Micaria gagnoa 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 gagnoa

description: Micariagagnoa sp. nov.
Figs 21 – 22, 137 – 140
Type material. Holotype: ♀, CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Fromager Region: Gagnoa, upland rice, pitfalltraps, 06°34’N, 06°15’W, leg. A. Russell-Smith, 8.V.1995 (MRAC 227323).
Paratypes: CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Fromager Region: same data as holotype, 5 ♂ 1 ♀, (MRAC 227323). MOZAMBIQUE: Inhaca Island: wetland, pitfalltraps, 26°01’S, 32°54’E, leg. T. Steyn, 30.IV–14.V.1994, 1 ♀ (MRAC 209908). TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro Region: Mkomazi National Park, Ibaya Camp, unburnt grassland, hand collecting, 04°00’S, 38°00’E, leg. A. Russell-Smith, 26.XI.1994, 26 ♂ 5 ♀ (MRAC 211337).
Etymology. This species name is a noun in apposition of the type locality.
Diagnosis. Micaria gagnoa sp. nov. very closely resembles M. felix sp. nov., but they can be distinguished by the females’ anterior epigynal hood that is larger (in this case a larger atrium and longer) in M. gagnoa sp. nov. than in M. felix sp. nov. Furthermore, the spermathecae of the former is horizontally flattened, whereas the latter’s is laterally flattened. The males are very difficult to distinguish due to the similarity of the palps and habitus, but M. gagnoa sp. nov. does have a smaller MA than M. felix sp. nov.
Description. Female (holotype from Gagnoa, MRAC 227323): Measurements: TL 2.35, CL 0.95, CW 0.60, CL:CW 1.58, CLH 0.06, CLH:AME 1.6. Eyes: ALE 0.06, AME 0.04, PLE 0.05, PME 0.04, AME–AME 0.01, PME–PME 0.03, MOQAW 0.10, MOQPW 0.13, MOQL 0.14. SL 0.52, SW 0.38, AL 1.30, AW 0.80. Leg measurements: Palpal segment lengths: 0.33, 0.19, 0.22, 0.30. Leg I: 0.60, 0.25, 0.46, 0.38, 0.48. II: 0.53, 0.22, 0.46, 0.40, 0.48. III: 0.48, 0.21, 0.43, 0.35, 0.37. IV: 0.81, 0.29, 0.67, 0.73, 0.56. TLoflegs (I–IV): 2.17, 2.09, 1.84, 3.06; leg formula: 4123.
Colouration: carapace dark brown; abdomen dark brown; legs Iand II with femora darkened on posterior half; other legs uniform in colour; endites, labium and chelicerae similar in colour to carapace (Fig. 21). Carapace: smooth in texture; transverse median depression present on posterior third; decorated with squamose setae; posterior half of carapace with dark triangular patches on lateral sides flanked by light brown radiating markings; dark brown stripes radiating outwards present on anterior half; posterior margin straight; fovea absent; anterior margin narrowing slightly from coxa I; PER recurved in dorsal view, AER recurved in anterior view. Chelicerae: decorated with short plumose setae. Labium: triangular in shape, truncating where chelicerae meet. Endites: broad; slanting inwards; constricted slightly just above halfway; flattened anterior margin with dark anterior ridge; cluster of setae present on inner–apical margin; posterior margin rounded. Sternum: shield-like; lighter incolour than carapace; broadest between coxa Iand II; posterior margin tapering between coxa IV. Legs: femora of all legs laterally flattened, highest at base, leg Imore pronounced in this fashion; rest of legs normal, thin. Leg macrosetae: Palps: 3plv, 1pl, 1pl, 1plv, 1pl, 2plv, 2rlv, 2vt. Leg I: 1do, 1pl, 2plv, 2rlv, 1plv, 1rlv. III: 1pl, 1vt, 1plv, 1rlv, 4vt. IV: 1vt, 2vt. 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 not visible in holotype; venter similar in colour to dorsum; sigilla not visible. Epigyne: in ventral view, anterior hood continuous, strongly recurved; large atrium; posterior pockets present medially, straight with laterally curved apices; copulatory openings at bulbous apices of copulatory ducts. In dorsal view, copulatory ducts elongate, “C” shaped, wide apart; fertilisation ducts extending medially, curved at apices; spermathecae globular; horizontally elongate; anterior margin of spermathecae flattened and aligned with fertilisation ducts (Figs 137, 138).
Male (paratype from Gagnoa, Cote d’Ivoire, MRAC 227323): Measurements: TL 2.25, CL 1.05, CW 0.60, CL: CW 1.75, CLH 0.06, CLH:AME 1.6. Eyes: ALE 0.06, AME 0.04, PLE 0.06, PME 0.04, AME–AME 0.01, PME–PME 0.05, MOQAW 0.10, MOQPW 0.14, MOQL 0.16. SL 0.56, SW 0.41, AL 1.10, AW 0.60. Leg measurements: Palpal segment lengths: 0.44, 0.22, 0.21, 0.30. Leg I: 0.65, 0.25, 0.48, 0.43, 0.46. II: 0.60, 0.22, 0.46, 0.44, 0.48. III: 0.52, 0.19, 0.40, 0.46, 0.37. IV: 0.68, 0.30, 0.68, 0.78, 0.56. TLoflegs (I–IV): 2.27, 2.20, 1.94, 3.00; leg formula: 4123.
Colouration: carapace dark brown; abdomen dark brown; legs Iand II with femora darkened on basal half, other legs uniform in colour; endites, labium and chelicerae similar in colour to carapace (Fig. 22). Carapace: smooth in texture; transverse median depression present on posterior third; decorated with squamose setae; posterior half of carapace with dark triangular patches on lateral sides flanked by light brown radiating markings; dark brown stripes radiating outwards on anterior half; posterior margin straight; fovea absent; anterior margin narrowing slightly from coxa I; PER recurved in dorsal view, AER recurved in anterior view. Chelicerae: decorated with short plumose setae. Labium: triangular in shape, tuft of setae present on tip. Endites: broad; slanting inwards; constricted slightly just above halfway; flattened anterior margin with dark anterior ridge; cluster of setae present on inner–apical margin; posterior margin rounded. Sternum: shield-like; lighter in colour than carapace, with dark lateral margins; broadest between coxa Iand II; posterior margin tapering between coxa IV. Legs: femora laterally flattened, highest at base, leg Imore pronounced in this fashion; rest of legs normal, thin. Leg macrosetae: Palps: 3plv, 1pl, 1pl, 1plv, 1pl, 1plv, 2vt. Leg I: 1do, 1pl, 2plv, 2rlv, 1plv, 1rlv. III: 1pl, 1vt, 1plv, 1rlv, 4vt. IV: 2vt, 2vt. 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 light transverse median line connecting to scutum; anterior half of abdomen slightly lighter brown than posterior half; venter similar in colour to dorsum; sigilla not visible. Palp: retrolateral tibial apophysis present on retrolateral margin; median apophysis present next to embolus, curved retrolaterally; sperm duct present on retrolateral margin of tegulum, curved at base, kink just before base of embolus; embolus thin and very slightly curved retrolaterally; cymbium widest at posterior third, tapering roughly quarter of cymbium’s length in front of tegulum (Figs 139, 140).
Distribution. Micaria gagnoa sp. nov. is known from isolated records in eastern and western Africa (Map 5).
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 50-52, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4940.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4580917