Paratrachelas atlantis, Bosselaers, Jan & Bosmans, Robert, 2010

Bosselaers, Jan & Bosmans, Robert, 2010, Studies in Corinnidae (Araneae): a new Paratrachelas Kovblyuk & Nadolny from Algeria, as well as the description of a new genus of Old World Trachelinae, Zootaxa 2612, pp. 41-56 : 51-53

Paratrachelas atlantis sp. n.

Figs. 3 G–H; 5 A–D.

Type material. Holotype male, Algeria, Wilaya Blida, Blidean Atlas, Meurdja, 1000 m, pt in dense planted Cedrus forest, 15 June 1987 – 22 September 1988, R. Bosmans leg. [ RBINS]. Paratypes. 7 ɗ, same data as holotype [ MRAC 231351, CRB]; 1 ɗ, Algeria, Wilaya Blida, Blidean Atlas, Djebel Mouzaia, 1300 m, pt in Acer forest, 6 October–4 November 1985, R. Bosmans leg. [ RBINS].

Diagnosis. P. atlantis is close to P. acuminus but differs from it by the slender embolus which is longer than the membranous conductor and by its blunt-tipped RTA of the male palp ( Figs. 3 H, 4A–B, 5B–C).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 4.39 (paratype range: 3.21–4.73). Carapace length 1.89, width 1.66, chestnut brown, somewhat darker in cephalic region, strewn with small pits. Width of cephalic region 3/ 4 of carapace width ( Fig. 3 G). Eyes ringed with black. Fovea dark brown, pronounced, length 0.14, anterior end 1.26 from front end of carapace. MOQ depth 0.32, anterior width 0.30, posterior width 0.37. AER width 0.68, PER width 0.84. All eyes subequal, AME with dark retina. AE equidistant, separated by half of their diameter; PE also equidistant, separated by their diameter. AER slightly recurved and PER straight from above, both eye rows slightly procurved from front. Clypeus vertical, slightly narrower than diameter of AME. Chilum triangular, sclerotised and brown, with a sharp posterior median indentation. Chelicerae yellow brown, rugose, vertically oriented, without pronounced cheliceral boss. Three small, blunt teeth along promarginal cheliceral rim, largest one closest to fang base; two larger, sharp teeth on retromarginal rim close to fang insertion, largest one furthest from fang base ( Fig. 5A ). Sternum shield-shaped, rebordered, smooth and yellow, length 1.08, width 0.97. Both ICS and PCT brown and sclerotised, triangular, blunt, fused with sternum. PSP subtriangular, yellow. PLB isolated, triangular, brown and sclerotised. Labium subtrapezoidal, wider than long, with thickened anterior rim. Endites without oblique depression.

Abdomen grey, with four large, oval, brown sigilla in anterior half; covered over its entire length and for 85–90% of its do surface area by a yellow brown, smooth and shiny do scutum ( Fig. 5D ). Legs I, II orange brown, III, IV orange yellow, patellar indentation ( Ledoux & Canard 1991: 9) narrow, no rh, no trochanter notch. Metatarsi III, IV with vt preening brush. Leg formula 1243. No regular leg spines, but leg cusps present; ti: I plv 6; II plv 5; mt: I plv 6–7 rlv 2–4; II plv 5 rlv 1; ta: I plv 3 rlv 2–3; II plv 3 rlv 1.

Leg measurements: Male palp as illustrated ( Figs. 3 H, 5B–C), with a subtriangular bulbus and a slender, apical embolus which is longer than the membranous, triangular conductor. RTA long and blunt-tipped, dorsally oriented. Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the Atlas mountains in Algeria.

Figures

FIGURE 3 A – C. Metatrachelas rayi. D – F, H. Paratrachelas acuminus. G, H. Paratrachelas atlantis. A, male, MNHN- 1523 do; B, female, MNHN- 1523 do; C, vulva, ve; D, male allotype, do; E, female holotype, do; F, vulva, ve; G, male holotype, do; H, male palps of P. acuminus (left) and P. atlantis, pl, ve and rl. Scale bars: A – B, D – E, G: 1; C, F: 0.1; H: 0.25.

FIGURE 5 A – D. Paratrachelas atlantis, holotype. A, cheliceral teeth, ve; B, male palp, ve; C, male palp, rl; D, habitus. Scale bars: A – C: 0.25; D: 1.