Eusparassus fuscimanus Denis, 1958

Moradmand, Majid & Jäger, Peter, 2012, Taxonomic revision of the huntsman spider genus Eusparassus Simon, 1903 (Araneae: Sparassidae) in Eurasia, Journal of Natural History 46 (39 - 40), pp. 2439-2496 : 2468-2473

Eusparassus fuscimanus Denis, 1958

( Figures 12 , 13 , 14 )

Eusparassus fuscimanus Denis, 1958: 100 , fig. 29 (description of female; Syntypes, two females, Afghanistan, examined). – Roewer, 1962: 4, figs 82–84 (description of male; Lund collection, not available).

Sparassus fuscimanus – Levy, 1989: 137, fig. 27.

Type material

Syntypes: 1 female, AFHANISTAN: Nuristan, Wama (35 ◦ 7 ′ 15 ′′ N, 70 ◦ 44 ′ 30 ′′ E), 2250 m, under stone, 17 April 1948, K. Paludan leg. ( ZMUC 5670 ) ; 1 female and 1 juvenile, Afghanistan: Central Afghanistam: Puistagoli , Koh-i-baba, 1 July 1948, N. Haarløv leg. ( ZMUC 5673 ) .

Other material examined

1♂, 5 ♀♀, AFGHANISTAN: Nangarhar Province: Jalal-abad (34 ◦ 25 ′ 34 ′′ N, 70 ◦ 27 ′ 5 ′′ E): countryside of Jalal-abad : 1♂, 01 March 1965, D. Povoln ỳ leg. ( MMB); 10 km east of Jalal-abad : 1♀, 620 m altitude, 22 February 1966, Povoln ỳ and Tenora leg. (18 MMB); 12–20 km east of Jalal-abad : 1♀, 600 m altitude, 8 March 1966, Povoln ỳ and Tenora leg. (27 MMB); Jalal-abad : 1♀, 580 m altitude, 15 April 1967, D. Povoln ỳ leg. (97 MMB); Jalal-abad : 1♀, 580 m altitude, 3 May 1967, D. Povoln ỳ leg. (114 MMB); Dareyhe-Nur (34 ◦ 44 ′ 11" N, 70 ◦ 39 ′ 28" E), 1♀, 2470 m altitude, 19 March 1967, D. Povoln ỳ leg. (114 MMB) .

Diagnosis

Female epigyne similar to that of E. doriae stat. nov. in having EF as long as wide but can be differentiated by AMLL extended anteriorly ( Figure 13C, E ), vulva exhibits a lateral ridge which separates the hyaline part of copulatory duct from the more sclerotized part of internal duct system ( Figure 13D, F ), this ridge is absent in vulvas of E. doriae stat. nov. E. fuscimanus can also be distinguished by the eye interdistances ( Figure 13A ), AME–ALE space is one-half of AME–AME (as in E. pontii ) whereas in E. doriae stat. nov. this relative distance is one-quarter. Males can be distinguished from other Eusparassus males by long and enlarged embolus tip pointed proximad not covered by EM ( Figure 12D ).

Redescription

Male (n = 1). Total length: 16.1, prosoma length 8.1, prosoma width 6.4, anterior width of prosoma 3.5, opisthosoma length 8.0, opisthosoma width 6.0. Eye diameters: AME 0.43, ALE 0.40, PME 0.33, PLE 0.38; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.19, AME–ALE 0.11, PME–PME 0.53, PME–PLE 0.47, AME–PME 0.31, ALE–PLE 0.24, clypeus height at AME 0.27, clypeus height at ALE 0.35.

Chelicerae with two anterior and six posterior teeth; cheliceral furrow without denticles. Leg formula: 2 4 1 3. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 9.9 [3.5, 1.4, 1.3, 3.7], I 34.3 [9.3, 3.8, 9.2, 9.5, 2.5], II 37.4 [10.4, 4.1, 10.1, 10.3, 2.5], III 31.4[9.1, 3.5, 8.5, 8.2, 2.1], IV 35.3 [10.0, 3.4, 9.5, 10.0, 2.3].

Spination. Palp 131, 101(0), 1111; Legs: Femur I–III 323, IV 322; Patella I–IV 101; Tibia I–IV 2224; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3034.

Palp. As in diagnosis with cymbium around two times longer than tibia, dRTA slender and pointed distally, vRTA broad ( Figure 12B,C ); stout ET not covered by EM ( Figure 12D ).

Female (n = 7). Total length: 16.1–18.3, prosoma length 5.9–8.0, prosoma width 5.0–6.3, anterior width of prosoma 3.0–4.0, opisthosoma length 10.2–10.3, opisthosoma width 7.0–7.3. Eyes diameters: AME 0.42, ALE 0.36, PME 0.35, PLE 0.34; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.28, AME–ALE 0.18, PME–PME 0.55, PME–PLE 0.53, AME–PME 0.47, ALE–PLE 0.41, clypeus AME 0.24, clypeus ALE 0.35.

Chelicerae with two anterior and four to eight posterior teeth, posterior teeth with three large distal and one to five small proximal teeth, cheliceral furrow without denticles ( Figure 13B ).

Spination. Palp 131, 001, 1111, 1013; Legs: Femur I–III 323, IV 321; Patella I–IV 000; Tibia I–IV 2024; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3034. Leg formula: 2 4 1 3. Measurements of palp and legs of the largest syntype female: Palp 8.8 [2.8, 1.4, 1.6, 3.0], I 23.3 [6.7, 3.0, 5.9, 5.6, 2.1], II 27.0 [8.1, 3.4, 6.8, 6.7, 2.0], III 23.1 [7.0, 3.1, 5.8, 5.4, 1.8], IV 25.9 [7.9, 3.0, 6.5, 6.7, 1.8].

Epigyne / vulva. As in diagnosis, EF as wide as long or slightly wider than long ( Figure 14A,C ); vulva with TL slightly variable in shape ( Figure 14B,D,E ).

Colouration [in ethanol]. Cream to pale orange, dorsal opisthosoma with a patch and series of small chevron-like patterns and additional dots, ventral opisthosoma pale.

Remarks

The type specimens were collected during “the 3rd Danish Expedition to Central Asia” in Afghanistan conducted by K. Paludan (south and east) and N. Haarløv (north, west and centre) from May to August 1948. The specimens, two females and one juvenile, were deposited in ZMUC and described later by Denis (1958). Knut Lindberg (1892–1962) from Lund, Sweden, conducted an expedition to Afghanistan between 1957 and 1960. Later, Roewer (1962) found one female and one male in the collection of Knut Lindberg (MZLU) and described the male for the first time. Unfortunately, this material could not be traced but an important and rich collection of spiders from Jalal-Abad, Afghanistan exists in the MMB, which was included in the present study, several females and one male of E. fuscimanus are described properly here.

Known geographical distribution and habitat preferences

Eusparassus fuscimanus is recorded from a dry wooded valley in Wama , Nuristan (1500 m) to higher elevation in the Baba Mountain range, central Afghanistan (3500 m). Spiders were found under stones.

Figures

Figure 12. Eusparassus fuscimanus Denis, 1958, male from Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan: (A) eye arrangement; (B) left palp, ventral; (C) left palp, retrolateral; (D) tip of embolus and conductor, ventral. Scale bars: (A–C) 1 mm, (D) 0.5 mm.

Figure 13. Eusparassus fuscimanus Denis, 1958, (A–D) syntype female from Nuristan, Wama, Afghanistan: (A) eye arrangement; (B) left chelicera, ventral; (C) epigyne, ventral; (D) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (E, F) syntype female from Puistagudi, Kohi-baba, Afghanistan: (E) epigane, ventral; (F) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral. Scale bars: (A–C, E) 1 mm, (D, F) 0.5 mm.

Figure 14. Eusparassus fuscimanus Denis, 1958, variations in females from Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan: (A) epigyne, ventral; (B) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (C) epigyne, ventral; (D) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (E) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral, variation from Dareye-noor, Afghanistan. Scale bars: (A, C) 1 mm, (B, D, E) 0.5 mm.