Austrachelas bergi 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 bergi

description: Austrachelas bergi n. sp.
(Figs 1, 52, 53)
Diagnosis. Females of this species are recognised by the unique epigyne structure, which in contrast to females of most other species in the genus (except A. pondoensis n. sp.), is considerably narrower anteriorly than posteriorly (Fig. 52). A. bergi n. sp. can be separated from the latter species by the medially placed spermathecae (Fig. 53), which are well separated in A. pondoensis n. sp. (Fig. 69).
Etymology. Named for Michiel van den Berg, who collected the type specimens.
Female. Measurements: CL 2.85–4.90, CW 2.03–3.70, FL 0.22–0.39, AL 2.85–4.65, AW 1.78–3.30, SL 1.60–2.63, SW 1.15–1.85, TL 5.60–9.80, AME–AME 0.08, AME–ALE 0.05, ALE–ALE 0.42, PME–PME 0.12, PME–PLE 0.14, PLE–PLE 0.70.
Length of leg segments (sequence from femur to tarsus, and total): I 3.55 + 1.88 + 2.45 + 1.83 + 1.10 = 10.81; II 3.18 + 1.83 + 2.42 + 1.75 + 1.07 = 10.25; III 2.23 + 1.12 + 1.45 + 2.00 + 1.00 = 7.80; IV 3.62 + 1.90 + 2.75 + 3.25 + 1.17 = 12.69.
Carapace deep red, paler along midline (Fig. 1); AER strongly procurved, laterals larger than medians; AME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter, AME nearly touching ALE; clypeus height equal to 1¼ times AME diameter at AME, equal to ALE diameter at ALE; PER straight, laterals larger than medians; PME separated by distance equal to ¾ their diameter, PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae deep orange-red; promargin with three teeth, median tooth largest, distal and proximal teeth subequal in size; proximal tooth closest to median tooth; retromargin with single small tooth, closest to fang base of all teeth. Legs all uniform yellow-orange to red in colour. Leg spination: femora: I pl 1 do 1, II pl 1 do 1, III pl 2 do 2 rl 1, IV do 2; patellae: spineless; tibiae: I & II spineless, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2, IV pl 5 rl 5–6 plv 2 rlv 1 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 5 rl 5 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 3; palp: femora do 2, patellae pl 1 rl 1 distal dorsal seta present, tibiae pl 3 rl 2, tarsus pl 3 do 1 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1. Abdomen dark grey dorsally, with mottled cream spots (Fig. 1), paler laterally and ventrally; dorsum and venter lacking scutum or other sclerites. Epigyne distinctly narrower anteriorly than posteriorly; anterior hood elongate, with unique folds (Fig. 52); copulatory openings anteromedially situated, entering ST 2 medially; ST 1 oval, posteriorly situated, slightly separated (Fig. 52).
Male: unknown.
Type material: Holotype Ƥ: SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumulanga Province, Hall & Sons, l0km NE Nelspruit [25°30'S, 30°58'E], 29.IX.1997, M. van den Berg (on Hass avocado trees) (NCA 98/218).
Paratype: 1Ƥ: SOUTH AFRICA: Mpumulanga Province, Hall & Sons, l0km NE Nelspruit [25°30'S, 30°58'E], 8.I.1998, M. van den Berg (on Fuerte avocado trees) (NCA 98/768).
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 page 17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.191594