Foordana distincta, Haddad, 2025

Foordana distincta sp. nov.

Figs 1 A – C View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 9 D, G, H View Figure 9

Material examined.

Holotype. South Africa • ♂; Free State Province; Clocolan, Amahelo-ho-Spitskop ; 28°48.561'S, 27°39.255'E; 17 Mar. 2010; C. Haddad leg.; base of grass tussocks; NCA 2010/349 . GoogleMaps

Paratypes. South Africa • 4 ♀; together with holotype GoogleMaps • Eastern Cape Province; 1 ♀; Queenstown / Komani district, Farm Arphen ; 31°51.546'S, 26°34.112'E; 1160 m a. s. l.; 4 Apr. 2021; C. Haddad leg.; hand collecting; NCA 2021/1044 GoogleMaps • 1 ♂ 2 ♀; Amatola Mountains, Hogsback, Amatole Forestry Company ; 32°33.727'S, 26°54.924'E; 1460 m a. s. l.; 23 Mar. 2013; C. Haddad leg.; active search, grass tussocks and fynbos in grassland; NCA 2014/321 GoogleMaps • Free State Province: 1 ♂ 2 ♀; Clocolan, Amahelo-ho-Spitskop ; 28°48'S, 27°39'E; 9 Mar. 2007; C. Haddad leg.; Rhus litter; NCA 2007/1334 GoogleMaps • 2 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 8 Mar. 2007; dense grass; NCA 2007/1336 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; grassy litter near dam; NCA 2008/2897 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; Eucalyptus litter; NCA 2007/1335 GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Clocolan, Amahelo-ho-Spitskop ; 28°48.561'S, 27°39.255'E; 2010; A. Jones leg.; in garden and around house; NCA 2010/328 GoogleMaps • 3 ♀; Wepener district, Farm Dereham , 29°52.671'S, 27°04.456'E; 1520 m a. s. l.; 31 Mar. 2024; C. Haddad leg.; hand collecting in grassland; NMBA 19614 View Materials GoogleMaps • KwaZulu-Natal Province; 3 ♀; Pietermaritzburg, Town Bush ; 29°33'S, 30°21'E; 15 Apr. 1976; F. Wanless & A. Russell-Smith leg.; ground layer in grassland; BMNH GoogleMaps • Western Cape Province: 1 ♀; Houw Hoek, Houw Hoek Inn ; -34.2046, 19.1537; 275 m a. s. l.; 25 Nov. 2021; C. Haddad leg.; hand collecting in fynbos; NMBA 18796 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

The male of this species shares with F. flavipoda sp. nov. a simple curved embolus in ventral view (Figs 8 B View Figure 8 , 10 A View Figure 10 ), whereas it is S-shaped with a distal loop in F. kasouga sp. nov. (Fig. 11 B View Figure 11 ). Furthermore, it can be recognised by the generally similar size of the dorsal and ventral retrolateral tibial apophyses in lateral view (Fig. 8 C View Figure 8 ), whereas the ventral is far larger than the dorsal in F. flavipoda sp. nov. (Fig. 10 B View Figure 10 ) and the dorsal is larger than the ventral in F. kasouga sp. nov. (Fig. 11 C View Figure 11 ). Females can be separated from F. flavipoda sp. nov. and an undescribed species from Zimbabwe by the absence of a median hood (compare Fig. 9 G – J View Figure 9 ).

Description.

Male (holotype, Amahelo-ho-Spitskop, NCA 2010/349 ): Measurements: CL 2.36, CW 2.03, AL 2.77, AW 1.87, TL 5.15, FL 0.14, SL 1.33, SW 1.15, AME - AME 0.07, AME - ALE 0.04, ALE - ALE 0.41, PME - PME 0.11, PME - PLE 0.19, PLE - PLE 0.68, MOQ: AW 0.35, PW 0.36, L 0.40. Length of leg segments: I 2.05 + 0.95 + 1.61 + 1.22 + 0.81 = 6.64; II 1.80 + 0.88 + 1.35 + 1.12 + 0.76 = 5.91; III 1.32 + 0.63 + 0.88 + 1.07 + 0.43 = 4.33; IV 1.92 + 0.85 + 1.60 + 1.78 + 0.63 = 6.78. Carapace deep red-brown, with four pairs of mediolateral mottled markings, corresponding to palps and first three pairs of legs (Fig. 2 A View Figure 2 ); surface finely wrinkled, appearing asetose but with very short sparse setae (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ); fovea short, distinct, at ⅔ CL. AER slightly procurved, almost straight; clypeus height equal to AME diameter; AME very slightly larger than ALE; AME separated by distance equal ½ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to slightly less than ⅓ AME diameter; PER slightly recurved, PLE slightly larger than PME; PME separated by distance equal to slightly more than ⅘ their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to 1 ½ PME diameter. Chelicerae, endites and labium dark orange-brown; anterior surface of cheliceral paturon covered with fairly dense long, fine setae mesally, sparse laterally; promargin with three slightly separated teeth, median tooth largest; retromargin with three adjacent teeth on common base, decreasing in size distally; endites slightly paler. Sternum dark orange, with faint black mottled patches laterally, border dark orange-brown; surface smooth, with scattered erect setae. Abdomen elongate-oval, creamy-grey dorsally, with narrow yellow-brown dorsal scutum, leaving narrow sliver between scutum and black lateral markings (Fig. 2 A View Figure 2 ); dorsum with continuous black line from anterior to posterior, with pair of narrow lines in posterior half of abdomen, joined by six faint transverse chevron markings; sides black (Fig. 2 B View Figure 2 ); venter creamy-grey, with pair of black mediolateral lines from epigastric fold to spinnerets (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ). Legs I to IV dark yellow-orange, I darker than others; ventral cusps present on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi I and II (Fig. 8 A View Figure 8 ). Palp (Figs 7 A, B View Figure 7 , 8 B, C View Figure 8 , 9 D View Figure 9 ) dark red-brown; tegulum oval, with embolus originating mesally, initially with broad base directed prolaterally, bending sharply before gradually curving to tip, directed at 2 o’clock; vRTA slender, subtriangular, with rounded tip pointed inwards in ventral view; dRTA slightly smaller with sharp tip, triangular in lateral view.

Female (paratype, Amahelo-ho-Spitskop, NCA 2010/349 ): Measurements: CL 2.48, CW 2.05, AL 3.58, AW 2.35, TL 5.60, FL 0.24, SL 1.32, SW 1.05, AME - AME 0.06, AME - ALE 0.03, ALE - ALE 0.37, PME - PME 0.13, PME - PLE 0.14, PLE - PLE 0.65, MOQ: AW 0.31, PW 0.40, L 0.35. Length of leg segments: I 2.12 + 1.02 + 1.52 + 1.20 + 0.86 = 6.72; II 1.90 + 0.92 + 1.35 + 1.02 + 0.80 = 5.99; III 1.47 + 0.77 + 1.00 + 1.12 + 0.55 = 4.91; IV 2.25 + 0.98 + 1.80 + 1.95 + 0.70 = 7.68. Carapace deep orange-brown, with three paired mediolateral mottled grey markings and mottled patch in front of fovea (Fig. 2 F View Figure 2 ); AER slightly procurved, almost straight; clypeus height equal to ALE diameter; AME slightly larger than ALE; AME separated by distance approximately ⅖ their diameter; AME separated from ALE by distance equal to ⅕ AME diameter; PER slightly recurved, PME and PLE subequal; PME separated by distance equal to their diameter; PME separated from PLE by distance equal to PME diameter. Chelicerae, endites and labium orange-brown; cheliceral promargin with three slightly separated teeth, median tooth largest; retromargin with three adjacent teeth on common base, decreasing in size distally. Sternum deep yellow-brown, borders darker, with mottled lateral markings near coxal bases; surface finely wrinkled, covered with scattered short, fine setae. Abdomen without scutum, dorsal, lateral and ventral markings as for male (Fig. 2 F – H View Figure 2 ). Legs I to IV creamy-yellow, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi I and II yellow-brown. Epigyne (Figs 7 F View Figure 7 , 8 D, E View Figure 8 , 9 G, H View Figure 9 ) with broad, sharply curved atria mesally, with copulatory openings entering short lateral copulatory ducts before entering large teardrop-shaped anterior ST II, each with oval lateral accessory gland; connecting ducts exiting ST II posteromesally, curving laterally, making a twist before entering bilobed posterolateral ST I, with short channel leading to fertilization ducts.

Etymology.

The species name is the Latin for “ distinct, clear ”, referring to the well-defined abdominal markings of this species.

Distribution.

Widespread across the southern half of South Africa (Fig. 12 View Figure 12 ).