Micropholcus agadir (Huber, 2011)

Figs 4 D, E, 60, 61, 62, 63

Pholcus agadir Huber, 2011: 331, figs 1530–1531, 1553–1554, 1606–1611 (♂ ♀). Eberle et al. 2018 (molecular data).

Micropholcus agadir – Huber et al. 2018: 83. Huber and Eberle 2021, Suppl. material 1.

New records.

Morocco: Souss-Massa • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Paradise Valley; 30.588 ° N, 9.528 ° W; 305 m a. s. l.; 13 Sep. 2018; B. A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24679 • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (one abdomen transferred to ZFMK Ar 24679), in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Mor 76 • 2 ♀♀, in pure ethanol; Agadir, path to Kasbah Hill; 30.4289 ° N, 9.6186 ° W; 60 m a. s. l.; 28 Nov. 2016; S. Huber leg.; ZFMK Sieg 27 • 4 ♀♀, in pure ethanol; Agadir, path to Kasbah Hill; 30.4297 ° N, 9.6189 ° W; 110 m a. s. l.; 7 Sep. 2014; S. Huber leg.; ZFMK Sieg 11 • 1 ♂, in pure ethanol; Road Agadir-Alma; 30.4864 ° N, 9.5650 ° W; 440 m a. s. l.; 27 Nov. 2016; S. Huber leg.; ZFMK Sieg 25 . Marrakech-Safi • 1 ♀; NE of Tizi n’Test; 30.897 ° N, 8.339 ° W; 2075 m a. s. l.; 12 Sep. 2018; B. A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24683 .

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from similar congeners ( M. tegulifer, M. ghar sp. nov.) by short and distally widened dorsal hinged process of procursus (Fig. 61 C), by rounded uncus with scales (Fig. 61 D, E; similar only in M. khenifra sp. nov., cf. Fig. 69 E), and by flat and oval appendix with small proximal spine and prolateral ridge (Fig. 61 D); from M. tegulifer also by presence of two pairs of processes proximally on male chelicerae (Fig. 62 A, B; absent in M. tegulifer), by lateral marks on carapace (Fig. 4 D, E; absent in M. tegulifer), and by oval rather than elongate pore plates in female internal genitalia. From M. ghar sp. nov. also distinguished by smaller triangular plate posteriorly on epigynum (compare Fig. 63 B with Fig. 67 A).

Description (amendments; see also Huber 2011). Tibia 1 length in seven males (incl. holotype): 6.0–7.4 (mean 6.7); in 12 females (including those in Huber 2011): 4.8–5.9 (mean 5.6). The drawings in Huber (2011) are from the male holotype and from a topotypical female. Compared to the newly collected males, the procursus of the holotype was slightly twisted towards prolateral; thus, the dorsal hinged process was described as “ prolateral branch ”. The new material also shows that the dorsal process is connected to the main part of the procursus by slightly membranous cuticle, i. e., it is hinged, comparable with the dorsal processes of congeneric species. The female epigynal knob was originally said to be on the posterior plate (Huber 2011). Instead, it is situated on a small, slightly separate triangular part of the anterior plate. The posterior epigynal plate in M. agadir is indistinct (Fig. 63 B); it was indicated by a row of hairs in Huber (2011: fig. 1610), but not explicitly drawn.

Distribution.

Known from several localities in southern Morocco, in Souss-Massa and Marrakech-Safi regions (Fig. 13 D).

Natural history.

In Paradise Valley, the spiders were found on overhanging rock-surfaces, often in very close proximity to Holocnemus reini (C. Koch, 1873) . While the latter had large and distinct webs, the webs of Micropholcus were barely visible. Two egg sacs had diameters of 1.9 and 2.4 mm, respectively, contained 23 / 31 eggs with an egg diameter of 0.60–0.63 (Huber and Eberle 2021).