Scytodes major Simon, 1885

Keer, Johan Van & Bosmans, Robert, 2014, A new species of Scytodes from Algeria (Araneae: Scytodidae), with a review of the species from the Maghreb, Zootaxa 3894 (1), pp. 131-140 : 135-136

Scytodes major Simon, 1885

Fig. 33

Scytodes major: Simon 1909: 13 ; Simon 1910: 305; Caporiacco 1928: 82; Denis 1954: 315; Denis 1961: 164.

Previous records. ALGERIA: Tamanrasset, Thabort, Source Chappuis ( Denis1954). LIBYA: Sha‘bīyat al Buţnān, Porto Bardia (= Bardiya; Caporiacco 1928). MOROCCO: Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz, Mogador (= Essaouira; Simon 1909).

FIGURES 24–31. Scytodes annulipes (24, 28), S. thoracica (25, 30), S. velutina . (26, 31) and S. seppoi sp. n. (27, 29). 24–27: lateral view of male palp; 28–31: vulva, ventral view.

New records. MOROCCO: Guelmim-Es Smara, Tighmert oasis, 3 subadult ♀♀, in hotel in oasis, 12.II.2007 (CRB), Souss-Massa Drâa, Medina of Agadir, 1 subadult ♀, stones around market place, 16.II.2007 (CRB). Comments. Scytodes major is a species from West Africa ( Millot 1941), where it often occurs in houses. Apart from its size, it is not unlike S. thoracica and Brignoli (1976) found no differences in the sexual organs. The species was cited in the Maghreb from the south of Algeria ( Denis 1954), the south of Morocco ( Simon 1909) and the north-east of Libya, Caporiacco (1928) ( Fig. 33 ), the last one probably erroneous. In the south of Morocco we found some subadult specimens, also in houses, that were much larger and differently coloured to S. velutina , the only other Scytodes species occurring in that region. They are tentatively identified as S. major . Further adult material, especially males, is necessary to confirm this.

Figures

FIGURE 33. Records of Scytodes annulipes (circles) and S. major (triangles) in the study area. Open circles & triangles: citations. Closed circles and triangles: new records.