Salticus lucasi, Zamani & Hosseini & Moradmand, 2020

Zamani, Alireza, Hosseini, Marzieh Sadat & Moradmand, Majid, 2020, New data on jumping spiders of Iran, with a new species of Salticus (Araneae: Salticidae), Arachnology Letters 59, pp. 63-66 : 64-65

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.30963/aramit5908

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A8878E-FFF8-5F26-FFC3-996938AEFCF3

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Salticus lucasi
status

sp. nov.

Salticus lucasi View in CoL sp. nov. ( Figs 3-10 View Figs 3-5 View Figs 6-10 )

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( MMUE G7624.1 ): IRAN, Isfahan Province: Qamsar & Barzok Protected Area, 55 km SW of Qamsar, 14 km NE Kamoo, near the road of Gargash observatory, 33.63111°N, 51.33111°E, 2710 m. a.s.l., 19. May 2016 (leg. P. Ponel); GoogleMaps paratypes: 1 ♂ ( MMUE G7624.2 ), same data as for the holotype; 1 ♂ ( ZMUI 35144 View Materials ), Isfahan Province: Chadegan county : Rozveh, Dalan-Kouh Protected GoogleMaps

Area, 32.83667°N, 50.56861°E, May 2016 (leg. S. Alimohammadi).

Etymology. The species is named after Lucas the Spider, an animated character created by animator Josh Slice on the basis of the anatomy of jumping spiders, in recognition of the role that it played in “curing” many arachnophobes around the world.

Diagnosis. This species can be easily distinguished from most congeners by the unique form of the terminal apophysis, consisting of one anterior and one posterior blade behind the embolus, and by the unique shape of the retrolateral tibial apophysis. It seems to be closely related to Salticus noordami Metzner, 1999 , having a similar shape of the RTA and overall bulb morphology, but can be distinguished by the presence of a distinct posterior bulge (Pb) on the bulb ( Figs 9-10 View Figs 6-10 ) (vs. absent, cf. Metzner 1999: 115, fig. 79a-f).

It is worth mentioning that with respect to both the embolic division and the RTA, there are four other species that also appear very close to the new species: Salticus cingulatus (Panzer, 1797) , S. mandibularis (Simon, 1868) , S. olivaceus (L. Koch, 1867) and S. unciger (Simon, 1868) . All of these species have a multi-pronged terminal apophysis very much like that of S. lucasi sp. nov., and all have a long blade-like RTA. As the available illustrations in the literature are not informative enough, the status of the terminal apophysis in those species is not clear; nonetheless, they differ from S. lucasi sp. nov. by the absence of both a posterior bump on the bulb (Pb) and a ventral bulge on the RTA.

Description. Male (holotype). Habitus as in Figs 3-5 View Figs 3-5 . Total body length 4.12 (excluding the chelicerae). Carapace 2.08 long, 1.62 wide, 0.80 high. Sternum 0.94 long, 0.66 wide. Eye sizes: AME 0.39, ALE 0.24, PME 0.07, PLE 0.21. General coloration black, with numerous light grey setae on pars cephalica, the mid area of pars thoracica and opisthosoma. Sternum, labium and maxillae the same colour as carapace, with whitening in the anterolateral sides of maxillae. Cheli- cerae dark reddish brown. Opisthosoma without any distinct pattern ( Figs 3-4 View Figs 3-5 ). Legs light yellowish brown, with darker patterns on femora ( Fig. 3 View Figs 3-5 ). Measurements of legs: I: 5.87 (1.55, 1.03, 1.55, 1.19, 0.55), II: 4.34 (1.24, 0.85, 0.99, 0.78, 0.48), III: 4.29 (1.25, 0.70, 0.95, 0.89, 0.50), IV: 4.45 (1.33, 0.67, 1.08, 0.89, 0.48). Spination of legs: I: Ti 2pl, 2rl, Mt 2pl, 2rl, II: Ti 2v, Mt 2pl, 2rl, III and IV: Ti 2v.

Palp as in Figs 5-10 View Figs 3-5 View Figs 6-10 . Retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) strong, extending to the almost half the size of cymbium, with a distinct bulge ventrally; bulb longer than wide, with a posterior bulge (Pb); embolic base (EmB) located at an approximately 3 o’clock position, leading to the embolus (Em) terminating in the apical part, located in a ventral position to two blades of terminal apophysis, almost touching the shorter anterior blade (ATA).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from two localities in Isfahan Province, central Iran. Beside the newly described species, there are six other species of Salticus known from Iran ( Tab. 2 View Tab ).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Salticidae

Genus

Salticus

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