Published October 15, 2014 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Leroya silva Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2014, sp. n.

  • 1. Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa
  • 2. Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa & ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, P / Bag X 134, Queenswood, 0121 South Africa

Description

Leroya silva sp. n.

Figs 128–136, 139, 143–144, 147

Type material: Holotype: ♂, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC): Bas Congo-Region, Mayombe, Luki Forest Reserve [5°37’S, 13°05’E], fogging, 5–10 November 2006, D. De Bakker & J.P. Michiels (MRAC 222238a).

Paratypes: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC): 2 ♂, 1 ♀, collected with holotype (MRAC 222238b); 1 juvenile ♀, 2 ♂ same locality data as holotype (MRAC 220995). RWANDA: Est Province , 1 ♀, Ibanda Makera [02°09’S, 30°55’E], October 1993, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1320 ) . UGANDA: Masindi Province, 1 ♂, Budongo forest [01°45’N, 31°25’E], 15–25 January 1997, T. Wagner (ZFMK AR 1321). Etymology.Silva ” is the Latin word that means forest, and it refers to the habitat where all known individuals were sampled. Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Body without patterns (Figs 133, 135). Differs from L. unicolor in slightly darker body, shape of copulatory organs and carapace that is wider than long. Epigyne visible as two sclerotised areas (Figs 136, 143), in L. unicolor visible as one large sclerotised area. Male bulb as in Figs 134, 141, 142.

Description. Female. Size, measurements (n = 3). TL: 4.10 (3.89–4.22); CL: 1.98 (1.91–2.04); CW: 2.00 (1.96–2.05); CI: 0.99 (0.97–1.03); CH: 0.99 (0.74–1.11); CLL: 0.20 (0.19–0.23); MOQ-L: 0.37 (0.34–0.37). Colour. Carapace with metallic-shine to copper-brown; eye tubercles copper; abdomen dorsally and ventrally pale brown (Fig. 135). Carapace. Slightly wider than long. Clypeus. With numerous thick, long setae on edge. Chelicerae. With short setae (Fig. 128). Sternum. SL: 0.85; SW: 0.84; SI: 1.02. Eye s. Eye spots on all eyes or only on LE; ALE and PLE situated on very flatish tubercles; eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.57; ALE–AME: 0.60; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.94; PME–PME: 0.72; PLE–PME: 0.68; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 1.07; ALE/AME: 1.07; PLE/PME: 0.94; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.97; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.46; Clyp/AME–AME: 0.36. Legs. With trichobothria, tarsal claws with long tufts that extend densely towards claws (Figs 129–132); leg formula: I:II:III:IV; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 1.47, Pat 0.57, Tib 1.39, Mt 1.14, Ta 0.81, total 5.38; II—Fe 1.48, Pat 0.46, Tib 1.28, Mt 1.15, Ta 0.80, total 5.17; III—Fe 1.10, Pat 0.38, Tib 0.78, Mt 0.62, Ta 0.51, total 3.40; IV—Fe 1.04, Pat 0.37, Tib 0.81, Mt 0.67, Ta 0.50, total 3.39. Abdomen. With numerous long and shorter setae, spiniform setae scattered in between, all embedded in distinct tubercles; sigillae bigger than other species. AL: 2.12; AW: 2.05; AI: 1.03. Epigyne. Spermathecae and intromittent canals as in Figs. 143, 144.

Male. Size, measurements (n = 3). TL: 3.39 (3.04–3.92); CL: 1.63 (1.42–1.94); CW: 1.68 (1.49–2.00); CI: 0.97 (0.95–0.99); CH: 0.82 (0.68–0.93); CLL: 0.20 (0.15–0.26); MOQ-L: 0.31 (0.28–0.35). Resemble females but differ as follows: Colour. Metallic-shine, copper or blackish-turquoise; abdomen dorsally and ventrally dark brown (Fig. 133). Clypeus. As in Fig. 139. Sternum. SL: 0.67 SW: 0.70 SI: 0.96. Eyes. Eye measurements: AME–AME: 0.47; ALE–AME: 0.50; AME–AME/AME–ALE: 0.93; PME–PME: 0.56; PLE–PME: 0.59; PME–PME/PME–PLE: 0.95; ALE/AME: 1.08; PLE/PME: 1.05; MOQ-AW/MOQ-PW: 0.83; MOQ-L/MOQ-W: 0.37; Clyp/AME– AME: 0.41. Legs. Leg formula: II:I:III:IV; leg measurements: leg I—Fe 0.99, Pat 0.28, Tib 1.00, Mt 0.84, Ta 0.54, total 3.65; II—Fe 1.50, Pat 0.41, Tib 1.44, Mt 1.20, Ta 0.77, total 5.32; III—Fe 0.97, Pat 0.29, Tib 0.71, Mt 0.57, Ta 0.45, total 2.98; IV—Fe 0.86, Pat 0.28, Tib 0.72, Mt 0.56, Ta 0.45, total 2.87. Abdomen. AL: 1.75; AW: 1.67; AI: 1.05. Palp. Bulb with slight swelling laterally; tibia with long setae; RTA and VTA long (Figs 134, 141, 142).

Natural history. This species lives in the canopy of rainforests. Adults and juveniles were collected from October until January.

Distribution. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Uganda (Fig. 147).

Notes

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 136-138, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3873.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4948115

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Event date
1997-01-15 , 2006-11-05
Family
Thomisidae
Genus
Leroya
Kingdom
Animalia
Order
Araneae
Phylum
Arthropoda
Scientific name authorship
Honiball Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman
Species
silva
Taxonomic status
sp. nov.
Taxon rank
species
Type status
holotype , paratype
Verbatim event date
1997-01-15/25 , 2006-11-05/10
Taxonomic concept label
Leroya silva Lewis & Dippenaar-Schoeman, 2014

References

  • Simon, E. (1895) Histoire naturelle des Araignees. Vol. 1. Roret, Paris, 1084 pp. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 51973