First records of the genus Neotama Baehr & Baehr (Araneae: Hersiliidae) from the Afrotropical Region Author Foord, S. H. Author Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. S. text African Invertebrates 2005 2005-12-31 46 125 132 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.7667098 2305-2562 7667098 Neotama Baehr & Baehr, 1993 Tama : Simon 1882: 255 (in part). Neotama : Baehr & Baehr 1993: 68 ; Rheims & Brescovit 2004: 189 . Type species: Tama variata Pocock, 1899 . Diagnosis: Clypeus very short, as long as ocular area length, eye tubercle depressed; very long legs, metatarsi I, II, and IV with narrow flexible zone in distal third; male palp with tibia not much longer than patella, cymbium digiform, bulbus round; sperm duct with basal loop; embolus curved, filiform; epigyne externally with two lateral slitlike to oval openings, copulatory duct wide, spermathecae cylindrical, seminal receptacle simple, round with stalk; fertilisation duct short, simple. Description: Female Size: Medium, range (6.32–7.13). Colour: Carapace pale yellow with isolated dark and white markings laterally; clypeus pale yellow, white anteriorly; eye area dark around AME eyes and PER; white mark posteriad on eye tubercle; abdomen white with dark anterolateral borders; dorsum with lancet-shaped heart mark; V-shaped marking posteriad on dorsum ( Fig. 5 ); posterior lateral spinnerets with no or faint annulation; legs pale yellow with patellae dark brown; femora and palps with faint annulation. Carapace: As long as wide; thoracic region widest; cephalic region narrow; dorsoventrally flattened ( Fig. 3 ); fovea longitudinal with radial striae; clypeus very short, not projecting beyond eye area, varying in length between 0.36 and 0.59 × median ocular quadrangle length; eye area very depressed ( Fig. 3 );ALE smallest, white; AME largest; chelicerae stout, retromargin with one row of minute teeth, promargin with three large teeth. Sternum heart-shaped; labium triangular, 0.63 × endite length; endites elongate, rectangular. Abdomen: Wider than long, widest in posterior third; dorsoventrally flattened; four pairs of distinct dorsal muscular pits varying in size, second pair largest, oval; venter with V-shaped muscular pits; posterior lateral spinnerets very long,>2 × carapace width; terminal segment>4 × basal segment. Legs: Either leg I or II longest; leg I> 3 × total body length; leg formula I:II:IV:III; leg III very short, <0.3 × length of leg I; metatarsus I> 8 × longer than tarsus I; distal segment of metatarsus <0.5 × length of proximal segment. Femur, patella, and metatarsus with spines; spines short, <0.5 × diameter of legs, spine formula: I- Fe 1p1r1d-1p1r1d- 1p1r1d, Pat 1d, Tib 1d-1p-1r-1d-1r-1p, Mt 1p1r; II- Fe 1p1r1d-1p1r1d-1p1r-1d, Pat, Tib 1d-1p1r-1d-1p1r-1d, Mt 1p1r; III- Fe 1d-1d, Pat 1d, Tib 1d-1d, Mt 1r1p1v-1d; IV- Fe 1d-1d-1d-1d, Pat 1d, Tib 1d-1d-1r-1d, Mt 1p1r; spine microstructure with irregular patterns of lancet-shaped scales; paired tarsal claws with nine teeth. Male Size: Small (4.83–5). Resembles female in shape and colour; male differs structurally as follows: smaller in size; abdomen more slender, legs much longer in relation to body length; leg I much longer than other legs. Palps: Tibia as long as patella; cymbium digiform; bulbus round, sperm duct with basal loop; embolus filiform, regularly curved, apex acute. Remarks: Species of Neotama differ from those of Tama Simon in their arboreal life style, much longer legs, leg I and II always longer than leg IV, a narrow flexible zone in the distal third of leg I, II and IV, dorsoventrally flattened carapace and abdomen, and very short clypeus. Composition: Neotama variata ( Pocock, 1899 ) – Sri Lanka ; N. corticola ( Lawrence, 1937 ) comb. n. – South Africa ; N. longimana Baehr & Baehr, 1993 – Sumatra; N. rothorum Baehr & Baehr, 1993 – India ; N. punctigera Baehr & Baehr, 1993 – India ; N. mexicana (O.P.-Cambridge, 1893) – Mexico ; N. forcipata (F.O.P.-Cambridge, 1902); N. obatala Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 ) – Brazil ; N. cunhabebe Rheims & Brescovit, 2004 – Brazil . Distribution: Nearctic, Neotropical, Afrotropical and Oriental Regions. Phylogenetics:The slit-like, oval, lateral openings between the lateral borders and median plate of the epigynum support the monophyly of the genus Neotama . The presence of a narrow flexible zone on metatarsi I, II, and IV and a basal loop in the sperm duct of the palp are homoplasious characters that also support the monophyly of the genus.