''Isela okuncana'' is a species of true

spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...

in the family

Mysmenidae Mysmenidae is a spider family with about 180 described species in seventeen genera. The family is one of the least well known of the orb-weaving spiders because of their small size () and cryptic behaviour. These spiders are found in humid habita ...

. The species was described in 1985 by Charles E. Griswold.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Zulu word ''okuncane'', meaning something small.

Description

The species can be recognized by the general characteristics of the genus and by the form of the male and female

genitalia A sex organ, also known as a reproductive organ, is a part of an organism that is involved in sexual reproduction. Sex organs constitute the primary sex characteristics of an organism. Sex organs are responsible for producing and transporting ...

. The male’s

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the unde ...

is yellow-brown to grey, darker around the anterior eye row and along the lateral margin, with dark mottled lines radiating from the thoracic fovea. The abdomen is mottled dark grey with pale marks and spots, with additional pale streaks along the sides. The carapace has sparse setae, with a gently sloping thoracic declivity. The legs are yellow-brown with grey annuli, and the palpus features an elongate tibia and a circular palpal bulb. The male lacks any prominent leg ornamentation beyond a few clasping spines. The female is similar to the male. The carapace and abdomen have similar coloration and markings. The legs follow the same pattern as the male, though the female lacks clasping spines on leg I. The female's abdomen is slightly more rounded, and the epigynum is characterized by distinct central and lateral lobes. ''Isela okuncana'' was collected near the

Tugela River The Tugela River (; ) is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of , and a drop of 1370 metres in the lower 480 km, it is one of the most important rivers of the country. The river originates in M ...

in Natal, South Africa, in a hot, seasonally dry area known as

Valley Bushveld A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ve ...

. Specimens were taken from the webs of '' Allothele teretis'', typically built in cool, shaded locations such as tree trunks and holes in stream banks. The spiders move freely within the host’s web and feed on prey fragments left by the host. They were observed in the webs of adult ''Allothele teretis'' with an average of about seven spiders per web. The

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

male was collected at Mhlopeni Nature Reserve, Natal, South Africa, at an elevation of . Paratypes are held in the Natal Museum and other collections.

Reproduction

Mating takes place in the host's web, with males and females hanging inverted and facing each other during

copulation Sexual intercourse (also coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion of the erect male penis inside the female vagina and followed by thrusting motions for sexual pleasure, reproduction, or both.Sexual inte ...

. Females carry their nearly spherical eggsac attached to their spinnerets within the host's web.

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q2468887 Mysmenidae Spiders of South Africa Spiders described in 1985