Dysdera sancticedri ( Brignoli, 1978 ) Bellvert & Dimitrov & Zamani & Arnedo, 2024

Bellvert, Adrià, Dimitrov, Dragomir, Zamani, Alireza & Arnedo, Miquel A., 2024, Integrating museum collections and molecules reveals genus-level synonymy and new species in red devil spiders (Araneae, Dysderidae) from the Middle East and Central Asia, European Journal of Taxonomy 921 (210), pp. 210-235 : 226-228

Dysdera sancticedri ( Brignoli, 1978) comb. nov.

Figs 21–25

Dasumia sancticedri Brignoli, 1978: 174 , figs 1–2.

Diagnosis

Dysdera sancticedri comb. nov. resembles Dysdera festai ( Caporiacco, 1929) by the conformation of the male palp, having a similar external sclerite. The two species differ by (1) the lack of a posterior apophysis in D. sancticedri ( Figs 23, 25 ), vs present in D. festai ( Fig. 28 ), (2) the reduced, hollow interior sclerite with a tubular shape in D. sancticedri ( Fig. 24 ), vs well developed and connected basally to the exterior one in D. festai ( Fig. 29 ), (3) the short, rounded tegulum, wider than long in D. sancticedri ( Figs 23, 25 ), vs more elongated and longer than wide in D. festai ( Figs 28–30 ), and (4) the long chelicerae, about ⅗ of carapace length in dorsal view in D. sancticedri ( Figs 21–22 ), vs significantly smaller in D. festai ( Figs 26–27 ).

Type material

Holotype

LEBANON • 1 ♂; North Gorvernorate , des Cèdres de Bacharré (caza Bcharré); 1950 m a.s.l.; 5 Jun. 1972; P. Brignoli leg.; MCSN.

Description

Male PROSOMA. 2.70 long; maximum width 2.14; minimum width 1.53. Uniformly red; cephalic region smooth, thorax heavily covered with circular depressions. Anterior border roughly round, about ⅗ of carapace length; anterior lateral borders divergent; rounded at maximum dorsal width, posterior lateral borders rounded; posterior margin narrow, slightly bilobulated. Eye diameters: AME 0.167; PLE 0.129; PME 0.122; AMEs on edge of the anterior border, separated from one another by about ¾ diameter, touching PLEs; PMEs very close to one another, about ⅓ of PME diameter from PLEs. Labium trapezoid-shaped, base wider than the distal part; as long as wide at base; triangular groove at the tip. Sternum dark orange, darkened on borders; very slightly wrinkled.

CHELICERAE. 1.62 long, about ⅗ of carapace length in dorsal view; fang 1.865 long; paturon smooth, with no granulations ( Figs 21–22 ). Cheliceral inner groove not visible; armed with slender long setae at the base.

LEGS. Orange. Lengths of leg segments: fe1 2; pa1 1.29; ti1 1.73; me1 1.72; ta1 0.71; total 8.45; fe2 1.70; pa2 1.14; ti2 1.40; me2 1.44; ta2 0.63; total 6.31; fe3 1.37; pa3 0.85; ti3 0.91; me3 1.12; ta3 0.44; total 4.69; fe4 1.83; pa4 1.07; ti4 1.41; me4 1.58; ta4 0.49; total 6.38; fe Pdp 1.27; pa Pdp 0.76; ti Pdp 0.64; ta Pdp 0.81; total 3.48; leg formula: 1>4> 2>3. Leg2 spineless; leg4 spineless. Fe3d spineless; pa3 spineless; tb3d spines arranged in one band; proximal 0; medial-proximal 0; medial-distal 0; distal 1.0.0; tb3v spines spineless; without terminal spines. Dorsal side of frontal legs covered with setae, lacking small grains; ventral side of pedipalp smooth. Claws with less than 5 teeth; hardly larger than claw width. OPISTHOSOMA. 3.57 long; cream-colored; cylindrical. Abdominal dorsal setae 0.03 long; thin, roughly straight, not compressed, pointed; uniformly and thickly distributed.

PALP ( Figs 23–25 ). T short and rounded, slightly longer than ED, bearing small knob on the anterior side (arrowed in Fig. 25 ); external distal border sloped forwards; internal sloped backward. ED not bent, same T axis in lateral view, internal distal border not expanded. ES wide markedly sclerotized, IS reduced to whip-like sclerotization ( Fig. 24 ). ED tip reduced, only the sclerotized structures are visible. C absent. AC absent. L lateral margin distally projected, split into two spine-like apophyses ( Fig. 24 ). L is a single well-developed apophysis, curved mesally. LA absent. F absent. AL absent. P absent ( Figs 23, 25 ); DH sloped, forming an angle of ca 135° to T in lateral view; lateral length ca ¼ of T width; ridge ca 45° to T in lateral view, not sclerotized; not expanded, upper margin smooth; not distally projected; back margin not folded.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality in the North Governorate, northern Lebanon.

Remarks

The complete absence of a posterior apophysis is a unique feature of this species. Because of the overall resemblance of the male palp to that of D. festai , it most likely belongs to the festai group. However, it differs from the other two species in this group by the elongated chelicerae. To determine its correct position in the phylogeny of Dysdera , it is necessary to collect fresh material and describe the female too.

Figures

Figs 21–25. Male Dysdera sancticedri (Brignoli, 1978) comb. nov. (MCSN). 21–22. Carapace. 21. Dorsal view. 22. Ventral view. 23–25. Left palp. 23. Prolateral view. 24. Anterior view. 25. Retrolateral view; arrowhead showing a small knob on the anterior side of T. Scale bars: 21–22 = 1.5 mm; 23–25 =0.5 mm.

Figs 26–33. Male Dysdera festai Caporiacco, 1929 (26, 28–30 = specimen from Turkey (NHMW); 27, 31–33 = specimen from Greece (MZSUT)). 26–27. Cephalic region. 28–33. Left palp. 28, 31. Prolateral view. 29, 32. Anterior view. 30, 33. Retrolateral view. Scale bars: 26–27 = 2 mm; 28–33 = 0.5 mm.