Lepthercus sofiae Ríos-Tamayo &amp; Lyle 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ríos-Tamayo, Duniesky
name: Lyle, Robin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Nemesiidae
Lepthercus
Lepthercus sofiae

description: <i>Lepthercus sofiae</i> sp. nov. (Figs. 2K, 23 A–J, 24) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: D717E390-D4BE-4507-A1FC-7C567BEC818B <b>Material examined. Type material</b>: Holotype &amp;male;. SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province, Lily Vlei Nature Reserve, Gouna State Forest, N of Knysna (33°55’S 23°2’E), iii.1984, Koen, J. H. <i>leg.</i>, (NCA 97 /395). – Paratype. SOUTH AFRICA: same data as holotype, 2 &amp;male;&amp;male; (NCA 97/395). <b>Other material examined</b>: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province: Groeneweide Forest Station, NE of George (33°57′S 22°27′E), vi.1987, Koen, J. H. <i>leg.</i>, 2 &amp;male;&amp;male; (NCA 97 /291); Groeneweide Forest Station, Groenkop, NE of George (33°57′S 22°27′E), vii.1986, Koen, J. H. <i>leg.</i>, 7 &amp;male;&amp;male; (NCA 97 /331); Lily Vlei Nature Reserve, Gouna State Forest, N of Knysna (33°55’S 23°2’E), ii.1984, Koen, J. H. <i>leg.</i>, 1 &amp;male; (NCA 97 /283); Groeneweide Forest Station, Groenkop, NE of George (33°57′S 22°27′E), v.1987, Koen, J. H. <i>leg.</i>, 2 &amp;male;&amp;male; (NCA 97 /244); Knysna (Ara019) (33°57′S 23°3′E), 1.xi.2014, Swart, R. C. <i>leg.</i>, 8 &amp;male;&amp;male; (NCA 2017 /1609); same data (33°55′S 22°44′E), 4 &amp;male; (NCA 2017 /1611). <b>Etymology.</b> The specific epithet is a patronym in honour of Sofia Casadey Bollati, the first author’s partner, for her continuing support. <b>Diagnosis.</b> Males of <i>L. sofiae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, can be distinguished from species present in “Group haddadi” by a metatarsus I with the presence of numerous short, strong setae ventrally 1:2A of the segment (Fig. 23I; cf. blunt spines in others), and by the higher number of maxillae cuspules (140). It can also be recognized by a very developed, almost square palp tibia (Fig. 23D, E) and by a more rounded bulb with two well marked keels on the embolus (Fig. 23 F–H). Females are unknown. <b>Description.</b> Male holotype (NCA 97/395, Fig. 23 A–J). Total length 13.90. <i>Carapace</i> (Fig. 23A): length 5.87, width 4.40, with lateral dark marginal bristles, with a little pubescence. <i>Cephalic region</i>: length 3.59; clypeus almost absent, with 7 bristles on the edge, 6 bristles in front of the OQ and 6 between the PME. <i>Fovea</i>: width 0.45, short, almost straight (slightly recurved). <i>Ocular measurements</i>: AME 0.17, ALE 0.31, PME 0.19, PLE 0.24, OQ length 0.47, 0.88 width; AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PLE 0.00, AME–PME 0.07, ALE–PLE 0.05, AME–AME 0.08, OMP–OMP 0.40. <i>Chelicerae</i>: length 2.55, width 1.55, with dark dorsal–anterior bristles, intercheliceral tumescence small, little marked with setae (Fig. 23C). Fang groove with 7 or 8 promarginal teeth and&gt;30 mesobasal denticles. <i>Labium</i>: length 0.39, width 0.86. <i>Maxillae:</i> length 1.77, width 0.65, with about 140 cuspules on inner corner, prolateral face slightly curved, soft area long, with long uniformly distributed hairs, serrula present (Fig. 2K). <i>Sternum</i> (Fig. 23B): length 2.93, maximum width 2.31. <i>Abdomen</i>: length 5.42, covered with short hair. PMS: length 0.78; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 1.22:0.98:1.51; total length 3.71. <i>Lengths of legs and palp</i>: I: 3.46, 2.20, 2.97 (width/length: 0.47), 2.87, 1.79, 13.29. II: 3.77, 2.10, 2.46, 2.48, 1.80, 12.61. III: 3.60, 1.93, 2.15, 2.97, 1.69, 12.34. IV: 4.21, 2.22, 3.03, 4.04, 2.00, 15.50. Palp: 2.20, 1.07, 1.56, —, 0.90, 5.73. <i>Chaetotaxy</i>: Leg I: femur, 1-1-1-1 d (centrals), 1-1 PA; patella, 1 PA; tibia, 1-1 P, 2-3-1 V, a short and robust cuticular spur, with an apical megaspine with a strong curved spine at the base of the spur (Fig. 23J); metatarsus, 1-1-2 V, presence of numerous short and strong setae (1:2A, Fig. 23I); tarsus, 0. Leg II: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1-1-1 PA; patella, 1-1 PA; tibia, 1-1 P, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1 P, 2-2-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg III: femur, 1-1-1-1 d (thick), 1-1-1 D-P, 1-1-1-1-1 D-R; patella, 1-1 P, 1 R; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-1 D, 1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1-1 P, 1-1-1 D-P, 1-1-1-1 D-R, 2-3-3 V; tarsus, 0. Leg IV: femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A, 1-1 D-R A; patella, 1 R; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-1 R, 2-2-2 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1 P, 1-1-1-1 D-P, 1-1-1-1 D-R, 2-3-3 V; tarsus, 0. Palp (Fig. 23D, E): femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1 PA; patella, 1 PA; tibia, 2 P, (width/length: 0.79); tarsus, 0. <i>Scopulae</i>: Metatarsi: I, sparse, uniformly distributed, more abundant around the strong setae; II, sparse (3:4 A), more abundant in the anterior part; III–IV, absent. Tarsi: I-II, dense, uniformly distributed throughout the segment; III, dense, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of setae; IV, sparse, uniformly distributed and divided by a wide band of setae. <i>Trichobothria</i>: Tibiae: I 9-10; II 11-12; III 10-11; IV 11-10. Metatarsi: I (3)1(1)1(2)1(5)1; II (4)1(2)1(5)1; III (5)1(0)1(2)1(5)1; IV (6)1(2)1(2)1(5)1. Tarsi: I 13; II 12; III 12; IV 13. <i>Preening combs</i>: metatarsus: II, 4 PV; III, 4 PV–4 RV; IV, 3 PV–5 RV. <i>Copulatory bulb</i>: long, with a curved embolus tapering gradually with 2 keels (Fig. 23G, H), spermatic duct curved. <i>Color</i>: Overall orange–yellowish (chelicerae darker). Abdomen light brown, with spots, spinnerets dorsally light yellowish. <b>Distribution.</b> Western Cape Province, South Africa (Fig. 24).
description: Published as part of <i>Ríos-Tamayo, Duniesky &amp; Lyle, Robin, 2020, The South African genus Lepthercus Purcell, 1902 (Araneae: Mygalomorphae) phylogeny and taxonomy, pp. 261-305 in Zootaxa 4766 (2)</i> on pages 298-300, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4766.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/3765467
description: {"references": ["Purcell, W. F. (1902) New South African trap-door spiders of the family Ctenizidae in the collection of the South African Museum. Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society, 11, 348 - 382. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 21560382.1900.9525972", "Hewitt, J. (1917) Descriptions of new South African Arachnida. Annals of the Natal Museum, 3, 687 - 711."]}