Micaria quadrata 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 quadrata

description: Micariaquadrata sp. nov.
Figs 30, 64, 71, 155 – 156
Type material. Holotype ♀, ETHIOPIA: Oromia Region: Ziway, Abernossa Ranch, hill, grass tussocks in Acacia woodland, handcollecting, 07°45’N, 38°40’E, leg. A. Russell-Smith, 17.VI.1982 (MRAC 225569).
Paratypes: ETHIOPIA: Afar Region: Awash, Awash National Park, Ras Hotel (Rift Valley), heap of cut grass, handcollecting, 1000 ma.s.l., 08°59’N, 40°10’E, leg. A. Russell-Smith, 6.X.1988, 1 ♀ (MRAC 225568). Oromia Region: Welenchiti, Metehara, under stones, Acacia / Commiphora woodland, 08°43’N, 39°25’E, 21.III.1986, 2 ♀ (MRAC 225643).
Etymology. The species name is Latin for “square”. This refers to the right angles the copulatory ducts form in the female of this species.
Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Afrotropical Micaria, in having copulatory ducts that are widely separated from spermathecae, that form two perpendicular bends, as well as an anterior hood that is divided into two angular sclerites located diagonally from the copulatory openings. This species’ CLH to AME width ratio is 2.5:1, which is much higher than in any other Afrotropical species. Male unknown.
Description. Female (holotype from Abernossa Ranch, MRAC 225569): Measurements: TL 3.90, CL 1.65, CW 1.05, CL:CW 1.57, CLH 0.16, CLH:AME: 2.5. Eyes: ALE 0.08, AME 0.06, PLE 0.08, PME 0.06, AME–AME 0.05, PME–PME 0.08, MOQAW 0.18, MOQPW 0.21, MOQL 0.21. SL 0.87, SW 0.59, AL 2.05, AW 1.45. Leg measurements: Palpal segment lengths: 0.33, 0.25, 0.52, 0.59. Leg I: 1.16, 0.51, 0.87, 0.71, 0.86. II: 1.06, 0.48, 0.87, 0.73, 0.84. III: 1.00, 0.49, 0.81, 0.89, 0.73. IV: 1.65, 0.56, 1.27, 1.65, 1.00. TLoflegs (I–IV): 4.11, 3.98, 3.92, 6.13; leg formula: 4123.
Colouration: carapace dark brown; abdomen dark brown on posterior half and light brown on anterior half; femora darkened; sternum, endites, labium and chelicerae similar in colour to carapace (Fig. 30). Carapace: smooth in texture; decorated with squamose setae; radiating dark lines from middle of carapace; two white stripes one-quarter from posterior margin; posterior margin straight; fovea absent; anterior margin narrowing slightly from coxa I; PER procurved in dorsal view, AER recurved in anterior view. Chelicerae: decorated with plumose setae. Labium: triangular in shape, truncated; cluster of setae present at tip. Endites: oblique; constricted just above halfway; posterior margin rounded. Sternum: shield-like; broadest between coxa Iand II; posterior margin tapered to rounded tip before coxa IV; decorated with aculeate and squamose setae. Legs: femora laterally flattened, highest at base, leg Imore pronounced in this fashion; rest of legs normal, thin; decorated with lanceolate setae (Fig. 71). Leg macrosetae: Palps: 1do, 1pl, 1do, 1pl, 1pl, 2plv, 1rlv, 4vt. Leg I: 1do, 1pl, 2plv, 1rlv. II: 1do, 1pl, 1plv. III: 1do, 1pl, 1pl, 1rl, 2plv, 1rlv, 2vt, 1pl, 2lv, 1rl, 2vt. IV: 1do, 2pl, 2rl, 1plv, 1rlv, 2vt, 1pl, 1rl, 2plv, 2rlv, 3vt. Legs I–II with two rows of scopulate setae on metatarsi and four rows on tarsi; legs III–IV with scopulate setae only on tarsi. Abdomen: cylindrical in shape; decorated with squamose setae; dorsal transverse solid line medially, longitudinal dotted line perpendicular to solid line extending towards spinnerets; two white stripes on antero-lateral margin; venter slightly lighter than dorsum; faint white broad stripe medially; sigilla not visible. Epigyne: in ventral view, anterior hood divided, curved; posterior pockets present medially, parallel, elongate, L-shaped; copulatory openings at bifurcated tip. In dorsal view, copulatory ducts elongate with right-angles as curves, bracket-like, extending anterior to spermathecae; fertilisation ducts curved laterally outwards, projecting basally from spermathecae; spermathecae globular, with interior apical margin flattened (Figs 155, 156).
Distribution. Micaria quadrata sp. nov. is only known from central Ethiopia (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 60-61, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4940.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4580917