Improphantes breviscapus, V. & Tanasevitch, 2013

Tanasevitch, Andrei V., 2013, On linyphiid spiders (Araneae) from Israel, Revue suisse de Zoologie 120 (1), pp. 101-124 : 110-111

Improphantes breviscapus sp. n. Figs 17-23

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ; ISRAEL, ca 10 km SSW of Beit-Shemesh, Adullam Nature Park , 300-400 m a.s.l., pitfall traps; 10.III.2008; leg. O. Skutetsky.

PARATYPES: 2 Ƌ, 4 ♀; ca 10 km SSW of Beit-Shemesh, Adullam Nature Park ; VI- II.2003 ; T. Levanony. – 4 Ƌ, 2 ♀ ( MHNG); ca 10 km SW of Bait She’an, Gilboa , pitfall trap 5; 23.IV.2010; leg. C. Drees & L. Friedman. – 1 Ƌ; ca 8 km SE of Beit-Shemesh, env. of Matta (31º42’47.8”N 35º3’56.0”E), pitfall trap 13C; 13.-18.I.2007; leg. I. Shtirberg. – 1 Ƌ; env. of En Ya’aqov (33º0’27.5”N 35º14’20.0”E), pitfall traps; 26.XI-1.XII.2006; leg. I. Shtirberg. – 1 ♀ ( MHNG); 15 km S Haifa, Nahal Oren Canyon , 7-8.IV.1995, leg. T. Pavliček. – 1 Ƌ ( ZMMU); Pamat-HaNadiv, 1 km S of Zihron-Ya’aqov (32º33’N 34º57’E), 130 m a.s.l.; 18.XII.2010; leg. S. Zonstein.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name, a noun in apposition, refers to the shape of the proscape.

DIAGNOSIS: The species is characterized by the armed paracymbium and the shape of the lamella characteristica in the male, as well as by the circular proscape and the reduced stretcher in the female.

DESCRIPTION: Male (holotype). Total length 2.00. Carapace unmodified, 0.88 long, 0.75 wide, yellow, with a narrow dark margin. Chelicerae 0.40 long. Legs yellow. Leg I 3.93 long (1.00+0.25+1.05+0.95+0.68), leg IV 4.11 long (1.03+0.25+1.03 +1.05+0.75). Chaetotaxy: Ti I: 2-1-1-0, II: 2-0-1-0, III-IV: 2-0-0-0; Mt I-III: 1-0-0-0, IV: 0-0-0-0. TmI 0.17. Palp as in Figs 17-21: cymbium without posterodorsal outgrowth. Paracymbium U-shaped, with two well-sclerotized teeth of different size. Radix with a spear-shaped outgrowth at base of lamella characteristica. Lamella characteristica relatively short and wide, with a hollow apically. Terminal apophysis unipartite, long and narrow. Embolus with a thick embolus proper and a small thumb, carina narrow. Fickert’s gland spherical. Abdomen 1.00 long, 0.68 wide, pale grey.

Female (from Adullam). Total length 2.15. Carapace unmodified, 0.83 long, 0.68 wide. Chelicerae 0.33 long. Leg I 3.88 long (1.05+0.30+1.00+0.90+0.63), leg IV 3.78 long (1.05+0.25+0.98+0.90+0.60). TmI 0.18. Epigyne as in Figs 22-23: proscape circle-shaped, distal part of scape very wide, stretcher reduced, a pit situated at the end of distal part of scape.

TAXONOMIC REMARKS: This species is similar to the Anatolian I. turok Tanasevitch, 2011 (known from the male only), in particular in the presence of a spearshaped outgrowth on the radix near the base of the lamella characteristica. The new species differs clearly from I. turok by the peculiar shape of the lamella characteristica and the larger proximal teeth on the paracymbium.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from Israel only.

FIGS 17-21

Improphantes breviscapus sp. n., Ƌ paratype from Adullam. (17) Right palp, retrolateral view. (18) Cymbium, lateral view. (19) Embolic division, ventral view. (20-21) Embolus, different aspects.