Cheiramiona malawiensis Lotz, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lotz, L. N.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Miturgidae
Cheiramiona
Cheiramiona malawiensis

description: Cheiramiona malawiensis sp. nov.
Figs 49–54, 100
Type material. Holotype ♀ and paratype 1♀, MALAWI: Chikangawa, Viphya Mountains, 11º50’S, 33º48’E, III– IX.1978, R. Jocqué leg. (MRAC 153597); Allotype ♂, MALAWI: Chilinda, Nyika plateau, 10º19’S, 33º48’E, 20.XII.1981, R. Jocqué leg. (MRAC 155653); Paratypes: 2♀, Same locality and collector as holotype, IX–X.1977 & X.1977 – II.1978 (MRAC 153012, 153478).
Etymology. The specific name is an adjective taken from the country of the type locality.
Diagnosis. Cheiramiona malawiensis sp. nov. is similar to C. kentaniensis Lotz, 2002 in the general shape of the female epigynum and male palp, but females are differentiated by the copulatory ducts not widening anteriorly (Figs 50–51, see Lotz 2002: figs 94–95) and males by the narrow and more strongly curved apical part of the EM (Figs 53–54, see Lotz 2002: figs 98–99).
Description. Female (n = 4): TL = 9.45 (8.9–10.0); CL = 3.48 (3.1–4.0); CW = 2.60 (2.4–3.0); OAL = 0.46 (0.40–0.55); OAW = 1.55 (1.4–1.8); CLL = 0.10 (0.1–0.1). Chelicerae: robust with long fangs; PMT:RMT = 4:4 (Fig. 49). Measurements: AME–AME 0.25; AME–ALE 0.30; AME diameter 0.15; PME–PME 0.35; PME–PLE 0.40; PME diameter 0.15; MOQAW 0.55; MOQPW 0.65; CI (CL/CW) 1.36; LL:CL 4.00; STL 1.6; STW 1.4. Leg measurements: I—3.6+1.3+3.4+3.9+1.4 = 13.6; II—2.8+1.2+2.2+2.5+1.0 = 9.7; III—2.1+1.1+1.6+2.1+0.8 = 7.7; IV—3.2+1.2+2.5+3.1+1.0 = 11.0; Palp—1.3+0.6+0.9+1.3 = 4.1. Leg spines: I—0, 1v-2v- 0, 2v- 2v-1v; II—0, 0-0- 1p, 2 v1 p- 2v-3v; III—0, 0-1p1r-0, 2 v1 p1r-2v-3 v1 p1r; IV—0, 0-1 v1 r-0, 2 v1 r-2 v1 p-3 v1 p1r. Abdomen: creamyyellow with heart mark and two longitudinal rows of dark marks posterior to heart mark. Epigynum (Figs 50–51): wider than long, with small W-shaped, posterior, median depression; copulatory openings situated anterior-laterally in depression; internally, copulatory ducts proceed anteriorly in S-shape before ending medially in SPER; fertilization tubes enter SPER posterior-medially.
Male (n = 1): TL = 4.6; CL = 2.2; CW = 1.7; OAL = 0.3; OAW = 0.85; CLL = 0.05. Chelicerae: robust with long fangs; PMT:RMT = 4:4 (Fig. 52). Measurements: AME–AME 0.10; AME–ALE 0.15; AME diameter 0.10; PME–PME 0.15; PME–PLE 0.15; PME diameter 0.12; MOQAW 0.30; MOQPW 0.40; CI (CL/CW) 1.29; LL:CL unknown, leg I missing; STL 1.1; STW 1.0. Leg measurements: I =?; II—1.9+0.8+1.6+1.7+0.8 = 6.8; III— 1.5+0.6+1.1+1.5+0.7 = 5.5; IV—2.3+0.8+1.9+2.2+0.8 = 8.0; Palp—1.1+0.4+0.4+1.1 = 3.0. Leg spines: I—?; II— 0-0-1p, 0, 2v- 2v-1v; III—0-0-1p1r, 0-0-1p1r, 2v-2 v1 p1r-3 v1 p1r; IV—0-0-1r, 1v- 1r-1r, 2v-2 v1 p1r-3 v1 p1r. Abdomen: similar to female. Palp (Figs 53–54): cymbium elongate, slightly longer than patella plus tibia length; tibia with broad U-shaped RTA, with ventral arm shorter than dorsal arm, both with rounded apex; TA slightly sclerotized, curved towards EM at tip; EM short, thick in basal half and narrowing towards apex, last half strongly curved retrolaterally, nearly transverse to palpal axis; CON short and broad, distinct but not sclerotized.
Distribution. Only known from northern Malawi (Fig. 100).
Habitat. Collected from pine plantations and in and around a house.
description: Published as part of Lotz, L. N., 2015, New species of the Afrotropical spider genus Cheiramiona Lotz & Dippenaar- Schoeman (Araneae: Eutichuridae), pp. 71-94 in Zootaxa 3981 (1) on page 83, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3981.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/289020