A revision of Afrotropical Asceua (Araneae, Zodariidae), ant-eating spiders with puzzling distributions Author Jocqué, Rudy 0000-0003-1776-0121 Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B- 3080 Tervuren, Belgium Author Henrard, Arnaud 0000-0003-3270-7193 Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B- 3080 Tervuren, Belgium text African Invertebrates 2024 2024-11-27 65 2 161 198 journal article 305513 10.3897/afrinvertebr.65.138029 5b030f4a-db5a-4e1e-ab16-af83765c71f8 9230378F-8FE3-4785-9FDE-E78FA65002BE Asceua palustris sp. nov. Figs 17 , 24 Type material. Holotype D. R. Congo • ♀ ; Kwango . territoire de Feshi . rive gauche de la Kwenge ; 4°50'S , 18°54'E ; 840 m a. s. l. ; IV. 1959 ; îlot de forêt marécageux inondée ; J. Leleup leg.; RMCA_113670 . Paratype : • 1 ♀ ; II. 1959 ; further as Ht; RMCA_113489 . Other material examined. D. R. Congo • 1 ♀ ; Kivu-N. , Visiki , forêt de Visiki ; 0°12'N , 29°15'E ; 23. XII. 1971 ; M. Lejeune leg.; RMCA_140837 ; • 1 subadult ♂ : Kwango , Feshi , tête de source de la Mvula myeji , rive gauche de la Kwenge ; 4°50'S 18°54'E ; 840 m a. s. l. ; III. 1959 ; forêt de terre ferme ; J. Leleup leg.; RMCA_113520 ; 1 subadult ♂ : as previous; RMCA_113523 . Diagnosis. Females of this species are recognised by the ventral aspect of the epigyne with two central smooth areas, surrounded by loops of the copulatory ducts visible in transparency; the crossing of the copulatory ducts at the beginning is unique in the Afrotropical species; the dorsum of the abdomen is provided with two pairs of spots. Etymology. The specific name refers to the type of habitat. Description. Female Holotype . Fig. 17 A – C, H, I . Total body length 3.52. Colour in ethanol: carapace and chelicerae uniform medium brown with narrow dark rings around eyes; endites and labium medium brown with pale anterior margin; sternum medium brown with pale central longitudinal triangle in posterior half; legs pale with narrow, pro- and retrolateral dark stripes; dorsum of abdomen dark sepia with sinuous margin on sides, provided with two oblique pale triangles in anterior half and two transverse rectangular spots, touching in the middle; venter pale, spinnerets pale yellow. Carapace 1.52 long, 0.96 wide, 0.60 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME : 0.07; ALE : 0.08; AME – AME : 0.05; AME – ALE : 0.02; PME : 0.07: PLE : 0.13; PME – PME : 0.08; PME – PLE : 0.07. MOQ : frontal width 0.18, posterior width 0.23, length 0.26. Clypeus 0.33 high. Chilum: small triangle 0.10 wide and as high. Sternum shield-shaped, 0.72 long, 0.60 wide. Spination: all femora with short proximal dorsal spine; measurements in Table 8 . Female leg measurements.
Leg Fe P Ti Mt t total
I 0.92 0.28 0.69 0.89 0.66 3.43
II 0.87 0.31 0.61 0.74 0.52 3.05
III 0.52 0.28 0.66 0.84 0.62 2.92
IV 0.90 0.28 0.79 0.98 0.62 3.58
Epigyne (Fig. 17 D – G ): Scape ( Sc ) short reaching centre of epigyne, widened near posterior tip; with smooth area on either side of scape, surrounded by looped copulatory ducts visible in transparency; copulatory openings posterior of scape tip; copulatory ducts crossing near the entrances; anterior part of ducts looped in longitudinal direction, posterior parts occupying a wider are than the frontal part. Male. Unknown. Distribution. The species is known from south-western and eastern D. R. Congo (Fig. 24 ).