Micaria durbana 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 durbana

description: Micariadurbana sp. nov.
Figs 18 – 19, 59, 80, 129 – 132
Type material. Holotype: ♀, SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu–Natal: Durban, Musgrave, shrubs and grasses in garden, handcollecting, 55 ma.s.l., 29°51.085’S, 31°00.052’E, leg. C. Haddad, 27.XII.2016 (NCA 2019/414).
Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu–Natal: same data as holotype, 1 ♂ (NCA 2019/414); Tembe Elephant Park, Viewing Tower, base of grass tussocks, hand collecting, 27°02.225’S, 32°24.900’E, leg. C. Haddad, 13.II.2015, 1 ♂ (NCA 2020/82). ZAMBIA: Southern Province: Livingstone, Livingstone Airport nr runway, leaf litter, 17°47.998’S, 25°46.588’E, leg. C. Haddad, J. Parau & F. Jordaan, 1.XII.2006, 2 ♀ (NCA 2007/621).
Etymology. The species name refers to the type locality, Durban in South Africa.
Diagnosis. The genital structure of M. durbana sp. nov. females closely resembles that of M. chrysis, but the former species shows thicker copulatory ducts and a flattened anterior hood. The males can be recognised in having a large, tapered embolus, twice the size of the MA, and a bend in the sperm duct just below the embolus.
Description. Female (holotype from Musgrave, Durban, NCA 2019/414): Measurements: TL 2.35, CL 0.90, CW 0.55, CL:CW 1.63, CLH 0.05, CLH:AME 1.5. Eyes: ALE 0.04, AME 0.03, PLE 0.05, PME 0.05, AMEAME 0.01, PME–PME 0.03, MOQAW 0.09, MOQPW 0.13, MOQL 0.14. SL 0.54, SW 0.38, AL 1.20, AW 0.75.
Leg measurements: Palpal segment lengths: 0.30, 0.18, 0.21 0.27. Leg I: 0.60, 0.27, 0.46, 0.41, 0.41. II: 0.54, 0.24, 0.38, 0.44, 0.41. III: 0.44, 0.21, 0.32, 0.38, 0.30. IV: 0.70, 0.27, 0.62, 0.64, 0.46. TLoflegs (I–IV): 2.15, 2.01, 1.65, 2.69; leg formula: 4123.
Colouration: carapace dark brown and golden in colour, with anterior half slightly darker; abdomen dark brown to black with interrupting patterns; femur Idarkened on basal half, rest of legs uniform in colour; labium, endites and chelicerae similar in colour to carapace (Fig. 18). Carapace: smooth in texture; decorated with squamose setae; pattern visible medially, dark lines radiating towards eye region and carapace margins; fovea absent; posterior margin straight; anterior margin narrowed slightly from position of coxa I; PER recurved in dorsal view, AER recurved in anterior view. Chelicerae: decorated with plumose setae. Labium: triangular in shape, cluster of setae present on tip. Endites: oblique; constricted slightly just above halfway; cluster of setae present on inner–apical margin; posterior margin rounded. Sternum: shield-like; lighter in colour than carapace; broadest between coxa I and II; posterior margin truncated between coxa IV; dark patches on some of lateral margins. Legs: femora laterally flattened, highest at base, leg Imore pronounced in this fashion; rest of legs normal, thin. Leg macrosetae: Palps: 1pl, 2pl, 1pl, 2plv, 2rlv, 2vt. Leg I: 1do, 1pl, 2plv, 2rlv, 1plv, 1rlv. III: 2vt, 4vt. IV: 4vt. Legs I–IV with two rows of scopulate setae on metatarsi and four rows on tarsi. Abdomen: cylindrical in shape; decorated with squamose setae; dorsal pattern visible as transverse white band medially at constriction; longitudinal line is formed by scutum perpendicular to constriction (usually brown, but may appear lighter in older specimens) (Fig. 18); venter similar in colour to dorsum; sigilla not visible. Epigyne: in ventral view, anterior hood continuous, flattened; posterior pockets present medially, laterally curved apically; copulatory opening at curled apex. In dorsal view, copulatory ducts elongate, “C” shaped, curled at apex, close to each other; fertilisation ducts present medially, elongate, laterally curved; spermathecae bean–shaped; longer than broad (Figs 129–130).
Male (paratype from Tembe Elephant Park, NCA 2020/82): Measurements: TL 2.05, CL 1.05, CW 0.60, CL:CW 1.75, CLH 0.06, CLH:AME 1.6. Eyes: ALE 0.05, AME 0.04, PLE 0.05, PME 0.06, AME–AME 0.01, PME–PME 0.03, MOQAW 0.10, MOQPW 0.12, MOQL 0.16. SL 0.56, SW 0.37, AL 0.95, AW 0.50. Leg measurements: Palpal segment lengths: 0.40, 0.21, 0.19, 0.29. Leg I: 0.65, 0.25, 0.48, 0.40, 0.49. II: 0.57, 0.22, 0.44, 0.38, 0.46. III: 0.49, 0.19, 0.38, 0.57, 0.37. IV: 0.84, 0.27, 0.67, 0.76, 0.56. TLoflegs (I–IV): 2.27, 2.07, 2.00, 3.10; leg formula: 4123.
Colouration: carapace brown and golden in colour with anterior half slightly darker; abdomen dark brown or black with interrupting patterns; femora Idarkened on posterior half, leg III and IV uniform in colour; labium, endites and chelicerae similar incolour to carapace (Fig. 19). Carapace: smooth in texture; decorated with squamose setae; pattern visible medially, dark lines radiating towards eye region and carapace margins from central dark patch; fovea absent; posterior margin straight; anterior margin narrowing slightly from coxa I; PER recurved in dorsal view, AER recurved in anterior view. Chelicerae: decorated with setae. Labium: triangular in shape; tuft of setae present on tip. Endites: oblique; constricted slightly just above halfway; cluster of setae present on inner–api-cal margin; posterior margin rounded. Sternum: shield-like; lighter in colour than carapace; broadest between coxa Iand II; posterior margin truncating narrowly between coxa IV; dark patches on lateral margins. Legs: femora laterally flattened, highest at base, leg Imore pronounced in this fashion; rest of legs normal, thin; decorated with feathery setae. Leg macrosetae: Palps: 1pl, 2pl, 1pl, 2plv, 2vt. Leg I: 1do, 1pl, 2plv, 2rlv, 1plv, 1rlv. II: 2vt. III: 2vt, 4vt. IV: 4vt. Legs I–IV with two rows of scopulate setae on metatarsi and four rows on tarsi. Abdomen: cylindrical in shape; wrinkly in texture on anterior half; constricted medially and decorated with squamose setae; dorsal pattern forming transverse white band medially where constricted; longitudinal line scutum perpendicular to constriction (Fig. 19); venter similar in colour to dorsum; sigilla not visible. Palp: RTA present apically on retrolateral margin; median apophysis present next to embolus; median apophysis broad, curved and tapering; sperm duct present on retrolateral surface of tegulum; embolus broadest at base, tapered, elongate, tip slightly curved retrolaterally; cymbium pear-shaped, broadest at basal third; cymbial tip broadly tapered; two small spines present on apex of cymbium; one ventral terminal spine in front of embolus (Figs 131, 132).
Distribution. Micaria durbana sp. nov. is distributed on the eastern coast of South Africa, with an isolated recorded from Zambia (Map 3).
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 44-46, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4940.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4580917