Micrommata aljibica Urones, 2004

Jäger, Peter, 2023, Revision of the huntsman spider genus Micrommata Latreille, 1804 (Sparassidae Sparassinae), Zootaxa 5352 (1), pp. 1-45 : 5-7

Micrommata aljibica Urones, 2004

Figs 3–18

Micrommata aljibica Urones, 2004: 42 , figs 4–11 (Description of male, female; holotype male from SPAIN: Andalusia: Málaga Province, Sierra de Aljibe , La Sauceda , 30TTF7146, elevation 480 m, C. Urones leg. 7 April 1983, MNCN 20.02/13772; examined. 5 male, 1 female paratypes, with same data as for holotype, MNCN 20.02/19875–80; 1 female paratype examined).

Additional material examined. SPAIN: Andalusia: 1 female, Málaga Province , uncertain locality, M.A. Cuesta leg., 18 April 1981 ( MNCN 20.02 /19884) .

Diagnosis. Males of this species can be recognised by the retrolaterad tegular prong very short, i.e. reaching barely alveolus margin, in combination with the denticle field near the tip of the embolus ( Figs 4–6 ; prong distad in biggi spec. nov., diesenhoff spec. nov., ligurina and virescens ; prong long, i.e. reaching retrolateral cymbial margin, and retrolaterad, denticle field on broad coiled part of tegulum in formosa ). Females are distinguished from all congeners by the MS without radial furrows in combination with the laterally bulging posterior IDS (but see note below!) ( Figs 7–8, 10–11 ; MS with radial furrows in aragonensis , biggi spec. nov., formosa , ligurina and virescens ; MS in diesenhoff spec. nov. without furrows, but IDS with anterior and posterior parts in longitudinal line without bulge or incision).

Notes. Both females examined were completely pale, i.e. unsclerotised and most likely preserved in ethanol immediately after the last moult. In the case of the female paratype there was an exuvia in the vial, which supports this hypothesis. Many details are difficult to see, some are not visible at all with a light microscope. For the epigyne and vulva, this could mean that if the cuticle of the female hardens after the moult, there might be some differences between what is shown in the figures and what might be the real structure of the copulatory organ (as shown for example for Heteropoda homstu Jäger, 2008 by Jäger 2008: figs 268, 271).

Description. MALE (holotype): Measurements: Small Sparassinae . TL 6.5 (OS dried), PL 3.5, PW 3.0, AW 1.5, OL 3.0, OW 1.2 (OS dried). Eyes: AME 0.16, ALE 0.24, PME 0.22, PLE 0.23, AME-AME 0.14, AME-ALE 0.06, PME-PME 0.28, PME-PLE 0.20, AME-PME 0.39, ALE-PLE 0.21, CH AME 0.23, CH ALE 0.23. Spination: Pp 131, 120, 2101, 2110; Fe I–II 323, III 3(4)23, IV 321(2); Pa I–II 001, III–IV 0(1)01); Ti I–II 2026, III–IV 2126; Mt I–II 1014, III 3014, IV 3037. Measurements of palps and legs: Pp 3.6 (1.1, 0.5, 0.8, -, 1.2); I 12.2 (3.4, 1.5, 3.1, 3.0, 1.2); II 13.1 (3.7, 1.6, 3.4, 3.2, 1.2); III 10.9 (3.3, 1.3, 2.7, 2.7, 2.6, 1.0); IV 13.2 (3.9, 1.4, 3.4, 3.9, 1.2). Leg formula: IV-II-I-III. Cheliceral furrow with 2 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth, with 6(5) ES.

Palp ( Figs 4–6 ): As in diagnosis. RTA moderately long, reaching base of cymbial spine. Subtegulum visible as semicircular, prolaterally narrowing ring situated retrolatero-proximally from tegulum. Fundus narrow, i.e. half the width of the basal tegulum winding, retrolatero-distad. Tegular prong developed as short, triangular outgrowth. Embolic division subapically with a membranous flange with serrated margin and several tiny denticles. Embolic tip filiform, more or less proximad.

Colouration ( Fig. 13 ): Yellowish-brown with brown pattern. DS with spots, elongated spots and marginal bands, appendages richly spotted, OS with white guanine crystals dorsally and ventrally except for heart region.

FEMALE (MNCN 20.02/19884 [paratype]): Measurements: TL 11.3 [8.2], PL 4.0 [3.9], PW 3.5 [3.6], AW 2.1 [2.0], OL 7.3 [4.0], OW 4.5 [2.5]. Eyes : AME 0.15 [0.19], ALE 0.24 [0.26], PME 0.21 [0.23], PLE 0.23 [0.22], AME-AME 0.16 [0.13], AME-ALE 0.06 [0.04], PME-PME 0.35 [0.35], PME-PLE 0.32 [0.28], AME-PME 0.36 [0.36], ALE-PLE 0.24 [0.20], CH AME 0.26 [0.28], CH ALE 0.28 [0.25]. Spination: Pp 131, 121, 2112, 1014; Fe I –II 323, III 32(3)2, IV 321; Pa I –III 000, IV 100; Ti I 1014, II 202(1)4, III 2024, IV 2123; Mt I –II 1014, III 3014, IV 3037. Measurements of palps and legs: Pp 4.5 (1.4, 0.7, 1.0, -, 1.4); I 12.2 (3.6, 1.6, 3.0, 2.8, 1.2) [12.5 (3.6, 1.7, 3.0, 3.1, 1.1)]; II 13.2 (3.9, 1.6, 3.4, 3.0, 1.3); III 122.0 (3.5, 1.3, 2.7, 2.4, 1.1); IV 13.1 (3.8, 1.5, 3.2, 3.4, 1.2). Leg formula: II-IV-I-III. Cheliceral furrow with 2 [2] promarginal and 4 [3–4] retromarginal teeth, with 5 ES.

Copulatory organ ( Figs 10–12 ) (see note below diagnosis): As in diagnosis. EF not recognisable. MS wider than long, epigynal furrows forming a blunt heart, their antero-median ends separated by the same distance as the lateral lobes are separated at the posterior margin. IDS with antero-dorsal part as wide as a quarter of entire IDS width; posterior part with broad S-shaped duct on each side, glandular appendages subcentral in most posterior part.

Colouration: Both females are completely white, no colour pattern recognisable. Live specimens show a vivid spotted pattern on body and appendages ( Figs 14–18 ).

Variation. Female (n=1): TL 6.8, PL 3.2, OL 4.0. Cheliceral furrow with 2 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth and 5(7) ES. See above for data of paratype; IDS of the latter with smaller lateral loops and posterior parts with glandular appendages closer together (but see note under diagnosis); in addition, the MS of the paratype exhibits a lobed transverse fold which can be interpreted as the anlage for the epigynal pockets ( Figs 7–9 ).

Distribution. Southern Spain ( Fig. 3 : black triangles).

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Distribution ranges of Micrommata species. 1 M. virescens (red circles), M. diesenhoff spec. nov. (black triangle). 2 M.ligurina (red circles), M. biggi spec. nov. (black triangles).3 M. formosa (red circles), M.aljibica (black triangles). Majority of records is from specimens examined, some are from published literature or websites like iNaturalist (western record of M. aljibica, several records of M. virescens in its central range).

FIGURES 4–6. Micrommata aljibica Urones, 2004, holotype male, left palp (4 ventral, 5 retrolateral, 6 tegular tip ventral). EDF—embolic denticle field, EP—embolic plate, ET—embolus tip, F—fundus of spermophore, RTA—retrolateral tibial apophysis, SB—cymbial spine base, SP—spermophor, ST—subtegulum, T—tegulum, TP—tegular prong.

FIGURES 7–12. Micrommata aljibica Urones, 2004, females, copulatory organs (7, 10 epigyne, ventral; 8, 11 vulva dorsal; 9, 12 schematic course of IDS, dorsal) (7–9 paratype, 10–12 MNCN 20.02/19884). adIDS—antero-dorsal part of internal duct system, AE—antero-median ends of epigynal furrows, avIDS—antero-ventral part of internal duct system, CD—copulatory duct, CO—copulatory opening, FD—fertilisation duct, FU—epigynal furrow, GA—glandular appendages, LB—lateral bulge of internal duct system, LL—lateral lobes, MS—median septum; arrows indicating the incision between anterior and posterior part of IDS.

FIGURES 13–18. Micrommata aljibica Urones, 2006, habitus. 13 Holotype male, dorsal. 14–15 Female from NW of Almeria, Spain (14 dorsal, 15 frontal). 16–18 Female from ca. 10 km SE of the type locality (16–17 dorsal, 18 ventral). Photo credits: 14–15 Paco Faluke; 16–18 Oscar Diaz.