Halodromus patellidens ( Levy, 1977 )

Muster, Christoph, 2009, The Ebo-like running crab spiders in the Old World (Araneae, Philodromidae), ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 47-73 : 66-69

Halodromus patellidens ( Levy, 1977)

Figs 13 , 33-36

Ebo patellidens Levy, 1977: 210-212 , figs 36-39 (description male, female; holotype not examined). – Wunderlich 1992: 504, figs 808f-g.

Material examined. ALGERIA: Biskra: 1♁, Biskra, 34° 51’N, 5° 44’E, leg. E. Simon ( MNHN ES 12383 ) . CABO VERDE: Sal: 1♀, Santa Maria , 16° 36’N, 22° 54’W, 29 March 1988, leg. M. Schmidt ( SMF 37380) ; 1♀, same locality ( SMF 38000) ; 1♁, same locality, 3 April 1994, leg. M. Schmidt ( SMF 38018) . KUWAIT: Al Ahmadi: 2♀ ,

1 juv., Kubbar Island , 29° 04’N, 48° 29’E, 17 March 1988, leg. W. Büttiker ( NHMB) ; 1♀, same data, leg. W. Al-Bouty ( NHMB). SAUDI ARABIA: Eastern Province: 1♀, Al-Khobar , 26° 17’N, 50° 12’E, 12 January 1983, leg. E. Heiss ( CTh). TUNISIA: Tataouine: 1♀, Bir Thelethine S Tataouine, in Salicornia and tamarisk bushes, 32° 55’N, 10° 27’E, 18 December 2000, leg. R. Bosmans ( CB). YEMEN: ‘ Adan: 6♁, 8♀, Aden, 12° 48’N, 45° 02’E, 1889, leg. E. Simon (1♁, 1♀ MNHN ES 10779 ; 5♁, 7♀ MNHN ES 19099 ). Hadramowt: 2♁, 4 juv., Island Perim, 12° 65’N, 43° 41’E, leg. F. Jousseaumme ( MNHN ES 10818 ) .

Diagnosis. Males are characterized by the exceptionally large patellar apophysis and by the large PTA that projects beyond the retrolateral margin of the cymbium ( Figs 33-34 ). Females are recognizable by the coiled anterior guide pockets and the shape of the receptacula ( Figs 35-36 ).

Description. Measurements. Male (n=5): total length 2.89 (2.65-3.2), CL 1.37 (1.25-1.45), CW 1.47 (1.35-1.55), ClyH 0.24 (0.22-0.27), OL 1.65 (1.5-1.8), OW 1.33 (1.2-1.6). Leg I 6.11 (5.9-6.3) [1.78, 0.63, 1.63, 1.28, 0.81], FemII 2.53. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, PME 0.07, AME–AME 0.1, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.22, PME–PLE 0.11, ALE–PME 0.14. Pedipalp: PFem 0.58 (0.5-0.6), PPat 0.23 (0.2- 0.25), PatApo 0.32 (0.26-0.36), PTib 0.3 (0.28-0.32), CyL 0.65 (0.6-0.68), CyW 0.36 (0.35-0.36). AME size index: 0.08 (0.077 -0.083). PME interdistance index: 1.83 (1.75- 2.0). Clypeus height index: 0.17 (0.15-0.18). LegII length index: 1.46 (1.41-1.53).

Female (n = 5): total length 3.16 (2.9-3.5), CL 1.27 (1.05-1.45), CW 1.4 (1.15- 1.6), ClyH 0.23 (0.18-0.27), OL 2.09 (1.8-2.3), OW 1.87 (1.6-2.1). Leg I 5.16 (4.2- 5.9) [1.56, 0.55, 1.35, 1.05, 0.65], FemII 2.29 (1.95-2.6). Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.11, PME 0.07, AME–AME 0.1, AME–ALE 0.04, PME–PME 0.2, PME– PML 0.11, ALE–PME 0.12. AME size index: 0.076 (0.067 -0.087). PME interdistance index: 1.81 (1.65-1.97). Clypeus height index: 0.16 (0.15-0.18). LegII length index: 1.47 (1.39-1.56).

Colour. Dorsal shield of prosoma ( Fig. 13 ) brown with bright orange-brown median band that extends to posterior margin, allatum with dark radiating stripes and whitish patches along longitudinal allatal stripes, metadiscus a whitish V-sign, mesodiscus with characteristic pattern. Clypeus with a beige area, chelicerae orange brown with dark spots. Sternum whitish with numerous small spots. Legs orange-brown, intensely mottled and with double annulations at femora and threefold annulations at tibiae. Opisthosoma densely covered with whitish pubescence, interspersed with dark setulae. Dorsum grey with conspicuous black cardiac mark that broadens in posterior third, followed by two dark spots and some partially fused chevrons, flanks darkish, in posterior half with four to five chevrons and two lateral dark patches. Venter greyish marbled with three faint longitudinal stripes.

Pedipalp ( Figs 33-34 ). Patella exceptionally long and voluminous, longer than tibia. Tibia with almost rectangular processing RTA with rounded tip. Cymbial tip relatively short, less than one fourth of CyL. Cymbium length (CyL) 0.6-0.68, width (CyW) 0.35-0.36, ratio CyL/cephalothorax width 0.4-0.47. Subtegulum visible in ventral view. Anterior border of tegulum indistinct, PTA large, laminar, projecting be- yond retrolateral margin of cymbium, its tip pointing in ventral direction. Sperm duct forming an elongate, asymmetric loop in retrolateral half of tegulum, opening in 8 o’clock position. Conductor a narrow membrane at retrolateral side of embolus, mostly visible in ventral view. Embolus broadly merged with tegulum, near distal embolus with prolateral bulge, distal embolus stout, pointing in a retrolateral-distal direction.

Epigyne-vulva ( Figs 35-36 ). Epigyne slightly wider than long. Median septum triangular, but margins covered by lateral plates, thus epigynal sutures and epigynal grooves invisible in ventral view, margins of lateral plates sigmoid. Posterior guide pockets small, indistinct, anterior guide pockets conspicuously coiled structures, in dorsal view covered by receptacula. Receptacula widely separated from epigastric furrow, with median insection, distal parts in close contact. Glandular heads in inner -distal position, pointing inwards.

Remarks. Due to the serious illness of Dr Gershom Levy I failed to receive the type series of Ebo patellidens Levy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for examination. However, the detailed figures provided by Levy (1977) allow the unequivocal identification of the examined material with this species.

Distribution and habitat. The available evidence suggests that H. patellidens is rather widespread in the Middle East, but also along the north-African coast ( Fig. 37 ).

The occurrence of H. patellidens on the Cape Verde islands ( Schmidt 1990; Schmidt and Krause 1995) was doubted by Wunderlich (1992: 504-505), yet it could be confirmed through examination of material from the SMF. On the other hand, the species has not been recorded from the Canary Islands. The record from Fuerteventura ( Schmidt 1990) results from the erroneous synonymization with H. patellaris (already rejected by Wunderlich 1992: 504). Habitat information is scarce, but Schmidt and Krause (1995) collected the species from halophytes.

Figures

Figure 37. Distribution of Halodromus species.

Figures 7-16. 7, 11 Ebo pepinensis from Utah Lake 8, 12 Titanebo parabolis from Utah 9, 15 Halodromus patellaris, from Monastir 10 Philodromus lepidus from Kebili, Tunisia 13 Halodromus patellidens from Kuwait 14 Halodromus barbarae sp. n. from Cartagena 16 Halodromus gershomi sp. n. from Massawa 7-10 Female clypeus and chelicerae, frontal view 11-16 Female cephalothorax, dorsal view. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

Figures 33-36. Halodromus patellidens from Aden. 33-34 Left male palp (33 ventral, 34 retrolateral) 35 Epigyne, ventral 36 Vulva, dorsal. Scale line = 0.1 mm.