Stasimopus ignis Brandt & Sole & Lyle 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Brandt, Shannon
name: Sole, Catherine
name: Lyle, Robin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Stasimopidae
Stasimopus
Stasimopus ignis

description: Stasimopus ignis sp. nov.
(Figures 2D, 3D, 6A&B, 11C, 17B, 22C&D, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Type material: Holotype Ô SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape Province, Richmond (-31.4412, 23.9851), 22.v.2018, S. Brandt, C. Sole, E. Engelbrecht and E. Brand, (NCA 2019/642). Allotype ♀. Hanover (-31.0439, 24.4689), 24.v.2018, S. Brandt, C. Sole, E. Engelbrecht and E. Brand, (NCA 2019/653).
Etymology: The specific epithet is a Latin noun ‘ignis’ taken in apposition meaning fire/flame. This is in reference to both the colouration of the female of the species, as well as an allusion to the increasing fire frequency (historically rare) in the Nama Karoo which is likely due to climate change.
Diagnosis: The males of S. ignis sp. nov. are distinguishable from other members of the genus occurring in the Karoo based on the following combination of characters. It is differentiated from S. astutus, S. erythrognathus, S. malesociatus sp. nov., S. patersonae, S. steynsbergensis, S. karooensis sp. nov. and S. mandelai based on the pedipalp not reaching the tarsus of leg I. It is further distinguished from S. palpiger by the pedipalp which is longer than leg I, that is not the case with S. ignis sp. nov. The species can be differentiated from the rest of the species (S. schrieneri, S. dylani sp. nov., S. finni sp. nov. and S. maraisi) as S. ignis sp. nov. only has 3 cheliceral teeth in the inner cheliceral row whereas the other species have 4 or more.
The females of S. ignis sp. nov. are distinguishable from other members of the genus occurring in the Karoo based on the following combination of characters. The preening comb on metatarsus IV has 8 or more spines in a transverse row, only shared or exceeded by S. artifex, S. theaei sp. nov. and S. teras sp. nov. The species can be differentiated from S. artifex (<⅒ segment) and S. theaei sp. nov. (> ½ segment) by the extent of spination on metatarsus I, extending less than ⅙ the segment. Can be separated from S. teras sp. nov. by the extent of spination on the tarsus of the pedipalp (S. teras sp. nov. is less spinose).
Description: Based on the holotype ♀ (NCA 2019/642) and the allotype Ô (NCA 2019/653).
Remarks: Ô: male specimen abdomen is severely dehydrated, making abdomen and total length measurements challenging.
General: Ô: (Fig 6B) Medium bodied spiders, 8.29 total length. ♀: (Fig 6A) total length 22.54.
Carapace: Ô: Carapace length 4.73; width 4.30. Reddish brown colouration, thoracic region with rugose texture. Fovea strongly procurved, 0.88 in length. ♀: Carapace length 9.98; width 9.55. Reddish orange colouration, smooth texture, with some pleats in thoracic region. Fovea procurved, 1.99 in length.
Ocelli: Ô: (Fig 3D, 11C) AME diameter 0.20, PME diameter 0.13, MOQ anterior width 1.21, MOQ posterior width 1.80; AME-AME 0.20, AME-ALE 0.19, ALE-ALE 0.98, PME-PME 1.02, PME-PLE 0.19, PLE-PLE 1.62. AER and PER slightly recurved. ♀: (Fig 2D, 17B). AME diameter 0.31, PME diameter 0.26, MOQ anterior width 2.79, MOQ posterior width 4.27; AME-AME 0.62, AME-ALE 0.61, ALE-ALE 2.29, PME-PME 2.55, PME-PLE 0.42, PLE-PLE 3.66. AER slightly procurved, PER strongly recurved.
Chelicerae: Ô: (Fig 25D) Two teeth rows present, 3–4 teeth in proventral row, 3 in retroventral row; no cuspules in between. ♀: (Fig 23C) Two teeth rows present, 4 teeth in proventral row and 4 in retroventral row; 10–11 cuspules in between.
Sternum, labium and maxillae: Ô: (Fig 25E) Sternum length 2.22; sternum width 2.17. Sternum shape has no impressions of where the coxa are situated. Sigilla in the shape of a fused arrow, distal end fused, proximal end 0.89 apart. Cuspules on labium absent; cuspules on maxilla absent. ♀: (Fig 23A) Sternum length 6.02; sternum width 5.68. Longitudinally elongated sigilla, distal end 0.71 apart, proximal end 1.82 apart. Labium with 5 cuspules present (Fig 25B), maxillae with 13–16 cuspules present.
Abdomen: Ô: Abdomen length 3.56; width 3.18. Mottled grey colouration. ♀: Abdomen length 12.56; width 11.28. Grey/brown colouration, with one large dark spot near the carapace followed by a smaller one, two small black markings terminally.
Pedipalps: Ô: (Fig 25A–C) Total length 16.22; Segment lengths, 4.55, 1.48, 5.16, -,5.05. Spines absent. Bulb small, embolus with broad base, tapering distally away from tibia. ♀: Total length 12.65; Segment lengths 4.25, 2.44, 2.76, -,3.20. Spination: spines absent on femur, with sparse setae. Patella pl - 3–4 long thin spines. Tibia pl - 2–3 tibial spurs, 1 proximal and 1 distal, do - small patch of spinules distally extends onto tarsus (7–9 spinules), rl - 23 spinules along segment. Tarsus pl - 12–13 large spines distally, do - patch of 15–17 spinules, less dense distally, extend ¼–⅕ segment, rl - covered in dense spines (>30).
Legs: Ô: Length order: I, IV, II, III. I Total length 17.18; Segment lengths 4.88, 2.40, 3.98, 3.82, 2.10; Spination: spines absent on femur, with sparse setae. Patella v - 2 long spines distally. Tibia (Fig 25F) v - 8–10 large spines. Metatarsus (Fig 25F) v - 18–19 large spines, extending pl & rl. Tarsus (Fig 25F) v - highly scopulate. II Total length 14.57; Segment lengths 3.92, 2.12, 3.42, 3.32, 1.79; Spination: spines absent on femur, with sparse setae. Patella v - 2 small thickened setae distally. Tibia v - 12 long spines along segment. Metatarsus v- 18 spines along segment, extend pl & rl. Tarsus pl - 1 small spine, rl - 3 small red spines, v - scopulate. III Total length 11.82; Segment lengths 3.10, 1.99, 1.41, 3.30, 2.03; Spination: spines absent on femur, with sparse setae. Patella pl - 17 spines, 9 distally situated, do - 8 spines, extend rl. Tibia do - dense patch of spinules (12) distally. Metatarsus do - 8 spines along segment (4 distal), rl - 2 spines, v (Fig 25G)- 4 spines scattered. Tarsus rl - 4–5 small spines, v (Fig 25G)—scopulate, 7 spines more distally situated. IV Total length 16.87; Segment lengths 4.70, 2.20, 3.19, 4.61, 2.18; Spination: spines absent on femur, with sparse setae. Patella do - dense red spines proximally, interspersed with black setae. Tibia pl - 2 small spines. Metatarsus pl - 3 spines (one large distally), rl - 1 large spine distally, v (Fig 25H)- 7 spines. Tarsus v - 12 spines scattered, almost pl, v - Scopulate. ♀: Length order: IV, III, I, II. I Total length 18.05; Segment lengths 5.93, 2.88, 3.61, 3.91, 1.72; Spination: spines absent on femur and patella, with sparse setae. Tibia pl - small spines extend ½ distally along segment, do (Fig 24A)- patch of dense spines distally, extend approx. ⅙ segment, rl - small spines extend entire segment, less dense proximally. Metatarsus pl & rl - dense spines extend entire segment, do (Fig 24A)- patch of dense spines extend ¼ segment length from the proximal end, v - highly scopulate. Tarsus pl & rl - dense spines extend entire segment, v - highly scopulate. II Total length 17.58; Segment lengths 5.33, 3.12, 3.66, 3.69, 1.79; Spination, follows that of leg I (Fig 24B). III Total length 19.00; Segment lengths 5.10, 4.18, 2.87, 4.16, 2.71; Spination: spines absent on femur, with sparse setae. Patella pl - 8–9 red spinules with rows of black setae. Tibia do (Fig 24C)- dense patch of stout red spines distally situated, hidden by long setae. Metatarsus do (Fig 24C)- 2 rows of stout red spines (26–30 in each), between smaller red spinules. Tarsus pl ->15 spines along surface, dense distally (covered in setae). IV Total length 21.20; Segment lengths 5.12, 3.76, 4.40, 5.25, 2.39; Spination: spines absent on femur, with sparse setae. Patella pl - 3–4 long spines. Tibia pl (Fig 24D)- 4–8 spines along segment, do - dense setae. Metatarsus pl (Fig 24D)- 22 spines along segment, v - 5–6 spines in transverse row in the preening comb (Fig 24E). Tarsus pl (Fig 24D)- dense patch of red spines extending distally (>25 spines), covered in setae.
Spermathecae: (Fig 22C&D) Entire, with terminus as broad as base.
Distribution and environment notes:
The species is found in the localities indicated in Figure 26. The species is only known from two localities in the Northern Cape province. Female found on a gentle slope in loamy soil which had a hard subsoil layer. The vegetation was dominated by typical Karoo low shrubs and grasses. The male was found under a door mat at the Toonbothasfontein farm.
description: Published as part of Brandt, Shannon, Sole, Catherine & Lyle, Robin, 2023, An integrative taxonomy of the genus Stasimopus Simon 1892 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) of the Karoo with the description of nine new species and a Stasimopus maraisi Hewitt 1914 male, pp. 1-60 in Zootaxa 5341 (1) on pages 29-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5341.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8323744