Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966

Rudy Jocqué & Arnaud Henrard, 2015, Revalidation of Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966 with description of three new species and discovery of a remarkable male palpal character (Araneae, Zodariidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 114, pp. 1-23 : 2-3

Genus Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966

Diagnosis

Members of the genus Acanthinozodium are recognized by the wide cephalothorax (L/W <1.3), large AME ( Fig. 4 F), and all femora without Fattened setae but with a double row of long ventral setae ( Fig. 4 C). Males are characterized by the deep dorsal pit at the base of the cymbium ( Figs 9 A–B, 10C, 12B–D); females by the wide epigyne with a pair of large atria and the large spermathecae with a double chamber ( Fig. 9 F–G).

Type species

Acanthinozodium spinulosum Denis, 1966 .

Remark

The types of A. spinulosum could not be traced but the description mentions two of the diagnostic characters of the genus: large AME and a double row of long ventral setae on the femora. Large AME are widely distributed among the taxa in the femoral organ clade but are important to differentiate the genus from Zodariellum that supposedly is a synonym ( Jocqué 1991). The presence of dorsal spines on the femora is not diagnostic for the genus and also occurs in Zodarion nitidum (Audouin, 1826) , the type species of Zodarion ( Ono & Jocqué 1986; Levy 1992).

Description

Medium size spiders (2.8–5.7 mm) with smooth teguments. Carapace wide (L/W <1.3) almost hairless apart from a few longer hairs on clypeus; widest at level of coxae II–III, narrowed to about 0.68 times maximum width in males and 0.55 times maximum width in females (cephalic width measured on posterior tangent of PME). Cervical grooves poorly indicated. ProFle fairly Fat, often with a slight dip between eyes and fovea.

COLOUR. Carapace orange to shades of yellow, suffused with dark pattern; chelicerae, legs, mouthparts and sternum orange to yellow; abdomen dorsum uniform dark, venter uniform grey, darker towards sides.

EYES. In two rows: anterior row straight (eye centres), strongly procurved as seen from in front, posterior row strongly procurved.AME dark, much larger (two to four times) than remainder which are pale;AME less than half their diameter apart and as far from ALE; PME oval, three to Fve times their diameter apart and 1.5 to 3 times their diameter from PLE. MOQ as wide in back as in front and slightly wider than long. Clypeus convex, height about 1.5 times diameter of ALE, with some long dispersed setae.

CHILUM. Absent. Chelicerae fused in the middle; intercheliceral triangle well developed; paturon dorsally covered with stout hairs; with distal cusp with one tooth; fang shorter than wide at base. Labium triangular, narrowed base. Endites roughly triangular, strongly converging. Sternum shield-shaped with rounded sides, provided with triangular extensions corresponding with coxal concavities. Slightly longer than wide.

LEGS. Slender. Formula 4123 or 4132. Spination reduced but a few dorsal and sometimes prolateral spines on femora and ventral spines on tibiae. Femora with conspicuous double row of long ventral setae. No incised hairs on femora. Femoral organ with barbed hairs on legs I–III ( Figs 9 E, 12E).

FEMALE PALP. With pectinated claw turned inwards over nearly 90°, with distal patch of chemosensitive setae, modiFed prolateral, pectinated setae reduced or absent.

ABDOMEN. Oval; tracheal spiracle just in front of spinnerets; fairly wide, around 0.25 times maximum width of abdomen) preceded by row of modiFed Fat setae ( Figs 5 F, 12E–F). Males with two spinnerets, females with six. ALS large, conical, biarticulate on common base. PLS and PMS very small. Colulus represented by haired Feld.

MALE PALP. Tibia with small prolateral apophysis apart from the well developed RTA. Cymbium with basolateral Fange; with distal and prolateral smooth spines and dorsal patch of chemosensitive setae; prolateral modiFed pectinated setae reduced; base with deep crater-like pit; bulbus with hook-like median apophysis situated near distal tip; embolus Fat, distal part with Fange.

Distribution

Acanthinozodium is found in the semi-arid areas in and around the Sahara Desert from Senegal to Yemen.

Figures

Fig. 4. Acanthinozodium sahelense sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Idem, ventral view. C. Idem, frontal view. D. Idem, lateral view. E. Idem, dorsolateral view. F. Carapace, eye region, dorsal view. Scale bars: A – E = 1 mm; F = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 5. Acanthinozodium sahelense sp. nov. A – B. Ƌ from Faro Game Reserve (MRAC 221205). C – H. ♀♀ from same sample. A. Male habitus, dorsal view. B. Idem, ventral view. C. Female habitus, dorsal view. D. Idem, ventral view. E. Female, mouthparts and palps, ventral view. F. Female, abdomen, modiFed setae in front of tracheal spiracle, ventral view. G. Epigyne, ventral view. H. Epigyne, other specimen; arrow indicates plug. Scale bars: A – D = 1 mm; E – F = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 9. Acanthinozodium sahelense sp. nov. SEM photos of Ƌ and ♀ from Faro Game Reserve (MRAC 221183). A. Male palp, base of cymbium, dorsal view. B. Detail of previous showing “ plug pit ”, dorsal view. C. Male palp, ventral view. D. Detail of previous, showing MA in expanded position. E. Male, femoral organ. F. Epigyne, after digestion, dorsal view; arrows indicate the two spermatheca chambers; star indicates the atria. G. Detail of previous showing spermatheca with two chambers. Scale bars: A, C – D, F – G = 100 μm; B, E = 10 μm.