Magana velox Huber, 2019

Huber, Bernhard A. & Carvalho, Leonardo S., 2019, Filling the gaps: descriptions of unnamed species included in the latest molecular phylogeny of Pholcidae (Araneae), Zootaxa 4546 (1), pp. 1-96 : 40-42

Magana velox Huber sp. n.

Figs 135–147

Gen.n. Om6: Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data); Huber et al. 2018: fig. 2.

Type material. OMAN: ♂ holotype, ZFMK ( Ar 20623), Ash Sharqiyah South, rock desert between Sur and Kamil (22.4616°N, 59.3870°E), 95 m a.s.l., 18.ii.2018 (B.A. Huber) .

Other material examined. OMAN: 1♂, ZFMK (Ar 20624), and 3♀ 1 juv. in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Om118), same data as holotype . 4♂ 4♀, ZFMK (Ar 20625), and 2♀ 2 juvs in pure ethanol, ZFMK (Om29), same locality at 22.462°N, 59.388°E, 90 m a.s.l., under rocks in desert, 23.iii.2017 (B.A. Huber).

Etymology. The species name is an adjective, Latin velox = swift, quick, fast, and refers to the rapid running of this species.

Diagnosis. Males are easily distinguished from other Old World Ninetinae (representatives of Ninetis ) by distinctively curved procursus ( Figs 143–144 ; left palp in dorsal view: clockwise); also by absence of pair of anterior humps on male sternum ( Fig. 145 ) and by short prolateral apophysis on male palpal femur proximally ( Fig. 143 ). Females with trapezoidal anterior epigynal plate with slightly protruding anterior part provided with stronger hairs, and internal genitalia with pair of small dark receptacle-like structures and larger transparent median sac ( Figs 142 , 147 ).

Description. Male (holotype). MEASUREMENTS. Total length 0.97, carapace width 0.43. Distance PME-PME 40 µm; diameter PME 50 µm; distance PME-ALE 20 µm; distance AME-AME 10 µm, diameter AME 30 µm. Leg 1: 2.07 (0.60 + 0.13 + 0.57 + 0.50 + 0.27), tibia 2: 0.45, tibia 3: 0.42, tibia 4: 0.60; tibia 1 L/d: 8.8.

COLOR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs pale ochre-yellow. Abdomen monochromous pale ochre-gray.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 135–136, 138–139 . Ocular area barely elevated; thoracic furrow absent; clypeus barely modified, slightly bulging ( Fig. 146 ). Sternum slightly wider than long (0.30/0.28), unmodified.

CHELICERAE. With pair of pointed frontal apophyses and stridulatory ridges ( Figs 145–146 ).

PALPS. As in Figs 143–144 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with low ventral process; femur proximally with short prolateral apophysis proximally; tibia globular, procursus distinctively curved towards prolateral (circular in dorsal view); bulb with slightly sclerotized ventral apophysis and semitransparent dorsal process (presumably carrying opening of sperm duct—not seen).

Legs. Without spines and curved hairs, few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 54%; tibia 1 without prolateral trichobothrium (present on other tibiae); tarsus 1 with few pseudosegments (~4, poorly visible in dissecting microscope).

Male (variation). Tibia 1 in 5 other males: 0.47–0.53 (mean 0.49).

Female. In general similar to male ( Fig. 137 ), but clypeus not bulging. Tibia 1 in 9 females: 0.45–0.60 (mean 0.52). Epigynum simple externally ( Fig. 140 ), trapezoidal anterior plate with variably distinct and slightly protruding anterior part provided with stronger hairs, short posterior plate. Internal genitalia with pair of small dark receptacle-like structures and larger transparent median sac; apparently without pore plates ( Figs 142 , 147 ).

Distribution. Known from type locality only ( Fig. 342 ).

Natural history. This species was found in a rocky desert ( Fig. 339 ), under rocks and small stones. When disturbed, it ran away very quickly. In small glass vials it built flimsy webs with small platforms on which the spider rested.

Figures

FIGURE 342. Known distributions of the three new species of Artema and of Magana velox sp. n.; UAE, United Arab Emirates.

FIGURES 135–142. Magana velox sp. n. (ZFMK, Ar 20625). 135–137. Live males and female. 138–139. Male, dorsal and lateral views. 140. Epigynum, ventral view. 141–142. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. Scale lines: 0.5 (138– 139), 0.2 (140–142).

FIGURES 143–144. Magana velox sp. n. (ZFMK, Ar 20624). Left male palp, prolateral and retrolateral views; arrow points at prolateral process on femur. ba, bulbal apophysis; gb, genital bulb; pr, procursus. Scale line: 0.2.

FIGURES 145–147. Magana velox sp. n. (ZFMK, Ar 20624–25). 145–146. Male prosoma, frontal and oblique lateral views. 147. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.2.

FIGURES 336–341. Selection of collecting sites and habitats. 336. Forest above Mokwam (West Papua), type locality of Arnapa arfak sp. n. and Aetana mokwam sp. n. 337. Tinoor Fall near Tomohon (North Sulawesi), type locality of Arnapa tinoor sp. n. 338. Entrance to Caverna Porco do Mato II (Rio Grande do Norte), type locality of Pinocchio barauna sp. n. 339. Desert between Sur and Kamil (Oman), type locality of Magana velox sp. n. 340. Bromeliad at Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Nacional Serra Bonita (Bahia), type locality of Psilochorus bromelicolus sp. n. (note pair of spiders among leaves). 341. Disturbed forest near Sofifi (Halmahera), type locality of Giloloa sofifi sp. n. and Panjange togutil sp. n.