Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik, 2020

Zamani, Alireza, Stockmann, Mark, Magalhaes, Ivan L. F. & Rheims, Cristina A., 2022, New taxonomic considerations in the spitting spider family Scytodidae (Arachnida: Araneae), Zootaxa 5092 (2), pp. 151-175 : 157

Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik, 2020

Figs 4A–E , 5A–F , 6A–C , 7 A–E

Scytodes univittata: Zamani, 2014: 43 (misidentified ♀ from IRAN, Bushehr Province [erroneously referred to as Fars], Kangan, deposited in JAZM, examined).

Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik, 2020: 124 , figs 4A–H (♀ holotype from IRAN, Hormozgan Province, 75 km N Bandar Abbas, Siahu , [27°33'N 55°38'E], 31 January 2020, A. Zamani leg., deposited in MHNG, examined).

Additional material examined. IRAN: Hormozgan: 1♀, 2 subadult ♂, 28 km northwest of Bandar Abbas [27°23'N 56°04'E], 28 March 1972, K. Bilek leg. ( NHMW) . OMAN: Ad Dakhliyah: 4♀, 2♂, Al Hamra, Wilayat, Jebel Shams Mountains (23°14'18.6"N 57°11'38.4"E), 1900 m, October 2017, M. Stockmann leg. ( MACN-Ar 41839–41 ) .

Diagnosis. Males of S. kumonga resemble those of S. arwa ( Figs 2A–C , 3A–J ) and S. univittata ( Brescovit & Rheims 2000 : figs 11–20) in having a double row of strong spines on the ventral face of femur I ( Fig. 1B ). They differ from S. arwa in lacking spines on metatarsus III and femur IV (vs. present in S. arwa ) and from S. arwa and S. univittata by the palp with pear-shaped, distally tapering, shorter embolus ( Fig. 5A–D ) and spade-shaped prolateral extension at tip ( Fig. 5E ) (vs. embolus longer, prolateral extension trapezoid in S. arwa and small and rounded in S. univittata ). Females differ from S. arwa and S. univittata in having tubular spermathecae, with straight ducts ( Fig. 6B–C , Zamani & Marusik 2020: fig. 4G–I) (vs. bean-shaped with U-shaped ducts in S. arwa , and small, rounded with U-shaped ducts in S. univittata ) and posterior plate rounded with strongly sclerotized lateral areas ( Fig. 6A–B , Zamani & Marusik 2020: fig. 4G–H) (vs. straight with slender sclerotized lateral areas in S. arwa and rounded, with weakly sclerotized lateral areas in S. univittata ).

Description. Male (MACN-Ar 41841). Habitus as in Figs 4A‒C , 7A‒C, E . Coloration as in female ( Zamani & Marusik 2020: fig. 4A–E). Legs with raised, spine-like setal bases on ventral face of femur I (two rows of 8–9) and femur III (a patch of 22 on prolateral face) ( Fig. 4E ). Chelicerae with modified, hook-like cheliceral lamina ( Fig. 4D ). Total length 8.43, carapace length 4.63, width 3.82, abdomen length 3.91, width 3.07. Eye diameters and interdistances: PME 0.18, ALE 0.20, PLE 0.18, PME‒ALE 0.35. Sternum length (excluding labium) 2.44, width 1.80. Palp: femur length 1.14, height 0.43, tibia length 0.67, height 0.42, tarsus length 1.12. Measurements of legs: I: 32.54 (8.50, 1.24, 9.00, 12.70, 1.10), II: 25.28 (7.04, 1.22, 7.35, 8.82, 0.85), III: 19.32 (5.44, 1.20, 5.41, 6.51, 0.76), IV: 25.31 (6.99, 1.19, 7.55, 8.54, 1.04). Palp as in Fig. 5A‒E ; cymbium with two apical macrosetae; bulb pear-shaped distally tapering; embolus with spade-shaped prolateral extension and subtriangular tip.

Female. See Zamani & Marusik (2020).

Distribution. Known from Iran and herein recorded for the first time from Oman ( Fig. 14 ). Most likely occurs in the United Arab Emirates as well (see “Note”).

Natural history. In Oman, adult gravid females were found under rocks in their loose webs in October. The habitat is a dry rocky slope with loose vegetation. Temperature varies from 0°C in winter to 35°C in summer and scarce rainfall is concentrated from autumn to spring. Females carry their egg-sacs until they hatch, ~4 weeks after oviposition; clutch sizes vary between 18 and 24 spiderlings. Juveniles take less than one year to reach maturity. Females that mate in autumn will produce an egg-sac in spring, after diapause, while females mated in summer or spring will produce an egg-sac after two months. These observations suggest an annual life cycle. Mated females may produce 2–3 egg-sacs, and live for a year after that; they may mate again, but egg-sacs from this second mating are mostly unfruitful, producing few or no spiderlings. Adult males refuse to eat and live only for 2–3 months after maturity. During copulation, they insert both palps in the female genitalia ( Fig. 7E ); this is a putative synapomorphy of Synspermiata, previously recorded for Scytodidae in S. velutina Heineken & Lowe , in Lowe, 1832 and S. thoracica ( Latreille, 1802) (see Huber 1998). Sexual cannibalism has been observed both before and after copulation.

Note. Feulner & Roobas (2015) provided a habitus photo of a female Scytodes specimen from the United Arab Emirates, and mentioned that they have encountered this species twice in Wadi Wurayah National Park and once at Jebel Fayah. The depicted specimen shows the characteristic coloration pattern for this species and suggests that it might occur in this country as well. However, these specimens would have to be examined in order to confirm their identification.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–D Scytodes arwa Rheims Brescovit & van Harten.A (IBSP 35581, female), leg III, tarsus, claws, prolateral view (arrow points to inferior claw); B–D (IBSP 35570, male, holotype) B leg I, femur, ventral view; C leg IV, femur, ventral view; D leg III, metatarsus, prolateral view; E–F Dictis striatipes L. Koch (IBSP 35569, female) E leg I, tarsus, claws, prolateral view; F leg III, tarsus, claws, prolateral view.

FIGURE 2. Scytodes arwa Rheims, Brescovit & van Harten, live specimens (JAZM).A–B male; C female. Photos: A, B by A. Mohajeran, C by A. Zamani.

FIGURE 3. Scytodes arwa Rheims, Brescovit & van Harten. A, G–H (IBSP 35570, male, holotype); B (IBSP 35582, female); E–F (IBSP 35581, female); I–J (IBSP 35583, female, holotype of S. makeda Rheims, Brescovit & van Harten syn. n.). A–B habitus, dorsal view (A male, B female); C–F tarsal claws, prolateral view (C male, leg I, D male, leg III, E female, leg I, F female, leg III, arrows point to inferior claw); G–H male, left palp (G prolateral view, H retrolateral view); I–J female genitalia (I ventral view; J vulva, dorsal view). Scale bars: A–B = 2 mm; C–J = 0.5 mm. AP = anterior plate; DR = dorsal receptacle; F = fovea; OS = outer spermathecae; PP = posterior plate; PR = positioning ridge.

FIGURE 4. Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik (MACN-Ar 41841). A–C habitus (A dorsal, B ventral, C sublateral); D right chelicera, frontal view (arrow points to cheliceral lamina); E leg III, metatarsus, row of spines, ventral view. Scale bars: A–C = 2 mm; D = 0.2 mm; E = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik (MACN-Ar 41841, male). A–F left palp. A retrolateral; B prolateral; C dorsal; D detail of bulb, prolateral; E embolus tip, detail; F palpal femur, stridulatory pick. Scale bars: A–B = 1 mm; C–D = 0.5 mm; E = 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 6. Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik (MACN-Ar 42839, female). A vulva, dorsal; B detail of left DR and OS, dorsal; C detail of left OS, dorsal. Scale bars: A = 0.5 mm; B = 0.2 mm; C = 0.05 mm. AP = anterior plate; DR = dorsal receptacle; F = fovea; OS = outer spermathecae; PP = posterior plate; PR = positioning ridge.

FIGURE 7. Scytodes kumonga Zamani & Marusik, 2020, live specimens from Oman. A–C, male. D, female. E, copula (male on bottom, female on top). Scale bars = 5 mm. Photos by M. Stockmann.

FIGURE 14. Distribution map of Scytodes arwa (red circles) and Scytodes kumonga (green/yellow triangles). Yellow symbols refer to doubtful records from the United Arab Emirates.