Menemerus affinis Wesolowska & van Harten

Wesolowska, W. & van Harten, A., 2010, Order Araneae, Arthropod fauna of the UAE, Abu Dhabi: Dar Al Ummah, pp. 27-69 : 37-40

Menemerus affinis Wesolowska & van Harten nov. spec.

Figs 31 36

Specimens examined: Holotype: ♂, United Arab Emirates, Wadi Shawkah , 25 ° 13 'N 56 ° 08 'E, 25. v I 2. vi. 2008, in water trap, leg. A. van Harten ( MRAC) . Paratype: Dubai, Mushrif Park , 1 ♀, 6. iii.2005, HC .

Diagnosis: The species is closely related to Menemerus arabicus Prószynski, 1993 , and M. fagei Berland & Millot, 1941 , being similar to them in body size and colouration. The male differs from M. fagei by the lack of cymbial process (compare Figure 34 herein with Figure 124 in Wesolowska, 1999) and from M arabicııs by the shape of embolus (compare Figure 31 herein with Figure 17 in Proszynski, 1993), also the shape of apophyses in the three species is slightly different. The female has notch in posterior epigynal edge and the epigynal pocket is clearly bigger than in M fagei (compare Figure 36 herein with Figure 133 in Wesolowska, 1999).

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Description: Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax length 2.9/2.7, width 2.3 / 1.8, height 0.8/0.7. Abdomen length 3.1 /4.0, width 2.0/2.4. Eye field length 1.3 / 1.0, anterior width 1.6/ 1.4, posterior Width 1.6/ 1.5.

Male. Medium-sized spider. Carapace flattened, brown with darker eye field. White hairs cover ocular area and form median band on thoracic part. Thin white lines along lateral ii i*

margins of carapace. Clypeus brown. Mouthparts and sternum brown. Abdomen greyish brown with light median leaf-shaped belt, anteriorly divided by dark longitudinal patch. Sides and venter light. Dense long brown and greyish hairs cover abdomen. Spinnerets light grey. Legs I and II brown, posterior pairs lighter. Leg hairs dense, brown; white hairs only on apical part of first femora and basal part of patellae. Pedipalp brown, its femur dorsally with dense white hairs. Stridulatory apparatus present, composed of some bristles placed on small tubercules at base of femur 34 the ‘ is retrolateral surface of ventrally (Fig.); grater’ placed on chelicerae. Structure of palpal organ shown in Figures 31 34. Tegulum oval, with distinct furrow separating distal haematodocha, embolus with accompanying large conductor, the same shape as in M. fagei ( Fig. 31 ), the conductor with narrow sclerotised keel. Tibial apophyses as in Figures 32, 33.

Female. Similar to male, but along lateral margins of carapace wide white streaks. Epigyne wide, with deep notch in posterior margin and large pocket (Fig. 35). Laterally two depressions. Internal structure as in Figure 36, typical for the genus, with copulatory openings hidden in large, strongly sclerotised ‘ cups’ short seminal ducts and spherical receptacles. Etymology: The specific name refers to the relationship of the species to congeners.

Figures

Figures 31 36. Menemerus aflînis nov. spec. 31: Palpal organ in ventral view; 32: Same in lateral view; 33: Same in dorsal view; 34: Palpal femur; 35: Epigyne; 36: Internal structure of epigyne.