Zodarion ericorum Bosmans, 2020

Benhalima, Souâd & Bosmans, Robert, 2020, Revision of the genus Zodarion Walckenaer, 1833 (part IV). The species of Morocco (Araneae: Zodariidae), Zootaxa 4899 (1), pp. 93-114 : 103-104

Zodarion ericorum Bosmans sp. nov.

Figures 61–62 , 74–77 , 98–101

Etymology. The first author dedicates this species to Eric Gobbers (Gent, Belgium) and Erika Vanden Bergh (Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek, Belgium), two Belgian biologists, for helping him collect material during his first trip to Morocco in 1984.

Diagnosis. Males are recognized by the large basal knob in the tegulum, which is absent in other species or only poorly developed in Z. jeanclaudeledouxi sp. nov. Females are distinguished by the shape of the transverse oval pit in the epigyne, which is not the same in all other species.

Description. Measurements. Male (n=4): total length 2.4–3.8; carapace 1.30–1.57 long, 0.90–1.1 wide. Female (n=7): total length 3.8–5.5; prosoma 1.76–3.4 long, 1.25–2.49 wide. Colour ( Figs 61–62 ): carapace dark reddish brown to black, posterior part sometimes yellowish orange of variable size; coxae pale yellowish, femora dark brown to black, basal part white; tibiae brown to pale brown, with paler stripes laterally; metatarsi yellowish brown, base often infuscated; tarsi yellowish brown; abdomen in male with scutum, dark sepia, dorsally with two triangular spots and one oval postero-median spot whitish, in some specimens triangular spots absent; venter and oblique lateral stripe whitish. Female as male, but abdomen without scutum. Eyes: AM=1 (0.13); AL=0.78; PM=PL=0.67; a=0.67; b=0.23; c=1.56; d=0.33; MOQ: AW=0.88PW; L=0.81PW.

Male palp ( Figs 74–77 ): tibial apophysis elongated, proximal part nearly rectangular and straight, distal part curved in postero-dorsal direction, terminally rounded; retrolateral margin of cymbium with indentation; tegulum with rounded knob at its base; median apophysis with broad base, rectangular, distal part having the form a bird’s beak; tip of embolus slender, terminally curved in antero-prolateral direction.

Epigyne ( Figs 98–101 ): with large, transverse, oval pit, somewhat more than 2 times as wide as high, posterolaterally acccompied by semi-circular pockets; spermathecae small, separated by more than 3 diameters.

Type material. Holotype Ƌ and 1Ƌ 1♀ paratypes from MOROCCO: Beni Mellal-Khénifra , Oued Zem, 33°51’51’’N, 06°34’12’’W, leg. E. Vanden Bergh, 12.V–23.VI.1984 (pitfalls in young Pinus plantation) ( RBINS).

Other material examined. MOROCCO: Marrakech-Safi , Ben Guerir 10 km N, 32°14’32’’N, 07°56’46’’W, 500 m a.s.l., leg. R . Bosmans, 9.II.1996 (grassland with Asphodelus ), 1♀ ( CRB); 10 km S Chichaoua, 31°15’49’’N, 08°50’38’’W, leg. R . Bosmans, 9.II.1996 (stones in steppe), 2♀♀ ( CRB); Marrakech , Gueliz, 31°41’37’’N, 08°00’21’’W, 445 m a.s.l., leg. R . Bosmans, 7.VII.1999 (grass field in flooded hotel garden), 1Ƌ ( CRB); 3 km S Imi-’n-Tanoute, 31°09’35’’N, 08°50’38’W, 1200 m a.s.l., leg. J. Van Keer, 9.II.1996 (stones in olive groove), 1Ƌ 1♀ ( CJVK); Ounara E, 31°32’33’’N, 09°30’47’’W, 250 m a.s.l., leg. R . Bosmans, 8.VII.1999 (stones in Arganus steppe), 1♀ ( CRB); Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Forêt de Maâmora , Sidi Amira, 34°03’06’’N, 06°43’11’’W, leg. S. Benhalima, 5.XII.1989 (litter in Quercus suber forest), 1Ƌ 1♀ ( CSB); idem, 2 km S Sidi Allal El Bahraoui, 34°02’41’’N, 06°35’25’’W, leg. R . Bosmans, 8.II.1996, 1♀ ( CRB); idem, Sidi Allal El Bahraoui , leg. S. Benhalima, 15.IX.1989, 1Ƌ, 2.X.1989, 1Ƌ, 6.XI.1989, 1Ƌ and 27.II.1990, 1Ƌ ( CSB); Souss-Massa, between Aoulous and Taliouine, 30°34’41’’N, 08°03’11’’W, 600 m a.s.l., leg. R . Bosmans, 4.II.1996 (stones in Arganus steppe), 1♀ ( CRB) .

Distribution. Central and West Morocco (Map 3).

Figures

FIGURES 59–69. Dorsal habitus of Zodarion azrouense sp. nov. male (59) and female (60), Z. ericorum sp. nov. male (61) and female (62), Z. jeanclaudeledouxi sp. nov. male (63), Z. mostafai sp. nov. male (64) and female (65), Z. ogeri sp. nov. male (66), Z. wesolowskae sp. nov. male (67), and Zodarion trianguliferum Denis, 1952 female (68); 69 Idem, ventral view.

FIGURES 70–81. Genitalic morphology of Zodarion azrouense sp. nov. (70–73), Z. ericorum sp. nov. (74–77) and Z. jeanclaudeledouxi sp. nov. (78–81). 70, 71 74, 75, 78, 79 Male palp, ventral view; 72, 73, 76, 77, 80, 81 Idem, retrolateral view.

FIGURES 94–109. Genitalic morphology of Zodarion azrouense sp. nov. (94–97), Z. ericorum sp. nov. (98–101), Z. mostafai sp. nov. (102–105) and Z. trianguliferum Denis, 1952 (106–109). 94, 95, 98, 99, 102, 103, 106, 107 Epigyne, ventral view; 96, 97, 100, 101, 104, 105, 108, 109 Vulva, dorsal view.