Cheiramiona kirkspriggsi Lotz, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lotz, L. N.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Miturgidae
Cheiramiona
Cheiramiona kirkspriggsi

description: Cheiramiona kirkspriggsi sp. nov.
Figs 28–33, 98
Type material. Holotype ♂, SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal, Ingwavuma, Ndumo Game Reserve, 26º52’S, 32º14’E, 30.XI.2009, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs leg. (NMBA 16797); Allotype ♀ and 6♂ 1♀ paratype, SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal, Ithala Game Reserve, Doornkraal Camp, 27º30.735’S, 31º12.231’E, 28.I.2014, C. Haddad & Z. Mbo leg. (NMBA 16841); Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: 1♂, Ingwavuma, Ndumo Game Reserve, 26º52’S, 32º18’E, 1–9.VII.2004, C. Haddad leg. (NMBA 9775); 2♂, Ingwavuma, Ndumo Game Reserve, 26º53’S, 32º16’E, 26.VI.2006, C. Haddad leg. (NMBA 10456); 2♂, Ingwavuma, Ndumo Game Reserve, 26º54’S, 32º17’E, 26.VI.2006, A. Honiball & E. Leuwin leg. (NMBA 10467); 7♀, Ithala Game Reserve, Ntshodwe Camp, 27º32.699’S, 31º16.911’E, 28.I.2014, C. Haddad leg. (NMBA 16842, 16843, 16844); 1♂, Ithala Game Reserve, Reserve Office, 27º30.301’S, 31º12.105’E, 28.I.2014, C. Haddad leg. (NMBA 16845); 1♂, Ithala Game Reserve, Onverwacht picnic site, 27º31.967’S, 31º18.984’E, 29.I.2014, C. Haddad leg. (NMBA 16846); 1♀, Ingwavuma, Ndumo Game Reserve, Viewing tower, 26º54.758’S, 32º16.295’E, 29.XI.2013, Z. Mbo leg. (NMBA 16847).
Etymology. The species name is a patronym for Ashley Kirk-Spriggs, collector of the holotype specimen.
Diagnosis. Cheiramiona kirkspriggsi sp. nov. females are similar to C. filipes (Simon, 1898) in the very short copulatory tubes and the closely situated, rounded SPER, but can be differentiated by the copulatory openings being situated on the edge of the epigastric fold and the epigastric fold having a slight lip overhanging the fold (Figs 29–30, see Lotz 2002: figs 130–131). Males are similar to C. fontanus Lotz, 2002 in the large tegulum, the bilobed EM apex and the small CON, but are differentiated by the broader RTA and the broader EM apex, with a clearly longer retrolateral than prolateral prong (subequal in C. fontanus) (Figs 32–33, see Lotz 2002: figs 71–72).
Description. Female (n = 10): TL = 3.50 (3.1–4.2); CL = 1.39 (1.2–1.7); CW = 1.14 (1.0–1.3); OAL = 0.25 (0.20–0.30); OAW = 0.72 (0.55–0.80); CLL = 0.05 (0.05–0.05). Chelicerae: robust with long fangs; PMT:RMT = 5:5 (Fig. 28). Measurements: AME–AME 0.10; AME–ALE 0.10; AME diameter 0.10; PME–PME 0.15; PME– PLE 0.15; PME diameter 0.10; MOQAW 0.30; MOQPW 0.35; CI (CL/CW) 1.25; LL:CL 7.20; STL 0.9; STW 0.8.Leg measurements: I—2.6+0.7+2.8+3.1+1.6 = 10.8; II—1.3+0.6+1.1+1.2+0.5 = 4.7; III— 0.9+0.5+0.6+0.8+0.4 = 3.2; IV—1.6+0.6+1.3+1.5+0.5 = 5.5; Palp—0.6+0.3+0.4+0.6 = 1.9. Leg spines: I—0, 0, 1v- 0- 1 v; II—0, 0, 0-0- 1 v; III—0, 0, 0-1r-3 v1 p1r; IV—0, 0, 1 v1 r-1 v1 p-3 v1 p1r. Abdomen: creamy-yellow with heart mark and one longitudinal row of markings posterior to heart mark. Epigynum (Figs 29–30): wider than long, with small, posterior, central depression on edge of epigastric fold, housing copulatory openings; epigastric fold forming slight lip-like extension; internally, short copulatory ducts proceed anteriorly before ending posteriormedially in SPER; fertilization tubes enter SPER posteriorly.
Male (n = 10): TL = 2.83 (2.5–3.3); CL = 1.29 (1.1–1.6); CW = 1.09 (1.0–1.2); OAL = 0.26 (0.25–0.30); OAW = 0.62 (0.6–0.7); CLL = 0.05 (0.05–0.05). Chelicerae: robust with long fangs; PMT:RMT = 4:4 (Fig. 31). Measurements: AME–AME 0.05; AME–ALE 0.10; AME diameter 0.10; PME–PME 0.10; PME–PLE 0.10; PME diameter 0.10; MOQAW 0.25; MOQPW 0.30; CI (CL/CW) 1.09; LL:CL 8.75; STL 0.7; STW 0.6. Leg measurements: I—2.4+0.8+2.8+3.1+1.6 = 10.5; II—1.3+0.45+1.2+1.2+0.5 = 4.65; III—0.9+0.3+0.7+0.9+0.4 = 3.2; IV—1.5+0.45+1.3+1.4+0.5 = 5.15; Palp—0.7+0.2+0.2+0.7 = 1.8. Leg spines: I—0-1p-0, 0, 1v- 0- 1 v; II—0, 0, 2v- 0- 1 v; III—0, 0, 2v- 1p1r-3 v1 p1r; IV—0, 0-0-1r, 2v-1 v1 p1r-3 v1 p1r. Abdomen: creamy-yellow with dark heart mark and two converging longitudinal rows of dark marks, inside triangular dark area, posterior to heart mark. Palp (Figs 32–33): cymbium elongate, almost twice as long as patella plus tibia length; tibia with short broad RTA, with small rounded ventral lobe and broad dorsal apex; TA short, slightly sclerotized, with hooked apex; EM short, thick, with pointed, narrowing, apex on retrolateral side and short pointed apex on prolateral side; CON not sclerotized and indistinct close to the side of EM.
Distribution. Only known from northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Fig. 98).
Habitat. Collected from short shrubs and from under tree bark.
description: Published as part of Lotz, L. N., 2015, New species of the Afrotropical spider genus Cheiramiona Lotz & Dippenaar- Schoeman (Araneae: Eutichuridae), pp. 71-94 in Zootaxa 3981 (1) on page 79, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3981.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/289020