Three new genera of arboreal dark sac spiders from southern Africa (Araneae: Trachelidae).

Abstract

As part of a revision of the Afrotropical species of Trachelas L. Koch, 1872 (Araneae: Trachelidae), we distinguished three new genera of primarily arboreal spiders from southern Africa that are described here: Coronarachne 𝗴𝗲𝗻. 𝗻𝗼𝘃., represented by four new species known from both sexes, C. denticulata 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (type species), C. penicillus 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃., C. setosa 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. and C. unigena 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃., and C. neethlingi 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃., known only from the male; Falcaranea 𝗴𝗲𝗻. 𝗻𝗼𝘃., represented by three new species known from both sexes, F. amatola 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃., F. gladius 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (type species) and F. maputensis 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃.; and Trachecymbius 𝗴𝗲𝗻. 𝗻𝗼𝘃., represented by five new species, T. bosselaersi 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (♀), T. felis 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (♂♀), T. peterwebbi 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (♂), T. tyume 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (type species, ♂♀), and T. umbella 𝘀𝗽. 𝗻𝗼𝘃. (♀). These three genera share the presence of strongly protruding setal bases on the ventral surfaces of the anterior legs, which are more strongly developed in males and can be mistaken for small ventral cusps that are found in several trachelid genera. Identification keys are provided for each of the three genera and their phylogenetic affinities to other Afrotropical Trachelidae are evaluated based on the cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) gene. Most of the species described here were common in canopy fogging samples, and to a lesser extent beating, but are clearly a prominent component of the arboreal trachelid fauna in savanna and forest habitats in southern Africa.