Vendaphaea, a New Dark Sac Spider Genus Apparently Endemic to the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa (Araneae: Corinnidae)

ABSTRACT A new monotypic genus of dark sac spiders is described from the western Soutpansberg Mountains in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Vendaphaea gen. n., with the type species V. lajuma sp. n., can be recognised by a peculiar genitalic morphology, closely situated posterior median eyes, lateral eyes on slight tubercles and the densely setose and heavily spined anterior legs. The genus is provisionally placed in Corinnidae incertae sedis and may be most closely related to the South African genera Pronophaea Simon, 1897 and Austrophaea Lawrence, 1952, and tropical African genus Mandaneta Strand, 1932, Vendaphaea lajuma sp. n. occurs in leaf litter and amongst grasses in montane savannah habitats.


INTRODUCTION
The systematics of the Afrotropical Corinnidae is still in the early stages of revision, in an attempt to determine the true diversity of the group. So far, the genera Hortipes Bosselaers & Ledoux, 1997, Graptartia Simon, 1896, Corinnomma Karsch, 1880, Thysanina Simon, 1910and Austrophaea Lawrence, 1952 have received attention (Bosselaers & Jocqué 2000a;Haddad 2004Haddad , 2006aHaddad , 2007Lyle & Haddad 2006). Lyle (2008) revised two further tracheline genera in the Afrotropical Region, namely Cetonana Strand, 1929 and Trachelas L. Koch, 1872, but these revisions have yet to be published. Bosselaers and Jocqué (2000b) redescribed several poorly known Afrotropical spider genera, and transferred them to the Corinnidae. In addition, five new genera of trachelines have also been recently described from the region (Haddad 2006b;Haddad & Lyle 2008;Lyle & Haddad in press).
The current paper focuses on a new genus of ground-dwelling corinnids from the Soutpansberg Mountains in South Africa, to which they appear to be endemic. Vendaphaea gen. n. is allied to the African genera Austrophaea Lawrence, 1952, Mandaneta Strand, 1932and Pronophaea Simon, 1897, with which it shares the strongly spined anterior legs, simple female spermathecal structure, and the male palp that has a fine median apophysis, curved embolus with associated conductor, and cymbium with a dense cymbial scopula and modified clavate setae.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Material used in this study was observed in 70 % ethanol using a stereo microscope for descriptions and measurements. Photographs were taken using a Nikon Coolpix 8400 mounted on a Nikon SMZ 800 stereo microscope. The extended focal range images were stacked using CombineZM software (http://www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk). The epigynes and male palps of representative specimens were dissected and cleaned in a Branson 3200 ultrasonic bath for 10 min in 70 % ethanol, after which they were drawn. All material has been deposited in the National Collection of Arachnida, ARC -Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa (NCA) and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil (MPEG).
Material for scanning electron microscopy was prepared through a graded ethanol series up to 100 %, after which it was critical point dried, mounted on stubs and sputter coated with gold three times for two minutes. Digitised micrographs were taken using a JEOL WinSEM at 10 kV.
All measurements are given in millimetres (mm). A range of body measurements is given for the smallest and largest specimens of each sex, and eye and leg measurements are given for the largest specimen of each sex. Eye arrangements are described for the anterior view of the anterior eye row, and dorsal view of the posterior eye row. Leg spination follows the format of Bosselaers and Jocqué (2000b).

DISCUSSION
Vendaphaea is a very distinctive genus and can be easily recognised from Austrophaea, Mandaneta and Pronophaea, to which it seems most closely allied. This group of genera can be recognised by several synapomorphic characters that may (once all the genera have been revised) support the monophyly of this group within Corinnidae, be it at tribal or subfamilial level: strongly spined femora I, and strong ventral leg spines on the anterior tibiae and metatarsi; procurved eye rows, posterior row nearly straight; broad male palpal cymbium with dense dorsal setal mat (= cymbial scopula) and modified setae; male palpal tegulum with a short, fine median apophysis; and simple female genitalic structure (see Lessert 1923;Lawrence 1937Lawrence , 1952Haddad 2007). The South American genera Ianduba Bonaldo, 1997 and Olbus Simon, 1880 may also belong to this group, as their anterior legs are heavily spined, femoral spines are present on leg I in both sexes, male genitalia feature a dorsal cymbial setal mat, conductor and tegular median apophysis, and modified cymbial setae are also found in Olbus (Bonaldo 1997;Ramírez et al. 2001). Furthermore, the African genera Procopius Thorell, 1899 andPseudocorinna Simon, 1909 also feature heavily spined legs and a palpal median apophysis (Simon 1909;Ramírez et al. 2001).
The currently accepted definition of the subfamily Corinninae (Bonaldo 2000; Deeleman-Reinhold 2001) excludes these genera from this subfamily (particularly the presence of a median apophysis on the male palpal tegulum), and they also do not belong to the Phrurolithinae, Castianeirinae and Trachelinae. They should thus be considered Corinnidae incertae sedis until a comprehensive cladistic analysis has been performed and the generic and subfamily limits of Corinnidae can be more thoroughly clarified.