Mystaria variabilis Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2014, comb. n.
Creators: name: Honiball Lewis, Allet S.
name: Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Thomisidae
Mystaria
Mystaria variabilis

description: Mystaria variabilis (Lessert, 1919) comb. n.
Figs 40–42, 87–90, 127
Paramystaria variabilis Lessert 1919: 103, fig. 2, 3, 4 (descr. ♂); pl.2 figs 14, 21, 27 (descr. ♀); 1925: 323; 1936: 253; 1943: 313.
Type material: Holotype (designated by Lessert 1919): ♂, TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro Region, Kibongoto [03°10’S, 37°05’E] (MNHG). Type series from MNHG was examined.
Other material examined. TANZANIA: Kilimanjaro Region, 2 ♀, same locality as holotype (MNHG). DEMOCRATIC REPULIC OF CONGO (DRC): Bass-Congo Region, 2 ♂, 6 ♀, Kisantu [05°06’S, 15°05’E], 1919, R.P. Vanderyst (MNHG). Equateur Region, 1 ♀, Bokuma [0°39’S, 21°01’E], February 1925, R.P. Lootens (MRAC 81635); 1 ♀, Bokungu, Boende [00°13’S, 20°52’E], 1950, Dupuis (MRAC 67392); 1 ♀, Bamba [06°49’S, 17°18’E], January 1940, H. De Saeger (MRAC 20088). Katanga Region, 2 ♀, Kalemie (Albertville) [05°56’S, 29°12’E], 18 November 1925, D.H. Schouteden (MNHG). Nord-Kivu Region, 1 ♀, Rwankwi [01°20’S, 29°22’E], July 1951, J. Leroy (MRAC 71571); 4 ♂, 4 ♀, 2 juveniles, Butembo, valley of Musosa [00°09’N, 29°17’E], May 1967, R.P.M. Lejeune (MRAC 132.856); 5 ♂, 2 ♀, 2 juveniles, Butembo region [00°09’N, 29°17’E], September–October 1965, M.J. Celis (MRAC 130.120); 4 ♀, Rutshuru [00°36’S, 29°27’E], March 1937, J. Gherquien (MRAC 21091, 21096, 21103, 21108). Orientale Region, 2 ♀, Watsa Niangara [03°01’N, 29°31’E], L. Burgeon (MNHG); 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Kisangani (Stanleyville) [00°31’N, 25°11’E], 28 April 1928. A. Collart (MRAC 11512/11516); 2 ♀, Saki [02°31’N, 27°25’E], March 1936. L. Lippens (MRAC 20950/20951). ETHIOPIA: Shewa Province, 1 ♂, Awash river [08°25’N, 39°25’E], sweeping, November 1966, (AMNH). KENYA: Rift Valley Province, 1 ♀, Baringo Lake, [00°28’N, 35°57’E], found on dead grass, 20 December 1979, P. Reavell (NM 13347); 1 ♂, Lodwar [03°07’N, 35°35’E], 60 km W of Lake Rudolf, 16–26 August 1963, B. Patterson (MCZ). MALAWI: Northern Region, 1 ♂, Chintheche [11°49’S, 34°10’E], 1 December 1977, R. Jocqué (MRAC 153.378). MOZAMBIQUE: Sofala Region, 1 ♀, Sangadze [17°26’S, 34°51’E], May, (MNHG). RWANDA: Kigali Province, 1 ♀, no exact locality data, (SMF); 1 ♀, Kigali [01°56’S, 30°04’E], 28–31 January 1976, J. Decelle (MRAC 147.909). Eastern Province, 1 ♂, Bugesera-Kibungo [02°09’S, 30°32’E], 22.vii.1975, P. Nyalugaka (MRAC 155.506). SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, 1 ♀, Port Alfred [33°36’S, 26°54’E], sweeping, 30 November 1977, A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman (NCA 88/485). UGANDA: Masaka District, 2 ♀, Rakai [00°43’S, 31°24’E], sweeping, July 1994, D. Penney (MRAC 210209). Iganga District, 1 ♀, on banks of marsh river Tabu [00°45’N, 33°30’E], February 1967, J. Ruabunesa (MRAC 131.565). Mbarara District, 1 ♀, on bank of river Lutebe [00°27’S, 30°22’E], February 1967, J. Ruabunesa (MRAC 131.552).
Diagnosis. Epigyne with atrium horseshoe-shaped; (Fig. 89); intromittent canals as in Fig. 90. Bulb round with VTA broad at base; RTA thickened at base, extending straight, directed antero-laterally (Fig. 87).
Re-description: Female. Size, measurements (n = 6). TL: 3.14 (3.06–3.45); CL: 1.22 (1.18–1.34); CW: 1.11 (1.12–1.22); CI: 1.10 (1.04–1.18); CH: 0.75 (0.63–0.82); CLL: 0.24 (0.18–0.27); MOQ-L: 0.25 (0.23–0.28). Colour. Carapace often with dark copper markings on thoracic, cephalic region and eye area, paler posterolaterally; uniform specimens with orange colour and postero-thoracic edge tinted; eyes on black tubercles; clypeus with yellow patch (Fig. 40); sternum brown and chelicerae uniform copper. Carapace and abdomen colour and patterns may vary between idividuals. Abdomen pale with variable pattern dorsally: a grey longitudinal band with slightly zig-zag edge, or band extending wider anteriorly and centrally; ventrally pale white with pale blue to darker grey striae; legs usually uniform pale yellow-orange, femora I–II may have infuscated brown bands; femora III–IV brown distally (Figs 40, 41). Carapace. Broad. Sternum. SL: 0.50; SW: 0.52; SI: 0.97. Eye s. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.22; ALE–AME: 0.30; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.75; PME–PME: 0.37; PLE–PME: 0.30; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.24; ALE/AME: 1.34; PLE/PME: 0.81; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.61; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.41; Clyp/AME–AME: 1.06. Legs. With numerous fine setae, dark erectile setae present dorsally, ventrally and laterally on all segments; tibia and femora with five long spiniform setae; leg formula: II:I:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.81, Pat 0.29, Tib 0.64, Mt 0.54, Ta 0.43, total 2.71; II—Fe 0.79, Pat 0.31, Tib 0.66, Mt 0.55, Ta 0.42, total 2.72; III—Fe 0.63, Pat 0.28, Tib 0.45, Mt 0.37, Ta 0.29, total 2.01; IV—Fe 0.73, Pat 0.27, Tib 0.56, Mt 0.47, Ta 0.34, total 2.37. Abdomen. Round to slightly wider posteriorly. AL: 1.92; AW: 1.75; AI: 1.11. Epigyne. Intromittent orifices open antero-laterally; intromittent canals long and complex with large coils anteriorly on both sides (Fig. 90).
Male. Size, measurements (n = 3). TL: 2.49 (2.34–2.59); CL: 1.08 (1.08–1.09); CW: 0.96 (0.90–1.01); CI: 1.13 (1.08–1.20); CH: 0.66 (0.66–0.66); CLL: 0.22 (0.21–0.24); MOQ-L: 0.23 (0.20–0.26). Differ from female as follows: Colour. Body orange or copper-red, abdomen dorsally dusted with blackish-brown pattern, usually with pale border anteriorly (Fig. 42); ventrally pale blue or slightly metallic blue, with striae darker blue; clypeus lighter yellow or orange area; legs usually uniform pale, with shades of brown or orange-yellow; femora I–II, tibiae and/or metatarsi IV may be slightly darker. Carapace. Smooth. Sternum. SL: 0.44; SW: 0.45; SI: 0.98. Eyes. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.19; ALE–AME: 0.28; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.67; PME–PME: 0.33; PLE–PME: 0.27; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.21; ALE/AME: 1.49; PLE/PME: 0.83; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.56; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.42; Clyp/AME–AME: 1.18. Legs. Leg segments covered with very fine medium length setae; femora and tibiae I–IV with few medium length, spiniform setae; leg formula: I:II:IV:III; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.91, Pat 0.26, Tib 0.78, Mt 0.61, Ta 0.31, total 2.87; II—Fe 0.61, Pat 0.19, Tib 0.53, Mt 0.41, Ta 0.29, total 2.03; III—Fe 0.65, Pat 0.26, Tib 0.49, Mt 0.22, Ta 0.20, total 1.82; IV—Fe 0.69, Pat 0.23, Tib 0.57, Mt 0.30, Ta 0.22, total 2.02. Abdomen. AL: 1.41; AW: 1.20; AI: 1.17. Palp. RTA directed antero-laterally (Fig. 87); RTA slightly shorter than VTA (Fig. 88).
Natural History. Specimens were sampled from vegetation. Adults were sampled throughout the year, and juveniles were sampled from May until October.
Distribution. Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania. New records: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda (Fig. 127).
description: Published as part of Honiball Lewis, Allet S. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, Ansie S., 2014, Revision of the spider genus Mystaria Simon, 1895 (Araneae: Thomisidae) and the description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region, pp. 101-144 in Zootaxa 3873 (2) on pages 133-135, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3873.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4948115