New species and interesting new records of spiders from Seychelles (Arachnida, Araneaea)
Author
Saaristo, Michael I.
text
Phelsuma
2002
10
1
32
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.824148
79d22dc4-916c-4f10-a085-4b796c63dd68
1026-5023
824148
Opopaea suspecta
n. sp.
(
Figs. 55-58
)
Types
:
Holotype
female
from
Praslin
,
Vallée
de Mai
,
19.03.2002
,
J. Gerlach
leg. (
MZT
AA 2.298
)
.
Etymology: Named as
suspecta
because it is not clear that the species is truly a member of the genus
Opopaea
.
Diagnosis: Female (male unknown) of O.
suspecta
can be recognized by having thick, erect hairs on palpal tibia and behind the epigastric furrow a round depression with a short, spiny extension at its middle.
Figs. 55-58.
Opopaea suspecta
n. sp.
55: Epigastric area of female. 56: Abdomen ventrally. 57: Carapace dorsally. 58: Right palp latererally. Scale=0.2 mm. Orig.
Description: Female
(
male unknown
).
Medium-sized
(
TL
= 1.61,CL = 0.71), completely chitinized species. Cephalothorax and abdomen brown, legs pale yellowish. Carapace dorsally smooth, sides with numerous longitudinal striae. Four long hairs on clypeus; on either sides of the upper surface of carapace some ten hairs in irregular rows and ten in a transverse row on posterior part ofcarapace. Eyes almost equal in size. Apical half of tarsus with numerous, erect thick hairs; similarly thickened hairs also on other palpal segments and legs. Operculae small, slit-like. Dorsolateral petiolar tube comers with triangular lobes opposed with boomerang-shaped ridges o n epigastric scutum. Hairs on anal ring conspicuously thickened. On posterior side of epigastric furrow a light, round depression with dark, claw-like median elevation.
Discussion: This species is assigned to
Opopaea
with some hesitation. The structure on the posterior side of epigastric furrow resembles that of
Opopaea
silhouettei (Benoit, 1979) and also the triangular lobes on petiolar tube are typical for the genus
Opopaea
. On the other hand, the form of operculae, presence ofthickened hairs and large size are all typical of
Lisna
trichinalis (Benoit, 1979). Finding the male is essential for the proper generic placement of the species.