow; endites, labium and sternum pale yellow; abdomen dorsum dark grey with triangular orange patch in front; black and white setae in front and along grey sides, mottled with black; venter pale grey with dark crescent-shaped markings. No apodemes. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth, median slightly larger; four retromarginal subequal teeth; without intermarginal denticles. Leg measurements: I: femur 3.9/ patella 1.6/ tibia 2.6/ metatarsus 2.8/ tarsus 1.1/ total 12.0; II: 3.9/ 1.4/ 2.5/ 2.6/ 1.0/ 11.4; III: 2.7/ 1.3/ 2.1/ 2.3/ 1.1/ 9.5; IV: 3.4/ 1.5/ 2.8/4.0/ 1.3/13.0. Leg formula 4123. Leg spination: femur I pl1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1- 1, II pl1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1-1-1, III pl1-1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1-1, IV pl1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1-1-21; patella I rl1, II rl1, III rl1- 2, IV rl1; tibia I v2-2-2-2-2 rl1-1, II v2-2-2-2-2 pl1 d1- 1-1 rl1, III v2-2-2 pl1-1 d1-1 rl1-1, IV v2-2-2 pl1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1; metatarsus I v2-2-2 pl1 rl1-1, II v2-2-2 pl1-1-1 rl1-1, III v2-2-2 pl1-1-1 d1 rl1-1-1, IV v2-2-2-1 pl1-1-1 d1 rl1-1-1; Mt IV unmodified. Palp ( Figs 25A, B, 26A, B ): patella as long as tibia, slightly swollen; tibia short with small rectangular RTA at about 1/4 from distal margin, with long setae retrolaterally; one median, prolateral macroseta; cymbium with small setose basal swelling; embolus thin, cylindrical, slightly curved; MA large, complex; almost as long as 2/3 of bulbus, strongly hooked at distal end. Without distal membrane.

Female (paratype, together with holotype). Total length 7.3. Carapace 5.8 long and 4.5 wide. Clypeus 0.16 high. Eye diameters: AME 0.20, ALE 0.16, PME 0.33, PLE 0.36. Coloration ( Fig. 24C, D ) as in male but chelicerae reddish brown; legs: femora yellow with two dark rings, patellae and tibiae pale brown with one and two dark rings, respectively; Mt and t brown. Chelicerae with three promarginal teeth, median larger; four retromarginal subequal teeth; without intermarginal denticles. Leg measurements: I: femur 3.05/ patella 1.63/ tibia 2.84/ metatarsus 2.41/ tarsus 0.92/ total 10.85; II: 2.84/ 1.07/ 2.34/ 2.41/ 0.92/ 9.58; III: 2.63/ 1.35/ 1.99/ 2.27/ 0.92/ 9.16; IV: 3.62/ 1.42/ 2.70/ 3.34/ 1.14/ 12.22. Leg formula 4123 Leg spination: femur I pl1-1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1, II pl1-1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1-1, III pl1-1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1-1, IV d1-1-1 rl1-1; patella I, II none, III pl1, IV rl1 pl1; tibia I v2-2-2-2-2 pl1, II v2-2- 2-2-2 pl1, III v2-2-2 pl1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1, IV v2-2-2 pl1-1 d1-1-1 rl1-1; metatarsus I v2-2-2, II v2-2-2, III v2-2-2 pl1-1-1 rl1-1-1, IV v2-2-2 pl1-1-1 d1 rl1-1-1; Mt IV unmodified. Epigyne ( Figs 25C, 27A, B ): MS wider than long, posterior margin with pointed median protrusion, anterior central part membranous; LP situated behind posterior margin of MS, almost straight, converging, with blunt tip. Vulva ( Figs 27C, D ) with copulatory ducts very short; spermathecae almost perfectly globular, separated by 1.5 times their diameter.

Distribution

Only known from Mt. Nimba in Guinea.

Figures

Figure 24. Nimbanahita montivaga sp. nov.: A, B, Ht male (DNA-N69, MRAC 239024); C, Pt female (MRAC 239239); D, Pt female (DNA-N68, MRAC 239024); A, male, habitus, dorsal view; B, as previous, lateral view; C, female, habitus, dorsal view; D, as previous, lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 26. Nimbanahita montivaga sp. nov., Ht male (DNA-N69, MRAC 239024): A, palp, retrolateral view; B, as previous, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figure 27. Nimbanahita montivaga sp. nov., Pt female (DNA-N68, MRAC 239024): A, epigyne, ventral view; B, as previous, digested; C, as previous, dorsal view; D, as previous, dorsolateral view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.