Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909

Moradmand, Majid, 2013, The stone huntsman spider genus Eusparassus (Araneae: Sparassidae): systematics and zoogeography with revision of the African and Arabian species, Zootaxa 3675 (1), pp. 1-108 : 24-28

Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov.

Figs 12–14 , 49a–b , 60e–f

Eusparassus argelasius atlanticus Simon, 1909: 30 (description of female) [syntypes, MNHN, examined], [in Platnick (2013) as E. dufouri atlanticus ]. Elevated to species level.

Sparassus syrticus (Simon) . Levy 1989: 137, figs. 22–23 (misidentification, illustration of ♀). [1♀, MNHN, examined].

Type material. Syntypes (designated by Simon 1909): 7♀♀ and 1 immature ♀, MOROCCO: Region de Doukkala-Abda: Djebel Demnata (=Demnate), Jar N. 1669, Simon N. 5732 ( MNHN) .

Other material examined. MOROCCO: Region de Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz: 1♂, 1♀, Marrakesh, Sidi Mimoun, G. Buchat leg. 1903 ( MNHN) ; Region de Souss-Massa-Draa: 1♀ ( MM21 ), ca. 20 km S of Tizi-n-Test , under stone in retreat, 23 July 2000, S. Huber leg. ( SMF) .

Diagnosis. Male differentiated by simple pointed and retrolaterad ET ( Fig. 12c ) and slightly curved dRTA ( Fig. 12a ); compared to other congeners in dufouri group, LL and MS more elongated ( Figs 13a , 14a, b ) [see also diagnosis for dufouri species group above].

Description. Male (n=1, MM 191):

Measurements. Medium sized; total length 13.3, prosoma length 6.5, prosoma width 5.8, anterior width of prosoma 2.7, opisthosoma length 6.8, opisthosoma width 4.7. Eye diameters: AME 0.37, ALE 0.28, PME 0.26, PLE 0.31; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.25, AME-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.40, PME-PLE 0.47, AME-PME 0.35, ALE-PLE 0.30, clypeus height at AME 0.20, clypeus height at ALE 0.28.

Chelicerae. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 4 posterior teeth; cheliceral furrow lacking intermarginal denticles.

Legs. Leg formula: II IV I III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 8.7 [2.8, 1.2, 1.4, 3.3], I 30.0 [8.2. 3.1, 7.3, 8.6, 2.8], II 32.9 [9.2, 3.1, 8.3, 9.5, 2.8], III 27.1 [7.9, 2.7, 6.5, 7.4, 2.6], IV 30.7 [8.8, 2.6, 7.5, 9.1, 2.7].

Spination. Palp 131, 101, 1111; Legs: Femur I 324 , II 424, III 324, IV 322; Patella I– IV 101 ; Tibia I–IV 2224; Metatarsus I 1014 , II–III 2024, IV 3036.

Palp. As in diagnosis with cymbium twice as long as tibia; vRTA not well developed ( Figs. 12 a, b ); EM not covering ET in ventral view ( Fig. 12c ).

Female (ranges: n=9, single measurement: syntype):

Measurements. Medium sized; total length 16.6–18.8, prosoma length 7.2–8.6, prosoma width 6.5–7.8, anterior width of prosoma 4.1–4.5, opisthosoma length 9.4–10.2, opisthosoma width 5.7–6.2. Eye diameters: AME 0.53, ALE 0.42, PME 0.40, PLE 0.44; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.30, AME-ALE 0.15, PME-PME 0.51, PME-PLE 0.65, AME-PME 0.42, ALE-PLE 0.35, clypeus height at AME 0.47, clypeus height at ALE 0.62. Eyes subequal; AME slightly larger than others ( Fig. 13d ).

Chelicerae. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 3 to 5 posterior teeth, intermarginal denticles absent ( Fig. 13e ).

Legs. Leg formula: II IV I III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 10.5 [3.1, 1.6, 2.0, 3.8], I 30.6 [8.6, 3.9, 7.3, 8.4, 2.4], II 33.1 [9.7, 4.1, 8.2, 8.6, 2.5], III 29.2 [8.8, 3.7, 7.0, 7.3, 2.4], IV 32.4 [9.7, 3.6, 7.8, 8.8, 2.5].

Spination. Palp 131, 001, 1111, 1013; Legs: Femur I–III 424, IV 321/423; Patella I–IV 000/101; Tibia I–IV 0004/2024; Metatarsus I 0004/1014, II 1014 /2024, III 2024, IV 3034/3036.

Epigyne/vulva. As in diagnosis with EF generally elongated; MS longer than wide, hyaline ( Figs 13a , 14b ) to fully sclerotized ( Fig. 14a ); vulva with glandular process ( Fig. 13c ).

Colouration [in ethanol]. Reddish brown, prosoma with transverse dark lines leading to fovea, dorsal opisthosoma with series of large chevrons at proximal end turning smaller gradually at distal end, legs clearly banded ( Figs 49a–b ); ventral opisthosoma with a uniform compact dark marking below epigastric furrow ( Fig. 49b ).

Remarks. E. atlanticus stat. nov. is elevated from subspecies to species level here. In the original description, Simon (1909) emphasized on the dark marking of the ventral opisthosoma and placed this species under E. dufouri (sub E. argelasius atlanticus ). After E. dufouri was defined by Moradmand and Jäger (2012a), the description of the male and female of E. atlanticus stat. nov. revealed that this species must be considered as its own valid species and not a subspecies. The male is described here for the first time.

Known geographical distribution and habitat. Western Morocco in Atlas Mountains, under stones, and gravel in dry river beds.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov., male from Morocco: Sidi Mimoun (MNHN). (a) left palp, ventral; (b) left palp, retrolateral; (c) embolus tip and conductor, ventral.

FIGURE 13. Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov., syntype female from Morocco: Djebel Damnata (MNHN). (a) epigyne, ventral; (b) vulva, dorsal; (c) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (d) eye arrangement, dorsal; (e) left chelicera, ventral.

FIGURE 14. Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov., variation in syntype females from Morocco: Djebel Damnata (MNHN). (a, b) epigyne, ventral.

FIGURE 49. Habitus of species of the dufouri group. (a–b) Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov., syntype female; (c– d) Eusparassus fritschi (Koch, 1873) stat. rev., syntype female; (e–f) Eusparassus letourneuxi (Simon, 1874), female. (a, c, e) dorsal, (b, d, f) ventral.

FIGURE 60. Eusparassus dufouri group. (a–b) Eusparassus dufouri Simon, 1932; (c–d) Eusparassus levantinus Urones, 2006; (e–f) Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov.. (a, c, e) left male palps, ventral; (b, d, f) epigynes, dorsal.