Cebrennus rungsi ( Jäger, 2000 ), Jager, 2000

Jäger, Peter, 2014, Cebrennus Simon, 1880 (Araneae: Sparassidae): a revisionary up-date with the description of four new species and an updated identification key for all species, Zootaxa 3790 (2), pp. 319-356 : 324-326

Cebrennus rungsi ( Jäger, 2000)

Figs 12–13 , 92–93 , 173

Cebrennus rungsi Jäger, 2000: 172 , figs 34–41 (description of male and female).

Material examined. MOROCCO: Souss-Massa-Drâa: 1 male (PJ 3391), Agadir, Hering leg. 2 November 1986 ( ZMB); 1 male (PJ 3396, SD 645), Anti-Atlas Range, Ighil, ca. 110 air km ESE of Agadir, N 30°8'29.98", W 8°29'6.76", [1584 m elev.], point 54, desert, S. Henriques leg. 29 September 2011 ( SMF); 1 male (PJ 3397, SD 646), Anti-Atlas Range, between Sdass and Ouaoufenrha, ca. 98 air km E of Agadir, N 30°21'14.54", W 8°34'38.96" [1000 m elev.], point 51, desert, S. Henriques leg. 29 September 2011 ( SMF); 1 male (PJ 3398, SD 647), 1 male (PJ 3399, SD 648), Anti-Atlas Range, between Irherm and Armdaz, ca. 115 air km ESE of Agadir, N 30° 3'17.53", W 8°27'48.96" [1640 m elev.], point 48, desert, S. Henriques leg. 29 September 2011 ( SMF).

Description. See Jäger (2000).

Variation. Males (n=4): PL 5.4–6.5, PW 4.7–5.5, AW 3.0–3.9, OL 5.3–7.2, OW 3.5–5.0; chelicerae with 2 anterior, 5–8 adnate posterior teeth, and 2–3 bristles at the posterior distal margin close to fang base. Structures of the copulatory organ correspond in most cases fully with those of the holotype. In the two males from between Irherm and Armdaz ( Figs 12–13 ) the distal part of the embolus was distinctly shorter than that of the holotype.

Since all other characters (shape and size of RTA, shape of tegulum, reduced conductor and basal embolus, shape of cymbium) are congruent with the holotype, the shorter distal embolus is considered intraspecific variation.

Distribution. All known records (including the type locality Sous) lie in the West of the region Souss-Massa- Draâ in an altitudinal range from sea level to 1650 metres ( Fig. 173 ).

The following four species ( castaneitarsis , wagae , aethiopicus , flagellatus spec. nov.) have very similar copulatory organs, differentiation of the species is in some cases difficult. Apparently, the male emboli have been elongated in the course of evolution as hypothesised by Jäger (2006). The same is true for the so-called “combined morphological changes” as the elongation of the RTA or the reduction of the palpal tibia length. In general, males are easier to identify than females. Easiest to distinguish is C. flagellatus spec. nov. (only known by the male sex) by its flagellum at the embolic kink and the distal RTA at right angles with the proximal part ( Figs 32–35 ). Males of C. castaneitarsis can be distinguished from those of the three other species by the shorter embolus, i.e. the arising point situated distinctly in prolateral position of the tegulum and the proximal part of the distal loop does not, or only barely so, extend beyond the tegulum proximally ( Figs 15–17 ); moreover the RTA is as short as in C. flagellatus spec. nov., but builds a larger angle with the distal tibia. Cebrennus wagae and C. aethiopicus were differentiated by Fage (1921) through the absence ( wagae ) or presence ( aethiopicus ) of a distal spine on metatarsus III. Although there were two of three specimens of C. aethiopicus examined with a spination formula 3034 at metatarsus III, one had the usual 2024. Therefore, the spination cannot act as single diagnostic character. Simon (1880: 331, key) used mainly the RTA as differentiating character and his distinctions are still valid: C. wagae has the longest RTA ( Figs 18–23 ), C. castaneitarsis an almost straight RTA ( Figs 15–17 ), C. aethiopicus exhibits a bend at the base of the RTA (especially in comparison to C. castaneitarsis ) ( Figs 24–29 ). Females of this sub-unit of the wagae species-group are either not known ( C. flagellatus spec. nov.) or not clearly distinguishable. However, in C. aethiopicus the epigyne tends to be relatively ( Figs 55–62 ) wider than in C. wagae (Figs 44–54) and C. castaneitarsis ( Figs 36–38 ). A distinct difference between the two latter species could not be found yet. Diagnoses contain a combination of characters, but few specimens ( Figs 14 , 39–41 ) show that either transitions or even new species exist, which make a distinction in some cases difficult.

Figures

FIGURE 173. Distribution records of Cebrennus spp. (according to Jäger 2000 and references therein, this paper and Reimoser 1919). Note that the exact locality for C. laurae spec. nov. is unknown.

FIGURES 12 – 17. 12 – 13 Cebrennus rungsi Jäger, 2000, males from Anti-Atlas, Morocco; 14 Cebrennus spec. A, male from Beni Abbes Algeria; 15 – 17 Cebrennus castaneitarsis Simon, 1880, males (15 Algeria, 16 – 17 holotype male from Wahran, Algeria). Left male palp (12 – 16 ventral, 17 retrolateral). DE—distal part of embolus, K—embolic kink, PE—proximal part of embolus, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis.

FIGURES 88 – 100. Cebrennus spp., habitus (photos in ethanol; 88, 92, 95, 97 dorsal, 89, 98 ventral, 91, 94, 100 frontal, 90, 93, 96, 99 lateral). 88 – 91 Cebrennus kochi (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872), female from Sede Boquer, Israel; 92 – 93 Cebrennus rungsi Jäger, 2000, male from Anti-Atlas, Morocco; 94 – 96 Cebrennus atlas spec. nov., holotype female from Atlas, Morocco; 97 – 100 Cebrennus flagellatus spec. nov., holotype male from Afghanistan.

FIGURES 30 – 35. 30 – 31 Cebrennus aethiopicus Simon, 1880, male from Sudan; 32 – 35 Cebrennus flagellatus spec. nov., holotype male from Nangarhar Province, E Afghanistan. 30 – 33 Left male palp (30, 32 ventral, 31, 33 retrolateral); 34 Embolic kink showing flagellum, proximal; 35 Embolus tip, ventral. F—flagellum at embolus kink.

FIGURES 18 – 23. Cebrennus wagae (Simon, 1874), males (18 Libya, 19 – 20 Bou Saada, Algeria, 21 – 23 Chambi, Tunisia). Left male palp (18 – 19, 22 ventral, 20, 23 retrolateral, 21 prolateral). EB—embolus base.

FIGURES 24 – 29. Cebrennus aethiopicus Simon, 1880, males (24 – 25 holotype male, Massaua, Eritrea, 26 – 27 Djibouti, 28 – 29 “ A Sefza ”). Left male palp (24, 26, 28 ventral, 25, 27, 29 retrolateral). EB—embolus base.

FIGURES 55 – 62. Cebrennus aethiopicus Simon, 1880, females (55 – 57 “ A Sefza ”, 58 – 60 Gheleb, Eritrea, 61 – 62 Eritrea). 55, 58, 61 Epigyne, ventral; 56, 59, 62 Vulva, dorsal; 57, 60 Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal.

FIGURES 36 – 43. 36 – 38 Cebrennus castaneitarsis Simon, 1880, females from Wahran, Algeria or Casablanca, N Morocco (see note in text); 39 – 41 Cebrennus spec. B, female from Aouinet Torkoz, S Morocco; 42 – 44 Cebrennus wagae (Simon, 1874), female from Algier, Algeria. 36, 38 – 39, 42 Epigyne, ventral; 37, 40, 43 Vulva, dorsal; 41, 44 Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal. GA—glandular appendages, LR—lateral ridge, MA—membranous atrium.