Penestomus zulu
Penestomus zulu Miller, Griswold & Haddad, 2010
- Araneae
- infraorder Araneomorphae
- Penestomidae
- genus Penestomus
Overview
General Description
Carapace orange, lighter posteriorly with smooth texture, covered by fine black setae and broad white setae (Fig. 17A). Sternum pale yellow (Fig. 17B). Chelicerae red-brown, with five promarginal teeth, two retromarginal teeth. Legs dusky yellow, anterior legs orange distally. Abdomen dark gray dorsally with indistinct light dorsolateral patches (Fig. 17A).
Epigynum: AL nearly hexagonal, moderately differentiated from surrounding cuticle, broadly connected to PL; PL approximately 1/3 length of epigynum, with more or less parallel grooves (Fig. 16C), with median invagination on posterior margin (Fig. 16D). Sclerotization of PA undifferentiated from the rest of the epigynum, separated from AL by groove (Fig. 16C).
Female macrosetae: Leg I: femur d1, tibia v1-2, metatarsus v2-2; leg II: femur d1, metatarsus v2-2; leg III: femur d1, metatarsus v2; leg IV: femur d1, metatarsus v1-2; tarsus r1.
Description
Diagnostic Description
Female distinguished by the median invagination in the posterior margin of the PL (Fig. 16D). Female further distinguished from other planus group species by the sclerotization of the PA (Fig. 16C), which is about the same as the AL (lighter in other planus group species, Fig. 16A). Male unknown.
Size
Holotype female (SAM-ENW-B004176): Total length 4.5, carapace 2.00 long, 1.39 wide, 0.44 high, sternum 1.11 long, 0.63 wide. Leg measurements:
Leg I
Femur: 0.98
Patella: 0.56
Tibia: 0.63
Metatarsus: 0.64
Tarsus: 0.32
Total: 3.13
Leg II
Femur: 0.94
Patella: 0.51
Tibia: 0.55
Metatarsus: 0.56
Tarsus: 0.29
Total: 2.86
Leg III
Femur: 0.81
Patella: 0.47
Tibia: 0.46
Metatarsus: 0.44
Tarsus: 0.18
Total: 2.37
Leg IV
Femur: 1.10
Patella: 0.64
Tibia: 0.91
Metatarsus: 0.69
Tarsus: 0.21
Total: 3.56
Pedipalp
Femur: 0.57
Patella: 0.19
Tibia: 0.21
Metatarsus:
Tarsus: 0.44
Total: 1.42
Ecology and Distribution
Distribution
Known from KwaZulu Natal Province, South Africa.


