Lepthercus dippenaarae Ríos-Tamayo &amp; Lyle 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ríos-Tamayo, Duniesky
name: Lyle, Robin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Nemesiidae
Lepthercus
Lepthercus dippenaarae

description: <i>Lepthercus dippenaarae</i> sp. nov. (Figs. 2B, 14 A–J, 15A–E, 24) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 24775E74-F40C-453D-A86C-51027B1C586B <b>Material examined. Type material</b>: Holotype &amp;male;. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, Komga, Kei Mouth (32°41’S 28°22’E), 1-5.vi.2003, Haddad, C. <i>leg.</i>, (NMBA 09339 B). – Paratype. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, Same data as holotype, 1 &amp;female; (NMBA 09339 A). <b>Other material</b> examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, Cwebe Natural Reserve, The Haven (32°15’14.85”S 28°52’37.76”E), 30.x.2006, Haddad, C. <i>leg.</i>, 2 &amp;female;&amp;female; (NCA 2007/301); Mazeppa Bay (32°28’12.30”S 28°38’24.12”E), 28.x.2006, Haddad, C. <i>leg.</i>, 1 &amp;female; (NCA 2007/237). <b>Etymology.</b> The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case in honor of Dra Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman for her development of arachnology in Southern Africa and her contribution to our knowledge of African spiders. <b>Remarks.</b> The male specimens labeled: Gauteng Province, Pretoria National Botanical Garden [25°44’ S 28°16’ E], 10.x.2007, Spider Club and others. <i>leg.</i>, 2&amp;male;&amp;male; (NCA 2009/5366) are considered conspecific with <i>L. dippenaarae</i> <b>sp. nov</b>. They share important characters, such as the copulatory bulb shape and tibiae I; but the collection locality is too far from the localities of others specimens. We believe could be a label error. The vial NMBA 09339a contains the female paratype and other male with the same shaped bulb as the type. However, in the unique leg I present in the male specimen, we can observe a different tibia I spur. In the absence of additional specimens, it seems best to include them in <i>L. dippenaarae</i> <b>sp. nov</b>. <b>Diagnosis.</b> Males of <i>L. dippenaarae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, differ from all other species in “Group haddadi” by the presence of the embolus with a developed lateral keel delimiting a concave area (Fig. 14 F–H). Females can be distinguished by the shape of their spermathecae, with the base with a slight transition to the stalk and twisted inward receptacles (Fig. 15E). The females are similar to <i>L. rattrayi,</i> but differ in the higher number of maxillary cuspules (110 <i>vs</i> 54) and lower number of cheliceral denticles (12 <i>vs</i> 28). <b>Description.</b> Male holotype (NMBA 09339 B, Fig. 14 A–J). Total length 10.76. <i>Carapace</i> (Fig. 14A): length 4.08, width 3.46, with lateral marginal bristles, with a little pubescence. <i>Cephalic region</i>: length 2.47; clypeus short with 3 bristles on the edge, 2 long bristles in front of the OQ. <i>Fovea</i>: width 0.36, short, almost straight (slightly recurved). <i>Ocular measurements</i>:AME 0.09, ALE 0.22, PME 0.14, PLE 0.19, OQ length 0.37, 0.74 width; AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PLE 0.02, AME–PME 0.08, ALE–PLE 0.03, AME–AME 0.09, OMP–OMP 0.29. <i>Chelicerae</i>: length 2.09, width 1.16, with dark dorsal–anterior bristles, intercheliceral tumescence square, developed, well-marked and with setae (Fig. 14C). Fang groove with 7 promarginal teeth and 30 denticles (mesobasal). <i>Labium</i>: length 0.27, width 0.65 with 1 cusp. <i>Maxillae</i>: length 1.34, width 0.62, with about 53 cuspules on posterior inner corner (Fig. 2B), prolateral face slightly curved, with long uniformly distributed hairs, no serrula. <i>Sternum</i> (Fig. 14B): length 2.18, maximum width 1.79. <i>Abdomen</i>: Length 3.96, covered with short and long dark hairs. PMS: length 0.59; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 1.28:0.94:1.67; total length 3.89. <i>Lengths of legs and palp</i>: I: 3.12, 1.99, 2.24, 2.08, 1.77, 11.20. II: 2.91, 1.83, 1.95, 2.01, 1.52, 10.22. III: 2.74, 1.49, 1.80, 2.57, 1.57, 10.17. IV: 3.56, 1.87, 2.72, 3.68, 1.77, 13.60. Palp: 1.45, 0.87, 0.94, —, 0.73, 3.99. <i>Chaetotaxy</i>: Leg I: femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d (centrals), 1-1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1 P, 2-2-2 V, a small spur, with an apical long and curved spine (Fig. 14I); metatarsus, 1-1 P INF, 1-1-2 V, a medial protuberance with small dark spinules (Fig. 14I, J); tarsus, 0. Leg II: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1-1-1 P A; patella, 1-1 P; tibia, 1-1 P, 2-1-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1 P, 2-2-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg III: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1-1 P A, 1-1-1-1 R SUP; patella, 1-1-1 P (shorts), 1 R; tibia, 1-2 P, 1-1 D, 1-1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 2-1-1 P, 1-1-1-1 D–P, 1-1-1 D–R, 1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Leg IV: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1-1-1 P SUP, 1-2 R A; patella, 1 P A, 1 R; tibia, 1-1-1 P, 1-1 D, 1-1-1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1-1 P, 1-1-1-1-1 D–P, 1-1-1-1-1 D–R, 1-1-1 R, 3-1-1-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Palp (Fig. 14D, E): femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1-1 P A, 1 R A, (width/length: 0.80); tarsus, 0. <i>Scopula</i>: Metatarsi: I–II, sparse 1:2 A (more abundante im the apex), II divided by bristles; III, sparse (A); IV, no preset. Tarsi: I–II, dense, uniformly distributed throughout the segment; III, sparse, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of setae; IV, sparse, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of setae. <i>Trichobothria</i>: Tibiae: I 10-10; II 10-9; III 9-9; IV 10-10. Metatarsi: I (4)1(2)1(4)1; II (4)1(5)1(3)1(4)1; III (4)1(2)1(5)1; IV (6)1(3)1(4)1(5)1. Tarsi: I-IV 13. <i>Preening combs</i>: metatarsus: II, 3 P V; III, 3 P V–4 R V; IV, 2 P V–4 R V. <i>Copulatory bulb</i> (Fig. 14 F–H): Embolus with a developed lateral keel delimiting a concave area. <i>Color</i>: Overall orange-yellowish. Abdomen completely brown; spinnerets brown-yellowish. Female paratype (NMBA 09339 A, Fig. 15 A–E). Total length 16.05. <i>Carapace</i> (Fig. 15A): length 6.36, width 4.68, with small marginal bristles. <i>Cephalic region</i>: length 4.23, clypeus small with 9 marginal bristles; 3 bristles in front of the OQ and numerous small bristles between the PME. <i>Fovea:</i> width 0.70, almost straight (slightly procurved). <i>Ocular measurements</i>: AME 0.15, ALE 0.29, PME 0.18, PLE 0.23, OQ length 0.39, width 0.53; AME– ALE 0.09, PME–PLE 0.02, AME–PME 0.12, ALE–PLE 0.06, AME–AME 0.12, PME–PME 0.39. <i>Chelicerae</i> (Fig. 15D): length 4.16, width 2.58; with dorsal-retrolateral dark bristles. Fang groove with 7 promarginal teeth and 12 mesobasal denticles. <i>Labium</i>: length 0.59, width 1.31, dorsally slightly concave without cuspules. <i>Maxillae</i>: length 2.35, width 1.05, with +110 cuspules on inner corner, prolateral face slightly curved, soft area developed, with long uniformly distributed hairs, serrula present on anterior inner corner. <i>Sternum</i> (Fig. 15C): rounded, length 3.16, maximum width 2.81. <i>Abdomen</i> (Fig. 15B): length 7.62, with small bristles in the dorsum. PMS: length 0.92; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 1.16:0.60:1.45; total length 3.21. <i>Lengths of legs and palp</i>: I: 4.72, 3.01, 3.14, 2.95, 2.10, 15.92. II: 4.35, 2.74, 2.76, 2.66, 1.99, 14.50. III: 3.59, 2.14, 1.90, 2.48, 1.70, 11.81. IV: 4.38, 2.56, 3.44, 3.54, 1.86, 15.78. Palp: 3.03, 1.94, 1.85, —, 2.09, 8.91. <i>Chaetotaxy</i>: Leg I: femur, 0; patella, 0; tibia, 1-1 R, 1-1-2 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1 V; tarsus, 0. Leg II: femur, 0; patella, 0; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-1-3 V; metatarsus, 1-2-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg III: femur, 1-1-1 d, 1-2 D (1:2A); patella, 1-1-1-1 P, 1 R; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-1 D, 1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1 P, 2-2-2 D, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Leg IV: femur, 0; patella, 0; tibia, 1-1 R, 2-2-2 V; metatarsus, 1-1 P (1:2B), 1-1-1-2 D, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Palp: femur, 0; patella, 1pb; tibia, 1-2 P, 1-3 V; tarsus, 2 V B. <i>Scopulae</i>: Metatarsi: I–II, dense, uniformly distributed; III, sparse (1:2A), divided by setae; IV, sparse A. Tarsi: I–II dense, uniformly distributed; III, dense, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of setae; IV, dense, uniformly distributed and divided by a wide band of setae. <i>Trichobothria</i>: Tibiae: palp 10-10; I 10-10; II 12-11; III 11-11; IV 13-13. Metatarsi: I (3)1(4)1(6)1; II (5)1(1)1(3)1(6)1; III (5)1(1)1(3)1(6)1; IV (5)1(1)1(3)1(6)1. Tarsi: palp 11; I 16; II 15; III 15; IV 16. <i>Preening combs</i>: metatarsus: II 2 P V; III 3 P V; IV 4 R V–2 P V. <i>Spermathecae</i>: as in fig. 15E. <i>Color</i>: Overall brown–orange (chelicerae darker), sternum lighter. Abdomen dark, mottled with light spots in the dorsal posterior side, ventral light, spinnerets slightly dark. <b>Distribution.</b> Known only from the Eastern Cape Province (Fig. 24).
description: Published as part of <i>Ríos-Tamayo, Duniesky &amp; Lyle, Robin, 2020, The South African genus Lepthercus Purcell, 1902 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) phylogeny and taxonomy, pp. 261-305 in Zootaxa 4766 (2)</i> on pages 285-288, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4766.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/3765467