Tabiboka polotowae Henrard, Griswold & Jocqué, 2024, gen. et sp. nov.
Creators: name: Henrard, Arnaud
name: Griswold, Charles
name: Jocqué, Rudy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Udubidae
Tabiboka
Tabiboka polotowae

description: Tabiboka polotowae gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5FF0F818-0EC8-428C-86F4-36FF94F62ED7
Figs 10–12, 26
Zorodictyna spp. 3 and 4 – Polotow et al. 2015.
Diagnosis
The males of Tabiboka polotowae gen. et sp. nov. may be distinguished by an elongate embolus (E) arising retrobasally near 200°, the paraconductor (Pc) visible between embolus and the conductor (C) base, the palpal tibia having blunt retromedian process (RTA) arising near basally and narrow, finger-like ventral apical process (VTA) (Figs 11A–C, 12A–F) (vs in T. milleri gen. et sp. nov., males have shorter and broader E and MA, a small VTA and greatly elongated RTA, Fig. 5A–C; and in T. milloti gen. et sp. nov., the MA is elongate, cruciform, and the VTA is thumb-like, Fig. 9A–C). Females of T. polotowae have epigyne median lobe (ML) rectangular, narrowest in middle or with sides straight (Figs 11D, 12G) (vs heart-shaped ML in T. milleri, Figs 4B, 5D, 7A and T. milloti, Fig. 9D).
Etymology
The species name is a matronym in honor of Dr Daniele Polotow, who studies the phylogenetics and taxonomy of spiders of the OC clade including Lycosoidea. She led the research that in 2015 led to the proposal and diagnosis of the Udubidae and the current phylogenetic framework for Lycosoidea interrelationships, and she collected many of the data used in this paper.
Type material
Holotype
MADAGASCAR – Antananarivo Province • ♂; NE outskirts of Antananarivo, Ambohimanga Village; 18°44′ S, 47°34′ E (coordinates approximate); 27 Jul. 1992; V. and B. Roth leg.; VBRoth002; [palp & endogyne drawn; SEM palp]; CASENT_9016117; CAS.
Paratypes
MADAGASCAR – Antananarivo Province • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; CASENT_9016117; CAS • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 1 Nov. 1993; J. Coddington, N. Scharff, S. Larcher, C. Griswold, R. Andriamasimanana leg.; Berlese of fine leaf litter; CEG010; CASENT_9016116; CAS • 1 ♂; 10 km NE of Tana; 18°45′32″ S, 48°33′45″ E; 1300 m a.s.l.; 5 August 1992; V. Roth, leg.; [habitus photos of male]; Roth001; CASENT_9016118; CAS. – Fianarantsoa Province • 1 ♀; Parc National Andringitra, 34 km S of Ambalavao; 22°08′48.9″ S, 45°57′03.4″ E; 1580 m a.s.l.; 7 Jan. 2009; H. Wood leg.; sifting litter in the day; primary montane rainforest; [SEM stubs 221, 9, 10, 222, 4] [Voucher DP-2014b -“Zorodictynidae sp. 3”, D. Polotow Lycosoidea Total Evidence Phylogeny]; HW0813; CASENT_9029890; CAS • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; [Voucher DP-2014a -“Zorodictynidae sp. 4”, D. Polotow Lycosoidea Total Evidence Phylogeny]; CASENT_9029889; CAS.
Other material examined
MADAGASCAR – Antananarivo Province • 1 ♀; Station Forestière Angavokely, 22 km E of Antananarivo; 18°56′ S, 47°45′ E; 1300 m a.s.l.; low canopy remnant forest, general collecting; 8 Sep. 2001; D. Ubick, D. Andriamalala, T.Andriambinintsoa, J.J. Rafanomezantsoa leg.; DU-01-2; CASENT_901371; CAS • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; CASENT_901317; CAS • 1 ♂; Ambohimanga; 18°44′ S, 47°34′ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 2 Nov. 1993; C. Griswold, S. Larcher, N. Scharff leg.; night collecting; CEG009; CASENT_9016115; USNM • 1 ♂; 10 km NE of Tana; 18°45′32″ S, 48°33′45″ E; 1300 m a.s.l.; 5 Aug. 1992; V. Roth, leg.; [habitus photos of male]; Roth 001; CASENT_9016118; CAS.
Description
Male holotype (CASENT_9016117; CAS)
MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 8.10. Carapace: length 4.50, width 3.40, height 1.90.
COLORATION (Fig. 10A, C). Carapace brownish yellow, darker along margin, with two faint, longitudinal dark bands along margin of pars cephalica; black on ocular area and surrounding all eyes; chelicerae brownish yellow; sternum yellow, unmarked; legs brownish yellow, with subbasal and subapical dusky annuli on all femora, other segments unmarked; abdomen brownish yellow with darker cardiac mark and dorsolateral dark bands that break up into chevrons posteriorly, sides brownish yellow mottled with dark marks, venter yellow except darker around spinneret base.
STERNUM (Fig. 10C). Oval with gently curved margins; 1.70 wide, 2.20 long.
CHILUM. 0.08 high, 0.28 wide.
EYES. ALE 0.11; AME 0.09; PLE 0.13; PME 0.13; ALE–AME 0.05; AME–AME 0.20; PLE–PME 0.33; PME–PME 0.13; MOQ: AW 0.23, PW 0.33, L 0.28.
CLYPEUS. 0.18 high, with four long setae.
LEGS. Trochanters shallowly notched. Unpaired claw smooth, well developed on all legs. Metatarsi lacking subbasal crack. Scopulae absent.
Leg measurements
FPTMttTotalI3.051.503.202.801.8012.35II3.201.502.502.301.6011.10III3.001.302.102.601.5010.50IV3.901.402.304.302.0013.90
Spination
FPTMtIpl1d3–pl2d1v2-2-2-2pl2rl2v2-2-2IIpl1d3rl1–pl2v2-2-2-2pl3d1rl2v2-2-2IIIpl2d2rl3pl1rl1pl2d2rl2v2-2-2pl4rl3v2-2-2IVpl2d3rl1rl1pl2d2rl2v2-2-2pl3rl4v1-1-2-2-2
MALE PALP (Figs 11A–C, 12A–F). Tibia with narrow finger-shaped VTA at retroapical margin and broad, median RTA arising near tibia base; cymbium oval, without dorsal patch of chemosensitive setae, with broad, sharp, conical retrobasal cymbial extension (CE) that extends to tibial apex; subtegulum large, filling most of cymbial concavity, with basal ridge (SL) at 180° that interacts with tegulum; tegulum oval with broad, basal notch, beneath this, conical lobe (TL) at 180° that locks with subtegulum; embolus (E) arises from retromargin of tegulum, simple, narrow, elongate, extending past apex of tegulum; median apophysis (MA) as sclerotized hook arising from soft base; conductor (C) hyaline, translucent, with narrow base arising near E base and greatly widened at extremity; paraconductor (Pc) as finger-like membranous structure originating between bases of E and C and extending less than half length of E.
Female paratype (CASENT_9016116; CAS)
MEASUREMENTS. Total length: 11.50. Carapace: length 5.20, width 3.60, height 2.00.
COLOUR (Fig. 10B, D). As in male except ocular area not all black and legs only faintly marked.
STERNUM (Fig. 10D). Oval with slightly sinuous margins; 2.10 wide, 2.40 long.
CHILUM. 0.09 high, 0.33 wide.
EYES. ALE 0.14; AME 0.08; PLE 0.15; PME 0.13; ALE–AME 0.06; AME–AME 0.25; PLE–PME 0.20; PME–PME 0.09; MOQ: AW 0.28, PW 0.38, L 0.28.
CLYPEUS. 0.10 high, with four long setae.
LEGS. Very weak scopula beneath tarsus I, scopulae otherwise absent.
Leg measurements
FPTMttTotalI3.301.602.702.201.6011.40II3.051.702.302.251.4010.70III2.801.302.002.301.509.90IV3.901.603.004.002.0014.50
Spination
FPTMtIpl1d1–v2-2-2-2v2-2-2IIpl1d1–v2-2-2v2-2-2IIIpl2d3rl1–pl2d1rl2v2-2-2pl5rl3v2-2-3IVpl1d2rl1–pl1d2v1-2-2pl4d2rl1v1-1-2-2-3
GENITALIA. Epigyne (Figs 11D, 12G) median lobe (ML) rectangular, elongate, narrowest in middle with apex of ML extending beyond epigastric furrow; lateral lobe (LL) convex, with transverse curved concavity posteriorly, narrow, only 0.25 maximum width of ML, copulatory openings (CO) hidden beneath anterolateral margins of ML. Endogyne (Figs 11E, 12H): spermathecae (S) simple, oval, length 1.06 times width, with scattered pores anteriorly on spermathecal head.
Variation
Male (n = 2)
Total length = 8.10–8.50, carapace length/width = 1.32–1.34, carapace height/width = 0.40–0.56, PER/OAL = 2.21–2.22, PER/AER = 1.33–1.38, OAL/OQL = 1.22–1.23, OQP/OQA = 1.44–2.00, clypeus height/AME = 1.00–2.33, cheliceral length/clypeus height = 8.57–17.00, sternum length/width = 1.05–1.29, palpal coxa length/width = 2.08–2.17, femur I length/carapace width = 0.90–1.06, metatarsus I length/carapace width = 0.82–0.86, cymbium length/carapace width = 0.37–0.40, cymbium length/palpal patella length = 2.15–2.27, cymbium length/palpal tibia length = 1.75–2.27, cymbium length/palpal femur length = 0.78–1.00, palpal tibia length/palpal patella length = 1.00–1.23.
Female (n = 3)
Total length = 8.40–17.00, carapace length/width = 1.31–1.46, carapace height/ width = 0.44–0.75, PER/carapace width = 0.25–0.27, PER/OAL = 2.40–2.88, PER/AER = 1.31–1.45, OAL/OQL = 1.20– 1.36, OQP/OQA= 1.36–1.56, clypeus height/AME = 1.33–2.33, cheliceral length/clypeus height = 10.67– 20.00, sternum length/width = 1.14–1.22, palpal coxa length/width = 1.57–2.26, femur I length/carapace width = 0.89–1.32, metatarsus I length/carapace width = 0.61–0.64, femur IV length/carapace width = 1.00–1.18, palpal tarsus length/carapace width = 0.33–0.38, palpal tarsus length/palpal tibia length = 1.91–2.15, palpal tarsus length/palpal tibia length = 1.33–1.75, palpal tarsus length/palpal femur length = 0.88–0.89, palpal tibia length/palpal patella length = 1.09–1.23. Epigyne with median lobe length 1.29– 1.38 times width; median lobe maximum width 1.34–2.10 times minimum width; median lobe width 2.00–5.00 times lateral lobe width; median lobe extends to (Fig. 12G) or beyond (Fig. 11D) epigastric furrow. Spermatheca (each) length 1.06 times width.
Note on synonyms
Specimens of this species have been used as exemplars in a previously published molecular phylogeny: they were listed by Polotow et al. (2015) as “ Zorodictyna sp. 3 ” (CASENT_9029890; CAS) and “ Zorodictyna sp. 4 ” (CASENT_9029889; CAS).
Natural history
The species Tabiboka polotowae gen. et sp. nov. is recorded from both highly disturbed and intact forest habitats. Many specimens have been collected while concealed in leaf litter.
Distribution
Tabiboka polotowae gen. et sp. nov. occurs in the eastern uplands of Madagascar from the south to the center (Fig. 26).
description: Published as part of Henrard, Arnaud, Griswold, Charles & Jocqué, Rudy, 2024, On new genera and species of crack-leg spiders (Araneae, Udubidae) from Madagascar, pp. 1-80 in European Journal of Taxonomy 966 (1) on pages 30-36, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.966.2697, http://zenodo.org/record/14001790