Copuetta erecta Haddad, 2013, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Haddad, Charles R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Corinnidae
Copuetta
Copuetta erecta

description: Copuetta erecta sp. nov.
Figs 7, 8, 43, 44, 92, 100, 114 –117
Etymology: The specific name is Latin for upright, and refers to the short erect embolus.
Diagnosis: Males of this species can be easily recognised from congeners by the short, straight, finely coiled embolus that is directed at the distal end of the cymbium (Figs 92, 100). Females can be recognised from congeners by the small coiled lateral epigynal ridges and copulatory openings at the midpoint of the epigyne, and the large, weakly sclerotised semi-circular ridges in the posterior half of the epigyne (Fig. 116).
Male (holotype, Tembe, NCA 2007/3607). Measurements: CL 2.45, CW 1.90, AL 2.65, AW 1.48, TL 5.25 (5.25–7.40), FL 0.30, SL 1.12, SW 1.12, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.38, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.48, PERW 0.70, MOQAW 0.40, MOQPW 0.41, MOQL 0.47.
Length of leg segments: I 2.27 + 0.87 + 1.86 + 1.88 + 1.12 = 8.00; II 2.23 + 0.86 + 1.74 + 1.88 + 1.08 = 7.79; III 2.11 + 0.85 + 1.61 + 1.93 + 0.91 = 7.41; IV 2.73 + 0.95 + 2.19 + 2.90 + 1.05 = 9.82.
General appearance as in Figs 7 and 43. Carapace creamy-yellow, eye region grey; paired mediolateral markings with black mottling from palpal coxae to posterior slope, pale along midline from PER to posterior of carapace; faint small mottled black marking in front of fovea; orange striae radiating from fovea, directed between coxae; lateral margins with narrow mottled black fringe, expanded between leg coxae; markings covered with black feathery setae, areas between them covered in white feathery and short straight setae. AME separated by distance slightly less than ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance less than 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly less than 5⁄6 AME diameter; PLE very slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to ½ PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.71:1. Chelicerae yellow, paler prolaterally at distal end; promargin with two teeth separated by basal width of proximal tooth, distal tooth much larger; retromargin with two teeth separated by slightly less than their basal width, distal tooth slightly smaller, close to fang base. Endites creamy-orange, white prolaterally distally; labium pale orangebrown, paler distally; sternum creamy-yellow, darker around margins. Legs I and II creamy-yellow, III and IV yellow, with faint black spots at spine bases; markings and mottling densely covered in black feathery setae, with yellowish feathery setae between markings and mottling; femora I–IV with faint distal band; patellae I–IV with faint proximal and distal bands; tibiae I–IV with broad median band; metatarsi I and II with faint median and distal bands; metatarsi III and IV with proximal, median and distal bands; tarsi I–IV yellow. Leg spination: femora: I pl 2 do 3 rl 1, II pl 2 do 3 rl 1, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 2; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: I and II with proximal and distal fine setae dorsally, III and IV with fine proximal seta and distal spine dorsally; tibiae: I pl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2, with rlv 6 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 2 plv 2 rlv 1. Abdomen with creamyyellow anterior dorsal scutum extending to ¾ abdomen length, dorsum cream behind scutum; dorsum with broad oval marking around sides of abdomen from posterior margin to spinnerets, brown anteriorly and laterally, black posteriorly, broken up by three narrow white lateral streaks at midpoint; dorsum pale along midline except for small black spot just behind midpoint; markings densely covered in black feathery setae, white feathery setae and brown short straight setae between them; spinnerets surrounded by narrow black ring; venter cream, covered in black feathery setae; epigastric scutum, ventral sclerite and inframamillary sclerite yellow. Male palp creamyyellow, cymbium yellow; tegulum yellow-brown, with dark orange-brown ducts; distal end of tegulum broad, embolus with narrow base; embolus short and narrow, straight, finely coiled, directed at the distal end of the cymbium (Figs 92, 100, 114, 115).
Female (paratype, Xai-Xai, NCA 2008/178). Measurements: CL 3.25, CW 2.49, AL 4.13, AW 2.84, TL 7.45 (7.00–7.45), FL 0.27, SL 1.49, SW 1.40, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.48, PME–PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.07, PLE–PLE 0.59, PERW 0.90, MOQAW 0.50, MOQPW 0.51, MOQL 0.59.
Length of leg segments: I 2.70 + 1.19 + 2.28 + 2.30 + 1.33 = 9.80; II 2.69 + 1.16 + 2.09 + 2.24 + 1.25 = 9.43; III 2.52 + 1.12 + 1.96 + 2.32 + 1.08 = 9.00; IV 3.40 + 1.23 + 2.65 + 3.55 + 1.15 = 11.98.
General appearance as in Figs 8 and 44, female more robustly built than male. Carapace yellow, eye region pale grey, markings and setae as for male, except clypeus black between PLE. AME separated by distance slightly less than ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance less than 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height equal to 5⁄6 AME diameter; PLE very slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly less than ½ PLE diameter; CW: PERW = 2.77:1. Chelicerae orangebrown, yellow prolaterally at distal end, with pair of fine black lines proximally and extensive black mottling on anterior surface of paturon; dentition as for male. Endites pale creamy-orange, cream prolaterally distally; labium orange, cream along distal margin; sternum creamy-yellow, yellow-brown around margins. Legs yellow, posteriors slightly darker, markings as for male. Leg spination: femora: I pl 3 do 3 rl 1, II pl 2 do 3 rl 1, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 1; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: I and II with proximal and distal fine setae dorsally, III and IV with fine proximal seta and distal spine dorsally; tibiae: I pl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I plv 2 rlv 2, II plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2, with rlv 5-6 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 plv 3 rlv 1. Abdomen with yellow dorsal scutum extending ½ abdomen length; dorsum cream with black oval marking anteriorly, laterally and posteriorly, marking covered in dense black feathery setae; dorsum cream along midline, with white and scattered black feathery setae and scattered black short straight setae; spinnerets surrounded by narrow black ring; venter cream with faint grey median marking between epigastric furrow and spinnerets, covered in black feathery setae; epigastric sclerite pale creamy-orange; inframamillary sclerite orange, distinct. Epigyne with small coiled lateral ridges and copulatory openings at midpoint of epigyne; epigynal ridges weakly sclerotised, large and semi-circular, curving around lateral and posterior margins of epigyne, meeting medially, not passing over spermathecae (Fig. 116); copulatory ducts very short, entering ST II posterolaterally; ST II oval, with broad duct on their mesal margin connecting ST II to posterior ST I; ST I kidney-shaped, somewhat rotated from longitudinal axis; both ST with many folds on their surface (Fig. 117).
Type material: Holotype 3: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Tembe Elephant Park, Open woodland/ sand, near offices, 27°03'S, 32°25'E, leg. C. Haddad, 8.II.2005 (sifting leaf litter) (NCA 2007/3607).
Paratypes: MOZAMBIQUE: Chidenguele, Paraiso de Chidenguele, 24°57.276'S, 34°11.860'E, 38m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, R. Lyle & R. Fourie, 16.XII.2007 (night collecting, dune forest), 13 (NCA 2008/201); Inhaca Island, 26°01'S, 32°54'E, leg. T. Steyn, 27.XI–11.XII.1993 (pitfalls, open parkland), 1Ƥ (MRAC 215316); same locality, leg. T. Steyn, 3–24.IX.1994 (pitfalls, wetland), 13 (MRAC 215920); same locality, leg. T. Steyn, 5–19.II.1994 (pitfalls, coastal woodland), 13 (MRAC 208944); Xai-Xai, Montego's Camp, 28m a.s.l., 25°03.659'S, 33°40.633'E, leg. C. Haddad, 2.XII.2007 (leaf litter, dune forest), 13 1Ƥ (NCA 2008/178). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: iSimangaliso [Greater St. Lucia] Wetlands Park, Hell’s Gate, 28°00'S, 32°29'E, leg. J. Esterhuizen, 20.X.2003 (tsetse fly trap), 1imm. 13 (NCA 2004/816); same data, 2.XII.2003, 13 (NCA 2004/801); Natal, leg. C. Martin, no date given, 2imm. 2Ƥ (MNHN 19739); Port Shepstone, 30°43'S, 30°27'E, leg. P. Gesse, 1.I.1977 (in garden), 13 (NCA 2007/1143); Sodwana Bay, 27°32'S, 32°40'E, leg. P. van Niekerk, VII.1988, 13 (NCA 88/844); Ramsgate, Butterfly Sanctuary, 30°53.3'S, 30°20.4'E, leg. M. Mostovski, 1.XI–2.XI.2004 (Malaise trap near stream), 13 (NMSA 21455); Umlazi Nature Reserve, 1.5km E of Mtunzini, 28°58'S, 31°48'E, leg. R. Miller, XI.1978 (indigenous forest), 13 1Ƥ (NMSA 12322).
Additional material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, False Bay Park, 27°55'S, 32°16'E, leg. J. Esterhuizen, 12.I.2004 (tsetse fly traps), 13 (NCA 2004/833); iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, Hell's Gate, Block A, 28°00'S, 32°29'E, leg. J. Esterhuizen, 26.IV.2004 (tsetse fly traps), 13 (NCA 2010/252); same data, 5.III.2004, 23 (NCA 2004/834); same data, 8.IX.2004, 13 (NCA 2004/835); same data, 10.I.2004, 13 (NCA 2004/836); same data, 22.XI.2004, 13 (NCA 2004/837); same locality, Block B, 29.XI.2004, J. Esterhuizen (tsetse fly traps), 13 (NCA 2004/838); same data, 12.VI.2004, 13 1Ƥ (NCA 2004/839); same locality, Block C, 5.III.2004, J. Esterhuizen (tsetse fly traps), 13 1Ƥ (NCA 2004/840); same data, 11.I.2004, 13 (NCA 2004/841); Ndumo Game Reserve, Pongola River, Water pump, 26°54.309'S, 32°19.444'E, 36m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad, R. Lyle, V. Butler, 2.VII.2009 (canopy fogging 3, riverine forest, Breonadia salicina), 13 (MACN); same data (canopy fogging 5, riverine forest, B. salicina), 2Ƥ (MACN).
Distribution: Found in southern Mozambique, southwards through the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa (Fig. 132).
Biology: This species is largely restricted to closed canopy coastal dune forests and inland riparian forests. Specimens were collected from all habitat strata (tree canopies, shrubs and leaf litter) by a variety of sampling methods.
description: Published as part of Haddad, Charles R., 2013, Taxonomic notes on the spider genus Messapus Simon, 1898 (Araneae, Corinnidae), with the description of the new genera Copuetta and Wasaka and the first cladistic analysis of Afrotropical Castianeirinae, pp. 1-79 in Zootaxa 3688 (1) on pages 33-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3688.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/284201