Evippomma Roewer, 1959

Steinpress, Igor Armiach, Alderweireldt, Mark, Cohen, Mira, Chipman, Ariel & Gavish-Regev, Efrat, 2021, Synopsis of the Evippinae (Araneae, Lycosidae) of Israel, with description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 733, pp. 87-124 : 114-115

Evippomma Roewer, 1959

Figs 1– 2 , 4E , 5E , 6E , 7E , 8E , 10E , 11E , 13B, D , 14B

Evippomma Roewer, 1959: 187 ;

type species: Evippomma squamulatum ( Simon, 1898) .

Diagnosis

This is the only known genus of Lycosidae in which the body (mainly, the cephalothorax) is densely covered in scale-like, leaf-shaped setae ( Figs 1D , 14B ).

Description

Small- to medium-sized wolf spiders. Tibia I with 4–5 pairs of ventral spines (apart from apical pair). Body covered in scale-like, leaf-shaped setae. These setae are reflective and give live specimens a pearly shine ( Figs 1–2 ). Coloration of preserved specimens is brown or yellow. Cephalic region elevated. Ocular area with long macrosetae. Genitalia relatively uniform across genus. Embolus large but not conspicuous. Embolic base in meso-apical position. Tegular apophysis hook-shaped ( Figs 6E , 7E , 8E ). Median septum of epigyne widened posteriorly. Atria narrow ( Figs 10E , 13B ). Spermathecae large and sperm ducts twisted ( Figs 11E , 13D ). Anterior row of eyes procurved, narrower than PME. ALE smaller than AME.

Natural history

The species inhabit deserts, grasslands and savannas. Evippomma rechenbergi is known to construct silk-lined burrows in sand ( Bayer, Foelix & Alderweireldt 2017), as we recorded for E. simoni as well ( Fig. 2D ).

Distribution

Found across Africa, with a new record from Israel (but see the section on Composition).

Relationships

Evippomma is traditionally considered to be related to Evippa (Alderweireldt 1992) . Our molecular phylogeny supports this placement (see Phylogenetic relationships of Evippinae based on COI and NADH).

Composition

Seven species are included: Evippomma albomarginatum Alderweireldt, 1992 ; E. evippiforme ( Caporiacco, 1935) ; E. evippinum ( Simon, 1897) ; E. plumipes (Lessert, 1936) ; E. rechenbergi Bayer et al., 2017 ; E. simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 ; and E. squamulatum ( Simon, 1898) . Two representatives of the genus ( E. evippiforme and E. evippinum ) that were described from India are not considered here as belonging to Evippomma , as they have three pairs of ventral spines on tibia I ( Caporiacco 1935), whereas Evippomma is defined as having 4–5 pairs. They might form a separate genus. Moreover, E. evippiforme appears to have genitalia uncharacteristic of the other known Evippomma species.

Figures

Fig. 1. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992. Live ♂ (HUJ INV-Ar 16579), Mamshit, Apr. 2018. A. Lateral view. B. Frontal view. C. Dorsal view. D. Cephalic region in dorsal view, right side. Leafshaped setae discernible. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.

Fig. 2. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992, a live ♀, (HUJ INV-Ar 20421), Mash’abbim sands, 16 June 2020. A. Lateral view. B. Frontal view. C. Dorsal view. D. Burrow in the field. Photos A–C by I. Armiach Steinpress; photo D by S. Aharon.

Fig. 4. ♂♂, habitus. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16051). B. E. arenaria (Audouin, 1826) (HUJ INV-Ar 16508). C. E. onager Simon, 1895 sensu Šternbergs 1979 (HUJ INV-Ar 20316). D. E. praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) (HUJ INV-Ar 16041). E. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16049). Scale bars = 10 mm. Photos by A. Uzan.

Fig. 5. ♀♀, habitus. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16048). B. E. arenaria (Audouin, 1826) (HUJ INV-Ar 16507). C. E. onager Simon, 1895 sensu Šternbergs 1979 (HUJ INV-Ar 16510). D. E. praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) (HUJ INV-Ar 16044). E. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16544). Scale bars = 10 mm. Photos by A. Uzan.

Fig. 6. ♂♂, left palp, ventral view. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16051). B. E. arenaria (Audouin, 1826) (HUJ INV-Ar 16508). C. E. onager Simon, 1895 sensu Šternbergs 1979 (HUJ INV-Ar 16510). D. E. praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) (HUJ INV-Ar 16531). E. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16538). Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.

Fig. 7. ♂♂, left palp, retrolateral view. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16051). B. E. arenaria (Audouin, 1826) (HUJ INV-Ar 16508). C. E. onager Simon, 1895 sensu Šternbergs 1979 (HUJ INV-Ar 16510). D. E. praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) (HUJ INV-Ar 16531). E. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16538). Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.

Fig. 8. ♂♂, left palp, prolateral view. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16051). B. E. arenaria (Audouin, 1826) (HUJ INV-Ar 16508). C. E. onager Simon, 1895 sensu Šternbergs 1979 (HUJ INV-Ar 16510). D. E. praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) (HUJ INV-Ar 16531). E. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16538). Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.

Fig. 10. ♀♀, genitalia, ventral view. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16053). B. E. arenaria (Audouin, 1826) (HUJ INV-Ar 16058). C. E. onager Simon, 1895 sensu Šternbergs 1979 (HUJ INV-Ar 20314). D. E. praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) (HUJ INV-Ar 16521). E. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16543). Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.

Fig. 11. ♀♀, genitalia, dorsal view. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16053). B. E. arenaria (Audouin, 1826) (HUJ INV-Ar 16058). C. E. onager Simon, 1895 sensu Šternbergs 1979 (HUJ INV-Ar 20314). D. E. praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871) (HUJ INV-Ar 16521). E. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16543). Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.

Fig. 13. ♀♀, genitalia, drawings. A. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16053), ventral view. B. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16543), ventral view. C. Evippa amitaii sp. nov. (HUJ INV-Ar 16053), dorsal view. D. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992 (HUJ INV-Ar 16543), dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Drawings by I. Armiach Steinpress.

Fig. 14. Cephalic region (right side, dorsal view), showing covering setae. A. Evippa praelongipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871), round-profile setae. B. Evippomma simoni Alderweireldt, 1992, leafshaped setae. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Photos by I. Armiach Steinpress.