Survey of the Ethiopian linyphiid spider fauna. I. Subfamily Erigoninae (Arachnida, Araneae, Linyphiidae)
Author
Tanasevitch, Andrei V.
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-09-20
5346
4
420
442
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5346.4.4
journal article
269786
10.11646/zootaxa.5346.4.4
f631dec3-14e8-4dab-b340-df57d7cc8c5a
1175-5326
8390441
3D23DF3F-6B66-4C60-BE3D-A98EA43F01C5
Walckenaeria
(
Tigellinus
)
trivialis
new species
Figs 13
,
14
Type material.
Holotype
:
J (
ZMMU
):
Oromia Region
, Asela Zone, ca 7–8 air-km EES from Asela (= Assela), Chilalo Mt., canyon, steep northern slope,
3070–3075 m
a.s.l.,
7.935124°N
39.19392°E
,
Hypericum revolutum
bushes with sporadic
Schefflera abyssinica
, grass, green mosses, sifting litter and mosses,
29.X.2022
, leg. A. Tanasevitch [Eth016].
Paratypes
:
1J (
ZMMU
): same date and locality, together with
holotype
;
2♀
(
ZMMU
): Chilalo Mt., canyon branch, SE slope,
3125–3130 m
a.s.l.,
7.93414°N
39.19479°E
,
Hypericum revolutum
bushes with sporadic
Schefflera abyssinica
and
Hagenia abyssinica
, grass, green mosses, sifting litter and mosses,
29.X.2022
, A. Tanasevitch leg. [Eth017]; 1J (
ZMMU
): Arsi Mountains N.P., road from Digelu to Ticho,
3500–3505 m
a.s.l.,
7.81944°N
39.35429°E
,
Erica arborea
bushes, grass, green mosses, sifting mosses,
30.X.2022
, A. Tanasevitch leg. [Eth018].
FIGURE 13.
Photographs of male paratype from Eth016 (
A–E
) and female paratype from Eth017 (
F–I
) of
Walckenaeria
(
Tigellinus
)
trivialis
n. sp.
A
,
F
, habitus, dorsal view;
B
, prosoma, dorsal view;
C
, same, frontal view;
D
,
E
, same, lateral view, different specimens;
G
, habitus, ventral view;
H
,
I
, epigynum, ventral and dorsal view, respectively. Scale bars:
A–G
, 0.5mm;
H
,
I
, 0.1mm.
FIGURE 14.
Details of male palpal structure (
A–E
) and female epigynum (
F
) of
Walckenaeria
(
Tigellinus
)
trivialis
n. sp.
, male paratype from Eth018, female paratype from Eth017.
A
,
B
, right palp, retrolateral and prolateral view, respectively;
C
,
D,
tibia, dorsal view;
E
, same, dorsolateral view;
F
, cleared epigynum, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1mm.
Etymology.
The specific epithet is a Latin adjective referring to the shape of the male carapace typical for the subgenus
Tigellinus
Simon, 1884
of
Walckenaeria
Blackwall, 1833
.
Diagnosis.
Based on the shape of the carapace (see
Figs 13A–E
), the new species belongs to the subgenus
Tigellinus
. Presently, at least 12 of the 18
Walckenaeria
species
currently known from the Afrotropical Region belong to
Tigellinus
. All of these species are extremely similar to each other, mainly differing by the presence or shapes of the dorsal palpal tibial outgrowth(s) and, partly, by the shape of a “turret” on the carapace.
The new species seems to be most similar to the Tanzanian
Walckenaeria
(
Tigellinus
)
uzungwensis
Scharff, 1990
, but is distinguishable by a wider distal part of the “turret” of the carapace, by the presence of an additional outgrowth on the palpal tibia (AO in
Figs 14C–E
), as well as by the somewhat longer embolus. The female differs well by the non-enlarged eyes and the considerably less spaced receptacles.
Description.
Male (
Paratype
from Eth016). Total length 2.00. Carapace modified, as shown in
Figs 13A–E
, 0.93 long, 0.72 wide, pale brown to brown, carapace with a “turret”. Eyes slightly enlarged. Chelicerae 0.30 long, a mastidion absent. Legs brown. Leg I 2.57 long (0.68 + 0.25 + 0.63 + 0.58 + 0.43), IV 2.84 long (0.75 + 025 + 0.73 + 0.68 + 0.43). Chaetotaxy 2.2.1.1, spines about as long as 1–1.5 diameter of corresponding leg segment. Metatarsi I–IV with a trichobothrium each. TmI 0.50. Palp (
Figs 14A–E
): Tibia with a sickle-shaped prolateral process, and a small denticle at its base; dorso-retrolaterally with a small projection of different shape depending on an angle of view (AO in
Figs 14C–E
). Paracimbium L-shaped. Distal suprategular apophysis relatively short, narrowing distally. Median membrane short, poorly visible. Radix fusiform, with a long tailpiece. Embolus long, forming a loop, with a small, narrow, transparent “ligula”-shaped outgrowth at its base (L in
Figs 14A, B
). Opisthosoma 1.13 long, 0.70 wide, grey, as in
Fig. 13A
.
Female
(
Paratype
from Eth017). Total length 2.45. Carapace unmodified (
Fig. 13F
), pale brown, 1.00 long, 0.78 wide. Chelicerae 0.38 long. Legs pale brown. Leg I 2.60 long (0.80 + 0.30 + 0.55 + 0.55 + 0.40), IV 3.07 long (0.83 + 0.28 + 0.80 + 0.73 + 0.43). Chaetotaxy 2.2.1.1, spines about as long as 1–1.5 diameter of corresponding leg segment. Metatarsi I–IV with a trichobothrium each. TmI 0.55. Opistosoma 1.60 long, 1.08 wide, grey, as in
Figs 13F, G
. Epigynum (
Figs 13 G–I
,
14F
): Epigynal plate oval, receptacles and seminal ducts well-sclerotized.
Distribution.
Known from the mountains of
Oromia Region
,
Ethiopia
,
3070–3505 m
a.s.l.