Toxoniella taitensis Warui &amp; Jocque, 2002, new species
Creators: name: Warui, C.
name: Jocque, R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2002
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Liocranidae
Toxoniella
Toxoniella taitensis

description: <i> <i>Toxoniella</i> taitensis</i> new species Figs. 1-8, 15-17, 20, 21 <b>Type material.</b> — Holotype male, Kenya, Taita Hills, Mwachora Forest, 3°24'S 38°22'E, March-April 1999, 1600 m, mountain forest, pitfall, L. Rogo (MRAC 208858, now in NMK). Paratypes: 2 females, Taita Hills, <i>Ronge</i> Forest, 3°21'S 38°25'E, 28 October-13 No­ vember 1998, 1350 m, mountain forest, <i>pitfall</i>, L. Rogo (MRAC 208794); 1 &amp;female; 1 juvenile: Taita Hills, Ngangao Forest, 3°22'S 38°20'E, 1720 m, mountain forest, pitfall trap, 24 March 2000, R. Jocque &amp; C. Warui <b>(</b> MRAC 209662); 1 <i>&amp;male;</i>, 1 &amp;female;, as previous (MRAC 209.523); 2 <i>&amp;male;</i>, 2 &amp;female;, Taita Hills, Egangao Forest, 3°22'S 38°20'E, 1750 m, mountain forest, pitfall trap, 15 July 1998, L. Rogo (MRAC 208887 1 <i>&amp;male;</i>, 1 &amp;female; in NMK); 4 <i>&amp;male;</i>, 1 &amp;female;, 4 March 1999, further as previous (MRAC 210047, 2 <i>&amp;male;</i> in AMNH); 1 <i>&amp;male;</i>, 1 juvenile, Tsavo West, Kasigau, 3°49'S 38°40'E, 2-9 December 2000, 1102 m, mountain forest, sieved litter, R. Jocque (MRAC 209956); 2 &amp;female;, Taita Hills, Vuria Forest, 3°24'S 38°17'E, 28 March 2000, 2100 m, mountain forest, sieved litter, R. Jocque (MRAC 209552); 1 &amp;female;, Taita Hills, Chawia Forest, 3°22'S 38°20'E, pitfall trap, 13-18 May 1998, L. Rogo (MRAC 208804); 1 &amp;female;, Taita Hills, Yale Forest, 3°39'S 38°33'E, 6 December 1999, 1800 m, mountain forest, winkler extraction of litter, VandenSpiegel &amp; Michiels (NMK). <b>Etymology.—</b> <i>The</i> species’ name refers to the type locality. <b>Diagnosis.</b> —The male of this species is recognized by the presence of a frontal, tapered tegular extension between the embolus and the MA and the ridge-shaped frontal apophysis on the tibia. The females are <i>characterized</i> by the epigyne which is as wide as long, has a pronounced anterior ledge with sinuous rim and long cul de sac extension of the copulatory ducts which reach the anterior margin of the epigyne. Male <b>(holotype MRAC 208858; range of other males in parentheses).</b> —Total length 6.39 (4.54-7.38). <i>Carapace.</i> 2.70 (2.13-2.98) long, 1.92 (1.49-2.13) wide. Carapace <i>yellowish</i> brown, with very faint darker pattern, paler in front of fovea. <i>Abdomen</i>: gray, <i>slightly</i> reddish in front, with dense cover of brownish golden setae. <i>Eyes:</i> AME: 0.10; ALE: 0.11; PME: 0.10; PLE: 0.11; AME-AME: 0.05; AME-ALE: 0.02; PME-PME: 0.10; PME-PLE: 0.11; MOQ: AW: 0.22; PW: 0.29; L: 0.26. Clypeus low, slightly less than <i>diameter</i> of ALE. Chilum triangular, 0.11 high, 0.19 wide. <i>Legs:</i> Spination: I: F pl1d3* P-T v1-1-2 Mt v2-2-1; II: F pl 1d3* P-T v1-1-2 Mt v2-2; III: F pl1d2*rl1 P -T pl2*d2*rl2* <i>v</i> 2-2-2 Mt 10disp dw6; IV: F pl1d2*rl1 P v1 T pl2*d1rl2* <i>v</i> 2-2-2 Mt 10disp dw6. T, P and F of anterior leg pairs with ventral rows of long curved setae. <i>Palp</i> (Figs. 4-6): palpal tibia with dorsolateral apophysis as curved ridge; tegulum with <i>posterior</i> protrusion, not containing sperm duct, with frontal tapered extension between short, curved embolus and elongate, spoon-shaped median apophysis. Female <b>(paratype MRAC 209522, range of other females in parentheses).</b> —Total length 7.81 (6.60-8.38). <i>Carapace</i>: 3.05 (2.49-3.83) long, 2.34 (1.92-2.41) wide. <i>Carapace</i> (Figs. 1-3): as in male. Abdomen gray, with dense cover of brownish golden setae. <i>Eyes:</i> AME: 0.18; ALE: 0.14; PME: 0.11; PLE: 0.16 AME-AME: 0.05; AME-ALE: 0.04; PM E-PM E: 0.14; PM E-PLE: 0.14; MOQ: AW: 0.34; PW: 0.37; L: 0.34. <i>Clypeus</i>: low, half the diameter of ALE. Chilum: triangular, much wider than in male and less well delimited. 0.10 high, 0.51 wide. <i>Legs:</i> Spination:I: F pl1d2* P - T - <i>M tv</i> 2 -1; II: F pl1d2* P-T v1 Mt v2-1; III: F pl2*d2*rl2* P-T pl2*d2*rl2* <i>v</i> 2-2-2 Mt 10disp dw6; IV: F pl2*d2*rl2* P-T pl2*d2*rl2*v2— 2-2 Mt 10disp dw6. <i>Epigyne</i> (Figs. 7, 8): with wide sinuous, frontal ledge, central longitudinal groove and widely separated longitudinal <i>entrance</i> openings. Entrance ducts short and <i>parallel</i>, running towards the front, with wide slightly curved cul de sac tubes, reaching anterior margin of epigyne; two well separated globular spermathecae. <b>Distribution.—</b> Taita Hills, Kenya.
description: Published as part of <i>Warui, C. &amp; Jocque, R., 2002, THE FIRST GALLIENIELLIDAE (ARANEAE) FROM EASTERN AFRICA, pp. 307-315 in The Journal of Arachnology 30 (1)</i> on pages 309-312, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.819918