Corresponding author: Peter Jäger (
Academic editor: Jeremy Miller
The genus
During an expedition in South Africa the junior author collected spiders of a species of the subfamily
Measurements are in millimetres, arising points of tegular appendages are given as clock-position of the left palp in ventral view. Leg and palp measurements are given as: total (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). Leg spination is given as: prolateral, dorsal, retrolateral, ventral (the latter digit may be omitted in the case of absence of ventral spines). Female copulatory organs were treated with 96% lactic acid. Material is stored in 70% denatured ethanol.
Medium sized
In honour of Mr Jürgen Kreutzmann for supporting the systematic research, description of biodiversity and nature conservation in South Africa; noun in genitive case.
(holotype, PJ 3261). Prosoma length 6.4, prosoma width 5.1, anterior width of prosoma 2.8, opisthosoma length 6.3, opisthosoma width 3.4. Eyes (
Palp as in diagnosis. Dorsal scopula covering two apical third of cymbium (
Colouration in ethanol (
(paratype
Copulatory organ as in diagnosis. Epigynal field as long as wide with narrow anterior bands. No slit sense organs present close to epigynal field (but see “Variation”,
Colouration in ethanol (
Females (n=6): Spination: femur III 323(2), patellae I 101/001, II–IV 101/001/000. Chelicerae with 3 posterior teeth (
Colouration: in general there were distinct differences in contrast and strength of the pattern. Dorsal opisthosoma with patch above heart only marginally black, uniformly grey or with same colour as surrounding areas; in one female (PJ 3264) one lateral pair of small white patches was included in the middle of the heart. Ventral opisthosoma with paired white patches and white dots varying in size, shape and position. In one female (PJ 3266) an additional small unpaired white median patch was present between the paired patches and the spinnerets. Pattern of prolateral coxae varying from entirely yellowish brown to having dark patches to a different degree with stronger markings in anterior coxae. Frontal longitudinal white bands of chelicerae varying in length.
Copulatory organ: In one female (PJ 3267) one slit sense organ was present (
Only known from the type locality (
Retreats were built between apical leaves of
Number of tibial spines should differentiate between two genera (
Considering all these observations
In the identification key of
16(15) | Tibial apophysis three-lobed; embolus straight; conductor elongate, straight (Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Bredashorp districts, western Cape, South Africa) |
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– | Tibial apophysis entire; embolus recurved through 90° over bulb; conductor short, bowl shaped | 17 |
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– | Tibial apophysis entire; embolus short, straight, pointed; conductor short, slightly bowl-shaped (western Cape, South Africa) |
7(2) | Sternum entirely black; femora I–II mottled without distinct markings; opisthosoma laterally mottled, without distinct markings, ventrally with black bell-shaped mark or black-framed yellow panel between black crescent and spinnerets; septum posteriorly produced laterally (western Cape, South Africa) | 8 |
(leading to |
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– | Sternum usually with two mesally interrupted transverse dark bars (sometimes faint, sometimes with an additional short longitudinal bar mesally); femora I–II ventrally with clear white spots; opisthosoma laterally with clear white spots, ventrally rich red to orange-red with distinct clear white spots between black crescent and spinnerets (indistinct in specimens from Amatola Mountains, eastern Cape, South Africa); septum with transverse or posteriorly produced median lobe |
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(leading to |
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– | Sternum dark reddish brown to black without transverse bars; femora I–II ventrally with one single white distal patch ventrally and bright spine patches (indistinct in ethanol); opisthosoma laterally with indistinct irregular pattern, ventrally dark red to black with indistinct white spots mostly in anterior half; septum posteriorly produced laterally, copulatory ducts with cover of sclerotised layer concealing glandular appendages (western Cape, South Africa) |
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Dirk Kunz received support on his expedition to South Africa from various people and institutions: Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman (Pretoria) and Norman Larsen (Cape Town) organised the field work, Esther van der Westhuizen (Butterfly World, Western Cape) helped with collecting spiders in the Western Cape Province. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provided financial support. Additionally, the manuscript benefited from comparison with other