Micaria lata Booysen & Haddad 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Booysen, Ruan
name: Haddad, Charles R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Gnaphosidae
Micaria
Micaria lata

description: Micarialata sp. nov.
Figs 24, 143 – 144
Type material. Holotype ♀, SOUTHAFRICA: Northern Cape: Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, 27°18’S, 22°26’E, Bl 33, handcollecting, leg. R. Jocqué, 12.II.2006 (NCA 2013/2466).
Paratypes: NAMIBIA: Kunene Region: Brandberg, Konigstein Pan, 22-day pitfall row, pitfall traps, 2340 m a.s.l., 21°08.8’S, 14°34.283’E, leg. K. Meaking / Raleigh International, 7.V.2000, 4 ♀ (SMN 45027); same data but 29.V.2000, 15 ♀ (SMN 45014).
Etymology. The species name is Latin for wide, which refers to the widely separated copulatory ducts and spermathecae.
Diagnosis. The females of this species can be distinguished from Micaria beaufortia by having globular spermathecae (dorsal view), elongate fertilisation ducts and widely spaced copulatory ducts. Male unknown.
Remarks. The female holotype has a few legs missing; however, the genital structure is well intact and can be used for species identification.
Description. Female (holotype from Tswala Kalahari Game Reserve, NCA 2013/2466): Measurements: TL 3.40, CL 1.55, CW 0.95, CL:CW 1.63, CLH 0.14, CLH:AME 2.54. Eyes: ALE 0.08, AME 0.06, PLE 0.04, PME 0.06, AME–AME 0.04, PME–PME 0.05, MOQAW 0.16, MOQPW 0.21, MOQL 0.22. SL 0.80, SW 0.59, AL 1.85, AW 1.16. Leg measurements: Palpal segment lengths: 0.48, 0.25, 0.32, 0.48. Leg I:?. II: 1.10, 0.51, 0.92, 0.79, 0.73. III: 1.10, 0.51, 0.87, 0.92, 0.71. IV: 1.75, 0.57, 1.42, 1.51, 0.71. TLof legs (I–IV):?, 4.05, 4.11, 5.96; leg formula: very likely 4123.
Colouration: carapace light brown (colour faded); abdomen dark brown; sternum, endites, labium and chelicerae appear darker than carapace; femora slightly darker, other legs uniform in colour (Fig. 24). Carapace: decorated with squamose setae; smooth in texture; pattern not visible due to preservation; posterior margin indented medially; fovea absent; anterior margin narrowing moderately from coxa I; PER procurved in dorsal view; AER recurved in anterior view. Chelicerae: decorated with plumose setae. Labium: triangular in shape, cluster of setae present on tip. Endites: oblique; constricted just above halfway; anterior margin rounded; cluster of setae present on inner–apical margin. Sternum: shield-like; broadest between coxa Iand II; posterior margin tapered to point between coxa IV. Legs: femora of all legs laterally flattened, highest at base, leg Imore pronounced in this fashion; rest of legs normal, thin; all tarsi pseudosegmented. Leg macrosetae: Palpal segment length: 1do, 1pl, 1do, 1pl, 1rl, 2plv, 1rlv, 4vt. II: 1do, 2plv, 1vt. III: 1do, 1pl, 1rl, 2pl, 1rl, 1plv, 1rlv, 2vt, 1pl, 1rl, 2plv, 2rlv, 4vt. IV: 1do, 2pl, 2rl, 2plv, 1rl, 2vt, 1pl, 1rl, 2plv, 2rlv, 4vt. Legs I–IV with two rows of scopulate setae on metatarsi and four rows on tarsi. Abdomen: cylindrical in shape; decorated with squamose setae; dorsal pattern appears broken, white transverse band medially, longitudinal stripe perpendicular to transverse stripe; venter similar in colour to dorsum; two white stripes present latero-ventrally; sigilla not visible. Epigyne: in ventral view, anterior hood divided, flattened; posterior pockets present medially, diagonal; copulatory openings bifurcated. In dorsal view, copulatory ducts thick, short, curved, bifurcated apically, obliquely attached to inner anterior margin of spermathecae; fertilisation ducts projecting basally from interior margin of spermathecae, curved; spermathecae globular (Figs 143, 144).
Distribution. Micaria lata sp. nov. is only known from northern part of South Africa and central Namibia (Map 5).
description: Published as part of Booysen, Ruan & Haddad, Charles R., 2021, Revision and molecular phylogeny of the spider genus Micaria Westring, 1851 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) in the Afrotropical Region, pp. 1-82 in Zootaxa 4940 (1) on pages 53-55, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4940.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4580917