Agraecina salsicola Bosmans & Boubakri, 2020

Boubakri, Abir, Bosmans, Robert, Pétillon, Julien & Achouri, Mohamed Sghaier, 2020, Description of a new Agraecina species from Tunisia (Araneae: Liocranidae), with a review of all species of the genus, Zootaxa 4772 (1), pp. 195-200 : 195-196

Agraecina salsicola Bosmans & Boubakri sp. n. ( Figs 1–4 )

Type material. Holotype ♂ and 2♂ paratypes from TUNISIA, Ariana, Kalaât Landaluz (3702’51’’N, 1006’20’’E), spring 2018, pitfalls in salt marsh, leg. A. Boubakri, deposited in MNHN.

Diagnosis. Agraecina salsicola sp. n. is closely related to A. hodna from Algeria, but clearly differs by the strongly elongated tibial apophysis and the relatively short median apophysis ( Figs 2–3 ).

Etymology. The species was collected in a salt marsh, hence the name salsicola .

Description. Measurements (n=3; holotype in parentheses): Total length 4.2–5.0 (5.0); prosoma 1.60–2.15 (1.81) long, 1.16–1.60 (1.56) wide. Leg measurements in Table 1.

Colour: Carapace yellowish-brown, with anastomosing greyish stripes; legs yellowish-brown; abdomen pale grey, somewhat darkened antero-dorsally ( Fig. 1 ).

Eyes: Anterior median eyes slightly smaller than other eyes, separated by half their diameter, from the anterior lateral eyes by their diameter; posterior eyes separated by their diameter. Chelicerae with 3 pro- and 2 retromarginal small

teeth. Legs spinous, as in all other species of the genus, typically tibiae and metatarsi with 3 and 2 pairs of ventral spines, respectively.

Male palp ( Figs 2–4 ): Tibial apophysis elongated, nearly linear, 1.6 times longer than the tibia’s length without apophysis, in lateral view with 2 bends; median apophysis S-shaped, relatively short compared to other Agraecina species; embolus threadlike, representing one-fifth of a circle, as in the other species of the genus.

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 5).

Habitat. A coastal salt marsh dominated by Salicornia europaea L., Atriplex halimus L. and Tamarix canariensis L. ( Figs 6–7 ).

Figures

FIGURES 6. General view of the salt marsh of Kalaât Landalouz where Agroecina salsicola sp. n. was collected

FIGURES 1–4. Agraecina salsicola sp. n. 1. Male, dorsal view; 2. Male palp, retrolateral view; 3. Idem, ventral view; 4. Idem, prolateral view. Abbreviations: E—embolus; MA—median apophysis; RTA—retrolateral tibial apohysis.