Trachelas falsus, Haddad & Lyle, 2025

Trachelas falsus sp. nov.

Figs 6G, H View FIGURE 6 , 11 View FIGURE 11

Trachelas minor Simon 1897: 183 View in CoL ; Simon 1932: 977; Ramírez 2014: 373 (in part misidentified).

Etymology. This species name is taken from the Latin for “mistaken or misled”, which refers to the historical misidentification of this species in Africa as T. minor .

Diagnosis. The male of this species is most similar to T. leggi sp. nov., as they share a similar embolus shape, but it can be recognised by the proximal section of the embolus being directed retroproximally rather than retrodistally and by the position of the patellar apophysis, which is located distally as opposed to medially on the patella (cf. Figs 11A, B View FIGURE 11 and 14A, B View FIGURE 14 ). It also differs from T. minor , which has a retrodistally orientated proximal section of the embolus and a medially positioned patellar apophysis, similar to T. leggi sp. nov. (see Bosselaers et al. 2009: figs 10, 11 and Jin et al. 2017: fig. 3). The female of this species also resembles that of T. minor in the general epigyne shape, particularly the oval anterior atria, but can be recognised by the relatively larger size of the atria (almost half the length of the epigynal plate) compared to those of T. minor , which are only approximately a quarter of the length of the epigynal plate (cf. Fig. 11C View FIGURE 11 with Bosselaers et al. 2009: figs 13 and Jin et al. 2017: fig. 2G).

Male. Measurements: CL 0.86–1.10, CW 0.74–0.88, AL 0.82–1.33, AW 0.71–1.10, TL 1.76–2.31, FL 0.06– 0.08, SL 0.53–0.61, SW 0.53–0.57, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.22, PME–PME 0.04, PME– PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.33. Length of leg segments: I 2.30 (0.78, 0.41, 0.43, 0.31, 0.37); II 2.25 (0.61, 0.27, 0.57, 0.47, 0.33); III 1.85 (0.55, 0.27, 0.37, 0.41, 0.25); IV 2.62 (0.80, 0.29, 0.55, 0.69, 0.29).

Carapace brown to reddish-brown; eye region orange to brown, with dark brown to black rings around eyes ( Fig. 6G View FIGURE 6 ); AME and ALE equal in size; clypeus height equal to distance slightly more than AME diameter; AME separated by distance equal to 0.7 their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to 0.4 AME diameter; PME and PLE equal in size; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 0.7 PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, endites and labium slightly lighter; three promarginal teeth, median tooth largest, distal tooth smallest; two retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest. Sternum pale brown, darker towards border. Abdominal dorsum pale creamy-yellow to pale grey ( Fig. 6G View FIGURE 6 ), with faint yellow dorsal scutum; two pairs of pale brown sigilla present. Legs I to IV pale yellow-brown. Palpal CY oval, gradually narrowed distally; retrolateral PA small, sharply pointed, positioned distally on patella; TE oval, SP with gradual median curve and distinct narrow proximal loop; EM originating prodistally, with proximal section broad, forming single narrow coil, distal section short, stout, directed distally ( Fig. 11A, B View FIGURE 11 ).

Female. Measurements: CL 0.86–1.06, CW 0.86–1.76, AL 1.15–1.61, AW 0.47–1.22, TL 1.90–2.74, FL 0.04– 0.08, SL 0.53–0.65, SW 0.55–0.60, AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.22, PME–PME 0.08, PME– PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.33. Length of leg segments: I 2.31 (0.73, 0.29, 0.55, 0.41, 0.33); II 2.13 (0.63, 0.29, 0.49, 0.41, 0.31); III 1.76 (0.51, 0.25, 0.37, 0.39, 0.24); IV 2.68 (0.78, 0.29, 0.65, 0.67, 0.29).

Carapace reddish-brown; eye region brown, with black rings around eyes ( Fig. 6H View FIGURE 6 ); AME and ALE are equal in size; clypeus height slightly more than AME diameter; AME separated by 0.7× their diameter; AME separated from ALE by about 0.2× AME diameter; PME separated by their diameter; PME separated from PLE by 0.5× PME diameter. Chelicerae brown, endites and labium dark yellow-brown; three promarginal teeth, median tooth largest, proximal tooth smallest; two retromarginal teeth, distal tooth largest. Sternum pale brown, darker towards border. Abdominal dorsum creamy yellow, with mottled grey marking above spinnerets ( Fig. 6H View FIGURE 6 ); two pairs of sigilla, first pair pale brown, anterior to midpoint, second pair darker, posterior to midpoint. Legs I to IV pale yellow to pale brown. Epigyne with oval AT anteriorly, almost half the length of epigynal plate; CO small, located posteriorly in AT, partly overlapping large, round ST II; CD curling around atrial perimeter before entering ST II, separated by their diameter; Cd running along midline before abruptly bending at almost perpendicular angle posteriorly, entering subpentagonal ST I on their mesal margin; ST I separated by approximately their width ( Fig. 11C, D View FIGURE 11 ).

Type material: Holotype: ♂: CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Bouaké, F. - Foro , 07°41'N, 05°02'W, 26–28.VIII.1974, leg. G. Couturier (piège coloré) ( MRAC 216452 View Materials ). GoogleMaps

Allotype: ♀: same data as holotype ( MRAC 216359 View Materials ). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Bouaflé, Klébo , 06°52'N, 06°08'W, I.1981, leg. J. Everts (pièges), 1♂ ( MRAC 166407 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Bouaflé, Koudougou , 05°56'N, 05°40'W, II.1981, leg. J. Everts (pièges), 1♂ 1♀ ( MRAC 166259 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Bouaké, F. - Foro , 07°41'N, 05°02'W, 26–28.VIII.1974, leg. G. Couturier (piège coloré), 2♀ ( MRAC 216482 View Materials ) GoogleMaps , 1♀ ( MRAC 216383 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Drakensberg Mountains, near Tendele Camp [28°42'S, 28°56'E], 11.XI.2014, leg. A. Russell-Smith (in Protea savanna), 1♀ ( BMNH) GoogleMaps ; Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve , 30°43.079'S, 30°16.381'E, 315 m a.s.l., 13.I.2011, leg. C. Haddad (base of grass tussocks, open grassland patch), 1♂ 1♀ ( TMSA 23990 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Other material examined: CÔTE D’IVOIRE: Bouaflé , 06°59'N, 05°45'W, 29.I.1981, leg. J. Everts (pitfalls), 1♂ ( MRAC 173993 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Bouaflé, Klébo , 06°52'N, 06°08'W, I.1981, leg. J. Everts (piéges), 1♂ ( MRAC 166407 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Bouaflé, Koudougou , 05°56'N, 05°40'W, III.1980, leg. J. Everts (piéges), 1♀ ( MRAC 166253 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . NIGERIA: Ibadan, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (I.I. T.A.), 07°14'N, 03°30'E, 24. V.1981, leg. A. Russell-Smith (sweeping ground layer and shrubs, secondary forest), 1♀ ( MRAC 177308 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Same locality, 12. VI.1981, leg. A. Russell-Smith (beaten from shrub layer, bush plots, corp site), 1♀ ( MRAC 177312 View Materials ) ; Same locality, 23. V.1974, leg. A. Russell-Smith (corp. plots, 04), 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Same locality, 28.VII.1974, leg. A. Russell-Smith (corp site, fallow bush), 5♂ 6♀ ( BMNH) . SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: eThekwini/ Durban, Buffelsdraai Township , 29°38'S, 30°58'E, 14. IV.2019, leg. S.P. Mntambo (hand collecting, Chromolaena odorata eradication project), 1♀ ( NCA 2019 /959) GoogleMaps ; Ithala Game Reserve, Onverdacht picnic site, 27°31.967'S, 31°18.984'E, 29.I.2014, leg. C. Haddad (base of grass tussocks), 1♂ 1♀ ( NCA 2013 /5091) GoogleMaps ; Ndumo Game Reserve, Southern boundary, 26°53.204'S, 32°10.641'E, 10.XII.2009, leg. C. Haddad (grass litter, Acacia tortilis savanna), 3♂ 2♀ ( TMSA 23651 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Same data as previous but leg. C. Haddad, R. Lyle & V. Butler , 4.VII.2009, 1 imm. 1♂ 3♀ ( TMSA 23563 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Underberg, Sani Pass transect, 29°41'S, 29°31'E, 20.I.2008, leg. University of Pretoria students (pitfall traps), 1 imm. 1♀ ( NCA 2009 /681) GoogleMaps . TANZANIA: Mkomazi Game Reserve, Kikolo plot, 04°00'S, 38°00'E, 25.I.1996, leg. A. Russell-Smith (thick grass below Commiphora trees), 2♂ 2♀ ( MRAC 211321 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Distribution. Widespread in the Afrotropical Region, but only known from Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania ( Fig. 12 View FIGURE 12 ). It is likely that all previous records of T. minor occurring in West Africa, including those from Senegal ( Simon 1897: 183) and Sierra Leone and Liberia ( Simon 1932: 977; Ramírez 2014: 373), refer to this new species, as their embolus structures are the most similar among the Trachelas sensu stricto and we found no specimens matching the genitalic morphology of T. minor , as illustrated in several recent papers (e.g. Bosselaers et al. 2009; Marusik & Kovblyuk 2010; Jin et al. 2017), among the specimens examined in this study. Unfortunately, we were unable to examine any material from those three countries to confirm this. Incidentally, the scanning electron micrographs of the vulva of T. minor by Ramírez (2014: fig. 179D) were based on specimens from Algeria, which match the epigyne illustrations of Mediterranean populations of T. minor ( Bosselaers et al. 2009: figs 13–15) and not T. falsus sp. nov. ( Fig. 11C, D View FIGURE 11 ), so we can definitively confirm that T. minor at least occurs in North Africa. As such, we conclude that T. minor does not occur in the Afrotropical Region and that its distribution is restricted to the Palaearctic Region, extending from the Mediterranean (including North Africa) to Central Asia.