Foordana flavipoda, Haddad, 2025

Foordana flavipoda sp. nov.

Figs 9 A, B, E, I View Figure 9 , 10 View Figure 10

Material examined.

Holotype. South Africa • ♂; Free State Province; Bloemfontein district, Farm Hopefield ; 28°51.683'S, 26°09.788'E; 1275 m a. s. l.; 28 Oct. 2001; C. Haddad leg.; Eucalyptus bark; NMBA 19613 View Materials . GoogleMaps

Paratypes. 2 ♀; together with holotype GoogleMaps .

Other material.

South Africa • 1 ♀; Free State Province; Harrismith, Platberg Nature Reserve, Platberg, near cross ; 28°15.136'S, 29°09.958'E; 2215 m a. s. l.; 11 Mar. 2006; C. Haddad leg.; under rocks, mountainside; NCA 2006/863 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

The male of this species can be recognised from congeners by the lack of ventral leg cusps on the anterior legs and the short broad dRTA (Fig. 10 B View Figure 10 ), which is longer in F. distincta sp. nov. and F. kasouga sp. nov. (Figs 8 C View Figure 8 , 11 C View Figure 11 ). The female can be separated from F. distincta sp. nov. by the strongly spiralled copulatory duct and small anterior secondary spermathecae, which are short and straight, and large, respectively, in the latter species (cf. Figs 10 D View Figure 10 and 8 E View Figure 8 ). Furthermore, F. flavipoda sp. nov. has a median hood in the epigyne (Fig. 10 C View Figure 10 ), whereas F. distincta sp. nov. does not (Fig. 8 D View Figure 8 ).

Description.

Male (holotype, Hopefield, NMBA 19613): Measurements: CL 2.27, CW 1.91, AL 2.45, AW 1.77, TL 4.72, FL 0.18, SL 1.20, SW 1.03, AME - AME 0.07, AME - ALE 0.04, ALE - ALE 0.38, PME - PME 0.14, PME - PLE 0.13, PLE - PLE 0.61, MOQ: AW 0.30, PW 0.37, L 0.33. Length of leg segments: I 1.90 + 1.02 + 1.53 + 1.20 + 0.62 = 6.27; II 1.57 + 0.78 + 1.56 + 1.03 + 0.60 = 5.54; III 1.21 + 0.64 + 0.88 + 0.98 + 0.45 = 4.16; IV 1.65 + 0.85 + 1.43 + 1.55 + 0.60 = 6.08. Carapace orange-brown, sightly paler on posterior slope (Fig. 9 A View Figure 9 ); surface finely wrinkled; fovea short, distinct, at ⅔ CL. AER very slightly procurved, almost straight; clypeus height equal to 1 ⅛ AME diameter; AME very slightly larger than ALE; AME separated by distance equal to ⅗ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to ⅓ AME diameter; PER recurved, PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to slightly more than ¾ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PLE diameter. Chelicerae orange-brown, anterior surface covered with scattered long, fine setae, denser mesally; promargin with three slightly separated teeth, median tooth largest; retromargin with three adjacent teeth on common base, decreasing in size distally; endites and labium slightly paler. Sternum bright yellow, orange-brown at borders, with faint mottling laterally between coxal pairs; surface smooth, covered with scattered short, fine setae. Abdomen oval, broadest at half its length; dark grey dorsally, with narrow cream stripe along midline in anterior half, fading posteriorly (Fig. 9 A View Figure 9 ); dorsal scutum weakly sclerotized, yellow-brown, covering most of dorsum; two pairs of indistinct sigilla present, at ¼ and ½ AL; sides dark grey; slightly paler ventrally, with two paired lines of tiny sclerites from epigastric furrow to spinnerets. Legs I pale yellow-brown, II – IV uniform yellow; ventral cusps absent on anterior legs; tibia I and II and all metatarsi and tarsi densely scopulate. Palp (Figs 9 E View Figure 9 , 10 A, B View Figure 10 ) yellow-brown; tegulum oval, broadest medially; embolus originating prolaterally and proximally, long and slender, running along prolateral margin of tegulum, with tip directed at 1 o’clock; vRTA subtriangular, with sharp tip angled inwards in ventral view; dRTA very short and broad, subtriangular in lateral view.

Female (paratype, Hopefield, NMBA 19613): Measurements: CL 1.80, CW 1.58, AL 2.10, AW 1.52, TL 4.05, FL 0.13, SL 1.12, SW 0.98, AME - AME 0.06, AME - ALE 0.02, ALE - ALE 0.30, PME - PME 0.11, PME - PLE 0.11, PLE - PLE 0.51 MOQ: AW 0.28, PW 0.32, L 0.29. Length of leg segments: I 1.50 + 0.84 + 1.04 + 0.98 + 0.58 = 4.94; II 1.25 + 0.71 + 0.91 + 0.80 + 0.47 = 4.14; III 0.92 + 0.54 + 0.60 + 0.80 + 0.48 = 3.34; IV 1.75 + 0.80 + 1.42 + 1.52 + 0.59 = 6.08. Carapace yellow-brown, paler on posterior slope (Fig. 9 B View Figure 9 ); surface finely wrinkled, sparsely covered in short straight setae; fovea short, distinct, at ⅔ CL. AER slightly procurved, almost straight; clypeus height equal to distance approximately ¾ AME diameter; AME very slightly larger than ALE; AME separated by distance slightly larger than ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to ¼ ALE diameter; PER recurved, PME slightly larger than PLE; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae yellow-brown, anterior surface covered with scattered long, fine setae; labium and endites slightly paler. Sternum creamy-yellow, with yellow-brown borders; surface finely wrinkled, covered with scattered short, fine setae. Abdomen oval, broadest medially, dark grey dorsally and laterally, slightly paler ventrally; two pairs of brown to grey sigilla, first pair at ¼ AL and second pair just posterior to midpoint of abdomen. Legs with all femora creamy-yellow, remaining segments all pale yellow-brown, anterior legs slightly darker. Epigyne (Figs 9 I View Figure 9 , 10 C, D View Figure 10 ) with large, back-to-back C-shaped atria, with copulatory openings positioned anteromedially in them; small arched hood between atria; copulatory duct initially directed anteriorly, forming single spiralling loop before entering small transverse finger-shaped ST II; connecting ducts running mesally from ST II, diverging posteriorly before entering globose ST I, with short duct leading to fertilization ducts.

Etymology.

This species is a contraction of the Latin flavus (yellow) and poda (legs), referring to the colouration of the legs of both sexes.

Distribution.

Only known from two localities in central South African grasslands (Fig. 12 View Figure 12 ).

Remark.

The placement of this species in Foordana gen. nov. is tentative, as the lack of leg cusps in males, position of the sperm duct in the male palpal tegulum and the presence of a small hood in the female epigyne differ from the type species. Furthermore, the condition of the type material is not ideal, as the specimens are somewhat damaged and may have lost some of their colouration. As such, finding fresh material and incorporating sequence data into future analyses will be an essential step in resolving its placement.