Lepthyphantes sasi Barrientos, 2020

Barrientos, José Antonio, Brañas, Neus & Mederos, Jorge, 2020, The high complexity of Micronetinae Hull, 1920 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) evidenced through ten new cave-dweller species from the Morocco, Zoosystema 42 (1), pp. 1-29 : 15-16

Lepthyphantes sasi Barrientos n. sp.

( Figs 9 ; 14 G-I)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ABFE9738-CB68-4387-B688-CC8851B93B2A

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Morocco. 1♂; Av. Arkan, Merhraoua, Taza; 19.V.2002; F. Fadrique leg.; MZB 2003-0435 .

Paratypes. Morocco. 2♀; same locality and date as the holotype; MZB 2017-0657 • 2♀; Ifri Gidaire, Jbel Bou Iblane, Merhraoua, Taza ; 19.IX.2016; C. Fontgivell leg.; MZB 2016-4076 .

OTHER MATERIAL. — 1 juv.; Ifri Gidaire, Jbel Bou Iblane, Merhraoua, Taza ; 19.IX.2016; C. Fontgivell leg.; MZB 2017-1479 .

DIAGNOSIS. — The paracymbium is domed in its middle part, with a pair of short denticles on its lower edge; the apical part is narrow, with a sinuous and finger-shaped apex. The lamella characteristica is bifurcated basally: inner branch narrow, laminar and ending in tip; outer branch also laminar, widening progressively and with a series of sclerotized tips in its distal edge. The anterior wall of the epigyne is strongly curved backwards; the lateral walls lengthen on the sides forming a pair of subtriangular “wings”, which protect the proscape. The proscape expands after a brief basal narrowing, making a well sclerotized subcircular structure. Because of its female genital traits, L. sasi Barrientos n. sp. recalls L. djazairi Bosmans, 1985 , always within the characteristics of the “ afer group”. The structures shown by the male copulatory bulb are more complex to relate; the basal fusion of the lamella characteristica and terminal apophysis constitutes a characteristic feature; but as a whole it ressembles those presented by L. aelleni .

ETYMOLOGY. — This species is dedicated to the speleologist Francisco Sas Planas, recently deceased, one of the main promoters of the Moroccan expeditions in its beginnings (years 1968-1970); this little tribute and our gratitude for him.

DISTRIBUTION. — The samples studied come from two nearby caves located in Merhraoua, in the high Atlas of Morocco (Taza region).

DESCRIPTION

Male (holotype)

Body. Total body length: 2.80. Carapace: 1.37 long, by 1.03 wide, yellow-amber, uniform. Hairs scattered in the cephalic area, up to the eyes. Eyes relatively small, but visible and surrounded by a small black areola. Chaelicerae with 0.61 long stem, with three equal-sized teeth on the promargin and one tooth (smaller and followed by three denticles) on the retromargin. Legs yellow-amber; relatively long and thin; measurements: leg I (1.76 + 0.37 + 2.06 + 1.86 + 1.13), leg II (1.71 + 0.34 + 1.62 + 1.52 + 1.03), leg III (1.27 + 0.32 + 1.42 + 1.32 + 0.54), and leg IV (1.62 + 0.34 + without + without + without). Opisthosoma 1.42 long, 1.08 wide, matt white, grayish and without dorsal pigmentary pattern. Long and brown hairs scattered on its surface.

Palp and copulatory bulb ( Figs 9 A-C; 14I). Paracymbium thick and clearly domed in its middle zone ( Fig. 9A ), whose lower edge is delimited by a pair of short denticles; proximal part wide; upper end rounded, with a group of short hairs at its base; middle part domed, making the two pockets, one posterior and one anterior (this specially developed); apical part of paracymbium narrowing progressively, so that its end is sinuous and fingershaped. Bulb as on Fig. 9A, B : with the lamella characteristica attached at its base to the terminal apothysis.Terminal apophysis straight, narrow, laminar, and distally pointed; outer branch (lamella characteristica, located next to the paracymbium) also laminar but widening and progressively curved accompanying the surface of the bulb. Distal part of the lamella characteristica of subtriangular contour, presenting a series of sclerotized tips related to a clear striation at least in its distal half; apex darker with denticulate margins. Radix ( Fig. 9C ) distally differentiating a spiny and acute prolongation. Embolus complex protruding from the midle zone of the latter prolongation. Main part of embolus simple, narrow at base and widened at its distal area that is laminar, except at the black point where the duct is opened; accompanied by a laminar structure, narrow at base, which also dilates at its apex making a translucent sheet, protecting the distal part of the main part of the embolus. Fickert’s gland clearly visible.Suprategular apophysis sclerotized and with several acute tips, protruding in the anterior part of the bulb, under the complex of the embolic division.

Female (paratype [MZB 2017-0657])

Body. Total body length: 3.38. Carapace: 1.18 long by 0.78 wide, yellow-amber, very clear and uniform, without pigmentary pattern; some hairs scattered in the cephalic part. Eyes reduced, but present and slightly areolated, in typical disposition. Chelicerae: 0.69 long, with the same coloration as the carapace, but somewhat more intense; with three equal-sized teeth on the promargin, regularly spaced, and one on the retromargin (accompanied by three punctate dentils in a row). Legs long and thin as in the male, yellow-amber, a bit more intense than the carapace; measurements: leg I (1.93 + 0.39 + 2.06 + 1.96 + 1.13), leg II (1.76 + 0.34 + 1.81 + 1.37 + 0.76), leg III (1.62 + 0.32 + 1.44 + 1.32 + 0.71), and leg IV (1.76 + 0.34 + 1.79 + 1.74 + 0.78). Opisthosoma: 1.71 long by 1.08 wide, matt grayish-white, uniform and without dorsal pigmentary pattern; covered with numerous thin and scattered hairs, brown and quite long.

Female genitalia. Epigyne ( Figs 9D, E ; 14G, H ) standing out on the ventral side of the epigastrum; almost perpendicular to the surface of the opisthosoma, with the opening of the bursa copulatrix looking back. Basal part bulging and elongate in front and on the sides. Anterior wall, with a long and scattered hairiness, curved back giving a rounded profile. Lateral walls also elongate forming on each side a pair of subtriangular “wings”, protecting the flanks of the proscape; in the basal zone, receptacula seen by transparency. Posterior wall short and with a narrow median plate. Proscape originating from the anterior wall of the bursa copulatrix, between the two expansions of the lateral walls. Near its base, proscape widening after a brief basal narrowing, giving a well-sclerotized subcircular contour structure. Middle part of the scape curved and placed under the proscape, hidden and facing forward; slightly sclerotized and curved again to give the distal part, very short, which also does not protrude from the proscape; strecher observed laterally below it. Fertilization ducts observed by transparency.

Figures

FIG. 9. — Lepthyphantes sasi Barrientos n. sp., genital organs: A, B, male copulatory bulb, retrolateral view (A), ventral view (B); C, schema of the embolic division; D, E, epigyne, ventral view (D), lateral view (E). Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 14. — A, B, Epigyne of Lepthyphantes imazigheni Barrientos n. sp. in lateral (A) and ventral (B) views; C, epigyne of Lepthyphantes leknizii Barrientos n. sp. in dorsal view; D, E, epigyne of Lepthyphantes lamellatus Barrientos n. sp. in lateral (D) and ventral (E) views; F, male copulatory bulb of Lepthyphantes lamellatus Barrientos n. sp. in retrolateral view; G, H, epigyne of Lepthyphantes sasi Barrientos n. sp. in lateral (G) and ventral (H) views; I, male copulatory bulb of Lepthyphantes sasi n. sp. in retrolateral view.