Rukuluk sp.

Haddad, Charles R., 2025, And they just keep coming: four new genera of dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae, Trachelidae), African Invertebrates 66 (1), pp. 19-64 : 19-64

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.3897/AfrInvertebr.66.139299

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2D20D0B7-7DF4-42E6-A70C-EB1875BCCD26

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14727151

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E698B321-A7E1-55B0-9C00-482EB1C4DDF2

treatment provided by

African Invertebrates by Pensoft

scientific name

Rukuluk sp.
status

 

Rukuluk sp.

Fig. 29 View Figure 29

Material examined.

South Africa • 2 imm.; KwaZulu-Natal; Tembe Elephant Park, Viewing Tower ; 26°02.227'S, 32°24.907'E; 115 m a. s. l.; 5 Dec. 2018; C. Haddad & R. Booysen leg.; base of grass tussocks; NCA 2019/760 GoogleMaps .

Remarks.

Aside from the type species, another species of Rukuluk only known from two juvenile specimens in eastern South Africa was collected. Based on DNA barcode data, both specimens were placed in a monophyletic group with R. gramineus sp. nov. (Fig. 30 View Figure 30 ), indicating that the genus is not monotypic. Although this Rukuluk was collected in the same biotope as Poachelas refugus Haddad, 2010 at Tembe, they clearly have very different markings, a narrower carapace, and lack the spines on the anterior legs present in the latter species (compare Fig. 29 View Figure 29 with Haddad 2010: figs 1, 3, 4). Confirmation of this species’ generic placement requires the collection of adults from Tembe and a detailed comparison with R. gramineus sp. nov. and P. refugus .

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Trachelidae

Genus

Rukuluk