Loureedia annulipes (Lucas, 1857)

Szűts, Tamás, Szabó, Krisztián, Zamani, Alireza, Forman, Martin, Miller, Jeremy, Oger, Pierre, Fabregat, Magali, Kovács, Gábor & Gál, János, 2023, A Study in Scarlet: Integrative Taxonomy of the Spider Genus Loureedia (Araneae: Eresidae), Diversity (238) 15 (2), pp. 1-26 : 7-11

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3390/d15020238
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7630109
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B55C7B1A-ED6D-8D7B-FE10-A1C9D383FEE8
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Loureedia annulipes (Lucas, 1857)
status

Treatment

Loureedia annulipes (Lucas, 1857) View in CoL View at ENA .

Figure 1A,B View Figure 1 , Figures 2E View Figure 2 , 4C View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6C View Figure 6 , 7C View Figure 7 and 8C View Figure 8 .

Eresus annulipes Lucas, 1857: 21 (♂) [4] (original description).

Eresus semicanus Simon, 1908: 83 (♂) [9].

Eresus semicanus: Simon 1911: 294 , Fig 5 View Figure 5 (♂) [24]; El-Hennawy 2004: 28, Figs 2A,B View Figure 2 , 3A–C View Figure 3 and 4A,B View Figure 4 (♂♀) [10].

Stegodyphus annulipes: Kraus & Kraus 1992: 15 , 19 [5].

Loureedia annulipes: Miller et al. 2012: 88 View in CoL , Figs 1G–H View Figure 1 , 4I View Figure 4 , 9I–L View Figure 9 , 13G–I View Figure 13 , 18A, D, 62A–J, 63A–F, 64A–D, 65A–F, 66A–F, and 67A–F (♂♀) [1]; Henriques et al. 2018: 5, Fig 2a–h View Figure 2 (♂♀) [3]; Zamani and Marusik 2020: 242, Fig 3g View Figure 3 (♂) [6].

Type material. Holotype: male ( AR5391 , NMHN), Patria Ignota (unknown site) (not examined).

Other examined material. One male ( HUJ Ara 16551), ISRAEL: Southern District: Negev desert, 1 km north of Kibbutz Retamim, 29.X.2016 (leg. Reut A. Ein-Gil).

Diagnosis. The male palp of L. annulipes ( Figures 4C View Figure 4 , 6C View Figure 6 , 7C View Figure 7 and 8C View Figure 8 ) is most similar to that of L. colleni ( Figures 4F View Figure 4 , 6F View Figure 6 , 7F View Figure 7 and 8F View Figure 8 ), with the retrolateral arm of the conductor being much longer than the prolateral arm and bearing a gradual curvature and a blunt tip (see Figure 4C,F View Figure 4 ). The male of L. annulipes can be distinguished from that of L. colleni by the wider stem of the conductor ( Figure 4C View Figure 4 ), bearing a distinct concavity on the mesal margin ( Figure 4C View Figure 4 ) vs. a narrower stem ( Figure 4F View Figure 4 ) with an almost straight mesal margin ( Figure 4F View Figure 4 ), the curved tip of the retrolateral arm ( Figures 4C View Figure 4 , 6C View Figure 6 and 7C View Figure 7 ) of the conductor, and the abdominal coloration pattern consisting of numerous white spots ( Figure 1A,B View Figure 1 and Figure 2E View Figure 2 ) and two longitudinal, interrupted yellowish stripes ( Figures 1B View Figure 1 and 2E View Figure 2 ) vs. one or two white semi-foliate patterns in some individuals in the form of two large patches ( Figures 1E View Figure 1 and 2A View Figure 2 ). The females of the two species can be differentiated by the epigynal fovea (i.e., the median lobe described by Miller et al. [1]), which is almost as long as it is wide in L. annulipes (see Miller et al. [1]: Fig 18A) vs. longer than wide in L. colleni (see Henriques et al. [3]: Fig 9C View Figure 9 ).

Description. Male. Habitus as in Figure 1A,B View Figure 1 and Figure 2E View Figure 2 . Total length: 8.01. Carapace: 4.40 long and 3.65 wide. Abdomen: 3.79 long and 3.20 wide. Eye sizes and inter-eye distances: AME 0.27, PME 0.23, ALE 0.12, PLE 0.12, AME–AME 0.34, and ALE– AME 0.93. The carapace, sternum, labium, chelicerae, and maxillae dark brown. The carapace mostly covered with fine, long, black and shorter white and orange setae. The pars cephalica in most individuals with a localized triangular patch of red scales (absent in some individuals, see Miller et al. [1]: Fig 1G View Figure 1 ).

The center of the pars cephalica covered with orange setae, and the posterior part covered with fine white setae. Legs covered with thin black hairs, with distinct regions of white hairs at the joints of all segments, forming distinct white annulations. Abdomen velvet black; a foliate pattern with a black median elongated patch forming four pairs of elongated dots with orange markings on the inner parts and white markings on the outer parts. White patches unify at the posterior part of dorsum. Measurements of legs: I: 8.59 (2.99, 1.37, 1.71, 1.57, 0.94); II: 7.91 (2.47, 1.59, 1.41, 1.53, 0.89); III: 6.63 (2.31, 1.10, 1.21, 1.29, 0.70); IV: 9.56 (3.05, 1.82, 2.01, 1.77, 0.89).

Palp as in Figures 4C View Figure 4 , 6C View Figure 6 , 7C View Figure 7 and 8C View Figure 8 . The stem of the conductor ca. 1.5 times longer than wide. The mesal and ectal margins of the conductor with slight curvatures. The retrolateral arm of the conductor ca. 2.5 times longer than the prolateral arm, and with blunt tip; prolateral arm with a pointed tip.

Female. Deciphering the identity of females of this species is still in progress. Miller et al. [1] described the females based on both L. jerbae and L. annulipes specimens. The two females are indeed very similar, and comparative material is still being collected.

Variation. The number of white patches on the dorsal surface of the abdomen varies, typically from four to six pairs. They may be connected to each other at their inner margins in some specimens. There is also variation in the width of the median black stripe and the extent of the orange markings. Some specimens have a white band on the anterior portion of the abdomen.

Natural history. Known from the sandy dunes of the Negev desert ( Figure 9A,B View Figure 9 ).

Phenology. The males are active during October–November.

Distribution. Reliably known only from Israel (Southern District) (see Figure 5 View Figure 5 ).