Afropesa schoutedeni ( Benoit, 1965 ), 2021

Zonstein, Sergei L., 2021, Afropesa, a new spider genus from South Africa (Araneae: Entypesidae), Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 51 (17), pp. 7-34 : 13-17

Afropesa schoutedeni ( Benoit, 1965) , n. comb.

( Figs 1–18, 53) Entypesa schoutedeni Benoit 1965: 261 , figs 2–7 (♂ ♀); Raven 1983: 552 (partially, only the types – see

Notes below), 1985: 86, fig. 41 (♂); Dippenaar-Schoeman 2002: 94; Foord et al. 2008: 170;

Zonstein & MarUsik 2012: 78, 84, figs 3, 22 (♂); Zonstein 2018: 478, figs 51, 52 (♂).

Diagnosis: Males of A. schoutedeni differ from those of A. schwendingeri n. sp. and A. gauteng n. sp. in having a short unmodified tibia I with a normally developed sessile megaspine in combination with a relatively short metatarsus I provided with a retrolateral knob (vs. a long unmodified tibia I with a weakly differentiated megaspine and a long metatarsus I lacking a knob in the holotype male of A. schwendingeri n. sp., and vs. a swollen tibia I with the megaspine on a low mound and a modified metatarsus I with a ventral tumescence in males of A. gauteng n. sp.). Among the congeners, males of A. schoutedeni possess the longest palpal tibia, but the shortest distal embolus ( Figs 8–11 cf. Figs 25, 27–30, 43–45). The conspecific females can be distinguished from female congeners by the spermathecae with moderately long and spiraled stalks and clavate receptacular heads (vs. weakly twisted stalks in A. schwendingeri and sessile elongate heads in A. gauteng n. sp.; Fig. 17 cf. Figs 35 and 51).

Description: Male (holotype). Total length about 10.00 (abdomen separated from cephalothorax). Habitus as in Fig. 1.

Colour in alcohol: carapace, chelicerae, most part of palps and legs medium ochre brown, with tibia and proximal half of metatarsus I slightly darker; labium, sternum, maxillae and coxae I–IV pale yellowish brown; eye tubercle blackish brown; abdomen yellowish brown, dorsally and laterally with darker brown chevron-like pattern, mottled posteriorly; spinnerets uniformly pale yellowish brown.

Cephalothorax dorsally and ventrally as in Figs 2 and 4, respectively. Carapace 3.76 long, 3.04 wide. Eye tubercle as in Fig. 3. Eye diameter and interdistances:AME 0.11(0.15), ALE 0.21, PLE 0.20, PME 0.13, AME–AME 0.09(0.05), AME–ALE 0.06(0.04), ALE–PLE 0.04, PLE–PME 0.03, PME–PME 0.23. Chelicerae without rastellum. Cheliceral furrow with 8 promarginal teeth and ca. 30 tiny mesobasal denticles. Male intercheliceral tumescence small and weakly defined. Labium 0.32 long, 0.64 wide. Sternum 1.98 long, 1.66 wide. Maxillae each with about 50 very small cuspules arranged in wide triangular area. Maxillary serrula well visible under light microscope at 100× magnification.

Palp and leg structures. Tibia and metatarsus I as in Fig. 5; details of metatarsus I as in Figs 6, 7. Spines (cymbium and tarsi I–IV aspinose): Palp: femur d1–1–1–1–1, pd0–0–1; patella p1; tibia p0–1–1, v0–1–2. Leg I: femur d1–1–1–1, pd0–0–1; patella p1; tibia p1–1, pv1–1–2, rv1–1–M; metatarsus v0–1–1. Leg II: femur d1–1–1–1, pd0–0–1; patella p1; tibia p1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus p1–1, v2(1)–2–3. Leg III: femur d1–1–1–1–1, pd1–1–1, rd1–1–1; patella p1–1, r1; tibia d1–1, p1–1, r1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus d1–1–1, p1–1–1, r1–1–1, v2–2–3. Leg IV: femur d1–1–1–1, pd1–1–1, rd0–1–1; patella r1; tibia d1–1–0, p1–1, r1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus p1–1–1–1, pd1–1–1, r1–1–1–1, rd1–1–1, v2–2–3. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–10 each on tibiae, 15–17 on metatarsi, 10–12 on tarsi, 9 on cymbium. Metatarsal preening combs present on metatarsi II (one), III (two) and IV (two). Scopula thin, moderately sparse and as long as 0.7–0.8 width of segment: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II, entire on tarsus I, narrowly divided on tarsus II; widely divided on tarsi III and IV. PTC I–IV with 9–10 teeth on each margin. Leg measurements:

Palp I II III IV Femur 1.72 2.93 2.54 2.34 2.99 Patella 0.93 1.71 1.53 1.29 1.64 Tibia 1.01 1.94 1.65 1.46 2.21 Metatarsus ― 1.97 1.76 2.15 3.10 Tarsus 0.64 1.43 1.41 1.45 1.61 Total 4.30 9.98 8.89 8.69 11.55

Distal segments of palp and copulatory organ as in Figs 8–11. Tegulum pearshaped. Embolus proximally enclosed between two flattened structures: long ventral keel and raised dorsal flange. Distal portion of embolus moderately short, curved and tapering to apex.

Spinnerets ( Fig. 12). PMS: length 0.49, diameter 0.20. PLS: maximal diameter

0.37; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.82, 0.66, 1.03; total length 2.51;

apical segment digitiform. Female (paratype). Total length 12.10. Habitus as in Fig. 13.

Colour in alcohol: generally, as in male, but legs I–IV uniformly coloured.

Cephalothorax dorsally and ventrally as in Figs 14 and 16, respectively. Carapace 3.94 long, 3.19 wide. Eye tubercle as in Fig. 15. Eye diameter and interdistances: AME 0.12(0.17), ALE 0.23, PLE 0.19, PME 0.14, AME–AME 0.09(0.04), AME– ALE 0.06(0.04), ALE–PLE 0.03, PLE–PME 0.03, PME–PME 0.26. Chelicerae without rastellum as in male. Cheliceral furrow with 7 promarginal teeth and 20–25 small mesobasal denticles. Labium 0.39 long, 0.72 wide. Sternum 2.03 long, 1.80 wide. Maxillae each with 55–60 small cuspules arranged as in male. Maxillary serrula well visible under light microscope at 100× magnification.

Palp and leg structures. Spines (all femora with 1 basodorsal spine and 3–4 dorsal bristles alongside midline; palpal patella, patellae I–II and tarsi I–IV aspinose): Palp: femur pd1; tibia p0–1, v2–2–3(2); tarsus v2–0–0. Leg I: femur pd1; tibia p0–1(0), v1–1–2; metatarsus v2–1–2. Leg II: femur pd1; tibia p0–1, v1–1–2; metatarsus v2–2–2. Leg III: femur rd0–0–1; patella p1–1, r1; tibia p1–1, r1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus p1–1–1, pd1–1–1, r1–1–1, rd1–1–1, v2–2–3. Leg IV: femur rd0–0–1; patella r1; tibia p0–1, r1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus p1–1–1–1, pd1–1–1–1, r1–1–1, rd1–1–1, v2–2–3. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 9–10 each on tibiae, 13–16 on metatarsi, 10–12 on tarsi, 9 on palpal tarsus. Metatarsal preening combs as in male. Scopula thin and moderately sparse as in male but shorter (as long as 0.4–0.5 width of segment): entire on metatarsi I–II, palpal tarsus, divided by single row of setae on tarsus I, narrowly divided on tarsus II, widely divided and mixed with setae on tarsus III, vestigial and mixed on tarsus IV. PTC I with 6–7 teeth on each margin. Palpal claw with 6 promarginal teeth. Leg measurements:

Palp I II III IV

Femur 1.91 2.55 2.49 2.20 2.86

Patella 1.10 1.63 1.47 1.38 1.66

Tibia 1.17 1.74 1.47 1.33 2.02

Metatarsus ― 1.51 1.46 1.92 2.65

Tarsus 1.39 1.12 1.12 1.15 1.34

Total 5.57 8.55 8.01 7.98 10.53 Spermathecae ( Fig. 17). Each paired branch consists of wide basal part connected directly (i.e., without a stalk) with elongate distal lobe.

Spinnerets ( Fig. 18). PMS: length 0.68, diameter 0.24. PLS: maximal diameter 0.41; length of basal, medial and apical segments 1.03, 0.72, 1.12; total length 2.87; apical segment digitiform.

Variation: Length of the carapace varies from 3.63–3.76 mm in males, and from 3.10–3.94 mm in females.

Holotype: ♂ South Africa: Limpopo: Soutpansberg Mts [22°59'S 29°45'E], no date, H. Schouteden (RMCA-ARA-127592). The holotype was found preserved in a good condition, with the abdomen, the left palp, and the right leg I from tibia to tarsus separated from the cephalothorax.

Paratype: 1♀, collected together with the holotype, with the same label data bUt stored in a good condition in a separate vial (RMCA-ARA-127593).

Additional material examined: South Africa: Limpopo: 1♂ SoUtpansberg Mts, Mt LajUma , 11.v.2004, M. Mafadza (NCA 2008/4971) ; 1♂ sUbad., 1♀, same data as the preceding bUt LajUma Mt Retreat [23°02'20"S 29°25'50"E], 50 km W Louis Trichardt, 1300–1400 m, 1–2.iv.2001, P. Schwendinger (MHNG-ZA-01/02) .

Distribution: The species is known only from the type locality.

Ecology: Two specimens from the LajUma Mt Retreat have been collected, according to the label data, in the “montane evergreen forest”.

Notes: The specimens from KwaZUlU-Natal Province deposited in RMCA (8♀, examined), which were mentioned and illustrated by Raven (1983) as belonging to E. schoutedeni , should be actually assigned to another entypesid taxon.