Lepthercus dippenaarae Ríos-Tamayo & Lyle 2020, sp. nov.

Lepthercus dippenaarae sp. nov.

(Figs. 2B, 14 A–J, 15A–E, 24) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 24775E74-F40C-453D-A86C-51027B1C586B

Material examined. Type material: Holotype ♂. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, Komga, Kei Mouth (32°41’S 28°22’E), 1-5.vi.2003, Haddad, C. leg., (NMBA 09339 B). – Paratype. SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, Same data as holotype, 1 ♀ (NMBA 09339 A).

Other material examined: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape Province, Cwebe Natural Reserve, The Haven (32°15’14.85”S 28°52’37.76”E), 30.x.2006, Haddad, C. leg., 2 ♀♀ (NCA 2007/301); Mazeppa Bay (32°28’12.30”S 28°38’24.12”E), 28.x.2006, Haddad, C. leg., 1 ♀ (NCA 2007/237).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case in honor of Dra Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman for her development of arachnology in Southern Africa and her contribution to our knowledge of African spiders.

Remarks. The male specimens labeled: Gauteng Province, Pretoria National Botanical Garden [25°44’ S 28°16’ E], 10.x.2007, Spider Club and others. leg., 2♂♂ (NCA 2009/5366) are considered conspecific with L. dippenaarae sp. nov. They share important characters, such as the copulatory bulb shape and tibiae I; but the collection locality is too far from the localities of others specimens. We believe could be a label error.

The vial NMBA 09339a contains the female paratype and other male with the same shaped bulb as the type. However, in the unique leg I present in the male specimen, we can observe a different tibia I spur. In the absence of additional specimens, it seems best to include them in L. dippenaarae sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Males of L. dippenaarae sp. nov., differ from all other species in “Group haddadi” by the presence of the embolus with a developed lateral keel delimiting a concave area (Fig. 14 F–H). Females can be distinguished by the shape of their spermathecae, with the base with a slight transition to the stalk and twisted inward receptacles (Fig. 15E). The females are similar to L. rattrayi, but differ in the higher number of maxillary cuspules (110 vs 54) and lower number of cheliceral denticles (12 vs 28).

Description. Male holotype (NMBA 09339 B, Fig. 14 A–J). Total length 10.76. Carapace (Fig. 14A): length 4.08, width 3.46, with lateral marginal bristles, with a little pubescence. Cephalic region: length 2.47; clypeus short with 3 bristles on the edge, 2 long bristles in front of the OQ. Fovea: width 0.36, short, almost straight (slightly recurved). Ocular measurements:AME 0.09, ALE 0.22, PME 0.14, PLE 0.19, OQ length 0.37, 0.74 width; AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PLE 0.02, AME–PME 0.08, ALE–PLE 0.03, AME–AME 0.09, OMP–OMP 0.29. Chelicerae: length 2.09, width 1.16, with dark dorsal–anterior bristles, intercheliceral tumescence square, developed, well-marked and with setae (Fig. 14C). Fang groove with 7 promarginal teeth and 30 denticles (mesobasal). Labium: length 0.27, width 0.65 with 1 cusp. Maxillae: length 1.34, width 0.62, with about 53 cuspules on posterior inner corner (Fig. 2B), prolateral face slightly curved, with long uniformly distributed hairs, no serrula. Sternum (Fig. 14B): length 2.18, maximum width 1.79. Abdomen: Length 3.96, covered with short and long dark hairs. PMS: length 0.59; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 1.28:0.94:1.67; total length 3.89. Lengths of legs and palp: I: 3.12, 1.99, 2.24, 2.08, 1.77, 11.20. II: 2.91, 1.83, 1.95, 2.01, 1.52, 10.22. III: 2.74, 1.49, 1.80, 2.57, 1.57, 10.17. IV: 3.56, 1.87, 2.72, 3.68, 1.77, 13.60. Palp: 1.45, 0.87, 0.94, —, 0.73, 3.99.

Chaetotaxy: Leg I: femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d (centrals), 1-1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1 P, 2-2-2 V, a small spur, with an apical long and curved spine (Fig. 14I); metatarsus, 1-1 P INF, 1-1-2 V, a medial protuberance with small dark spinules (Fig. 14I, J); tarsus, 0. Leg II: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1-1-1 P A; patella, 1-1 P; tibia, 1-1 P, 2-1-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1 P, 2-2-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg III: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1-1 P A, 1-1-1-1 R SUP; patella, 1-1-1 P (shorts), 1 R; tibia, 1-2 P, 1-1 D, 1-1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 2-1-1 P, 1-1-1-1 D–P, 1-1-1 D–R, 1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Leg IV: femur, 1-1-1-1 d, 1-1-1 P SUP, 1-2 R A; patella, 1 P A, 1 R; tibia, 1-1-1 P, 1-1 D, 1-1-1-1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1-1 P, 1-1-1-1-1 D–P, 1-1-1-1-1 D–R, 1-1-1 R, 3-1-1-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Palp (Fig. 14D, E): femur, 1-1-1-1-1 d, 1 P A; patella, 1 P A; tibia, 1-1 P A, 1 R A, (width/length: 0.80); tarsus, 0.

Scopula: Metatarsi: I–II, sparse 1:2 A (more abundante im the apex), II divided by bristles; III, sparse (A);

IV, no preset. Tarsi: I–II, dense, uniformly distributed throughout the segment; III, sparse, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of setae; IV, sparse, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of setae. Trichobothria: Tibiae: I 10-10; II 10-9; III 9-9; IV 10-10. Metatarsi: I (4)1(2)1(4)1; II (4)1(5)1(3)1(4)1; III (4)1(2)1(5)1; IV (6)1(3)1(4)1(5)1. Tarsi: I-IV 13. Preening combs: metatarsus: II, 3 P V; III, 3 P V–4 R V; IV, 2 P V–4 R V. Copulatory bulb (Fig. 14 F–H): Embolus with a developed lateral keel delimiting a concave area. Color: Overall orange-yellowish. Abdomen completely brown; spinnerets brown-yellowish.

Female paratype (NMBA 09339 A, Fig. 15 A–E). Total length 16.05. Carapace (Fig. 15A): length 6.36, width 4.68, with small marginal bristles. Cephalic region: length 4.23, clypeus small with 9 marginal bristles; 3 bristles in front of the OQ and numerous small bristles between the PME. Fovea: width 0.70, almost straight (slightly procurved). Ocular measurements: AME 0.15, ALE 0.29, PME 0.18, PLE 0.23, OQ length 0.39, width 0.53; AME– ALE 0.09, PME–PLE 0.02, AME–PME 0.12, ALE–PLE 0.06, AME–AME 0.12, PME–PME 0.39. Chelicerae (Fig. 15D): length 4.16, width 2.58; with dorsal-retrolateral dark bristles. Fang groove with 7 promarginal teeth and 12 mesobasal denticles. Labium: length 0.59, width 1.31, dorsally slightly concave without cuspules. Maxillae: length 2.35, width 1.05, with +110 cuspules on inner corner, prolateral face slightly curved, soft area developed, with long uniformly distributed hairs, serrula present on anterior inner corner. Sternum (Fig. 15C): rounded, length 3.16, maximum width 2.81. Abdomen (Fig. 15B): length 7.62, with small bristles in the dorsum. PMS: length 0.92; PLS: length of basal:medial:apical segments 1.16:0.60:1.45; total length 3.21. Lengths of legs and palp: I: 4.72, 3.01, 3.14, 2.95, 2.10, 15.92. II: 4.35, 2.74, 2.76, 2.66, 1.99, 14.50. III: 3.59, 2.14, 1.90, 2.48, 1.70, 11.81. IV: 4.38, 2.56, 3.44, 3.54, 1.86, 15.78. Palp: 3.03, 1.94, 1.85, —, 2.09, 8.91.

Chaetotaxy: Leg I: femur, 0; patella, 0; tibia, 1-1 R, 1-1-2 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1 V; tarsus, 0. Leg II: femur, 0; patella, 0; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-1-3 V; metatarsus, 1-2-2 V; tarsus, 0. Leg III: femur, 1-1-1 d, 1-2 D (1:2A); patella, 1-1-1-1 P, 1 R; tibia, 1-1 P, 1-1 D, 1 R, 2-2-3 V; metatarsus, 1-1-1 P, 2-2-2 D, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Leg IV: femur, 0; patella, 0; tibia, 1-1 R, 2-2-2 V; metatarsus, 1-1 P (1:2B), 1-1-1-2 D, 2-2-3 V; tarsus, 0. Palp: femur, 0; patella, 1pb; tibia, 1-2 P, 1-3 V; tarsus, 2 V B.

Scopulae: Metatarsi: I–II, dense, uniformly distributed; III, sparse (1:2A), divided by setae; IV, sparse A. Tarsi: I–II dense, uniformly distributed; III, dense, uniformly distributed and divided by a narrow band of setae; IV, dense, uniformly distributed and divided by a wide band of setae. Trichobothria: Tibiae: palp 10-10; I 10-10; II 12-11; III 11-11; IV 13-13. Metatarsi: I (3)1(4)1(6)1; II (5)1(1)1(3)1(6)1; III (5)1(1)1(3)1(6)1; IV (5)1(1)1(3)1(6)1. Tarsi: palp 11; I 16; II 15; III 15; IV 16. Preening combs: metatarsus: II 2 P V; III 3 P V; IV 4 R V–2 P V. Spermathecae: as in fig. 15E. Color: Overall brown–orange (chelicerae darker), sternum lighter. Abdomen dark, mottled with light spots in the dorsal posterior side, ventral light, spinnerets slightly dark.

Distribution. Known only from the Eastern Cape Province (Fig. 24).