Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos, 2020

Barrientos, José Antonio, Brañas, Neus & Mederos, Jorge, 2020, The high complexity of Micronetinae Hull, 1920 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) evidenced through ten new cave-dweller species from the Morocco, Zoosystema 42 (1), pp. 1-29 : 7-9

Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos n. sp.

( Figs 4 ; 13 H-J)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0E070259-2965-4D89-88E6-6C2FCD667F0F

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Morocco. 1♂; Grotte des Pigeons [= Khef el Hmam (Arabic name), = Ifri Itbirn (Berber name)], Souk el Tleta el Akhsass, Guelmim; 28.VII.2003; F. Fadrique, J. Esquius & A. Ighious leg.; MZB 2013-2956.

Paratypes. Morocco. 3♀; same locality and date as the holotype; MZB 2017-0658 • 5♂, 4♀; same locality as the holotype; 15.X.2015; L. Auroux leg.; MZB 2015-8632 .

OTHER MATERIAL. — Morocco. 2 juv.; same locality and date as the holotype ; MZB 2017-0659 • 1♂, 7♀, 3 juv.; same locality as the holotype; 15.X.2015; F. Fadrique leg.; MZB 2017-0210 • 1 juv.; same locality as the holotype; 15.X.2015; L. Auroux leg. ; MZB 2017-1478 • 2♂, 7♀, 4 juv.; same locality as the holotype; 15.X.2015; F. Fadrique leg.; MZB 2017-0209 • 1♀, 9 juv.; same locality as the holotype; 15.X.2015; F. Fadrique leg.; MZB 2015- 8635 • 1♂, 9♀, 3 juv.; same locality as the holotype; 15.X.2015; L. Auroux leg.; MZB 2015-8636 .

DIAGNOSIS. — The paracymbium is very broad and subquadrangular, due to the development of its middle part; it presents a pair of sharp denticles in its proximal area; the apical part is very short. In the bulb, the development and shape of the lamella characteristica stand out. It is a well-sclerotized process that is oriented forward and outward; it is clearly curved distally and shows a laminar structure in a semicircle like a sickle. The epigyne is very developed and outstanding on the ventral side, almost perpendicular to the surface of the body, due to lengthening of the basal area. The scape is large, but there is no special development of the proscape; the whole set describes a very characteristic “S” path that fills the back of the epigyne. If we stick to the structural features of the epigyne, L. ensiferus Barrientos n. sp. would be a species close to L. fagei Machado, 1939 ; but if we look at male genital structures (clearly illustrated for this second species in Hormiga & Ribera 1990), the differences are evident. Consequently, L. ensiferus Barrientos n. sp. remains in an uncertain systematic position.

ETYMOLOGY. — The name refers to the falciform aspect of the embolic division of the lamella characteristica, in the copulatory bulb; its “sickle” shape is especially visible in a lateral observation.

DISTRIBUTION. — The samples come from a single cavity, located in the province of Bou Izakarn, south of Agadir.

DESCRIPTION

Male (holotype)

Total body length 2.20. Carapace: 0.93 long, 0.78 wide, coloration yellow-amber, pale and uniform, a little more intense in the anterior cephalic area, with a few scattered hairs. Eyes relatively small, but developed and with black areolas. Chelicerae: 0.46 (stem length), with three teeth on the promargin (basal tooth clearly separated from the two distal) and a denticle on the retromargin; same color as the carapace, but more intense. Legs pale yellow-amber; covered with a fine, short and very regular hairiness; long and thin; measurements: leg I (1.47 + 0.29 + 1.47 + 1.47 + 0.95), leg II (1.47 + 0.29 + 1.37 + 1.27 + 0.83), leg III (1.18 + 0.24 + 0.98 + 1.03 + 0.76), and leg IV (1.32 + 0.29 + 1.47 + 1.37 + 0.86). Opisthosoma: length 1.13, width, 0.83 matte grayishwhite, without dorsal pigmentary pattern and covered with long scattered hairs.

Palp and copulatory bulb ( Figs 4 A-C; 13J). Paracymbium very wide, subquadrangular, due to the great development of its proximal part, very broad at base, subtriangular distally and without basal pilosity; middle part with a pair of acute denticles, quite close, in the posterior area, and little excavated in its anterior part; the apical part very short and narrowing in a straight fingering. Bulb ventrally and laterally emphasizing the development of the lamella characteristica; a consistent process, starting from the back of the radix, orienting forward and outward; slightly curved, and showing distally, a clearly laminar structure describing a semicircle, like a broad-leaved sickle (arrangement particularly clear in a retrolateral observation). On ventral side, the suprategular apophysis curved, sharp and well sclerotized visible at the anterior end. Radix ( Fig. 4C ) developping, in front of the lamella characteristica, another long and acute process, well sclerotized, and slightly curved, the terminal apophysis. Embolus located in front of the radix, forming three translucent and sublaminar points; one of them, embolus proper, allowing to glimpse the route of the canal, starting from Fickert’s gland (fgl).

Female (paratype [MZB 2017-0658])

Body. Total body length 2.50. Carapace: 0.98 long by 0.78 wide, yellow-amber, with a brown and bright tint; no pigmentary pattern; coloration more intense in the cephalic area, which has some scattered hairs. Eyes developed, in standard disposition and with black areolas. Chelicerae 0.46 long, with a somewhat more intense coloration than the carapace; with three small teeth on the promargin (the two distal clearly separated from the basal) and only one on the retromargin. Legs yellowish, somewhat paler than the carapace, long and thin; measurements: leg I (1.52 + 0.34 + 1.47 + 1.44 + +0.88), leg II (1.37 + 0.34 + 1.35 + 1.35 + 0.83), leg III (1.13 + 0.27 + 1.08 + 1.08 + 0.64), and leg IV (1.27 + 0.29 + 1.37 + 1.32 + 0.78). Opisthosoma 1.42 long by 1.03 wide, yellowish white, without dorsal pigmentary pattern and with strewn long hairs.

Female genitalia. Epigyne ( Figs 4D, E ; 13H, I ) very developed and protruding in the ventral side of epigastrum, almost perpendicular to the surface of opisthosoma. Basal zone elongate, formed by the anterior and lateral walls of the bursa copulatrix, opening backward; these walls with a long and scattered hairiness. Posterior wall developing the median plate, semicircular and sclerotized, on which the distal part of the scape rests. Lateral walls not forming “wings”, although they distally expand in two triangular points closing the flanks of the bursa copulatrix. Scape relatively large; starting from the anterior wall of the bursa, so that lateral walls with a notch, rounded on each side, delimit the beginning. No specific development of the proscape, because it is limited to change direction, leaning towards the opisthosoma wall (only in a posterior observation appearing a little more dilated and rounded). Middle part of the scape oriented towards the inside of the bursa copulatrix, but maintaining a curvature in “C” so that the distal part is oriented outwards; scape route easily observable laterally. Entire escape greatly sclerotised and looking as a rigid structure, but allowing to observe by transparency the route of the fertilization ducts.

Figures

FIG. 4. — Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos n. sp., genital organs: A, B, male copulatory bulb, retrolateral view (A), ventral view (B); C, schema of the embolic division; D, E, epigyne, ventral view (D), lateral view (E). Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 13. — A, B, Epigyne of Lepthyphantes almoravidus Barrientos n. sp. in ventral (A) and lateral (B) views; C, D, epigyne of Lepthyphantes biospeleologorum Barrientos n. sp. in dorsal (C) and lateral (D) views; E, F, epigyne of Lepthyphantes fadriquei Barrientos n. sp. in lateral (E) and ventral (F) views; G, male copulatory bulb of L. fadriquei Barrientos n. sp. retrolateral views; H, I, epigyne of Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos n. sp. in lateral (H) and dorsal (I) views; J, male copulatory bulb of Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos n. sp. in retrolateral view.