Diphya foordi Omelko & Marusik & Lyle 2020, sp. nov.

Diphya foordi sp. nov.

Figures 1 H–I, 2B–C, 3B,I, 4E,G, 5C, 6B, 7B,E, 8A, 11B, 13E–G

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the prominent South African arachnologist, Stefan Foord (University of Venda, Limpopo), for his significant contribution to the study of African spiders.

Diagnosis. Diphya foordi sp. nov. can be separated from other congeners occurring in South Africa by the pattern and shape of the copulatory organs. Males differ from those of D. simoni by lacking a complex pattern on the carapace, and from two other species known by males by the same dark coloration of the frontal part of carapace and chelicera (D. leroyorum sp. nov. and D. wesolowskae sp. nov. have chelicerae darker than the ocular area and clypeus). Females of the new species can be recognized by having a dark sternum lacking a pattern, light-coloured femora of all legs and well-developed abdominal pattern. Diphya vanderwaltae sp. nov. is similar and has no abdominal pattern and has dark brown femora. Males differs from congeners by the palp with longest embolus and roundly bent and gradually tapering conductor. The most similar species is D. simoni, which has a straight conductor (in retrolateral view), a much shorter embolus and a shorter cymbial process (cf. Figs 7E, 8A, and 7H, 8C). The epigyne of D. foordi sp. nov. is most similar to those in D. wesolowskae sp. nov. and differs from it by thinner septal stem, ca. 1/5 of the septal base width vs. 1/3 of the septum base width (Figs 11B and 11D).

Description. Male (Holotype). TL 2.41, CL 1.34, CW 0.99. Carapace brown or dark brown with more or less distinct yellow-brown longitudinal band. Ocular area dark black; clypeus dark brown, somewhat higher than AME diameter. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth. Sternum dark brown with indistinct longitudinal stripe. Femora of all legs light brown; patellae light-brown, III-IV with grayish lateral sides; tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi of all legs uniformly light brown. Abdomen dorsally brown with 4 pairs of irregularly shaped spots (frontal pair of spots largest), surrounded by line consisting of white guanine spots. Lateral sides blackish, with yellow spots and stripes. Ventrally blackish, surrounded by yellow spaces.

Palp (Figs 7B, E, 8A): femur relatively short, slightly longer than cymbium; cymbial process long, 2.25 shorter than cymbium, gradually tapering; conductor weakly sclerotized, long, almost as long as cymbium, gradually tapering, anterior margin roundly bent; tip of embolus extends past conductor, visible in retrolateral view; embolus very long, ca. 1.6 shorter than length of cymbium, with its dorsal process in anterior view (Fig. 7E).

Palp and leg segment lengths

Epigyne as in Figs 11B, 13 E–G; epigynal plate about 2.5 times wider than long, with transverse septal base and very short stem, septal base almost 5 times wider than long; stem as wide as septal base long and twice shorter that septal length. Receptacles inverted droplet shaped, about 2 times longer than wide, converging, space by slightly over than 1 radius; copulatory ducts indistinct.

Type material. Holotype ♁: SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo: Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve, Farm Malta, 24°10.2’S, 30°15’E, leg. S. Foord, 17.I.2009 (riverine bush, litter sifting) (NCA 2013 /1025).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: Addo National Park, Woody Cape, 33°45.6’S, 26°24.0’E, leg. L. Wiese, 1.XI.2015 (active search), 1♀ (NCA 2016 /3633); Same locality and collector, XII.2009, 1♀ (NCA 2014 /90); King William’s Town State Forest, 32°52.8’S, 27°23.4’E, 450 m, leg. J. Neethling, 29.XI.2013 (forest, litter sifting), 1♁ (NCA 2013 /4385). Limpopo: Lajuma Mountain Retreat, Soutpansberg, 23°02.280’S, 29°26.520’E, 1312 m a.s.l., R. Jocqué, 6.II.2008 (grassland), 1♁ 3♀ (NCA 2012 /2548); Same locality, 23°02.4’S, 29°26’E, leg. D. de Bakker, 4.II.2008 (branch beating), 1♀ (NCA 2012 /2468); Same locality, 23°01.8’S, 29°27’E, leg. R. Jocqué, 8.II.2008 (near waterfall, hand), 1♀ (NCA 2012 /4281); Schoemansdal, Happy Rest Nature Reserve, 23°00’35.7’’S, 29°43’32’’E, leg. Y.M. Marusik, 25.I.2020, 1♁ 2♀ (ZMMU); Tshulu, 22°34.8’S, 30°48.6’E, leg. S. Foord, 20.II.2008 (bushland, litter sifting), 1♀ (NCA 2009 /203); Same locality, leg. A. Honiball, 6.II.2008, 2♀ (NCA 2010 /4852). Mpumalanga: Mariepskop, 24°34.8’S, 30°52.2’E, leg. J. Horn, 1.III.2005 (forest), 1♀ (NCA 2010 /3939). Western Cape: Goukamma Nature Reserve, 34°02.4’S, 22°51.6’E, leg. R. Jocqué, 30.I.2014 (fynbos litter), 1♀ (NCA 2016 /1819).

Distribution. Widespread in southern and eastern South Africa (Fig. 14).