Zorascar pasunepipe Henrard, Griswold & Jocqué, 2024, gen. et sp. nov.
Creators: name: Henrard, Arnaud
name: Griswold, Charles
name: Jocqué, Rudy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Udubidae
Zorascar
Zorascar pasunepipe

description: Zorascar pasunepipe gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 1C01B17C-DC6C-4BA5-942B-77F90554F3A0
Figs 13–15, 16A–D, 26
Diagnosis
The male of Zorascar pasunepipe gen. et sp. nov. is easily recognized by the presence of an enormous and tortuous cymbial retrobasal extension (CE), extending most of the tibial length (Figs 14A–C, 15A–B, 16A–B). The female is provided with an epigyne (Fig. 16C) with the median lobe (ML) that is broad and shallowly concave medially, copulatory openings (CO) exposed anteromedially (vs the female epigyne of Z. pasunepomme gen. et sp. nov. has a ML that is narrow and deeply concave medially, and with CO exposed laterad of the ML, Fig. 16E).
Etymology
The species name, a noun in apposition, refers to the famous painting of René Magritte depicting a pipe, named ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe’, to which the cymbial extension is reminiscent, at least according the artist who made the drawings of Zorascar gen. nov. for the present paper.
Type material
Holotype
MADAGASCAR – Antsiranana Province • ♂; Bamevika, Andriakanala Forest; 14°18′58.932″ S, 48°43′22.886″ E; 1586 m a.s.l.; 6–11 Feb. 2019; M. Jocque leg.; hand collected around camp; DNA RJ5; BINCO_MAD_19_0079_2; BE_ RMCA _ARA. Ara. 247343; RMCA.
Paratypes
MADAGASCAR – Antsiranana Province • 1 juv.; same data as for holotype; DNA RJ1; BINCO_ MAD_19_0079_2; BE_ RMCA _ARA. Ara. 247344; RMCA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Réserve Spéciale Manongarivo, 10.8 km 229° SW of Antanambao; 13°58′ S, 48°26′ E; 400 m a.s.l.; 8 Nov. 1998; B.L. Fisher leg.; rainforest; EC19 sifted litter; [SEM stub 30:4]; CASENT_9016138; CAS.
Other material examined
MADAGASCAR – Antsiranana Province • 1 ♂; Réserve Spéciale Manongarivo, 10.8 km 229° SW of Antanambao, 13°58′ S, 48°26′ E; 400 m a.s.l.; 8 Nov. 1998; B.L. Fisher leg.; rainforest; EC19 sifted litter; [male palp drawn; male stacked images]; CASENT_9016135; CAS • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CASENT_9016136; CAS • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; CASENT_9016137; CAS • 1 ♀; Réserve Spéciale Manongarivo, 14.5 km 220° SW of Antanambao; 13°60′ S, 48°26′ E; 1175 m a.s.l.; 20 Oct. 1998; B.L. Fisher leg.; rainforest; EB09 sifted litter; BLF1938; CASENT_9016139; CAS • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CASENT_9016141; CAS.
Description
Male holotype (BE_RMCA_ARA.Ara.247343; RMCA)
MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 7.81. Carapace: length 3.91, width 2.91, height 1.85.
COLORATION (Figs 13A, C, E). Carapace brownish yellow, with two faint, longitudinal dark bands along margin and between PME and fovea; chelicerae brownish with two faint longitudinal darker stripes; sternum brownish yellow, with faint radiating stripes; legs brownish yellow with three faint darker rings on femora and two on tibias, distally and proximally; abdomen brownish yellow with ill-defined pattern on dorsum and sides; spinnerets pale yellow.
STERNUM (Fig. 13E) oval with slightly sinuous margins; 1.49 wide, 1.70 long.
CHILUM. 0.12 high, 0.20 wide.
EYES. ALE 0.18; AME 0.15; PLE 0.18; PME 0.16; ALE–AME 0.05; AME–AME 0.08; PLE–PME 0.18; PME–PME 0.10; MOQ: AW 0.33, PW 0.44, L 0.44.
CLYPEUS. With 14 long setae.
LEGS. Trochanters shallowly notched. Unpaired claws smooth, rudimentary on legs III and IV.
Leg measurements
FPTMttTotalI3.361.333.152.731.0511.62II3.151.262.102.731.3310.57III2.450.841.962.731.059.03IV3.501.263.084.271.4013.51
Spination
FPTMtIpl2d3rl3pl1pl2d2rl2v2-2-2-2pl2rl2v2-2IIpl3d3rl4pl1pl2d3rl3v2-2-2-2pl2rl2v2-2-1IIIpl3d3rl4pl1rl1pl2d2rl2v2-2-2pl3d1rl3v2-2-2IVpl4d3rl1pl1rl1pl2d2rl2v2-2-2disp14
MALE PALP (Figs 14–15, 16A–B). RTA short, emerging in center of tibia, with cylindrical base and sharp triangular apex; tibia with dorso-retrolateral excavation bordered by median row of long setae and dorsal margin of RTA, accommodating very large, pipe-shaped retrobasal cymbial extension (CE); cymbium oval with rounded apical extremity, without dorsal patch of chemosensitive setaeor retrobasal paracymbial process; subtegulum large, filling posterior third of cymbial concavity, with basal ridge (SL) interacting with the tegulum; tegulum rounded with massive, pointed, prolateral protuberance (TL); embolus (E) inserted on center of tegulum, short, stout at base, with medial groove, lamellar apically and curved retrolaterad; median apophysis (MA) strongly sclerotized, short, hooked, curved prolaterad; conductor (C) translucent, flattened, fan shaped, narrow at base and strongly widened at extremity; paraconductor (Pc) pedicel-like membranous extension originating at base of MA, running backward along MA and ending with flattened fan-shaped tip embracing E.
Female (CASENT_9016138; CAS)
MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 8.50. Carapace: length 4.80, width 3.60, height 1.70.
COLOUR (Figs 13B, D). Carapace brownish yellow, dark along margin and with two contrasting dark bands along margin of pars cephalica, short longitudinal line behind each PME and longer faint median band between PME and fovea; chelicerae brownish-yellow, anteriorly with two thin longitudinal darker stripes; sternum yellowish white with faint median dusky oval mark; legs brownish yellow with three darker rings basally, medially and apically on femur and two basally and apically on tibia; abdomen yellow-white with spotted pattern on dorsum and sides, venter with two broken dusky longitudinal bands and dark surrounding spinnerets, spinnerets pale yellow.
STERNUM. Oval with slightly sinuous sides; 2.10 wide, 2.20 long.
CHILUM. 0.15 high, 0.20 wide.
EYES. ALE 0.13; AME 0.09; PLE 0.16; PME 0.15; ALE–AME 0.08; AME–AME 0.25; PLE–PME 0.18; PME–PME 0.10; MOQ: AW 0.26, PW 0.43, L 0.35.
CLYPEUS. With eight long setae.
Leg measurements
FPTMttTotalI3.401.603.302.601.8012.70II3.101.402.602.501.6011.20III3.001.302.102.701.6010.70IV4.001.403.602.901.6013.50
Spination
FPTMtIpl1d12–v2-2-2-2v2-2-2IId1–v2-2-2-2v2-2-2IIIpl1d2rl1–pl2d2rl2v2-2-2pl4rl4v2-2-2IVpl1d2–pl2d2rl2v2-2-2pl4rl4v2-1-2-2
GENITALIA. Epigyne (Fig. 16C) with median lobe (ML) broad and shallowly concave medially, copulatory openings (CO) exposed anteromedially; lateral lobes (LL) rounded and becoming narrowed to a blunt point medially over median sector (MS); lateral processes (LP) small, blunt. Endogyne (Fig. 16D) with narrow, curved copulatory ducts (CD), these hidden beneath the spermathecal heads (S); fertilization ducts (FD) posterior.
Variation
Male (n = 5)
Total length = 7.81–8.60, carapace length/width = 1.21–1.34, carapace height/width = 0.46–0.56, PER/carapace width = 0.23–0.24, PER/OAL = 2.28–2.44, PER/AER = 1.40–1.44, OAL/ OQL = 1.14–1.25, OQP/OQA = 1.00–1.52, sternum length/width = 1.07–1.16, palpal coxa length/width = 2.00–2.50, femur I length/carapace width = 1.05–1.13, metatarsus I length/carapace width = 0.87–1.12, femur IV length/carapace width = 1.17–1.24, cymbium length/carapace width = 0.39–0.46, cymbium length/palpal patella length = 2.00–2.57, cymbium length/palpal tibia length = 1.60–2.29, cymbium length/palpal femur length = 0.84–1.00, palpal tibia length/palpal patella length 1.00–1.43. Male palp of the holotype from Andriakanala Forest and of specimens from Manongarivo. i.e.; CASENT_9016135–138 and CASENT_9016141 are very similar but differ in a few characteristics. The the holotype has the RTA more narrowly pointed, the cymbial retrobasal extension longer and more twisted, the tegular prolateral locking process more narrowly triangular and the apex of the MA sharper than those features in males from Manongarivo.
Female (n = 2)
Total length = 8.50–10.10, carapace length/width = 1.33–1.34, carapace height/ width = 0.47–0.58, PER/AER = 1.37–1.39, OQP/OQA = 1.48–1.62, sternum length/width = 1.05–1.12, palpal coxa length/width = 2.50–2.55, femur I length/carapace width = 0.94–0.97, metatarsus I length/carapace width = 0.72–0.76, palpal tarsus length/carapace width = 0.34–0.36, palpal tarsus length/palpal tibia length = 1.44–2.17, palpal tarsus length/palpal tibia length = 1.30–1.44, palpal tibia length/palpal patella length = 1.11–1.50. Epigyne with median lobe length 1.80–3.33 times width; distance from atrium base to epigastric fold 0.19–0.26 times epigyne length.
Natural history
This species has been collected in forest from 400 m to 1600 m a.s.l. The function of the remarkable retrobasal cymbial extension on the male palp is unknown.
Distribution
Zorascar pasunepipe gen. et sp. nov. is known only from Antsiranana Province in northwestern Madagascar (Fig. 26).
description: Published as part of Henrard, Arnaud, Griswold, Charles & Jocqué, Rudy, 2024, On new genera and species of crack-leg spiders (Araneae, Udubidae) from Madagascar, pp. 1-80 in European Journal of Taxonomy 966 (1) on pages 38-44, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.966.2697, http://zenodo.org/record/14001790