Uduba rakotofrah Griswold, Ubick, Ledford & Polotow, 2022, new species
Creators: name: Griswold, Charles
name: Ubick, Darrell
name: Ledford, Joel
name: Polotow, Daniele
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Udubidae
Uduba
Uduba rakotofrah

description: Uduba rakotofrah, new species   
Figures 29 B, 57 A–C, Maps 9, 16.  
 Type material. Holotype male (CASENT9062795) and two paratype males (CASENT9062794), from a malaise trap in rainforest at 540m elevation in the Anosyenne Mts., Toliara Province, Madagascar, collected 21–24 February 2015 by Brian Fisher and Flavia Estevez, deposited in CAS.   
 Etymology. The species epithet is patronym in honor of the Malagasy musician Rakotofrah, born Philibert Rabezoza. He was a renowned flautist and composer of music of the central highlands of Madagascar. He became the most acclaimed 20 th century performer of the sodina flute, one of the oldest traditional instruments on the island and his picture with flute is even featured on Madagascar’s 1000 ariary banknote and 1500 FMG postage stamp. Through frequent international concerts and music festival performances, he promoted the music of the highlands of Madagascar and became one of the most famous Malagasy artists, both within Madagascar and on the world music scene.   
  Diagnosis. Uduba rakotofrah  belong to Group II, the Epigynum lateral projection group, or Uduba evanescens group (Map 16). Males can be distinguished from those of other Uduba spp. except U. pseudoevanescens and U. evanescens in that the palp (Figs. 57 A–C ) has a notched MA and the pointed TA2 that extends far apicad, but differs from those in that TA2 extends apicad of all processes (Fig. 29 B) (in U. pseudoevanescens and U. evanescens the TA3 and conductor extend as far apical as TA2, Figs. 29 A, 35 A–C, 54 A–C), TA3 is hidden (large and swollen in U. pseudoevanescens and U. evanescens) and the basal lobe of the MA is deeply forked (entire in U. pseudoevanescens and U. evanescens). Uduba rakotofrah further differ from U. evanescens in having a divided cribellum; the latter is ecribellate (Fig. 20 D). Females of Uduba rakotofrah are unknown.   
 Description. Male (holotype): Total length 9.00. Markings typical of Uduba. Carapace 5.10 long, 3.30 wide, 1.90 high; clypeus 0.25 high. Eye diameters:AME and ALE 0.22, PME 0.20, PLE 0.24. Chelicerae 2.00 long; sternum 2.20 long, 1.80 wide; labium 0.90 long; palpal coxae 1.50 long. Divided cribellum. Spination (holotype): palpus–femur d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r0-0-1; leg I–femur d1-1- 1, p0-0-2, r0-1-0-1, tibia d0-0-0-1, p0-1-1-0, v2-2-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus d1-1-0-0, p0-0-1-1, v2- 2-2, r1-1-0; leg II–femur d1-1-1, p0-1-1, r0-0-1-1, patella p1, tibia d0-0-0-1, p0-1-1-0, v2-2-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus d1-1-0-0, p0-0-1-1, v2-2-2, r1-1-0-0; leg III–femur d1-1-0-1, p0-1-1-0, r0-1- 1-0, patella p1, tibia d0-1-0, p0-1-1-0, v2-2-2, r0-1-1-0, metatarsus d0-1-0, p1-1-2, v2-2-2, r1-1-2; leg IV–femur d1-1-0-3, tibia d0-0-1-0, v2-1-2, r0-1-0-0, metatarsus d0-2-2, p1-1-2, v2-2-2, r1-1-2. Scopulae: cymbium, apicodorsal; legs I–IV, leg scopulae very weak to absent. Leg measurements (holotype): I: 4.00 + 1.70 + 3.70 + 3.70 + 2.20 = 15.30; II: 3.50 + 1.60 + 3.20 + 3.40 + 2.00 = 13.70; III: 3.10 + 1.30 + 2.10 + 2.90 + 1.50 = 10.90; IV: 4.00 + 1.50 + 3.50 + 4.30 + 2.00 = 15.30; palpus: 1.50 + 0.70 + 0.80 + NA + 2.20 = 5.20. Leg formula 4=1, 23. Male palp (paratype, CASENT9064775) (Figs. 57 A–C): palpal tibia 0.36 times cymbial length, RTA small, triangular, with pointed apex (Fig. 57 A), length 0.19 tibia length, length equals width; VTA very long, cylindrical, upturned (Figs. 57 A, C), length 1.91 times width, length 0.81 times tibia width; tibia lacking stout spines; tegulum convex, without ridge, tegulum length 1.02 times width; TA1 and TA3 extend to tegulum apex, TA2 extends beyond TA1 and tegulum apex (Fig. 57 B), TA3 a convex, blunt lobe, TA2 a large, sharply-pointed triangle, extending farthest apicad of all tegular processes (Fig. 29 B); MA complex, with proximal blunt lobe, median notch, and small apical curved lobe (Figs. 29 B, 57 B), origin at 0.15 times tegulum length, tegulum apex at 0.52 tegulum length from MA apex, length (including apical processes) 1.02 times width, MA length 0.30 times tegulum length, width 0.44 tegulum width; tegulum with apical mound that partially covers base of TA3; conductor fan margin irregular (Fig. 57 C). Female: unknown.   
 Variation. Male (N= 3): Total length 8.20–9.00; carapace length / width = 1.51–1.56, carapace height / width = 0.43–0.58, PER / carapace width = 0.41–0.43, PER / OAL = 2.57–2.65, PER / AER = 1.22–1.23, OAL / OQL = 1.08–1.18, OQP / OQA = 1.00–1.13, clypeus height / AME = 1.14– 1.36, cheliceral length / clypeus height = 6.67–8.00, sternum length / width = 1.22–1.41, palpal coxa length / width = 2.50–3.00, femur I length / carapace width = 1.14–1.25, metatarsus I length / carapace width 1.06–1.16, femur IV length / carapace width = 1.21–1.29, cymbium length / carapace width = 0.53–0.72, cymbium length / palpal patella length = 2.75–3.29, cymbium length / palpal tibia length = 2.75–3.29, cymbium length / palpal femur length = 1.16–1.47, palpal tibia length / palpal patella length = 1.00–1.14. Female variation is unknown: the species is only known from males.   
 Material examined. MADAGASCAR: Toliara Province: Anosyenne Mts., 24°8ʹ24ʺS, 47°4ʹ27ʺE, elev. 540m, rainforest, malaise trap, 21–24 February 2015, B. Fisher and F. Estevez [BLF36109] (Holotype, CASENT9062795, 1♂, CAS), (paratypes, CASENT9062795, 1♂ and CASENT9064775, 1♂, CAS).   
 Natural history. Collection records indicate that Uduba rakotofrah occurs in low elevation rain forest. Wandering males were collected above the forest floor in a malaise trap. The unknown females of U. rakotofrah should have a divided cribellum, but we know nothing of their use of silk.   
 Distribution. The species Uduba rakotofrah is known only from the type locality in southern Madagascar (Maps 9, 16).
description: Published as part of Griswold, Charles, Ubick, Darrell, Ledford, Joel & Polotow, Daniele, 2022, A Revision of the Malagasy Crack-Leg Spiders of the Genus Uduba Simon, 1880 (Araneae, Udubidae), with Description of 35 New Species from Madagascar, pp. 1-193 in Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 67 on pages 74-75, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13158554