Austrachelas merwei Haddad, Lyle, Bosselaers & Ramirez, 2009, n. sp.
Creators: name: Haddad, Charles R.
name: Lyle, Robin
name: Bosselaers, Jan
name: Ramirez, Martin J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Gallieniellidae
Austrachelas
Austrachelas merwei

description: Austrachelas merwei n. sp.
(Figs 5, 6, 36–41, 60–63)
Diagnosis. Females of this species are recognised by the broad tongue-like anterior hood of the epigyne (Fig. 60), and males by the narrow RTA of the palp with a curved tip, and the distal margin of the embolus, with a single prolateral process (Figs 41, 62).
Etymology. Named for Marius van der Merwe, who collected all the known material of this species.
Female. Measurements: CL 2.15–3.17, CW 1.63–2.33, FL 0.18–0.33, AL 2.95–5.48, AW 1.60–2.75, SL 1.30–1.83, SW 1.05–1.30, TL 5.35–9.10, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.04, ALE–ALE 0.29, PME–PME 0.07, PME–PLE 0.10, PLE–PLE 0.45.
Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.20 + 1.23 + 1.60 + 1.23 + 0.78 = 7.04; II 2.03 + 1.18 + 1.47 + 1.18 + 0.78 = 6.64; III 1.80 + 0.95 + 1.05 + 1.40 + 0.65 = 5.85; IV 2.40 + 1.25 + 1.87 + 2.03 + 0.93 = 8.48.
Carapace deep orange-brown, slightly paler along midline (Fig. 5); AER procurved, laterals slightly larger than medians; AME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to ½ AME diameter; clypeus height equal to 1¼ AME diameter at AME, equal to ½ ALE diameter at ALE; PER very slightly recurved, nearly straight, laterals larger than medians (Fig. 36); PME separated by distance equal to ¾ their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae deep orange-brown; promargin with four teeth, second tooth largest, remaining teeth subequal in size; proximal and second teeth close together, separate from closely situated third and fourth teeth by small gap; retromargin with single small denticle, situated near third promarginal tooth. Legs all orange in colour, slightly darker distally. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 1, II pl 1–2 do 1, III pl 2 do 2 rl 1, IV do 2 rl 1; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, strongly scopulate, III & IV scopulate in distal half, III pl 5 rl 4 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 2, IV pl 6 rl 5 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; palp: femora do 2, patellae pl 1, tibiae pl 2 rl 2, tarsus pl 3 do 1 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1. Abdomen pale grey dorsally, with mottled pale grey chevron (Fig. 5), cream laterally and ventrally; dorsum and venter lacking scutum or other sclerites. Female epigyne with distinctive lateral hoods and tongue-like anterior hood (Figs 38, 60); copulatory openings anterolaterally situated, entering ST 2 via narrow entrance ducts; ST 2 anteriorly situated, oval with lateral oval expansions, with looping tube leading to large posteriorly situated ST 1 (Fig. 61).
Male. Measurements: CL 2.48–3.05, CW 1.83–2.23, FL 0.23–0.28, AL 3.20–3.65, AW 1.68–1.95, SL 1.43–1.57, SW 1.05–1.15, TL 5.80–6.83, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.30, PME–PME 0.07, PME–PLE 0.09, PLE–PLE 0.47.
Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 2.30 + 1.23 + 1.78 + 1.18 + 0.87 = 7.36; II 2.13 + 1.15 + 1.60 + 1.28 + 0.90 = 7.06; III 1.78 + 0.90 + 1.10 + 1.43 + 0.73 = 5.94; IV 2.43 + 1.15 + 1.78 + 2.13 + 0.93 = 8.42.
Carapace uniform orange-brown, slightly paler along midline (Fig. 6); AER strongly procurved, laterals slightly larger than medians; AME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter, separated from ALE by distance equal to ¼ AME diameter; clypeus height equal to AME diameter at AME, equal to ¾ ALE diameter at ALE; PER very slightly recurved, nearly straight, laterals larger than medians (Fig. 39); PME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae deep orange-brown; promargin with four teeth, proximal tooth smallest, second tooth largest, third and fourth teeth progressively smaller; retromargin with one small denticle, situated near third promarginal tooth. Legs all deep orange, paler yellow-orange distally. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 1, II pl 1 do 1, III pl 3 do 2 rl 2, IV do 2; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 2–3 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, strongly scopulate, III & IV scopulate in distal half, III pl 5 rl 4 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 2, IV pl 6 rl 5 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2. Abdomen grey with indistinct pale grey chevron dorsally (Fig. 6), cream laterally and ventrally; dorsum with small anterior scutum, venter without sclerites. Male palpal tibia with single triangular retrolateral apophysis with curved tip; median tegular apophysis broad, hook-like; embolus arc-shaped, with distinct distal angle, and single tooth-like prolateral embolar process (Figs 41, 62, 63); palpal spination: femora do 2.
Type material: Holotype Ƥ: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal Province, Ngome State Forest, 27°49'S, 31°26'E, VIII.1992, M. van der Merwe (pitfall traps, dense forest) (NCA 94/448). Allotype 3: same locality as Holotype, XII.1992, M. van der Merwe (pitfall traps, open forest) (NCA 94/398).
Paratypes: All from type locality, collected by M. van der Merwe using pitfall traps: Dense forest: III.1992, 13 (NCA 94/418); V.1992, 13 (NCA 94/411); V.1992, 13 (NCA 94/434); V.1992, 33 (NCA 94/ 446); VI.1992, 13 (NCA 94/397); VI.1992, 13 (NCA 94/419); XII.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/405); Open forest: III.1992, 23 (NCA 94/423); IV.1992, 33 (NCA 94/427); IV.1992, 43 (NCA 94/429); IV.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 2005/2033); V.1992, 13 (NCA 94/409); V.1992, 33 (NCA 94/428); VI.1992, 13 (NCA 94/44); VI.1992, 13 (NCA 94/400); VII.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/435); IX.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/447); X.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/403); X.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/444); X.1992, 13 (NCA 94/432); XI.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/399); XI.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/ 417); XII.1992, 1 Ƥ (NCA 94/424).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality (Fig. 82).
description: Published as part of Haddad, Charles R., Lyle, Robin, Bosselaers, Jan & Ramirez, Martin J., 2009, A revision of the endemic South African spider genus Austrachelas, with its transfer to the Gallieniellidae (Arachnida: Araneae), pp. 1-38 in Zootaxa 2296 on pages 20-21, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.191594