Maghreba stifadma, Huber, 2022

Huber, Bernhard A., 2022, Revisions of Holocnemus and Crossopriza: the spotted-leg clade of Smeringopinae (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 795 (1), pp. 1-241 : 72-76

Maghreba stifadma gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9F617A8F-D984-47DE-8D55-01C12B6A2E66

Figs 163B , 196–198 , 224–242

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by distinctive pair of epigynal processes ( Fig. 238 ); also by combination of: slender procursus ( Fig. 229 ; in contrast to M. gharbija gen. et sp. nov.) with long dorsallydirected tip (in contrast to M. nkob gen. et sp. nov., M. djabalija gen. et sp. nov.); distal bulbal sclerite with two short ventral teeth ( Fig. 232 ; in contrast to M. saghro gen. et sp. nov., M. nkob , M. gharbija , M. djabalija ) and relatively short dorsal process (in contrast to M. amezyan gen. et sp. nov., M. kahfa gen. et sp. nov., M. aurouxi gen. nov.); epigynum only slightly wider than long ( Fig. 239 ; in contrast to M. saghro ); dorsal arc of female internal genitalia without pair of posterior processes ( Fig. 236 ; in contrast to M. aurouxi ); no troglomorphism (in contrast to M. kahfa ).

Etymology

The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

Holotype MOROCCO – Marrakesh-Safi • ♂; Setti-Fatma (= Sti Fadma); 31.221° N, 7.671° W–31.219° N, 7.669° W; 1600–1690 m a.s.l.; 11 Sep. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; on overhanging rocks; ZFMK Ar 22367.

Other material examined

MOROCCO – Marrakesh-Safi • 5 ♂♂, 16 ♀♀, 1 juv.; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Ar 22368, Ar 22369 • 4 ♀♀, 1 juv. (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Mor71 • 1 ♀; Zaouia Sti Fatma; approximately 31.255° N, 7.675° W (label: 31.217, -7.700); 1 Dec. 1987; V.D. and B. Roth leg.; CAS 9027143 part • 5 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; near Toufliht; 31.4715° N, 7.4332° W; 1465 m a.s.l.; 27 Sep. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; under rocks in ravine; ZFMK Ar 22370 • 2 ♀♀, 1 juv. (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Mor106 • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀; Aït Barka; 31.49° N, 7.45° W; 1300 m a.s.l.; 6 Jun. 1999; R. Bosmans leg.; stones in Pinus forest; CRB • 5 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀; near Tizi n’Tichka; 31.3120° N, 7.3752° W; 2035 m a.s.l.; 27 Sep. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; under rocks; ZFMK Ar 22371, Ar 22372 • 4 ♀♀ (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Mor109 .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 2.9, carapace width 1.2. Distance PME–PME 90 µm; diameter PME 80 × 100 µm; distance PME–ALE 25 µm; diameter AME 65 µm; distance AME–AME 20 µm. Leg 1: 22.7 (6.5 + 0.5 + 6.3 + 7.8 + 1.6), tibia 2: 4.1, tibia 3: 3.0, tibia 4: 3.5; tibia 1 L/d: 53; femora 1–4 diameters: 0.23, 0.18, 0.18, 0.18.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace pale ochre-yellow, medially darker brown (including posterior part of ocular area); sternum brown with darker and lighter radial marks; legs ochre-yellow, without dark rings, with elongate black marks on femora and tibiae; abdomen ochre-gray, with distinct dorsal mark around heart area and dorsal and lateral dark and whitish marks; ventrally with large dark brown mark in front of gonopore, pair of small marks behind gonopore, dark brown area at spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 196–197 . Ocular area slightly raised. Deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging from pit toward posterior margin. Clypeus unmodified, rim not more sclerotized than in female. Sternum wider than long (0.90/0.55), unmodified. Abdomen slightly elongated, dorsoposteriorly weakly angular.

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 233–234 , with pair of low whitish proximal humps and pair of frontal lateral apophyses, each with one cone-shaped modified hair; distance between tips of modified hairs: 330 µm; lateral stridulatory ridges very fine, barely visible in dissecting microscope.

PALPS. As in Figs 224–226 ; coxa with distinct retrolateral-ventral process; trochanter barely modified; femur not curved towards dorsal, distally widened and with very low rounded ventral protrusion, proximally with prolateral stridulatory pick (modified hair), without retrolateral transversal line, with distinct retrolateral-ventral proximal process and distinct dorsal process; femur-patella joints shifted toward prolateral side; tibia relatively long and slender, tibia-tarsus joints shifted toward retrolateral side; tarsus without macrotrichia; procursus ( Figs 227–229 ) with few dorsal hairs slightly curved upwards; on prolateral side with low proximal ridge and more prominent hump (ridge) at half length, both hairless; with semitransparent ventral flap; procursus tip strongly curved towards dorsal, with distinct hair-like process, with strong and long ventral sclerite and semitransparent process; genital bulb ( Figs 230–232 ) basal sclerite with distinct dorsal apophysis; distal (main) sclerite large, with deep retrolateral pocket, with two ventral teeth, without serration, short dorsal process, sperm duct opening not seen.

LEGS. Femur 1 with single row of ~20 ventral spines; without curved hairs; with barely more than usual vertical hairs on tibiae (only proximally); retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 4%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other leg tibiae; tarsal pseudosegments proximally irregular and indistinct, distally ~5–10 fairly distinct.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in 17 males (including holotype): 5.5–7.0 (mean 6.2). Distance between tips of cheliceral apophyses ~320–370 µm. Ventral abdominal band variably distinct, median part sometimes quite ‘complete’, i.e., with three parallel bands, sometimes reduced to small irregular marks.

Female

In general similar to male ( Fig. 198 ) but without spines on legs, with usual very low number of short vertical hairs on leg tibiae. With pair of indistinct whitish humps posteriorly on carapace, and pair of corresponding indistinct plates frontally on abdomen, the latter in some females not visible; with fine cheliceral stridulatory ridges as in male. Tibia 1 in 34 females: 5.0–6.7 (mean 5.7). Epigynum as in Figs 237–239 , main epigynal plate trapezoidal, wider than long, weakly protruding, anteriorly with pair of distinct whitish processes, tips of processes variably rather rounded or pointed; with small brown median plate between whitish processes; with pair of indistinct round pits (distance 300–340 µm); posterior plate short and wide, simple; indistinct plate in front of epigynum, not elevated. Internal genitalia ( Figs 235–236 , 240–242 ) with elongated pore plates in transversal position, almost contiguous; dorsal and ventral arcs medially strongly sclerotized, ventral arc with very indistinct ventral process (pocket?) directly ‘below’ (i.e., dorsal of) small median plate between whitish processes.

Natural history

At Setti-Fatma, the spiders were abundant on the undersides of rocks, often very close to specimens of an undescribed species of Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 . Only juveniles had distinctly domed sheets, while older webs did not seem to have a clear shape. Some webs included a very narrow dome and had small whitish silk puffs. At disturbance, the spiders rarely vibrated but rather ran away and then dropped to the ground. Near Toufliht, most spiders were found under rocks on the ground of a ravine, while Pholcus occupied suitable niches higher on the rocks. Near Tizi n’Tichka, at over 2000 m a.s.l., the spiders were abundant under rocks on a dry slope.

Distribution

Known from several localities in the High Atlas, Morocco ( Fig. 163B ). All records are from between 1300 and 2035 m a.s.l.

Figures

Fig. 163. Known distribution of Maghreba gen. nov. A. Complete known distribution, including an undescribed Algerian species in CRB; the approximate extent of the Atlas Mountains is shown (1000 m altitude isolines, taken from https://www.britannica.com/). B. Known distributions of named species. Asterisk: specimens tentatively assigned to M. aurouxi gen. nov.

Figs 195–202. Maghreba gen. nov., live specimens.195. M. saghro gen. et sp. nov., male from Morocco, between Irherm and Tiferki. 196–198. M. stifadma gen. et sp. nov., male and female from Morocco, Setti-Fatma. 199–202. M. nkob gen. et sp. nov., male and female from Morocco, E of Nkob.

Figs 224–226. Maghreba stifadma gen. et sp. nov.; male from Morocco, Setti-Fatma (ZFMK Ar 22368); left palp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 227–236. Maghreba stifadma gen. et sp. nov.; male and female from Morocco, Setti-Fatma (ZFMK Ar 22368, Ar 22369). 227–229. Left procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 230–232. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views.233–234. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 235–236. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views; arrows: pockets (pits). Abbreviations: bs = basal sclerite; da = dorsal apophysis; dp = dorsal process; pr = epigynal process; pt = procursus tip; vf = ventral flap; vs = ventral sclerite; vt = ventral teeth. Scale bars = 0.3 mm.

Figs 237–242. Maghreba stifadma gen. et sp. nov.; female from Morocco, Setti-Fatma (ZFMK Ar 22369).237.Abdomen, ventral view.238–239. Epigynum, lateral and ventral views.240–242. Cleared female genitalia, ventral view, regular dorsal view, and dorsal view with dorsal arc tilted backwards. Abbreviations: da = dorsal arc; pr = epigynal process; va = ventral arc. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.