Afroneta flavescens Frick & Scharff 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Frick, Holger
name: Scharff, Nikolaj
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Linyphiidae
Afroneta
Afroneta flavescens

description: Afroneta flavescens sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:920C61D3-CD79-464D-8BE3-853A17227ED7
Figs 4–5, 6A–C
Diagnosis
Males can be recognised by the combination of a simple radical division and the form of the paracymbium (Fig. 4A–B). The females have a round, but separated receptaculum (Fig. 4C). The copulatory duct is very short facing laterally directly from the copulatory opening into the receptaculum (Fig. 4D). The whole body of both sexes is uniformly yellow (Figs 5A–D, 6A–C). Both sexes resemble Afroneta bamilekei Bosmans, 1988, but the spination is very different, e.g., spine formula 0 0 0 0 in A. bamilekei (Bosmans 1988; Merrett 2004), 2222 in Afroneta flavescens sp. nov.
Etymology
The species epithet flavescens refers to the yellowish (Latin ‘ flavus ’) colour of the specimens. Holm suggested this name for these specimens in his unfinished manuscript, but never published the data (Wallin 1990).
Type material
Holotype
KENYA: ♂, Mount Elgon, 3200 m a.s.l., 01°10 ′ 0 0 ″ N, 34°40 ′ 0 0 ″ E, “sålln., mossa på trädstammar” (sifted moss on trees), 9 Mar. 1938, Å. Holm leg. and det., collection Holm UZM No. 137 (UPSZMC 67563).
Allotype
KENYA: ♀, Mount Elgon, Suam valley, 3480 m a.s.l., 01°09 ′ 59 ″ N, 34°35 ′ 59 ″ E, “sålln., mossa in Alckemilla -hed” (sifted moss in Alckemilla- heather), 17 May 1948, Å. Holm leg. and det., collection Holm UZM No. 158 (UPSZMC 67564).
Description
Male (holotype, UPSZMC 67563)
SIZE. Total length 2.70. Cephalothorax 1.35 long, 0.95 wide. Sternum 0.89 long (0.77 without labium), 0.67 wide. Abdomen 1.41 long, 0.78 wide. AME diameter 0.03. Femur I 1.40 long, 1.04 times as long as cephalothorax.
COLOUR (preserved specimen). Cephalothorax yellowish. Chelicerae, sternum, pedipalps, legs and abdomen yellowish (Fig. 6C). The colour seen in the female (Fig. 6A) also most resembles the true body colour of the male. Black rings around eyes, just like the females (Fig. 6A).
BODY. Cephalothorax with many short setae. Fovea present, elongated, darker brown, faint/shallow (Fig. 6C). Ocular area with several short thin setae between eyes. Clypeus with strong setae below AME. Clypeus height 6.3 times AME diameter. Subocular sulci (SU) present below AME, long and wide, but not clearly demarcated as in the females (Fig. 6A). Sternum shield–shaped with labium fused to sternum and short narrow extension of sternum between coxae IV (merged to carapace at the end).
CHELICERAE. With 3 large widely spaced prolateral teeth. Stridulating files not visible on chelicerae. Three small widely spaced retrolateral denticles, positioned between the two first prolateral teeth.
LEGS. All femora with two short stout setae dorsally. Leg formula 1243 (legs 1,2 of 4 almost same length). Trichobothrium metatarsus I = 0.59, very hard to see. Tibial spinal formula 2222.
PEDIPALP (Figs 4A–B, 5A–D). Patella with long strong distal dorsal spine (Fig. 4A). Tibia about as long as cymbium, with two retrolateral and one prolateral trichobothrium (Figs 4A, 5D). Cymbium with two prolateral macrosetae. Paracymbium curved, with two basal macrosetae (Fig. 4A). Tegular mynoglenine process broad triangular, facing distally (Fig. 4A–B). Suprategulum almost straight, finger-like (Fig. 4A). Radix drop-like with small straight, robust embolus. According to Merrett (2004), this is also present in Afroneta bamilekei Bosmans, 1988. Embolic membrane small, only slightly longer than embolus, exceeding the cymbium marginally (Fig. 4B).
Female (allotype, UPSZMC 67564)
SIZE. Total length 3.25. Cephalothorax 1.53 long, 0.99 wide. Sternum 0.86 long (0.79 without labium), 0.66 wide. Abdomen 1.86 long, 1.08 wide. AME diameter 0.04. Femur I 1.48, long, 0.97 times as long as cephalothorax.
COLOUR (preserved specimen, Fig. 6B). As male holotype. The difference in colour in Figures 6B and C is a technical relict from the different backgrounds. The yellow in Fig. 6A is closest to the real body colour.
BODY. Sternum shield–shaped, like male. Clypeus height 5.75 times AME diameter.
CHELICERAE. Cheliceral teeth (Fig. 6A) and stridulation file as in male. Spination of legs as in male. Leg formula 1243. Trichobothrium metatarsus I = 0.53, very hard to see.
EPIGYNUM. The females have a round, centrally separated receptaculum (Figs 4C, 5G–H). The dorsal plate scape is well developed (Fig. 5E–F). The copulatory duct is very short facing laterally directly from the copulatory opening to the receptaculum and lacking an anteriorly facing copulatory duct (Figs 4C–D, 5G–H).
Distribution
Only known from Mount Elgon over 3200 m a.s.l.
Life history
Little is known about the biology of this species. Specimens have been collected from moss on trees and in heather above 3200 m.
Comments
This species was originally recognized by Holm, who also suggested what specimen to use as holotype, but he never published the new species and a draft manuscript has not been found. The specimens of the new species are already listed in an unpublished report from the Zoological Museum, Uppsala University (Wallin 1990) as Afroneta flavescens MS.
description: Published as part of Frick, Holger & Scharff, Nikolaj, 2018, Description of one new genus and four new species of mynoglenine spiders from Africa (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Mynogleninae), pp. 1-27 in European Journal of Taxonomy 415 on pages 9-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.415, http://zenodo.org/record/1211253