Trichothyse zuluensis Sankaran & Haddad & Tripathi 2025, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Sankaran, Pradeep M.
name: Haddad, Charles R.
name: Tripathi, Rishikesh
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Gnaphosidae
Trichothyse
Trichothyse zuluensis

description: Trichothyse zuluensis (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov.
Figs 4, 8, 13, 19, 64–75
Xerophaeus zuluensis Lawrence, 1938: 479, fig. 14; Dippenaar-Schoeman et al., 2021: 63, figs 1–4
(holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Nkandhla [28°37’S, 31°05’E], I.1937, leg. R.F. Lawrence, NMSA 1400 —examined from photographs).
Other material examined. SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Ndumo Game Reserve, Banzi Pan, 26°53’03’’S, 32°17’13’’E, 35 m a.s.l., 7.XII.2018, leg. C. Haddad, R. Booysen & J. Neethling (canopy fogging, Spirostachys africana), 1♂ (NCA 2019 /215); Same data but leg. C. Haddad & R. Booysen (under bark of Ficus sycomorus), 1♀ (NCA 2019 /175); Same locality, SW shore of Banzi Pan, 26°53’07’’S, 32°16’55’’E, 17.VI.2005, leg. C. Haddad (Vachellia xanthophloea bark), 1♂ 1♀ (NCA 2014 /1255); Same data but 23.I.2006, 1♀ (NCA 2014 /1274); Same locality, Crocodile Farm, Pongola River Floodplain, 26°54’25’’S, 32°19’11’’E, 24.I.2006, leg. C. Haddad (V. xanthophloea bark), 2♀ (NCA 2014 /1478); Same locality, S shore of Hotwe Pan, 26°52’43’’S, 32°18’27’’E, 10.VII.2004, leg. C. Haddad (V. xanthophloea bark), 2♂ (NCA 2014 /1293); Same data but 7.II.2005, 4♀, together with 1♂ T. fontensis (NCA 2014 /1317); Same data but 22.VI.2005, 1♀ (NCA 2014 /1334); Same data but 27.I.2006, 5♀ (NCA 2014 /1306); Same locality, W shore of Nyamiti Pan, 26°53’46’’S, 32°16’33’’E, 10.VII.2004, leg. C. Haddad (V. xanthophloea bark), 2♂ 2♀ (NCA 2014 /1149); Same data but 6.II.2005, 1♀ (NCA 2014 /1167); Same data but 19.VI.2005, 2♀ (NCA 2014 /1183); Same data but 4.XII.2015, 5♀ (NCA 2016 /2117); Same locality, Nyamiti Pan, 26°53’21’’S, 32°17’42’’E, 53 m a.s.l., 17.X.2020, leg. R. Booysen & R. Steenkamp (hand collecting), 1♀ (NCA 2020 /857); Same locality, E shore of Shokwe Pan, 26°52’30’’S, 32°12’24’’E, 13.VII.2004, leg. C. Haddad (V. xanthophloea bark), 1♂ (NCA 2014 /1350); Same data but 6.II.2005, 1♀ (NCA 2014 /1370).
Diagnosis. Males of T. zuluensis comb. nov. closely resemble those of T. karoo sp. nov. but can be distinguished by the different passage of the sperm duct, the sharper bend of the embolus (Figs 3–4), the longer basal section of the RTA (approximately the same length as the dorsal branch), and the shorter, stouter dorsal branch of the RTA in retrolateral view (Figs 7–8). Females of T. zuluensis comb. nov. have almost parallel mesal margins of the primary spermathecae, as do T. karoo sp. nov., but can be distinguished from it by the heart-shaped atrium being placed at posterior middle of the epigyne (cf. Figs 13, 19 and Figs 11, 17; also see Lawrence 1938: fig. 14).
Description. Male (Ndumo, NCA 2021/1255, Figs 64–69). Carapace and chelicerae dark brown, labium, endites, sternum, scutum and legs orange-brown (Figs 64, 67–69); legs with faint black mottling, femora darker and tarsi paler than patellae, tibiae and metatarsi. Abdomen dark grey, spinnerets dark brown; carapace with faintly darker striae radiating from fovea, densely covered with white appressed hairs, with stiff erect black setae in eye region, along midline and on posterior slope. Fovea narrow, longitudinal, straight, dark brown. Anterior surface of cheliceral paturon with long black setae, promargin with low undulating keel ending in blunt distal tooth (Fig. 67; arrow); retromargin without denticle. Abdomen oval, hirsute, with deep orange-brown oval dorsal scutum extending slightly more than ⅓ abdomen length (Fig. 64); three pairs of distinct sigilla, first and second pairs at ⅓ abdomen length, on posterior margin of scutum, third pair slightly beyond midpoint (Fig. 64). Metatarsi I–II and all tarsi with well-developed complete scopulae (Figs 68–69), scopulae on metatarsi III and IV restricted distally. Spinnerets hirsute. Body length 8.20. Carapace 3.75 long, 2.55 wide. Abdomen 4.60 long, 2.53 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.17, AME 0.21, PLE 0.17, PME 0.16; ALE–PLE 0.13, AME–AME 0.17, AME–PME 0.17, PME–PLE 0.10, PME–PME 0.15. AME and ALE nearly contiguous. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.14, at ALEs 0.16. Chelicerae 1.32 long. Length of palp and legs: palp 3.37 [1.18, 0.52, 0.45, 1.22], I 8.45 [2.55, 1.39, 1.90, 1.73, 0.88], II 8.43 [2.32, 1.62, 1.87, 1.70, 0.92], III 8.06 [2.20, 1.30, 1.70, 1.88, 0.98], IV 9.84 [2.33, 1.52, 2.23, 2.76, 1.00]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination of palp: femur pl 2 do 2, patella and tibia spineless, tarsus plv 1 rlv 2; legs: femur I pl 1 do 3, II pl 2 do 3, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 1 do 3 rl 2; patella I, II and IV spineless, III pl 1 rl 1; tibia I–II plv 1 vt 1, III pl 4 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2, IV pl 3 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 1; metatarsus I–II plv 1 rlv 1, III pl 4 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 4, IV pl 4 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3.
Palp (Figs 4, 8): segments brown, cymbium darker (Fig. 4). RTA with stout base, with straight finger-like ventral branch directed almost vertically and markedly shorter, sharply pointed triangular dorsal branch (Figs 4, 8). Cymbial flange indistinct, approximately half the length of cymbium, smooth along most of its length. Tegulum oval, sac-like (Fig. 4). Conductor membranous, passing behind embolus, with proximal section parallel to embolus, bending at right angle, apex smoothly rounded and directed at 3-o’clock (Figs 4, 8). Embolus arising apically, base parallel-sided and initially directed at 10-o’clock, with sharp bend to spike-like tip, directed at 1-o’clock (Figs 4, 8).
Female (Ndumo, NCA 2020/857, Figs 70–75). Similar to male except the following: carapace and chelicerae brown, labium, endites, sternum and legs yellow-brown (Figs 70, 73–75); legs covered in faint black mottling, all metatarsi and tarsi I and II slightly darker than other segments; palps similar but tarsi darker. Abdomen mottled grey, spinnerets yellow-brown. Cheliceral promargin with low keel ending in distal tooth, with small denticle beyond it (Fig. 73; arrow); retromargin without denticle. Abdomen oval, hirsute (Fig. 70), with three pairs of distinct oval sigilla, two pairs at ⅓ abdomen length and third pair just beyond midpoint (Fig. 70). Body length 8.10. Carapace 2.84 long, 1.99 wide. Abdomen 5.20 long, 2.83 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE 0.16, AME 0.19, PLE 0.14, PME 0.12; ALE–PLE 0.10, AME–AME 0.05, AME–PME 0.13, PME–PLE 0.10, PME–PME 0.14. Clypeus height at AMEs 0.10, at ALEs 0.09. Chelicerae 1.25 long. Length of palp and legs: palp 2.11 [0.65, 0.37, 0.36, 0.73], I 6.00 [1.88, 1.08, 1.23, 1.13, 0.68], II 5.97 [1.80, 1.05, 1.24, 1.17, 0.71], III 5.71 [1.67, 0.90, 1.12, 1.30, 0.72], IV 7.59 [2.15, 1.13, 1.59, 1.94, 0.78]. Leg formula: 4123. Spination of palp: femur pl 1 do 2, patella pl 1 do 1, tibia pl 2 rl 2 plv 1, tarsus pl 1 rl 1 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 2; legs: femur I pl 1 do 3, II pl 2 do 3, III pl 2 do 3 rl 2, IV pl 1 do 3 rl 1; patella I, II and IV spineless, III pl 1 rl 1; tibia I–II plv 1 vt 1, III pl 4 rl 2 vt 2, IV pl 2 rl 2 plv 2 rlv 1 vt 2; metatarsus I plv 1, II plv 1 rlv 1, III pl 2 rl 2 plv 1 rlv 1 vt 3, IV pl 5 rl 4 plv 2 rlv 2 vt 3.
Genitalia (Figs 13, 19): epigyne hirsute, with paired comma-shaped ridges posteriorly, forming small heart-shaped atrium (Fig. 13; arrow). Copulatory openings indistinct, hidden in lateral edge of atrium. Copulatory ducts short, hidden behind primary spermathecae (Fig. 19). Paired secondary spermathecae globose, partly obscured by primary spermathecae (Fig. 19). Primary spermathecae parallel-sided, close together, with angular anteromesal ends (Fig. 19). Fertilization ducts narrow, curved, diverging (Fig. 19).
Variation. Male (n = 7): body length 7.50–9.70, mean 8.33. Female (n = 27): body length 5.70–10.20, mean 7.95.
Justification of transfer. The type and fresh material of X. zuluensis is consistent in somatic and genitalic morphology with the other species of Trichothyse (re)described in this paper, and shows considerable differences to Xerophaeus Purcell, 1907, an entirely African genus with large gnaphosids generally> 8 mm in length (see Tucker 1923 and Murphy 2007). Most Xerophaeus have shorter, stouter legs, are grey in colour, have a simple RTA, a long slender conductor and embolus, and an epigyne with a pronounced anterior hood or tongue-like scape (see Tucker 1923 and Dippenaar-Schoeman et al. 2021), traits inconsistent with the species examined here. We thus propose its transfer from Xerophaeus to Trichothyse.
Distribution. Known only from northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Fig. 120).
description: Published as part of Sankaran, Pradeep M., Haddad, Charles R. & Tripathi, Rishikesh, 2025, A review of the ground spider genus Trichothyse Tucker, 1923 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), pp. 39-70 in Zootaxa 5583 (1) on pages 53-56, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5583.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/14798099