A revision of the purse-web spider genus Calommata Lucas, 1837 (Araneae, Atypidae) in the Afrotropical Region
Author
Rene, Fourie
Author
Charles R., Haddad
Author
Rudy, Jocque
text
ZooKeys
2011
95
1
28
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.95.745
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.95.745
1313-2970-95-1
Genus
Calommata Lucas, 1837
Type species.
Pachyloscelis fulvipes
Lucas, 1835 from Java and Sumatra
Diagnosis.
Calommata
can be distinguished from
Atypus
and
Sphodros
by three main characteristics: 1) Spermathecal structure. In
Atypus
, there are two broad plates each bearing two or more small receptacula (
Schwendinger 1990
: figs 14-25), in
Sphodros
the four spermathecae are each highly coiled and without distinct receptacula (e.g.
Gertsch and Platnick 1980
: fig. 29), whereas in
Calommata
there are four spermathecae (Fig. 62), each bearing several closely packed terminal receptacula positioned in a cauliflower-like arrangement,). However, the latter definition was based only on the spermathecal structure of three of the seven
Calommata
species (
Gertsch and Platnick 1980
), and variation does indeed occur within the spermathecal structure of the genus. The female genitalia of
Calommata transvaalica
only bear one pair of oval spermathecae (Fig. 69). 2) Male palpal cymbium structure. In
Calommata
the palpal cymbium is short and truncate (Fig. 48), while in
Atypus
and
Sphodros
it is short and acuminate (
Gertsch and Platnick 1980
: figs 15, 25;
Raven
1985
). 3) Labiosternal suture. In
Calommata
the labiosternal suture is positioned anteriorly on the sternum (
Levy 2007
: fig. 8), but is considered by
Gertsch and Platnick (1980)
to be absent and by
Raven (1985)
to have migrated posteriorly in
Atypus
and
Sphodros
(see
Gertsch and Platnick 1980
: figs 14, 22). Further morphological characters unique to
Calommata
(
Gertsch and Platnick 1980
) include the bipartite, longitudinal thoracic groove (fovea) (Figs 1-9); basal ledge on the outer surface of the fangs of both sexes, the posteriorly positioned ocular tubercle, enormously elongated endites and dorsally expanded chelicerae (Figs 10, 11); short leg I, particularly the femur, and flattened palpal tibia and tarsus of females (Figs 4, 7); and the greatly elongate tarsi of legs III and IV of males, which are clearly pseudosegmented (e.g. Figs 3, 5, 30).
Description.
Medium to large sexually dimorphic spiders (Figs 1-9), females 18.60-33.40 in length and males 5.10-9.35 in length. Carapace with an anterior, strongly elevated median ocular tubercle (Figs 10, 11), with a flattened posterior part traversed by a longitudinal thoracic furrow with a small deep pit in the middle (Figs 1-8). Three faint lines run from the ocular tubercle, converging at the fovea. Chelicerae massive, dorsally expanded with flattened sides, bearing sharp teeth usually in one (rarely two) rows, and a long arched fang with a slit-like distal opening and distinctive basal ledge along its outer margin (Figs 10-19, 20, 21, 26, 29). Cheliceral dentition of both sexes
often
variable between specimens and even between opposing chelicerae of a specimen. The general dentition pattern of each species and sex is indicated in Figs 12-19. Chelicerae of females have larger, more numerous teeth and an extensive field of tiny denticles retrolateral of the teeth row near the cheliceral base (Figs 15, 18). Chilum single, large, varying in shape, oval, rectangular or pentagonal (Figs 1-8). Endites strongly elongated and curved upwards on the prolateral side (Figs 10, 11, 22). Sternum with a distinctive labio-sternal suture anteriorly. Legs of females short and stout, leg formula of females 4231. Legs of males of normal size, with the tarsi pseudosegmented (Figs 23, 24, 30) and tarsi of legs III and IV distinctly longer (Figs 1-3, 5, 6, 8, 9); leg formula of male
s
usually 4321, rarely 4132. Tarsi with three claws, paired claws of males with single row of teeth and unpaired claw without teeth (Figs 23, 27), contra
Raven (1985
: 123). Tarsi ventrally scopulate, consisting of pointed setae (Figs 25, 31) or setae with a rounded tip (Fig. 28). Abdomen of male with small, distinctive anterior dorsal scutum, absent in females (Figs 1-8). Venter with three pairs of spinnerets, examined in detail in males (Figs 32-40) but not females; ALS small and finger-like, single-segmented, with a single short, stout distal fused spigot (Figs 32-34); PMS small and subtriangular, single-segmented, with several fused and articulated spigots in distal half of segment (Figs 32, 35, 36, 39); PLS large, elongate, three segmented, distal segment digitiform, with several fused and articulated spigots in distal half of second and entire ventral surface of third segment (Figs 32, 37, 38, 40). Anal tubercle widely separated from the spinnerets. Female palp short, with flattened tibia and tarsus (Fig. 7). Female epigyne forming broad, weakly sclerotised plate in ventral view; epigyne with two pairs of spermathecae, median pair subrectangular and rounded anteriorly, and lateral pair subtriangular (Fig. 62), or with single pair of transversely oval spermathecae (Fig. 69). Male palp with swollen tibia, bearing a retrolateral ventral row of several trichobothria, the bases of which are raised to one side; palpal tegulum with curved broad conductor with tooth on its dorsal surface, embolus straight, tapering towards tip (Figs 41-52).
Figures 1-8. Dorsal habitus of Afrotropical
Calommata
species 1
Calommata megae
sp. n., male (Harare, Zimbabwe) 2
Calommata meridionalis
sp. n., male (Erfenis Dam, South Africa) 3
Calommata namibica
sp. n., male (Etosha, Namibia) 4
Calommata simoni
Pocock, female (Galim, Cameroon) 5 same, male (Dja Reserve, Cameroon) 6
Calommata tibialis
sp. n., male (
Bassari-Sokode
, Togo) 7
Calommata transvaalica
Hewitt, female (Blouberg, South Africa) 8 same, male (Groenkloof, South Africa). Scale bars: 5mm.
Figures 9-19. Somatic morphology of
Calommata tibialis
sp. n., male 9, 17
Calommata simoni
Pocock, female 10, 15 and male 11, 16
Calommata megae
sp. n., male 12
Calommata meridionalis
sp. n., male 13
Calommata namibica
sp. n., male 14and
Calommata transvaalica
Hewitt, female 18 and male 19: 9 dorsal habitus 10, 11 lateral view of chelicera, endites and anterior of carapace 12-19 left chelicera, ventral view, indicating dentition. Scale bars: 5mm (9), 1mm (10-19).
Figures 20-31. Scanning electron micrographs of
Calommata meridionalis
sp. n. 20-25
Calommata simoni
Pocock 26-28 and
Calommata tibialis
sp. n. 29-31 males 20, 29 chelicera in ventral view 21 tip of fang 22 right endite, ventral view 23, 27 tarsus and claw, leg I (note pseudosegmentation of tarsus) 24, 30 tarsus IV, lateral and ventral view (note pseudosegmentation of tarsus) 25, 28, 31 detail of ventral scopulate setae on tarsus IV 26 chelicera in prolateral view.
Figures 32-40. Scanning electron micrographs of
Calommata simoni
Pocock 32-38 and
Calommata meridionalis
sp. n. 39, 40 male spinnerets 32 spinneret field, ventral view 33 ALS 34 detail of single ALS spigot 35 PMS 36, 39 detail of PMS spigots 37, 40 PLS 38 detail of PLS spigots.
Figures 41-52. Scanning electron micrographs of
Calommata meridionalis
sp. n. 41-43,
Calommata namibica
44-46,
Calommata simoni
Pocock 47-49 and
Calommata tibialis
sp. n. 50-52 males 41, 44, 47, 50 trichobothrial bases on palpal tarsus 42, 43, 46, 49, 52 distal end of conductor and embolus 45 palpal organ in prolateral ventral view 48, 51 palpal organ in prolateral view.
Key to the Afrotropical
Calommata
[females of
Calommata megae
sp. n.,
Calommata meridionalis
sp. n.,
Calommata namibica
sp. n. and
Calommata tibialis
sp. n. unknown]
Fig. 15Fig. 62 |
Calommata simoni
|
Fig. 18Fig. 69 |
Calommata transvaalica
|
Fig. 54Fig. 53 |
Calommata megae
|
Fig. 67Fig. 66 |
Calommata tibialis
|
Fig. 13Fig. 57 |
Calommata meridionalis
|
Fig. 19Fig. 71 |
Calommata transvaalica
|
Fig. 16Fig. 64Fig. 49 |
Calommata simoni
|
Fig. 14Fig. 60Fig. 46 |
Calommata namibica
|