Ranops robinae Jocqué & Henrard 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Jocqué, Rudy
name: Henrard, Arnaud
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Zodariidae
Ranops
Ranops robinae

description: Ranops robinae sp. nov.
Figures 1 A–D, 2A–E, 3A–C
Etymology. The species name is a matronym for Robin Lyle (Pretoria, South Africa) in recognition of her work on Afrotropical Corinnidae and Trachelidae.
Diagnosis. Males of R. robinae sp. nov. are recognized by the bifid RTA (Figs 2B, 3B), which it has in common with R. caprivi, but it lacks the dentate tegular ridge. Females are recognized by the epigyne provided with a faintly delimited triangular central plate (Figs 2 C-D, 3C).
Description. Male (Holotype, NCA 88/534). Total length: 3.20. Carapace: length 1.73, width 1.34, height 0.74.
Colour (Figs 1 A–B). Carapace medium brown with darker radiating striae; darker in eye region; chelicerae and labium medium brown, endites yellow; sternum medium brown with darker margin and faint radiating stripes; legs: cx and tr yellow, Fe dark brown, remainder of leg segments yellowish brown; palps yellow; abdomen dorsum dark with pale pattern of two pairs of rounded spots followed by six chevrons, narrowing towards the back; sides grey; venter pale brown, darker around pale spinnerets.
Carapace (Fig. 1A). With dense cover of silvery setae.
Eyes. ALE 0.10; AME 0.15; PLE 0.10; PME 0.10; ALE-AME 0.03; AME-AME 0.08; PME-PME 0.20; PME-PLE: 0.05; MOQ 0.38 wide in front, 0.39 wide at posterior end, 0.33 long. Clypeus 0.20 high.
Sternum (Fig. 1B). 0.74 long and 0.86 wide, with anterior margin slightly sinuous, lateral margins with intracoxal triangular sclerites.
Legs. Densely covered with flattened incised setae. All Fe with one dorsal spine near base.
Leg measurements
Abdomen (Figs 1 A–B). Dorsum and sides with dense cover of silvery, flattened incised setae.
Palp (Figs 2 A–B, 3A–B). Tibia with sclerotized posterior retrolateral margin; RTA bifid, with short dorsal prong and longer, slightly down-curved ventral extension; cymbium with dorsal profile slightly convex, without chemosensitive setae, with one distal spine and 6–7 prolateral modified setae; subtegulum large, exposed as far as anterior part of bulb; MA massive, strongly recurved, distal part tapered with sharp tip; E short, tapered and curved outward; tegular apophysis absent.
Female (Paratype, NCA 2007/1610). Total length 3.41. Carapace: length 1.43, width 1.21, height 0.78.
Colour (Figs 1 C–D). Carapace medium brown with darker radiating striae, margin and eye region; chelicerae medium brown; sternum medium brown with dark margin; legs: palp medium brown with darker Fe; cx and tr yellow, Fe dark brown, remainder yellowish brown; palp femora medium brown, remaining segments medium brown; abdomen dorsum dark grey, with pair of roundish brown spots followed by pair of adjacent spots, 6 transverse bars; venter brownish, gradually darkened towards dark grey sides; spinnerets pale yellow.
Carapace (Fig. 1C). Pear shaped, with sparse cover of dark setae.
Eyes. ALE 0.08; AME 0.13; PLE 0.10; PME 0.08; ALE-AME 0.02; AME-AME 0.05; PME-PME 0.20; MOQ 0.31 wide in front, 0.35 wide at posterior end, 0.30 long. Clypeus 0.20 high.
Sternum (Fig. 1D). 0.64 long and 0.78 wide, roughly shield-shaped, straight at anterior margin, with black setae at margins but without setae centrally.
Legs. Densely covered with flattened incised setae. Fe with one dorsal spine near base.
Leg measurements
Abdomen (Figs 1 C–D). Ovoid, with short uniform black setae throughout, only marginally longer at posterior end.
Epigyne (Figs 2 C–E, 3C). A poorly sclerotized area with faintly delimited triangular central plate, almost twice as wide near posterior margin. Vulva: spermathecae with two chambers: dorsal one kidney-shaped, ventral one situated laterally, globular; copulatory ducts strongly arched, passing through large atrium before entering spermatheca.
Type material. Holotype ³: SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng Province: Rietondale, 25°43’47’’S, 28°13’52’’E, leg. L. Oosthuizen, 13.VIII.1989 (pitfall trap) (NCA 88 /534).
Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng Province: Pretoria, Rietondale Research station, 25°43’S, 28°12’E, leg. A. van den Berg, 2.III.1998 (pitfall trap), 1♀ (NCA 2007 /1610); As preceding, 23.II.1998, 2³ (NCA 2007 /2801); As preceding, 21.IX.1998, beating trees, 2³ (NCA 2003 /1099); As preceding, 16.VII.1998, leg. J. Nikuana, 1³ (NCA 2007 /4091), 1³ 1♀ (NCA 2008 /5070), 3³ (NCA 2007 /4042); Rietondale, 25°43’47’’S, 28°13’52’’E, leg. A. Biggs & A. van den Berg, 6.IX.1988 (pitfall trap), 1³ (NCA 89 /19).
Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng Province: Bassonia, Liefde en Vrede, 26°27’S, 28°07’E, leg. P. Roos, 11.X.2003 (pitfall B1-12), 1³ (NCA 2011 /600); Cullinan, Leeufontein Nature Reserve, 25°23’S, 28°07’E, leg. H. Roux, 13.II.2002 (baited pittrap, open woodland, LNRTH), 1³ (NCA 2010 /1296); Heidelberg, Glockner Nature Reserve, Farm Houtpoort, 392IR, 26°56’S, 28°37’E, leg. H. Roux, 11.XI.2003 (baited pitfall, grassland, ANR10), 1³ (NCA 2010 /2829); As preceding, ANR16, 1³ (NCA 2009 /4654); As preceding, ANR14, 1³ (NCA 2009 /357); As preceding, ANR10, 1♀ (NCA 2009 /4655). Limpopo Province: Settlers, Wildskamp, 24°57’S, 28°31’E, leg. M. van Jaarsveld, 31.I.2001 (pittraps, grass, QRU2152), 1³ (NCA 2002 /935); As preceding, 17.X.2002, QRU6864, 1♀ (NCA 2003 /1238). Mpumulanga Province: Delmas, Farm Welgevonden, 26°17’S, 28°41’E, leg. D.H. Jacobs, 9–16.XI.2007 (pitfall EIA, site 12), 3³ 1♀ (NCA 2009 /3062); As preceding, site 1, 1³ (NCA 2009 /1630), 1³ (NCA 2009 /3036), 1³ (NCA 2009 /1629), 1³ (NCA 2009 /3302), 1³ (NCA 2009 /3304), 1³ (NCA 2009 /1631), 1³ (NCA 2009 /2724), 1³ (NCA 2009 /2735), 1³ (NCA 2009 /2736); Kriel, Farm Diepspruit, Steenkoolspruit, 26°15’S, 29°24’E, leg. D. Jacobs, 1.XII.2006, 1³ (NCA 2007 /807); Marble Hall, 26°58’S, 29°14’E, leg. M. Mellett, 15.IV.2003 (pitfall, Bt cotton survey), 2³ (NCA 2004 /1210). Free State Province: Bloemfontein, National Botanical Gardens, 29°02’S, 26°12’E, 12.X.2012, leg. C. Haddad, 1³ (RMCA _ ARA_245378, DNA Z251); Bloemfontein, U.F.S. Campus, 29°06’S, 26°10’E, 1425 m a.s.l., leg. C. Haddad & H. Badenhorst, 6–26.III.2019 (pitfalls, Trinervitermis trinervoides termitaria and surrounding grassland), 7³ 3♀ (NCA 2009 /3062); Hoopstad, Sandveld Nature Reserve, 27°26’24.0”S, 25°27’36.0”E, leg. R. Fourie & A. Grobler, 2–30.XI.2009 (grassland with shrubs, propylene glycol pitfall trap), 1³ (NMBA 14608, DNA Z207); Kalkfontein Dam Nature Reserve, 29°31.04’S, 25°16.31’E, leg. N. Josling, 14.I.2014 (in and around houses), 1³ 2♀ (NCA 2015 /1926); As preceding, 17.IV.2014, under rocks and stones, 1♀ (NCA 2015 /1970); Oranjeville, 26°59’S, 28°12’E, leg. M. Meyer, 11.IX.1976 (on soil surface), 1³ (NCA 76 /1553).
Distribution. Ranops robinae sp. nov. is known from Gauteng Province and the northern region of the Free State Province in South Africa (Fig. 9). Photos of a live specimen from Kalkfontein Dam Nature Reserve (Fig. 10) probably belong to this species, but it was not collected.
description: Published as part of Jocqué, Rudy & Henrard, Arnaud, 2020, Three new species of the genus Ranops (Araneae: Zodariidae) from southern Africa, pp. 186-200 in Zootaxa 4899 (1) on pages 187-190, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4899.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/4400352