Zorascar Henrard, Griswold & Jocqué, 2024, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Henrard, Arnaud
name: Griswold, Charles
name: Jocqué, Rudy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Udubidae
Zorascar

description: Genus Zorascar gen. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F5981AD2-4EC8-412D-B90A-0F6A51FEF784
Figs 13–21, 26
Type species
Zorascar pasunepipe gen. et sp. nov.
Diagnosis
Zorascar gen. nov. are ecribellate udubids distinguished from all Madagascar udubids (except Tabiboka gen. nov.) by having the posterior spinnerets (PMS and PLS) reduced in size, with the PLS less than one half the size of ALS; the male palp (Figs 14A–C; 15A–C, 16A–B) with an RTA only, lacking the VTA, the cymbial retrobasal extension (CE) elongate, extending most of length of tibia, without retrolateral paracymbial process; the female epigyne with short median lobe (ML), concave medially and not extending to posterior margin of epigyne, with copulatory openings (CO) exposed (Fig. 16C, E). Zorascar is further distinguished from Uduba Simon, 1880 males by lacking a threadlike embolus and a knob-like process between palpal patella and tibia and from Uduba females by having compact spermathecae rather than multiple loops. It is distinguished from Zorodictyna by lacking an entire cribellum or vestige and in lacking extensive scopulae beneath leg metatarsi. Zorascar may be distinguished from Tabiboka gen. nov. by having the male palp with cymbial retrobasal extension (CE) elongate (Tabiboka shorter), palpal lacking a VTA (Figs 14A–B, 15A–B, 16A–B) (Tabiboka with a VTA); female epigyne median lobe (ML) short, concave medially, not extending to posterior margin, copulatory openings (CO) covered (Figs 16C, E, 18A).
Etymology
The genus name is derived from the name ʻ Zorodictyna ʼ, in combination with the ending of Madagascar. The gender is masculine.
Description
BODY. Medium size spiders (males: 7.81–8.60; females: 8.50–10.10) with smooth teguments of carapace (Figs 13A–D, 17A, C), sternum and legs. Carapace longer than wide (L/W: males; 1.21–1.34; females: 1.33–1.34) with sparse cover of dark setae; widest at level of coxae II, narrowed to 0.56 times maximum width in male and 0.70 times maximum width in female (cephalic width measured on posterior tangent of PME); profile convex, highest point located at well-developed fovea.
COLORATION (Figs 13A–E, 17A–C). Sclerites brownish yellow with darker longitudinal pattern on carapace and chelicerae; legs ringed; abdomen brownish yellow with faint complex pattern.
EYES (Figs 13C–D, 17A). In two straight rows: ALE larger than AME, PLE and PME similar to ALE; tapetum of secondary eyes canoe shaped. Clypeus straight, narrow, with long setae.
PROSOMA. Chilum double, about twice as wide as high, lateral margin faintly delimited. Chelicerae (Figs 13A–E, 17A–B): paturon conical with some long setae in center and two faint longitudinal stripes; three teeth on both margins; fangs smooth. Labium (Figs 13E, 17B) roughly rectangular. Endites (Figs 13E, 17B, 20D) roughly rectangular, with retrolateral margins sinuous, distal part slightly wider than proximal part, with distal serrula present, as simple row (Fig. 20D). Sternum (Figs 13E, 17B) oval, slightly longer than wide, with slightly sinuous margins, and with tiny triangular extensions or precoxal sclerites, not extending between coxae IV.
LEGS (Figs 13A–B, E, 17A–C, 20E–F). Slender. Formula 4123 or 4132. With three tarsal claws, unpaired claw smooth, rudimentary on legs III and IV, superior claws with six to eight teeth (Figs 21A–B). Without claw tufts, tenent setae or scopulae. Numerous spines, pairs of ventral spines on metatarsus overlapping. Trichobothria on tarsi in three rows, starting close to tip, length variable but not increasing (Figs 13F, 20E–F); proximal plate of bothria with six ridges (Figs 21D–E). Tarsal organ with circular opening provided with two to three anterior slits, in distal half of tarsus (Figs 20E, 21C–D).
ABDOMEN (Figs 13A–B, E, 17A–C). Oval, without scuta and cribellum. Colulus: as hairy field. Spinnerets (Figs 20A–C): ALS large, conical, biarticulate, in juvenile provided with two major ampullate and four piriform gland spigots (Fig. 20A); PLS smaller, with three spigots (Fig. 20B); PMS reduced, with three spigots (Fig. 20C). Adult spinnerets much as in Tabiboka gen. nov. ALS and PLS, conical, biarticulate; PMS one-segmented; ALS large, PMS and PLS small. Females with two ALS major ampullate gland spigots and field of piriform gland spigots and tartipores; PMS with at least one anterior minor ampullate gland spigot and one to few posterior cylindrical gland spigots and aciniform gland spigots; PLS with one to few cylindrical gland spigots; males lack cylindrical gland spigots and have second major ampullate gland spigot reduced to nubbin.
MALE PALP (Figs 14–15, 16A–B). Tibia with short RTA inserted medially and sharp triangular prolateral process (Figs 14C, 15C), without VTA at retroapical margin; cymbium oval with rounded distal extremity, without dorsal patch of short setae, with large pipe shaped posterior extension (CE); bulbus provided with very large retrobasal subtegulum lobe (SL), visible over one third of bulbus, and tegulum rounded with well developed prolateral conical protrusion (corresponding locking lobe, TL) (Figs 14E–F, 15B–C, 16A); embolus (E) with large base inserted in center of tegulum, short, conical and folded (Figs 14D–F, 15E–F); median apophysis (MA) situated at base of E, short, sclerotized with membranous base; conductor (C) relatively small, transverse, hyaline fan-shaped, prolaterally extending from narrow base to wide flattened tip (Figs 14D, F, 15D–F); paraconductor (Pc) as narrow membranous extension inserted between tegulum and base of MA, running backward to MA and ending with fattened fan-shaped tip accompanying E (Figs 14D, 15D–E, 16A–B).
GENITALIA. Epigyne (Figs 16C, E, 18A, 19A–B) with median lobe (ML) as single plate with central roughly triangular depression, delimited by margins forming narrow, elongate arch, lateral lobe (LL) basally with two short but stout, conical and blunt projections (LP). Endogyne (Figs 16D, 18B–D, 19C–F) with copulatory ducts (CD) very short, twisted; spermathecae (S) with narrow base and broad roughly reniform dorsal part; no evidence of large Bennett’s Gland pore; fertilization ducts (FD) short, median.
Species included
Zorascar pasunepipe gen. et sp. nov. (type species; ♂ ♀); Zorascar pasunepomme gen. et sp. nov. (♀).
Affinities
From the molecular analyses (Fig. 2), Zorascar nov. gen. appears closely related to species in the Udubidae that have been identified as Tabiboka gen. nov.
Distribution
Zorascar gen. nov. is known only from highland forest in northwestern Madagascar (Fig. 26).
description: Published as part of Henrard, Arnaud, Griswold, Charles & Jocqué, Rudy, 2024, On new genera and species of crack-leg spiders (Araneae, Udubidae) from Madagascar, pp. 1-80 in European Journal of Taxonomy 966 (1) on pages 36-38, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.966.2697, http://zenodo.org/record/14001790