Eusparassus vestigator (Simon, 1897) Moradmand, 2013

Moradmand, Majid, 2013, The stone huntsman spider genus Eusparassus (Araneae: Sparassidae): systematics and zoogeography with revision of the African and Arabian species, Zootaxa 3675 (1), pp. 1-108 : 44-47

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3675.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7F4D5550-8B85-4694-9482-8A125E9A2650

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6422617

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B787E9-8208-137D-25A5-8745FE0CFB93

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Eusparassus vestigator (Simon, 1897)
status

comb. nov.

Eusparassus vestigator (Simon, 1897) View in CoL comb. nov.

Figs 25–26 View FIGURE 25 View FIGURE 26 , 52a–b View FIGURE 52 , 63a–b View FIGURE 63

Sparassus vestigator Simon, 1897c: 388 (description of male and immature female syntypes). [syntypes, male and subadult female, NHM, examined]

Eusparassus rufobrunneus Caporiacco, 1941: 109 View in CoL , fig. 40 (description and illustration of male, two male syntypes), [syntypes, two males, MZUF, examined]. New synonymy.

Olios vestigator (Simon) . Roewer 1955b: 695 (unjustified transfer).

Type material. Syntypes of Sparassus vestigator (designated by Simon 1897c): 1♂, 1 subadult ♀, ETHIOPIA: between Oromia and Somali Regions: male, West of Shebelle River, (label: Sparassus vestigator Simon, W of Shebeli River, 15.12.94) ( NHM 97.11.10.56), subadult female, Shebelle River (label: Sparassus vestigator Simon , Type , 5.6.95) ( NHM) ; Syntypes of Eusparassus rufobrunneus (designated by Caporiacco 1941): 2♂, ETHIOPIA: Southern Nations Region: 1♂, El Dire, “Missione Biologica Sagan=Omo, 1939, Prof. Edoardo Zavattari”, 18 May 1939 ( MZUF), 1♂, Elolo, “Missione Biologica Sagan=Omo, 1939, Prof. Edoardo Zavattari”, 16 July 1939 ( MZUF) .

Other material examined. 6♂, 5♀♀, ETHIOPIA: 1♂, Valley of the Omo River , field number 6, 14 May 1969, D. Houin leg. ( MNHN) ; 1♀, Valley of the Omo River , field number 27, 7 August 1972, O.F. Rodhain leg. ( MNHN) ; SOMALIA: 1♀, Somaliland, Bohalgarshan , 28 October 1895 ( NHM 97.11.10.54) ; KENYA: Rift Valley Province : 4♂, 1♀ ( MM 170 ) , Northern Turkana, Kenya colony, “Lake Rudolf Rift Valley Expedition 1934”, February–June 1934, V.E. Fuchs leg. ( NHM) ; 1♀, Lake Baringo area, dry bed of Kapinga River , 16 May 1975, A. J. Penniman leg. ( AMNH) ; Central Province : 1♀, Mangu, Lome , Prof. Kobert leg. ( ZMB) ; 1♀, Mangu , 3 March 1935, Dr. B. Beuzon leg. ( ZMUC) ; TANZANIA: Zanzibar Region: 1♂, Zanzibar, Hildebrandt leg. ( ZMB) .

Diagnosis. Male palpal morphology similar to that of E. reverentia spec. nov. but differing in having more slender ET lacking pointed triangular process and more slender dRTA ( Figs 25a–c View FIGURE 25 ); female differentiated by elongated GP parallel to copulatory duct (CD) ( Figs 26b, c View FIGURE 26 ) [see also diagnosis for vestigator species group above].

Description. Male (ranges: n=9, single measurement: syntype):

Measurements. Medium to large sized; total length 18.2–20.2, prosoma length 8.2–10.0, prosoma width 6.8– 8.3, anterior width of prosoma 3.7–4.6, opisthosoma length 10–10.2, opisthosoma width 5.5–7.3. Eye diameters: AME 0.46, ALE 0.35, PME 0.34, PLE 0.35; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.22, AME-ALE 0.10, PME-PME 0.43, PME-PLE 0.42, AME-PME 0.31, ALE-PLE 0.20, clypeus height at AME 0.25, clypeus height at ALE 0.35. AME largest, other eyes subequal ( Fig. 25d View FIGURE 25 ).

Chelicerae. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 4 or 5 posterior teeth; cheliceral furrow without intermarginal denticles ( Fig. 25e View FIGURE 25 ).

Legs. Leg formula: II IV I III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 8.5 [2.8, 1.3, 1.4, 3.0], I 30.1 [8.4, 3.2, 7.5, 8.5, 2.5], II 33.4 [9.5, 3.5, 8.4, 9.3, 2.7], III 27.3 [8.1, 3.0, 7.0, 7.2, 2.0], IV 31.6 [9.1, 2.7, 7.8, 9.7, 2.3].

Spination. Palp 131, 101, 1111; Legs: Femur I– III 424 , IV 323 / 422/423; Patella I – IV 101 ; Tibia I–IV 2224; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3036.

Palp. As in diagnosis with cymbium more than twice as long as tibia ( Fig. 25b View FIGURE 25 ); E and T expanded and covering ST ( Fig. 25a View FIGURE 25 ); ET directed proximad and retrolaterad at its distal end ( Fig. 25c View FIGURE 25 ).

Female (ranges: n=5, single measurement: MM 170):

Measurements. Medium to large sized; total length 18.5–21.7, prosoma length 8.5–9.7, prosoma width 7.7–8.5, anterior width of prosoma 4.8–5.2, opisthosoma length 10.0–12.0, opisthosoma width 6.5–7.5. Eye diameters: AME 0.61, ALE 0.46, PME 0.45, PLE 0.45; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.38, AME-ALE 0.20, PME-PME 0.63, PME-PLE 0.77, AME-PME 0.47, ALE-PLE 0.32, clypeus AME 0.45, clypeus ALE 0.62, eye arrangement as in males.

Chelicerae. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 3 to 5 posterior teeth, cheliceral furrow without intermarginal denticles; one to four retromarginal bristles at distal end of cheliceral basal segment.

Legs. Leg formula: II IV I III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 7.4 [2.2, 1.1, 1.6, 2.5], I 22.8 [6.5, 2.8, 6.0, 5.8, 1.7], II 25.6 [7.7, 3.2, 6.7, 6.2, 1.8], III 21.6 [6.6, 2.7, 5.6, 5.2, 1.5], IV 25.5 [7.8, 2.7, 6.6, 6.7, 1.7].

Spination. Palp 131, 001, 1111, 1013; Legs: Femur I– III 424 , IV 422 /423; Patella I–IV 000/101; Tibia I–IV 2024 /2224; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3036.

Epigyne/vulva. As in diagnosis with EF longer than wide; sclerotized MS as long as wide ( Fig. 26a View FIGURE 26 ) or slightly wider than long ( Fig. 26d View FIGURE 26 ); large, robust CD and GP, GP long; a median longitudinal sclerotized band on MS dorsally ( Figs 26b, c View FIGURE 26 ).

Colouration [in ethanol]. Reddish brown to yellowish cream with dark bands on legs, dorsal opisthosoma with a longitudinal dark band composed of fused chevron patterns, ventral opisthosoma with V-shaped dark marking with inner lines bold ( Figs 52a–b View FIGURE 52 ); live colouration is brownish gray with black patches on body and bands on legs ( Fig. 52d View FIGURE 52 ).

Remarks. Like other Eusparassus species described before 1903, this species was originally placed in Sparassus by Simon (1897c) (along with E. laevatus comb. nov.). Roewer (1955b) made an unjustified combination and transferred the species to Olios . Eusparassus rufobrunneus Caporiacco, 1941 syn. nov. is proposed here as a junior synonym. The two syntype males from southern Ethiopia exhibit congruent diagnostic characters similar to the syntype male of E. vestigator . The syntype female is an immature specimen, thus the female is here described for the first time. Unlike most of Eusparassus spp. , E. vestigator and the other two known species in the vestigator group bear more than two thick retromarginal bristles at the distal base of chelicerae.

Known geographical distribution and habitat. East Africa in southern Ethiopia (type locality), Somalia (new country record), Kenya (new country record) and Tanzania (new country record) ( Fig. 71a View FIGURE 71 ). Found under stones near dry river beds.

MZUF

Museo Zoologico La Specola, Universita di Firenze

MNHN

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle

AMNH

American Museum of Natural History

ZMB

Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (Zoological Collections)

ZMUC

Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Araneae

Family

Sparassidae

Genus

Eusparassus

Loc

Eusparassus vestigator (Simon, 1897)

Moradmand, Majid 2013
2013
Loc

Olios vestigator (Simon)

Roewer, C. F. 1955: 695
1955
Loc

Eusparassus rufobrunneus

Caporiacco, L. di 1941: 109
1941
Loc

Sparassus vestigator Simon, 1897c: 388

Simon, E. 1897: 388
1897
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