Echinax hesperis Haddad, 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Haddad, Charles R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Corinnidae
Echinax
Echinax hesperis

description: Echinax hesperis sp. nov.
Figs 3–4, 46, 56–59
Etymology. The species name is Latin for “western”, referring to its distribution in West Africa.
Diagnosis. Females of the species can be recognised by the narrow copulatory ducts directed at 45° towards ST II from the copulatory openings, with the ST II strongly expanded posterolaterally and nearly touching the copulatory ducts (Fig. 57). Males can be distinguished by the narrow base of the embolus and the distal section that is approximately three times longer than the basal section (Fig. 46).
Female (holotype, Comoé, MRAC 230757). Measurements: CL 2.10, CW 1.67, AL 3.45, AW 2.05, TL 5.35 (4.40–5.35), FL 0.28, SL 1.05, SW 1.05, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.34, PME–PME 0.11, PME–PLE 0.08, PLE–PLE 0.38, PERW 0.56, MOQAW 0.32, MOQPW 0.32, MOQL 0.38.
Length of leg segments: I 2.05 + 0.75 + 1.60 + 1.60 + 0.75 = 6.75; II 1.99 + 0.70 + 1.50 + 1.55 + 0.75 = 6.49; III 1.85 + 0.70 + 1.50 + 1.70 + 0.73 = 6.48; IV 2.20 + 0.70 + 1.83 + 2.35 + 0.80 = 7.88.
General appearance as in Fig. 3. Carapace creamy-yellow, eye region black except between PME; broad median band of black feathery setae from PER to posterior slope, broken up by asetose lines from PME to midpoint of carapace, to sides of fovea posteriorly, and from fovea directed towards palpal coxa; fine black stripe from posterior of fovea to posterior margin of carapace; lateral margins black, with broader stripe of black feathery setae from palpal coxa to posterior margin. All eyes with black rings; AER procurved, medians much larger than laterals; AME separated by distance equal to ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance approximately 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height slightly larger than 1½ times AME diameter; PER strongly procurved, medians slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance approximately equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance approximately equal to ¾ PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.98: 1. Chelicerae creamy-yellow, with pectinate curved setae on promargin; two closely spaced teeth on promargin, distal tooth larger than proximal; retromargin with two adjacent teeth, distal tooth larger than proximal tooth, close to fang base. Endites and sternum cream, labium light brown with cream distal margin, all without markings. Legs cream, spine bases with faint black spot; femora with incomplete black ring ventrally at their length; patellae black dorsally at distal end, marking surrounding patellar indentation retrolaterally; tibiae and tarsi uniform yellow; metatarsi with black lines between paired spines only. Leg spination: femora: I pl 2 do 3 rl 2, II pl 2 do 3 rl 2, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 1; all femora with plv and rlv rows of erect setae; patellae: all with do 1 terminal spine; tibiae: I pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2, II pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2 rl 1, with plv and rlv erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 2 plv 1; tarsi: pl 3 rl 3 plv 3 rlv 2. Abdomen with small dorsal scutum extending ¼ abdomen length; dorsum creamy-grey, with broad mottled black marking along midline to ¾ abdomen length, lateral margins with irregular black marking; black feathery setae on markings, white feathery setae surrounding them; venter cream, covered in short straight setae, with scattered longer setae posteriorly. Epigyne with narrow, sharply curved ridges at midpoint of epigyne, nearly touching medially, with copulatory openings situated laterally in ridges (Fig. 56); copulatory ducts initially straight, directed at nearly 45 degrees anteromedially, curving anteriorly before entering elongate oval anterior ST II; broad ducts connecting ST II to kidney-shaped posterior ST I; ST I clearly narrower than ST II (Fig. 57).
Male (paratype, Comoé, MRAC 230758). Measurements: CL 1.95, CW 1.53, AL 2.30, AW 1.24, TL 4.40 (3.70–4.40), FL 0.30, SL 0.90, SW 0.90, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.01, ALE–ALE 0.30, PME–PME 0.10, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.38, PERW 0.52, MOQAW 0.30, MOQPW 0.30, MOQL 0.37.
Length of leg segments: I 1.93 + 0.60 + 1.65 + 1.60 + 0.75 = 6.53; II 1.83 + 0.58 + 1.55 + 1.58 + 0.73 = 6.28; III 1.78 + 0.60 + 1.46 + 1.73 + 0.70 = 6.27; IV 2.08 + 0.65 + 1.80 + 2.26 + 0.80 = 7.59.
General appearance as in Fig. 4, male more slender and smaller than female. Carapace creamy-yellow, eye region black except between PME; broad median band of black feathery setae from PER to posterior slope, broken up by asetose line medially from PME to midpoint and asetose lines directed between coxae; lateral margins black, markings slightly expanded from coxae, with broad stripe of black feathery setae from palpal coxa to posterior margin. All eyes with black rings; AER procurved, medians much larger than laterals; AME separated by distance approximately ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance approximately 1⁄10 AME diameter; clypeus height equal to 1 4⁄5 AME diameter; PER strongly procurved, medians slightly larger than laterals; PME separated by distance slightly less than their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance slightly larger than ½ PME diameter; CW: PERW = 2.94: 1. Chelicerae creamy-yellow, with pectinate curved setae on promargin; two closely spaced teeth on promargin, distal tooth much larger than proximal; retromargin with two adjacent teeth, distal tooth slightly larger, close to fang base. Endites and sternum cream, labium yellow-brown with cream distal margin, all without markings. Legs creamy-yellow, spine bases with faint black spot; femora all with incomplete black ring ventrally at ¾ their length; patellae all black dorsally at distal end, marking continuing retrolaterally, surrounding patellar indentation; tibiae all with faint lateral black blotches; metatarsi with faint black rings proximally, medially and distally, corresponding to paired spines. Leg spination: femora: I pl 2 do 3 rl 2, II pl 2 do 3 rl 2, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 2 do 3 rl 2; all femora with plv and rlv rows of erect setae; patellae: all with do 1 terminal spine; tibiae: I pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2, II pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 3 rlv 2, III pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2, IV pl 2 do 1 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; metatarsi: I pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, II pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3, IV pl 3 rl 3 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3. Palpal spination: femora: pl 1 do 2 rl 1, with plv and rlv erect setae; patellae: pl 1 do 2; tibiae: pl 1 do 1 plv 1; tarsi: pl 1 plv 2 rlv 1. Abdomen with yellow scutum covering ½ of dorsum; dorsum with mottled black marking medially and black chevron markings in posterior half, lateral margins with black mottling; dorsum with black feathery setae corresponding with markings, yellowish feathery setae between them; venter cream, with broad black median stripe from pedicel to epigastric furrow and medially between epigastric furrow and spinnerets; venter covered in short straight setae, with scattered long straight setae posteriorly. Male palp creamy-yellow, cymbium with a few spatulate and straight setae dorsally in distal ½ (Fig. 59); tegulum pear-shaped, creamy-yellow with dark red-brown ducts; embolus with narrow base, long, with 1½ coils, distal section curved; longitudinal distance from retrolateral bend to prolateral bend approximately ½ the distance from prolateral bend to embolus tip (Figs 46, 58).
Type material. Holotype Ƥ: IVORY COAST: Comoé National Park, 08°44'N, 03°49'W, 220 m a.s.l., leg. K. Mody, 13.VII.1997 (canopy fogging, Anogeissus leiocarpus, tropical savanna) (MRAC 230757).
Paratypes: IVORY COAST: Apouesso, forêt classée de la Bossematie, 06°35'N, 03°28'W, leg. R. Jocqué, 14.XI.1993 (forest edge, on banana leaf), 1Ƥ (MRAC 177603); Comoé National Park, 08°44'N, 03°49'W, 220 m a.s.l., leg. K. Mody, 16.VI.1999 (canopy fogging, Burkea africana, tropical savanna), 1Ƥ (MRAC 230753); same data, 16.VII.1999, 1Ƥ (MRAC 230755); same locality, leg. K. Mody, 23.VII.1997 (canopy fogging, Combretum fragrans, tropical savanna), 13 1Ƥ (MRAC 230759); same data, 10.VII.1997, 13 (MRAC 230760); same data, 23.VII.1997, 1Ƥ (MRAC 230752); same data, 25.VII.1997, 13 (MRAC 230758); same data, 2.VIII.1997, 13 (MRAC 230751); same locality, leg. K. Mody, 24.VIII.1997 (canopy fogging, Anogeissus leiocarpus, tropical savanna), 13 1Ƥ (MRAC 230761); same data, 19.VIII.1999, 13 1Ƥ (MRAC 230762); same data, 28.VI.1999, 23 1Ƥ (MRAC 230754); same data, 14.VIII.1999, 1Ƥ (MRAC 230756); same data, 1.VII.2000, 13 (MRAC 230763).
Additional material examined. None.
Distribution. Known only from the Ivory Coast (Fig. 68).
Natural history. In contrast to most of the Echinax material from Africa, which was mainly collected in forest habitats, specimens of E. hesperis were collected exclusively in tropical savanna. Other records of the genus from this country (E. longespina) were collected in forests only.
description: Published as part of Haddad, Charles R., 2012, A revision of the spider genus Echinax Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 (Araneae: Corinnidae) in the Afrotropical Region, pp. 33-61 in Zootaxa 3450 on pages 43-45, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.209739