Mushimane tswibilinki, Haddad, 2025

Haddad, Charles R., 2025, And they just keep coming: four new genera of dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae, Trachelidae), African Invertebrates 66 (1), pp. 19-64 : 19-64

Mushimane tswibilinki sp. nov.

Figs 13 , 14 , 15

Material examined.

Holotype. South Africa • ♂; KwaZulu-Natal Province; Ndumo Game Reserve, Staff housing ; 26°54.660'S, 32°17.930'E; 130 m a. s. l.; 5 Dec. 2018; C. Haddad, R. Booysen & J. Neethling leg.; canopy fogging, Commiphora neglecta ; NCA 2019/757 .

Paratype. 1 ♀; together with holotype .

Other material.

1 ♀; Same data as types; S. E. M. preparations, epigyne cleared and retained preserved with types.

Diagnosis.

As for the genus diagnosis.

Description.

Male (holotype, Ndumo, NCA 2019/757 ): Measurements: CL 0.97, CW 0.75, AL 0.98, AW 0.59, TL 1.79, SL 0.56, SW 0.41, AME - AME 0.03, AME - ALE 0.01, ALE - ALE 0.16, PME - PME 0.06, PME - PLE 0.05, PLE - PLE 0.27, MOQ: AW 0.14, PW 0.18, L 0.16. Length of leg segments: I 0.67 + 0.35 + 0.48 + 0.47 + 0.27 = 2.24; II 0.54 + 0.30 + 0.39 + 0.40 + 0.25 = 1.88; III 0.40 + 0.24 + 0.21 + 0.29 + 0.16 = 1.30; IV 0.60 + 0.27 + 0.46 + 0.40 + 0.18 = 1.91. Carapace creamy-yellow, slightly darker in eye region (Fig. 13 A ). For eye arrangement see genus description. Chelicerae yellow-brown, anterior surface coarsely wrinkled, with strongly tuberculate setae proximally on anterior surface and laterally, each with a long, fine seta; dentition not examined; endites and labium cream. Sternum creamy-yellow, with yellow-brown margins; surface smooth, with scattered fine long curved setae, denser near margins. Abdomen elongate-oval, caudal section slightly curved ventrally, broadest just behind ½ its length; creamy-grey dorsally, laterally and ventrally (Fig. 13 A – C ); without dorsal scutum; two pairs of distinct sigilla present, at ⅓ and ⅗ abdomen length. Legs cream, metatarsi I and II and all tarsi yellow-brown, darker on anterior legs. Palp (Fig. 15 A, B ) yellow-brown; tegulum oval, broadest medially, with subtegulum protruding prolaterally; sperm duct broad proximally in tegulum, initially directed distally, forming distinctive looping coil, with distal section narrowed, running above median section; embolus originating prolaterally and distally, short, stout and straight, directed approximately 45 ° to longitudinal axis of palp; RTA simple, short and distally rounded in ventral view, in retrolateral view with dorsal surface triangular, with sharp tip directed dorsally.

Female (paratype, Ndumo, NCA 2019/757 ): Measurements: CL 0.83, CW 0.63, AL 1.27, AW 0.75, TL 1.84, SL 0.52, SW 0.37, AME - AME 0.02, AME - ALE <0.01, ALE - ALE 0.14, PME - PME 0.05, PME - PLE 0.05, PLE - PLE 0.25, MOQ: AW 0.13, PW 0.17, L 0.16. Length of leg segments: I 0.54 + 0.30 + 0.33 + 0.34 + 0.25 = 1.76; II 0.46 + 0.26 + 0.31 + 0.30 + 0.24 = 1.57; III 0.38 + 0.21 + 0.25 + 0.27 + 0.16 = 1.27; IV 0.54 + 0.25 + 0.44 + 0.38 + 0.17 = 1.78. Carapace yellow-brown (Fig. 13 F ); surface finely wrinkled, glossy, with scattered short straight setae throughout, sparse on posterior slope; fovea reduced to broad shallow depression at ¾ CL. For eye arrangement see genus description. Chelicerae deep yellow-brown, anterior surface finely wrinkled, clearly less rugose than male, with tuberculate setae on anterior and lateral surfaces; dentition not examined; endites creamy and labium yellow-brown, paler proximally. Sternum creamy-yellow, with yellow-brown margins; surface smooth, with fine long curved setae throughout. Abdomen elongate oval, caudal section strongly curved ventrally, broadest at midpoint; creamy-grey dorsally and laterally, with grey mottling ventrally (Fig. 13 F – H ), without dorsal scutum; two pairs of indistinct sigilla present, at ¼ and ½ AL. All femora cream, patellae to tarsi I and metatarsi and tarsi II – IV yellow-brown, remaining segments cream. Epigyne (Fig. 15 C, D ) weakly sclerotized; copulatory openings small, positioned in lateral corners of atrium; copulatory ducts short, initially curving sharply to enter weakly sclerotized sausage-shaped oblique ST II anteriorly; connecting ducts converging towards posterior, entering globose ST I, with extension leading to small fertilization ducts.

Etymology.

This species name is a derogatory slang term in the indigenous African Sesotho, mocking a man with a small penis, in reference to the short embolus of the type species.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Fig. 12 ).

Remarks.

Due to the limited number of specimens available, one female was sacrificed for scanning electron microscopy; its epigyne was cleared prior to preparation of the material for S. E. M., used for the illustrations, and has been retained in the same vials as the types. In addition, this female had an even more strongly ventrally curved abdomen than the paratype.

Figures

Figure 12. Distribution of Foordana distincta sp. nov. (black circles), F. flavipoda sp. nov. (white circles), F. kasouga (black triangles), Foordana sp. Zimbabwe (white triangle), Mushimane tswibilinki sp. nov. (black square), Namaquella arida sp. nov. (white square), N. samanthae sp. nov. (black star), Rukuluk gramineus sp. nov. (white star) and Rukuluk sp. Tembe (white pentagon) in southern Africa.

Figure 13. Digital microscope photographs of somatic morphology of Mushimane tswibilinki sp. nov. male (A – E) and female (F – J). A, F habitus, dorsal view B, G same, lateral view C, H same, ventral view D, I leg I, prolateral view E, J metatarsus and tarsus IV. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (A – C, F – H); 0.5 mm (D, E, I, J).

Figure 14. Scanning electron micrographs of Mushimane tswibilinki sp. nov. female A carapace, dorsolateral view B eye region, anterodorsal view C tarsus I, dorsolateral view, arrow indicating position of tarsal organ D same, enlargement of claws, dorsolateral view, arrow indicating tarsal organ E same, paired dorsal trichobothria F same, enlargement of tarsal organ G anterior lateral spinneret H posterior median spinnerets I posterior lateral spinneret. Abbreviations: Ac: aciniform gland spigot (s); Cy: cylindrical gland spigot (s); mAmp: minor ampullate gland spigot; MAmp: major ampullate gland spigot; n: nubbin; Pi: piriform gland spigot (s).

Figure 15. Mushimane tswibilinki sp. nov., male (A, B) and female (C, D). A palp, ventral view B same, retrolateral view C epigyne, ventral view D same, dorsal view. Abbreviations: CD – connecting duct; Cd – copulatory duct; CO – copulatory opening; EM – embolus; FD – fertilization duct; RTA – retrolateral tibial apophysis; SD – sperm duct; ST I – primary spermatheca; ST II – secondary spermatheca. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.