Zodarion azrouense Bosmans & Benhalima, 2020

Benhalima, Souâd & Bosmans, Robert, 2020, Revision of the genus Zodarion Walckenaer, 1833 (part IV). The species of Morocco (Araneae: Zodariidae), Zootaxa 4899 (1), pp. 93-114 : 102-103

Zodarion azrouense Bosmans & Benhalima sp. nov.

Figures 59–60 , 70–73 , 94–97

Etymology. The species is named after the beautiful city of Azrou in the Middle Atlas.

Diagnosis. Males differ from all other species of this group by the short, relatively thicker tip of the embolus, much longer and more curved in the other species. The distal part of the tibial apophysis is curved upwards and swollen, spoon-like, simply rounded in other species of the group. Females are recognized by the presence of a poorly chitinised antero-median epigynal pit, which is differently shaped in other species.

Description. Measurements (n=1): Male: total length 3.5; carapace 1.22 long, 0.88 wide. Female (n=2). Total length 3.5–4.7; prosoma 1.85–2.48 long, 1.30–1.54 wide. Colour ( Figs 59–60 ): carapace dark violet brown, fovea and radiating striae darkened; legs: coxae white, contrasting with dark brown to black femora, femora II–IV whith basal part white; tibia brown, with pale lateral stripes; metatarsi and tarsi yellowish white; abdomen black with postero-dorsal, lateral and ventral white spots. Eyes: AM=1 (0.12); AL=0.89; PM=1.12; PL=0.83; a=0.61; b=d=0.22; c=1.61; MOQ: AW=0.81PW; L=0.88PW.

Male palp ( Figs 70–73 ): tibial apophysis elongated, 3 times as long as wide, proximal part 4 times as long as distal part, slightly curved, distally widening and curved in dorso-lateral direction; tip rounded anteriorly, posteriorly bluntly pointed; median apophysis with wide proximal part and small, curved distal part; tip of embolus subterminally bent in anterior direction.

Epigyne ( Figs 94–97 ): with large, shallow pit, occupying one third of epigyne’s width, anteriorly rounded, widening posteriorly, posterior margin unsclerotized; spermathecae very small, separated by more than 5 diameters.

Type material. Holotype Ƌ and paratype 1♀ from MOROCCO: Fès-Meknès , Azrou NE, 33°28’00’’N, 05°09’49’’W, 1400 m a.s.l., leg. R. Bosmans & J. Van Keer, 18.IV.2012 (litter and stones in Quercus ilex forest) ( RBINS).

Paratype: MOROCCO: Azrou , 33°26’17’’N, 05°13’14’’W, 1450 m a.s.l., leg. R . Bosmans , 7.II.1996 (litter and stones in dense Quercus ilex forest), 1♀ ( RBINS) .

Distribution. Only known from the type locality (Map 3).

Figures

FIGURES 59–69. Dorsal habitus of Zodarion azrouense sp. nov. male (59) and female (60), Z. ericorum sp. nov. male (61) and female (62), Z. jeanclaudeledouxi sp. nov. male (63), Z. mostafai sp. nov. male (64) and female (65), Z. ogeri sp. nov. male (66), Z. wesolowskae sp. nov. male (67), and Zodarion trianguliferum Denis, 1952 female (68); 69 Idem, ventral view.

FIGURES 70–81. Genitalic morphology of Zodarion azrouense sp. nov. (70–73), Z. ericorum sp. nov. (74–77) and Z. jeanclaudeledouxi sp. nov. (78–81). 70, 71 74, 75, 78, 79 Male palp, ventral view; 72, 73, 76, 77, 80, 81 Idem, retrolateral view.

FIGURES 94–109. Genitalic morphology of Zodarion azrouense sp. nov. (94–97), Z. ericorum sp. nov. (98–101), Z. mostafai sp. nov. (102–105) and Z. trianguliferum Denis, 1952 (106–109). 94, 95, 98, 99, 102, 103, 106, 107 Epigyne, ventral view; 96, 97, 100, 101, 104, 105, 108, 109 Vulva, dorsal view.