Namaquella Haddad, 2025, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Haddad, Charles R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Trachelidae
Namaquella

description: Namaquella gen. nov.
Type species.
Namaquella arida sp. nov.
Diagnosis.
Both sexes of Namaquella gen. nov. resemble Poachelas Haddad & Lyle, 2008 and Rukuluk gen. nov., with a pale body to support a lifestyle associated with grasses, although the body proportions are less elongate than in these genera. Males of Namaquella gen. nov. can be recognized from these and other trachelid genera by the oval tegulum with a simple, slightly curved distal embolus directed retrodistally and the simple sperm duct and RTA (Figs 19 B, 20 B). The female epigyne is weakly sclerotized and can be distinguished by the central heart-shaped atrium formed by two convex ridges and the laterally looping copulatory ducts (Fig. 19 D, E), whereas the epigynal atrium of Poachelas and Rukuluk gen. nov. are subrectangular and extend to the epigastric furrow (Fig. 27 D; Haddad and Lyle 2008: fig. 94) [P. montanus Haddad & Lyle, 2008 has a different epigyne structure and is likely misplaced; Haddad and Lyle 2008: fig. 98].
Description.
Small spiders, 2.18–3.52 mm in length; carapace creamy-yellow in N. arida sp. nov. to bright yellow-orange in N. samanthae sp. nov.; carapace oval, broadest near posterior of coxae II, gradually narrowed towards eye region (Figs 16 A, F, 17 A); fovea indistinct, replaced by a shallow depression in N. arida sp. nov., a short shallow slit in N. samanthae sp. nov.; posterior carapace margin concave; carapace somewhat flattened, weakly convex in lateral profile, slightly elevated from clypeus to approximately ⅓ carapace length, with steeper slope in posterior quarter (Fig. 16 B, G); carapace surface finely wrinkled, with scattered short fine straight setae with small weakly tuberculate bases (Fig. 17 B). All eyes surrounded by black rings (Fig. 16 A, F); AER procurved in anterior view, slightly recurved in dorsal view (Fig. 17 C), AME slightly smaller than ALE or subequal in size; AME separated by less than their diameter, almost touching ALE; PER recurved in dorsal view, PME smaller than PLE or subequal; PME - PME and PME - PLE interdistances variable; MOQ narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, posterior width slightly larger than length. Chilum distinct, split; cheliceral promargin with three separated teeth, retromargin with three teeth on common base (Fig. 17 D); fang with distinct serrula; endites with parallel lateral margins, mesal margins with longitudinal depression (Fig. 17 E), distal margins with distinct serrula comprising short sharp denticles (Fig. 17 G) and dense maxillar hair tuft on mesal margins (Fig. 17 E); labium trapezoidal, slightly wider than long, narrower distally than basally (Figs 16 C, 17 E). Pleural bars weakly sclerotised, isolated; sternum oval, longer than broad, widest at anterior of coxa II, anterior with two concave excavations at lateral corners of labium, surface smooth, sparsely covered in long curved setae (Fig. 16 C); precoxal triangles present, intercoxal sclerites present between coxae I and II and II and III only. Leg formula 4123 or 1423, sparsely covered in long fine setae; legs I slightly swollen compared to others, with distinct convex dorsal and ventral surfaces (Fig. 16 D, I); all femora strongly constricted proximally; patellar indentation on retrolateral side narrow, with lyriform organ at proximal end (Fig. 17 H, I); tibiae to tarsi I and II densely scopulate ventrally, with ventral cusps in males on metatarsi and tarsi I at least, sometimes also on metatarsi II (Figs 19 A, 20 A), absent on tibiae and in females; metatarsi III and IV with distal preening brush and comb ventrally (Figs 16 E, J, 18 D); metatarsi with short metatarsal stopper (Fig. 18 D); tarsi with sparse tactile hairs, few dorsal trichobothria and chemosensory setae, tarsal organ at approximately ¾ tarsus length (Fig. 18 E), distinctly ovoid and rebordered, slightly elevated from integument, surface smooth, opening oval and distally placed (Fig. 18 F); tarsal claws quite slender, with five teeth and dense tenant setae forming claw tufts in between (Fig. 18 G, H); trichobothria with slightly lowered distal plate, distal margin of hood overlapping plate, hood with four curved ridges, roughly concentric (Fig. 18 I). Abdomen oval, with dorsal scutum absent or present in males, absent in females; dorsum densely covered in long fine setae, with two pairs of distinct sigilla (Fig. 16 A, F); venter without large sclerites or markings, sparsely covered in fine setae (Fig. 16 C, H). Spinnerets short, conical, in compact group, spigot detail not studied. Male palpal femora and patellae without apophyses; palpal tibiae with single simple retrolateral apophysis with pointed dorsal tip (Figs 19 C, 20 C); tegulum simple, oval in ventral view, slightly narrower than cymbium, with simple slightly curved embolus originating distally (Figs 19 B, 20 B). Female epigyne with central heart-shaped atrium, with copulatory openings positioned laterally (Fig. 19 D); copulatory ducts directed laterally, looping to anterolateral ST II, with short connecting ducts leading to ovoid posterolateral ST I, with fertilization ducts on their posteromesal surface (Fig. 19 E).
Etymology.
The name is derived from the Namaqualand region in arid western South Africa, from which the type species originates. Gender feminine.
Composition.
Two species, Namaquella arida sp. nov. and N. samanthae sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Haddad, Charles R., 2025, And they just keep coming: four new genera of dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae, Trachelidae), pp. 19-64 in African Invertebrates 66 (1) on pages 19-64, DOI: 10.3897/AfrInvertebr.66.139299