Ballomma haddadi, gen. et sp. nov
Creators: name: Jocqué, Rudy
name: Henrard, Arnaud
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Zodariidae
Ballomma
Ballomma haddadi

description: Ballomma haddadi gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:20DEADCF-E2D1-47AA-AC36-29DF62B1A304
Figs 6 A–F, 7A–C, 8A–D, 14
Diagnosis
The male of B. haddadi gen. et sp. nov. is easily recognized by the peculiar palp with the long, thin, sinuous embolus provided at its base with a large, sharp process pointing forward. The female has a characteristic epigyne with dark central area from where procurved cul-de-sac tubes originate, followed by well-separated spermathecae.
Etymology
The species name is a patronym in honor of Charles Haddad for his many contributions on African arachnology.
Type material
Holotype
SOUTH AFRICA: ♂, Transvaal (now Limpopo Province), Pietersburg District, Woodbush Forest, 23°54’ S 29°27’ E, Sep. 1960, Leleup N. (MRAC 132646)
Other material examined
SOUTH AFRICA: 2 ♀♀, Transvaal, Lydenburg District, Ohrigstad, 24°50’ S 30°20’ E, 27 Mar. 1962, in forest litter, Leleup N. (MRAC 132641).
Description
Male (holotype)
MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.47; carapace 2.84 long, 1.78 wide, narrowed to 0.92 in eye region.
COLOUR. Carapace (Fig. 6 A) medium brown without silvery setae; chelicerae, sternum and posterior leg pairs brownish orange (Fig. 6 B); anterior leg pairs yellowish orange; abdomen (Fig. 6 A–B): dorsum and sides grey with complex pale pattern; venter pale with faint grey pattern, yellow in front of epigastric furrow; spinnerets yellow.
CARAPACE. Reticulated; flat, profile without dip. Chilum double, each sclerite 0.07 high, 0.07 wide; no setae. Sternum shield-shaped, 0.92 long, 0.71 wide.
EYES. AME: 0.07; ALE: 0.13; ALE–ALE: 0.00; AME–ALE: 0.05; PME: 0.12; PLE: 0.13; PME– PME: 0.05; PME–PLE: 0.18. Clypeus 0.38 or 2.9 times width of ALE.
LEGS. Without hinged hairs.
SPINATION.
FPTMtId1-v2-1v1-2 -1IId1-v1-1 -2v2-2 -2IIId1rl1pl2d3rl2 v2-2 -210ispdw6IVd2d1rl1pl3d3rl3 v2-2 -214dispdw6
LEG MEASUREMENTS.
FPTMtttotalI1.680.701.401.190.915.88II1.400.630.910.910.634.48III1.260.770.630.910.564.13IV2.100.841.121.400.776.23
ABDOMEN. Epiandrum well developed with oval membranous patch with two comma shaped marks along posterior margin and two tiny darker spots along frontal margin.
MALE PALP (Figs 7 A–B, 8A–B). Patella with pro- and retrolateral hair tufts. tibia with dorsolateral apophysis, roughly triangular and pointed, retrolaterally concave; cymbium with basolateral slightly indented protrusion, seven distolateral spines; tegulum high, in the middle with retrolateral protrusion with rounded tip; distally with membranous part ending in long, sickle-shaped apophysis (could be homologous to MA); embolus originating on posterior part of tegulum, thin, slender, curved over central part of tegulum, with large sickle-shaped sclerite at base.
Female (largest of additional material)
MESUREMENTS. Total length 7.46; carapace 3.34 long, 2.13 wide, narrowed to 0.92 in eye region.
COLOUR. Carapace (Fig. 6 C–F) pale orange brown; chelicerae, sternum and legs yellowish; abdomen (Fig. 6 C–D): dorsum and sides grey with complex dark pattern; venter pale with faint grey pattern, spinnerets pale yellow.
CARAPACE. Smooth. Clypeus with dispersed setae. Chilum double, each sclerite 0.07 high, 0.10 wide; no setae. Sternum shield-shaped, 1.28 long, 1.14 wide.
EYES. AME: 0.09; ALE: 0.13; ALE–ALE: 0; AME–ALE: 0.02; PME: 0.11; PLE: 0.12; PME–PME: 0.07; PME–PLE: 0.26. Clypeus 0.33 or 3.6 times width of ALE.
LEGS. Hinged hairs absent.
SPINATION.
FPTMtId2---IId2-v1-1 -12-2-2IIId2d1rl1pl3d3rl3 v1-2 -28disp dw6IVd2d1rl1pl3d3rl3 v2-3 -29disp dw6
LEG MEASUREMENTS.
FPTMtttotalI1.890.841.471.260.916.37II1.400.770.980.980.704.83III1.400.700.770.840.774.48IV1.960.911.401.540.916.72
PALP (Fig. 6 E). Claw with three small teeth; turned inward over <30°. Tarsus triangular with ventral side flat, provided with 10 prolateral, four retrolateral spines.
EPIGYNE (Figs 7 C, 8C–D). Flat, poorly sclerotized area, with internal structure and cul-de-sac tubes visible in transparency.
Distribution
Known from the Limpopo Province in South Africa (Fig. 14).
description: Published as part of Jocqué, Rudy & Henrard, Arnaud, 2015, Ballomma, a new Afrotropical genus in the Cryptothelinae (Araneae, Zodariidae): eyes on the run, pp. 1-24 in European Journal of Taxonomy 163 (163) on pages 10-14, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2015.163, http://zenodo.org/record/1406672