Afroneta serrata 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 serrata

description: Afroneta serrata sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:43E22AFC-D784-4494-8F78-87E9657584D3
Figs 9–10, 11A–C
Diagnosis
In males, the presence of serrations on the ventral margin of the paracymbium is diagnostic. However, the shape of the serrations is variable (see Fig. 9A–B), ranging from many shallow fine denticles to a few deep strong teeth. The tegular mynoglenine process tapers towards the tip and is well set off from the tegulum (Figs 9A, 10A–B). Females have a small dorsal plate scape and copulatory ducts that exceed the receptacula anteriorly.
Etymology
The species epithet serrata refers to the serrated paracymbium of the males. The gender is feminine. This species was discovered by Holm, who also suggested the specimen to use as holotype, but the species was never published. The material of this species is listed in an unpublished catalogue from the Zoological Museum at the Uppsala University (Wallin 1990) as Afroneta serrata MS.
Type material
Holotype
KENYA: ♂, Mount Elgon, Koitobboss, Alpine belt, “Sålln., moss m.m. på marken” (sifted moss etc., on the ground), 1°08 ′ N, 34°36 ′ E, 4200 m a.s.l., 11 May 1948, Å. Holm leg. and det., collection Holm UZM No. 142 (UPSZMC 67569).
Allotype
KENYA: ♀, same data as for holotype (UPSZMC 67569).
Other material examined (2 ♂♂)
KENYA: 2 ♂♂, Mount Elgon, crater, southern part, Alpine belt, “sålln. gräs vid Senecio ” (sifted grass at Senecio), 1°07′ N, 34°34 ′ E, 3980 m a.s.l., 14 May 1948, Å. Holm leg. and det., collection Holm UZM No. 62/147 (UPSZMC 67570).
Description
Male (holotype, UPSZMC 67569)
SIZE. Total length 1.98. Cephalothorax 1.13 long, 0.81 wide. Sternum 0.71 long (0.60 without labium), 0.56 wide. Abdomen 1.08 long, 0.66 wide. AME diameter 0.04. Femur I 0.70 long, 1.01 times as long as cephalothorax.
COLOUR (preserved specimens, Fig. 11A, C). Cephalothorax and chelicerae brownish, sternum darker and with blackish-grey margin. Legs and pedipalps yellowish white, without annulations. Black rings around eyes (Fig. 11A). Abdomen grey, with white markings. Figure 11A illustrates old material (1948) stored in 75% ethanol.
BODY. Cephalothorax with short pale setae in the midline. No fovea (Fig. 11C). Ocular area with several short thin setae between eyes. Clypeus height 4.6 times AME diameter. Subocular sulci present below ALE, clearly demarcated, longer than wide and narrow (Fig. 11A).
CHELICERAE. With 3 large widely spaced prolateral teeth (Fig. 11A). No stridulating file. Three small closely spaced retrolateral denticles, positioned between the two first prolateral teeth.
LEGS. All femora with short thin setae dorsally and ventrally. Ventral setae several times longer than diameter of femora. Leg formula 1243. Trichobothrium metatarsus I = 0.49. Tibial spine formula 2222.
PEDIPALP (Figs 9A–C, 10A–D, 11A). Patella with long strong macro setae (Fig. 10A). Tibia with two retrolateral and one prolateral trichobothrium (Figs 9A, 10D). Cymbium with two prolateral macrosetae (Fig. 9C). Paracymbium J-shaped, with unusual distal serrations on ventral margin (Fig. 9A–B). It bears two setae basally (Fig. 9A) and its distal part is well set off from the cymbium in dorsal view (Fig. 10D). Suprategulum narrow, triangular. Tegular mynoglenine process elongated, well set off from the tegulum (Figs 9A–B, 10A–B). Radix drop-like. Embolus with broad base, robust and almost straight and tapering towards the tip (Figs 9C, 10C). Embolic membrane exceeding the embolus and the alveolus (Fig. 9C).
Female (allotype, UPSZMC 67569)
SIZE. Total length 3.03. Cephalothorax 1.45 long, 1.07 wide. Sternum 0.84 long (0.75 without labium), 0.67 wide. Abdomen 1.79 long, 1.17 wide. AME diameter 0.05. Femur I 0.94 long, 1.54 times as long as cephalothorax.
COLOUR (preserved specimen, Fig. 11B). As holotype.
BODY. Sternum shield–shaped. Clypeus height 4.6 times AME diameter.
CHELICERAE. With 3 large widely spaced prolateral teeth. Retrolateral denticles not visible. Chelicerae without stridulating file.
LEGS. Spination of legs like male. Leg formula 1243. Trichobothrium metatarsus I = 0.44.
EPIGYNUM AND VULVA (Figs 9D–E, 10E–F). The epigyne has a dorsal plate scape that is moderately developed and neither extends much ventrally nor posteriorly (Fig. 10E–F). The copulatory ducts exceed beyond the receptacula anteriorly and are seperated from each other by less than their diameter (Fig. 10G–H). The receptacula are round.
Distribution
Only know from Mount Elgon, Kenya, at altitudes between 3980 and 4200 m a.s.l.
Life history
Little is known about the biology of this species. Specimens have been collected in the alpine belt above the forest zone. According to Holm it was taken from moss and grass on the ground in an area with Senecio L.
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 16-20, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.415, http://zenodo.org/record/1211253