Eusparassus jocquei, Moradmand, 2013

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 : 58-61

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3675.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7F4D5550-8B85-4694-9482-8A125E9A2650
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6949769
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B787E9-821A-136F-25A5-8015FDA3FBCB
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Eusparassus jocquei
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Eusparassus jocquei View in CoL spec. nov.

Figs 35–36 View FIGURE 35 View FIGURE 36 , 55a–b View FIGURE 55 , 64c, f View FIGURE 64

Type material. Holotype: male, ZIMBABWE: Matabeleland North Province: Bulawayo (S 20°8'60, E 28°34'60, 1351 m) [label: Rhodesia : Bulawayo], November 1964 – January 1965, S. Bucklin leg., MM201 ( MRAC 128093 View Materials ).

Paratypes: 5♂, 1♀ ( MM202 ), 2 juveniles, with same data as for holotype (4♂, 1♀ MRAC; 1♂ SMF) .

Other material examined. 1♀, “Ostafrika” [= East Africa ] (potentially Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda or Burundi; see remarks below), December 1904, W. Triesler leg. ( ZMB) .

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Dr Rudy Jocqué (MRAC). The visit of the author to MRAC coincided with his retirement. The author would like to dedicate the name of this conspicuous species to him in recognition of his long time of productive arachnological research especially on African spiders; noun in genitive case.

Diagnosis. This is the only Eusparassus species whose male’s dRTA is bifurcated at its distal end ( Figs 35a, b View FIGURE 35 ) and female epigyne with MS clearly visible posteriorly ( Fig. 36a View FIGURE 36 ) [see also diagnosis for jaegeri species group above].

Description. Male (ranges: n=6, single measurement: holotype):

Measurements. Males medium-sized. Total length 12.0–13.8, prosoma length 5.7–6.3, prosoma width 4.6–5.4, anterior width of prosoma 2.7–3.0, opisthosoma length 6.3–7.5, opisthosoma width 4.0. Eye diameters: AME 0.47, ALE 0.33, PME 0.31, PLE 0.34; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.08, PME-PME 0.42, PME- PLE 0.45, AME-PME 0.33, ALE-PLE 0.22, clypeus height at AME 0.23, clypeus height at ALE 0.37. AME largest, other eyes subequal ( Fig. 35d View FIGURE 35 ).

Chelicerae. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 3 or 4 posterior teeth, cheliceral furrow with a line of 7 to 10 intermarginal denticles ( Fig. 35e View FIGURE 35 ).

Legs. Leg formula: II I IV III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 8.3 [2.8, 1.2, 1.3, 3.0], I 29.8 [7.9, 3.1, 7.5, 8.7, 2.6], II 32.0 [8.7, 3.3, 8.3, 9.1, 2.6], III 26.8 [7.7, 2.8, 6.7, 7.4, 2.2], IV 29.1 [8.1, 2.7, 7.2, 8.7, 2.4].

Spination. Palp 131, 001, 1111; Legs: Femur I–III 323, IV 322; Patella I–IV 001/101; Tibia I–IV 2124 /2224; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3036.

Palp. As in diagnosis with weakly developed vRTA, ST huge and cymbium approximately twice as long as tibia ( Figs 35a, b View FIGURE 35 ); ET wide and only distally narrowed, ET directed retrolaterad first and ending proximad at its distal end ( Fig. 35c View FIGURE 35 ).

Female (n=2, single measurement: paratype):

Measurements. Medium sized. Total length 17.1; prosoma length 6.7, prosoma width 5.6, anterior width of prosoma 3.6, opisthosoma length 10.4, opisthosoma width 7.5. Eye diameters: AME 0.45, ALE 0.33, PME 0.31, PLE 0.33; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.25, AME-ALE 0.13, PME-PME 0.45, PME-PLE 0.51, AME-PME 0.33, ALE-PLE 0.23, clypeus height at AME 0.35, clypeus height at ALE 0.45.

Chelicerae. Chelicerae dentition like as male.

Legs. Leg formula II I IV III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 7.5 [2.3, 1.1, 1.4, 2.7], I 23.7 [6.3, 2.9, 5.7, 6.7, 2.1], II 25.6 [7.0, 3.0, 6.2, 7.2, 2.2], III 20.0 [6.1, 2.2, 4.8, 5.3, 1.6], IV 22.3 [6.5, 2.5, 5.4, 6.3, 2.1].

Spination. Palp 131, 001, 1111, 1013; Legs: Femur I–III 323, IV 321; Patella I–IV 000/001; Tibia I–IV 2024; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3036.

Epigyne/vulva. As in diagnosis with EF nearly as wide as long; MS thoroughly visible between lateral lobes ( Fig. 36a View FIGURE 36 ); MS folded and in connection with extra membranous parts forming an inverse pocket visible in dorsal view between CDs ( Fig. 36b View FIGURE 36 ); glandular pores restricted to a small depression near TL ( Fig. 36c View FIGURE 36 ).

Colouration [in ethanol]. Yellowish cream prosoma with dark brown dorsal opisthosoma decorated with a chevron pattern, ventral opisthosoma pale in colour ( Figs 55a–b View FIGURE 55 ).

Remarks. The copulatory structures of E. jocquei spec. nov. are strikingly different from other members of jaegeri group including the bifurcated dRTA and the distinctly visible MS between LL. However, it contains all the diagnostic characters of jaegeri species group. A female was found in ZMB, with label information “Ostafrika” [=German for “East Africa”]. German East Africa used to be a German colony at the date of collecting (1904) which included what are now modern Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique and Burundi. Since the majority of the former German colony currently comprises the modern countries Tanzania and Mozambique, the specimen was probably collected from one of these countries.

Known geographical distribution and habitat. Known from the type locality and probably Tanzania or Mozambique in Southeast Africa .