Drassodella vasivulva Tucker 1923
Creators: name: Mbo, Zingisile
name: Haddad, Charles R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Gallieniellidae
Drassodella
Drassodella vasivulva

description: Drassodella vasivulva Tucker, 1923
Figs 4, 77, 92, 170, 171, 199–202
Drassodella vasivulva Tucker, 1923: 316, fig. 42 (Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: Knysna, 33°02'S, 23°02'E, III.1896, leg. W.F. Purcell, SAMC ENW-X000876—examined).
Diagnosis. Females of D. vasivulva are easily recognized by the narrow anterior hood and the posteriorly diverging median septum that takes the form of vase (Figs 77, 199). Males of D. vasivulva share with D. septemmaculata the large median apophysis with a retrolaterally-directed basal process, but in D. vasivulva the distal section has an almost perpendicular bend (Figs 92, 201) while in D. septemmaculata the distal end is rounded (Figs 91, 195).
Description. Female (De Hoop Nature Reserve, NCA 2005/2341). Measurements: CL 2.56, CW 1.96, AL 3.28, AW 1.28, TL 6.00 (6.00–9.60), FL 0.30, SL 1.42, SW 1.25, CH 0.14, AME-AME 0.08, AME-ALE 0.02, ALE-ALE 0.25, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.10, PLE-PLE 0.46, PERW 0.56, MOQAW 0.21, MOQPW 0.25, MOQL 0.28.
Length of leg segments: I 1.80 + 0.92 + 1.30 + 1.24 + 1.10 = 6.36, II 1.70 + 0.84 + 0.94 + 1.20 + 1.02 = 5.70, III 1.56 + 0.76 + 1.00 + 1.40 + 1.04 = 5.76, IV 2.26 + 0.98 + 1.72 + 2.40 + 1.22 = 8.58.
General appearance as in Fig. 170. Carapace dark brown, with black mottling radiating from fovea; upsilon marking of feathery setae originating from AME towards posterior margin, diverging after fovea. Clypeus height equal to 1.75 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.25 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 1.67 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1.67 PME diameter. Chelicerae darkbrown; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, proximal and distal teeth subequal; median and proximal teeth close together, distal tooth widely separated from median tooth; retromargin with two widely spaced subequal teeth. Endites dark brown, light brown at maxillar hair tuft. Labium dark brown, anterior margin light brown. Sternum brown. Legs with dark brown proximal segments, with black mottling, distal segments yellow; ventral side of femora I yellow. Leg spination: femora: I do 2 rl 1, II do 2 rl 1, III do 6, IV do 5; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 4 do 2 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3 rl 1; patellae rl 1; tibiae do 2 rl 3; tarsi pl 1 do 2 rl 3 plv 1 rlv 1. Abdomen black, dorsum with white feathery setae forming three pairs of white markings dorsolaterally, single spot above spinnerets; anterior markings an elongate stripe to one-third abdomen length, contiguous with elongate second markings, third pair isolated subtriangular stripe posterolaterally (Fig. 170); venter grey, with faint black mottling; lateral sclerites elongate, post-epigastric sclerites small; two paired rows of tiny sclerites from epigastric fold to spinnerets. Spinnerets pale. Epigyne with small shallow strongly recurved anterior hood, lateral ends terminating abruptly; lateral margins of median septum initially close together, gradually diverging to wider than spermathecal margins, posterior quarter converging at epigastric furrow; ST I and ST II yellow, connecting ducts dark orange-brown; ST II teardrop-shaped, directed anteromedially, separated by one-and-a-half times their width; ST I as large as head of ST II (Figs 77, 199, 200).
Male (De Hoop Nature Reserve, NCA 2005/2341). Measurements: CL 2.96, CW 2.38, AL 3.00, AW 1.72, TL 5.92 (5.92–8.06), FL 0.54, SL 1.56, SW 1.44, CH 0.14, AME-AME 0.10, AME-ALE 0.03, ALE-ALE 0.32, PME-PME 0.17, PME-PLE 0.14, PLE-PLE 0.51, PERW 0.67, MOQAW 0.25, MOQPW 0.30, MOQL 0.33.
Length of leg segments: I 2.04 + 1.08 + 1.62 + 1.52 + 1.20 = 7.46, II 1.96 + 1.02 + 1.38 + 1.48 + 1.16 = 7.00, III 1.82 + 0.90 + 1.20 + 1.68 + 1.16 = 6.76, IV 2.58 + 1.04 + 1.82 + 2.76 + 1.40 = 9.60.
General appearance as in Figs 4 and 171. Carapace dark brown, with dense black mottling; upsilon marking of feathery setae originating from AME towards posterior margin, diverging after fovea. Clypeus height equal to 2.33 AME diameter; AME smaller than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to 1.25 their diameter, AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.38 AME diameter; PME smaller than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to 2.83 their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 2.33 PME diameter. Chelicerae dark brown, with dense black mottling; promargin with three teeth, median tooth very large, proximal and distal teeth small, proximal tooth smallest; median and proximal teeth close together, distal tooth widely separated from median tooth; retromargin with two widely spaced teeth, proximal tooth larger. Endites dark red-brown, with black mottling, cream at maxillar hair tuft. Labium dark brown, anterior margin brown. Sternum with many erect setae laterally, few setae medially. Legs with proximal segments deep red-brown, distal segments orange-brown. Leg spination: femora: I do 2 rl 1, II do 2 rl 1, III do 4, IV do 4; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 do 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I spineless, II pl 1 rl 1, III pl 4 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 4 rl 4 plv 1 rlv 2 vt 2; palpal spination: femora do 3 rl 1; patellae do 1; tibiae pl 2 rl 2; tarsi do 2. Abdomen black, with deep orange scutum extending third abdomen length; dorsum with white feathery setae forming three pairs of white markings dorsolaterally, single spot above spinnerets; anterior markings an elongate stripe to onethird abdomen length, briefly separated from elongate-oval second markings, third pair isolated bilobed stripe posterolaterally (Fig. 171); venter creamy-grey, with faint grey mottling; elongate sclerite on lateral sides above booklungs; post-epigastric sclerites small; two paired rows of tiny sclerites running from epigastric furrow posteriorly, lateral pair reaching spinnerets, median row to half abdomen length. Palp dark yellow-brown; RTA long, entirely obscured in ventral view by retrolateral heel of cymbium; in retrolateral view subtriangular, elongate, with narrow base and sharp tip; cymbium narrow, 2.03 times longer than wide, narrowed to rounded point distally; embolus originating prolaterally, elongate, slightly undulating, with stout sharp tip directed retrodistally; median apophysis massive, weakly sclerotized; basal section subtriangular, with right-angled bend distally, thumb-shaped tip directed prolaterally, partly obscuring embolus (Figs 92, 201, 202).
Additional material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: Cape Town, Muizenberg, 34°06'S, 18°27'E, 1989, leg. R. Legg (pitfalls), 6♀ (MRAC 209560); Same locality, 5.V.1991, leg. R. Legg (dunes to the north), 8♀ (MRAC 173712); Same data as previous but 19.V.1991, 4♀ (MRAC 173721); Same data as previous but 2.VI.1991, 3♀ (MRAC 173744); Same data as previous but 16.VI.1991, 3♀ (MRAC 173759); Same data as previous but 29.IX.1991, 1♀ (MRAC 174637); De Hoop Nature Reserve, Koppie Alleen, 34°28.534'S, 20°30.349'E, 26.VII.2005, leg. C. Haddad (milkwood leaf litter), 1♀ (NCA 2005 /2341); Same locality, 7.IV.2004, leg. C. Haddad (coastal dune, under Thamnochortis sedges), 4♂ (NCA 2005 /2010); Same locality, 5.IV.2004, leg. C. Haddad (under rocks in fynbos), 2♀ (SAMC ENW-C005350); De Hoop Nature Reserve, Potberg, 34°22.487'S, 20°31.980'E, 4.IV.2004, leg. C. Haddad (under logs, Eucalyptus forest), 1♂ 1♀ 1 imm. (NCA 2005 /589); De Hoop Nature Reserve, Lekkerwater road, 34°24.002'S, 20°33.151'E, 26.III.2004, leg. C. Haddad (active search, under Thamnochortis), 1♂ (NCA 2013/5340); Same locality, 6.IV.2004, leg. C. Haddad (Eucalyptus leaf litter), 1♂ (NCA 2013/5341); Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, Kogelberg Valley, 34°19.200'S, 18°57.600'E, 22.III.2008, leg. B. Mbinka (on leaves in fynbos), 1♀ (NCA 2010 /2085); Moordkuil Valley, 34°04'S, 22°07'E, 10–21.III.1986, leg. M. MacPherson & A. Roux, 3♀ (SAMC ENW-C003363).
Distribution. Known from several localities in the Western Cape, South Africa (Fig. 203).
description: Published as part of Mbo, Zingisile & Haddad, Charles R., 2019, A revision of the endemic South African long-jawed ground spider genus Drassodella Hewitt, 1916 (Araneae: Gallieniellidae), pp. 1-62 in Zootaxa 4582 (1) on pages 54-56, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4582.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2643724