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

description: Wasaka ventralis sp. nov.
Figs 160, 161, 165, 178–181
Etymology: The species name refers to the bold ventral abdominal markings of this species.
Diagnosis: The males of this species can be recognised by the short narrow embolus with narrow base and transverse distal section of the coil with a slightly curved, distally directed tip (Fig. 165). Females have widely separated lateral copulatory openings that are curved towards the anterior (towards posterior in C. montana sp. nov.) and narrow copulatory ducts with a distinct lateral loop (broad and directly transverse in C. montana sp. nov.) (Figs 180, 181).
Remarks: The paratype female is in relatively poor condition and all of the legs but one (left leg IV) are broken off and both pairs of anterior legs are missing (Fig. 161). The body of the specimen is, however, good enough for most of the measurements to be provided in the description.
Male (holotype, Lake Oku, CASENT 9033101). Measurements: CL 3.50, CW 2.56, AL 3.60, AW 2.15, TL 7.25 (6.60–7.25), FL 0.35, SL 1.59, SW 1.46, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.45, PME–PME 0.17, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.60, PERW 0.91, MOQAW 0.45, MOQPW 0.51, MOQL 0.54.
Length of leg segments: I 2.96 + 1.14 + 2.66 + 2.68 + 1.70 = 11.14; II 2.80 + 1.13 + 2.40 + 2.55 + 1.55 = 10.43; III 2.75 + 1.10 + 2.15 + 2.52 + 1.25 = 9.77; IV 3.40 + 1.13 + 2.95 + 3.95 + 1.50 = 12.93.
General appearance as in Fig. 160. Carapace creamy-yellow, cephalic region yellow, with faint black mottling, eye region black; faint black mottling medially behind PER, with narrow black median marking in front of fovea; striae yellow-brown, directed between coxae, each with short mottled black line close to fovea and pair of spots mediolaterally; lateral margins with narrow black fringe and broad black line from posterior of coxae I to posterior margin of carapace; markings covered in black feathery and short straight 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 equal to 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly less than 1¼ AME diameter; PME separated by distance slightly less than their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to ½ PLE diameter; CW: PERW = 2.81:1. Chelicerae yellow with small prolateral proximal stripe and median spot; promargin with three adjacent teeth, median tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; retromargin with two teeth separated by ¼ their basal width, distal tooth slightly larger, close to fang base. Endites creamy-yellow, cream prolaterally distally; labium orange-brown, cream distally; sternum yellow with small faint black dots, yellowbrown around borders. Legs with faint black mottling and spots at spine bases, posteriors slightly darker than anteriors; markings covered in black feathery setae, with yellowish feathery setae between them; femora I–IV yellow, with distal prolateral and retrolateral spots dorsally, ventrally with many small spots and faint mottled black distal band; patellae I–IV yellow, with short proximal narrow stripe dorsally, faint black mottling laterally and ventrally and complete distal band; tibiae I–IV yellow proximally, yellow-brown distally, with proximal and distal lateral mottling, III and IV with broad mottled band in distal half; metatarsi I–IV orange-brown with faint black proximal, median and distal black bands; tarsi I–IV bright yellow. Leg spination: femora: I pl 3 do 3 rl 2, II pl 2 do 3 rl 3, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 2-4; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: I–IV with fine proximal and distal do setae; tibiae: I pl 2 plv 3 rlv 3 vt 2, II pl 2 plv 3 rlv 3 vt 2, III pl 2 do 1-2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2-3 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 4 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 plv 2. Abdomen with broad yellow-orange anterior dorsal scutum extending slightly less than ½ abdomen length; large omega-shaped marking on scutum, with black mottling inside marking, on sides of abdomen and behind scutum; posterior with four cream spots with fine lateral chevrons; spinnerets surrounded with black ring; black mottling densely covered in black straight and feathery setae, markings and chevrons covered with white feathery setae; venter cream laterally, with broad black median marking from sides of epigastric furrow to spinnerets, marking covered in black short straight and feathery setae; epigastric scutum creamy-yellow, with black fringe at petiole and epigastric furrow and broad black median marking linking them; ventral sclerite absent, two paired rows of tiny sclerites present from epigastric furrow to spinnerets; inframamillary sclerite small, creamyyellow. Male palps creamy-yellow, cymbium yellow-brown, with several thicker bent setae distally; tegulum dark orange-brown, with nearly black ducts; embolus with narrow base, distal section of coil fine, transverse, with a slightly curved, distally directed tip (Figs 165, 178, 179).
Female (paratype, Koutoupi, MRAC 162207). Measurements: CL 3.78, CW 2.84, AL 4.60, AW 3.15, TL 8.40, FL 0.33, SL 1.68, SW 1.56, AME–AME 0.11, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.54, PME–PME 0.17, PME– PLE 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.73, PERW 1.05, MOQAW 0.53, MOQPW 0.57, MOQL 0.60.
Length of leg segments: I and II missing; III 2.85 + 1.15 + 2.25 + 2.50 + 1.28 = 10.03; IV 3.20 + 1.23 + 3.00 + 3.85 + 1.50 = 12.78.
General appearance as in Fig. 161, female more robustly built than male. Carapace creamy-yellow, cephalic region and sides yellow, eye region black; markings as for male but less distinct, setae rubbed off and not discernible. AME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance less than 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height equal to 1 2⁄5 AME diameter; PME separated by distance slightly larger than 4⁄5 their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to ½ PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.70:1. Chelicerae yellow, without markings, dentition as for male. Endites creamy-yellow, cream prolaterally distally; labium yelloworange, cream distally; sternum yellow, slightly darker around borders. Legs with femora, patellae and tarsi yellow, tibiae and metatarsi yellow-brown; markings and setae as for male. Leg spination (both legs I and II missing): femora: III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 1; all femora with scattered erect ventral setae; patellae: III and IV with fine proximal and distal do setae; tibiae: III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 1, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: 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 3, with rlv 4 erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 rl 1 plv 3 rlv 2. Abdomen with yellow-orange anterior dorsal scutum extending to 1⁄5 abdomen length; dorsum cream with faint grey mottling, pale medially in anterior quarter; posterior of dorsum mottled grey; dorsum covered in yellow-brown feathery and brown short straight setae; spinnerets surrounded by narrow black ring dorsally and laterally, absent ventrally; venter cream laterally, with broad dark grey mottled marking from sides of epigastric furrow to spinnerets, marking covered in black short straight and feathery setae; epigastric scutum yellow; ventral sclerite absent, two paired rows of indistinct cream sclerites present from epigastric furrow to spinnerets; inframamillary sclerite small, pale creamy-yellow. Epigyne with weakly sclerotised round lateral ridges with copulatory openings that are curved towards anterior (Fig. 180); copulatory ducts narrow, initially directed laterally, looping towards posterior and then transversely, entering ST II posterolaterally; ST II oval, broadly joined to subtriangular divergent posterior ST I; ST I clearly narrower than ST II (Fig. 181).
Type material: Holotype 3: CAMEROON: North-West: Menchum Division, near Lake Oku, 06°12'N, 10°27'E, ca. 2150m a.s.l., leg. C. Griswold, S. Larcher, N. Scharff & C. Wanzie, 7–13.II.1992 (CAS, CASENT 9033101).
Paratypes: CAMEROON: Mbam Mountain area, near Koutoupi, W. Slope, 05°54'N, 10°44'E, 1550m a.s.l., leg. Bosmans & Van Stalle, 30.III–3.IV.1983 (pitfalls, gallery forest), 1Ƥ (MRAC 162207); same data as holotype, 13 (ZMUC).
Additional material examined: None.
Distribution: Only known from two montane localities in Cameroon (Fig. 182).
Biology: A forest-dwelling species, of which one specimen was collected in pitfall traps.
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 70-73, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3688.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/284201