A revision of the endemic South African long-jawed ground spider genus Drassodella Hewitt, 1916 (Araneae: Gallieniellidae)
Author
Mbo, Zingisile
Author
Haddad, Charles R.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-04-10
4582
1
1
62
journal article
27120
10.11646/zootaxa.4582.1.1
c79b6327-48fb-47bf-b17b-d20d2de295e3
1175-5326
2643724
9DC61794-4BD7-4F6D-BB8C-84D9855C8151
Drassodella baviaans
sp. nov.
Figs 88
,
161
,
180, 181
Etymology.
The species name is a contraction of the name of the
type
locality.
Remarks.
Although
D. baviaans
sp. nov.
is known from the male only and
D. trilineata
sp. nov.
from the female only, and both were collected in the same pitfall traps, we believe that they are distinctive species based on their considerable size differences (
D. trilineata
sp. nov.
almost double the body length of
D. baviaans
sp. nov.
) and the very different abdominal markings (spotted in
D. baviaans
sp. nov.
and with narrow lateral stripes in
D. trilineata
sp. nov.
), particularly since all other species of
Drassodella
have similar colouration and markings in both sexes (
Figs 93–110
,
157–171
).
Diagnosis.
Males of
D. baviaans
sp. nov.
are most similar to those of
D. amatola
sp. nov.
, but can be separated by the larger median apophysis, the pointed embolus tip, and the lack of a prolateral tegular protrusion (compare
Figs 180
and
174
). Female unknown.
Description. Male (
Holotype
, Baviaanskloof,
NCA 2010
/241).
Measurements: CL 2.10, CW 1.24, AL 2.18, AW 1.16, TL 4.60 (3.88–4.60), FL 0.14, SL 1.14, SW 0.96,
CH
0.12, AME-AME 0.06, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE- ALE 0.20, PME-PME 0.09, PME-PLE 0.13, PLE-PLE 0.40, PERW 0.53, MOQAW 0.17, MOQPW 0.21, MOQL 0.25.
Length of leg segments: I 1.54 + 0.76 + 1.28 + 1.22 + 1.02 = 5.82, II 1.34 + 0.64 + 1.00 + 1.04 + 0.76 = 4.78, III 1.04 + 0.58 + 0.76 + 0.88 + 0.62 = 3.88, IV 1.84 + 0.76 + 1.40 + 1.92 + 0.82 = 6.74.
General appearance as in
Fig. 161
. Carapace red-brown; white feathery setae forming upsilon marking, diverging behind fovea. Clypeus height equal to 1.25 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 0.75 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.26 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.63 PME diameter. Chelicerae dark-brown; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; median tooth closer to proximal tooth; retromargin with two subequal widely space teeth. Endites orange, darker around margins. Labium orange, slightly longer than wide. Sternum brown. Legs with orange proximal segments, distal segments yellow. Leg spination: femora: I do 1 rl 1, II do 1 rl 1, III pl 2 do 2 rl 1, IV pl 1 do 2 rl 1; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I, II & III spineless, IV do 2 rl 3; metatarsi: I, II & III spineless, III rl 4 plv 2; palpal spination: femora do 2 rl 1 plv 2; patellae do 2 rl 3 plv 1; tibiae do 6 rl 2 plv 1; tarsi spineless. Abdomen brown; dorsal scutum extending two-thirds abdomen length; three pairs of dorsolateral spots of white feathery setae, one white spot above spinnerets; lateral sclerites above booklungs oval; venter grey, with large orange markings. Spinnerets pale. Palp yellow-brown; RTA moderately long, not obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium but positioned retrolateral of cymbium; in retrolateral view triangular, slightly curved dorsally, with broad base and sharp tip; cymbium narrow, 1.97 times longer than wide, narrowed to rounded point distally; embolus originating from distal prolateral mound, transverse and directed retrolaterally, with sharp needle-like tip; median apophysis large, hook-shaped (
Figs 88
,
180–181
).
FIGURES 180–183.
Genitalic morphology of
Drassodella baviaans
sp. nov.
(180, 181) and
D.
purcelli
Tucker, 1923
(182, 183): 180 male palp, ventral view; 181 same, retrolateral view; 182 female epigyne, ventral view; 183 same, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25mm.
Type material.
Holotype
♂
:
SOUTH AFRICA
:
Eastern Cape Province
:
Baviaanskloof
,
Keurkloof
,
Farm
Ferndale,
33°41'S
,
24°50'E
,
21–24.III.2008
, leg. A.S. Honiball & S. Hohowsky (pitfalls) (
NCA 2010/241
).
Paratype
: Together with
holotype
,
1♂
(
NCA 2010/241
).
Distribution.
Known only from the type locality in the
Eastern Cape
,
South Africa
(
Fig. 188
).