Scytodes seppoi Bosmans

Keer, Johan Van & Bosmans, Robert, 2014, A new species of Scytodes from Algeria (Araneae: Scytodidae), with a review of the species from the Maghreb, Zootaxa 3894 (1), pp. 131-140 : 132-134

Scytodes seppoi Bosmans & Van Keer, sp. n.

Figs 1–16 , 27, 29, 32

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( KBIN), Algeria: Blida, Atlas Blidéen, Djebel Mouzaia, 1200 m, under stones around lake, 10.IV.1987. Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀ ( KBIN), Algeria: Blida, Atlas Blidéen, Chrea, 900 m, pitfall in Quercus faginea forest, 15.V–10.VI.1985; 1♂, 1♀ ( ZMMU) Boumerdes, Reghaia, 45 m, pitfalls in degraded Quercus suber forest, 30.IX.1988.

Other material examined. ALGERIA, Alger, El Harrach, 25 m, pitfall in rough grassland, 2♂♂ 3 subadult ♀♀ (CRB), 16.IV–16.VI.1985; Béjaïa, Oued Daas, 15m, beach near river mouth, 1♂ (CRB), 22.V.1988; Blida, Chrea, 1250 m, south slope, stones in Cedar forest, 1♂ (CRB), 30.V.1987; Bordj Bou Arreridj, Ras el Oued-El Tetla, 1400 m, litter and stones in degraded Quercus ilex forest, 1♀ (CRB), 20.IV.1989; Boumerdes, Reghaia, 45 m, pitfalls in degraded Quercus suber forest, 2♂♂, 1♀ (CRB), 30.IX.1988; Chleff, 5 km W. Damous, 5 m, maquis of Lentisca lentiscus and Pinus halepensis along dry river near the sea, 1♀ (CRB), 17.IV.1987, El Marsa, 50 m, maquis of Pistacia lentiscus in dunes, 2♂♂ (CRB), 25.V.1990; El Tarf, El Frin, litter of maquis of Pistacia lentiscus , 1♀ ( CJVK), K. De Smet leg., 9.V.1998; Mascara, Oued Taria, 500 m, among stones and herbs along road, 1♀ (CRB), 13.VII.1979; Medea, Col des 2 bassins, 1200m, under stones in maquis, 2♀♀ 5 juv. (CRB), 11.IV.1982; Sidi Bel Abbes, Mezaourou, 900 m, stones in clearing in Pinus halepensis forest, 2 ♂♂ (CRB), 23.V.1990; Skikda, West of Collo, Tamanart, 25 m, stones and litter in Quercus suber forest, 1♂ ( CJVK), 6.VI.1987; Tipaza, Douaouda, Oued Mazafran, 50 m, pitfalls in Populus alba forest, 2♂♂, 1♀ (CRB), 1.XII.1986 – 26.II.1987; Tizi Ouzou, Beni Yenni, 850 m, among mosses, stones and Oxalis pes-caprae in orchards, 1♂ (CRB), 14.IV.1982. TUNISIA: Bizerte, Lake Ichgeul, stones in grassland, 1♂, 1♀ (CRB), 25.I.1995.

Etymology. The species is a patronym dedicated to our friend and colleague Seppo Koponen from the Zoological Museum at the University of Turku, Finland, in honour of his ecological, faunistic and systematic studies on spiders.

Diagnosis. Scytodes seppoi sp. n. has the general aspect of S. thoracica but a palp resembling that of S. velutina Heineken & Lowe, 1836 . It resembles S. velutina by the conformation of the male palp and the shape of the scutula, but is rather easily distinguished by its pale colour, the annulated femora, tibiae and metatarsi, uniformly coloured in S. velutina . Males are further distinguished by the smaller palp, the subdistally folded region of the bulb (straight in S. velutina ) provided with a large, blunt notch, absent in S. velutina . Females are distinguished by the oblique position of the elongated scutula, spaced 1.5 times their diameter, more rounded and spaced twice their diameter in S.velutina .

Description. Male holotype. Total length 2.8 (n=5; 2.1–2.8), carapace 1.4 (1.1–1.4) long, 1.2 (1.1–1.4) wide, slightly domed. Carapace ochre-colored with black pattern: a long, black median stripe and two large black spots constructing a heart shaped pattern in the thoracic part ( Fig. 3 ). Eye region black. Chelicerae yellowish with frontal black spot. Labium grey. Endites pale yellow with black retrolateral margins. Sternum pale yellow with darker markings in front of each coxae. Legs pale yellowish, distal part of femora, sub-basal and distal part of tibia and distal part of metatarsi widely darkened. Abdomen dorsally yellowish grey to grey, with black pattern ( Fig. 1 ), anteriorly broadly darkened, posteriorly with two longitudinal rows of 5 black spots; venter grey mottled with brown spots. Palp pale yellow with few black spots on tibia and femur. Cymbium without distal spines. Bulb ( Figs 6–13 ) 0.5 long (0.4–0.5; n=5), rather thick, with basal, median and distal part, basal part circular, median part cylindrical, distal part bent in an angle of 30°, marked by an anterior blunt notch ( Figs 6–7, 9–10 , 27) and a small retrolateral sclerotized process ( Figs 8, 12–13 ); distal part ( Fig. 11 ) posteriorly with some denticules.

Female paratype. Total length 3.5 (n=4; 3.4–4.1), carapace 1.6 (1.4–1.6) long, 1.2 (1.2–1.5) wide, highly domed. Coloration pattern as in male ( Figs 4–5 ). Some females examined have a slightly darkened sternum mottled with brown. Scutula ( Fig. 14 ) in an oblique position, elongated, separated by 1.5 times their diameter. Vulva as in Figs 15–16 , 29.

FIGURES 17–23. Scytodes annulipes (17–20), S. thoracica (21–22) and S. velutina (23). 17, 21: male, dorsal view; 18, 22, 23: female, dorsal view; 19: male, lateral view; 20: male femur I, lateral view.

Comments. The species occurs in the extreme north of Algeria and was found once in Tunisia. It has almost the same distribution pattern as that for S. thoracica in the area ( Fig. 32 ), as can be derived from literature data ( Lucas 1846; Pavesi 1880, Pavesi 1884; Simon 1908b; Caporiacco1934; Denis 1937; Brignoli, 1976). Since there was not one specimen of S. thoracica present in our material, the two species have most probably been confused in the past.

Figures

FIGURE 32. Records of Scytodes seppoi sp. n. (circles) and citations of S. thoracica (triangles) in the study area.

FIGURES 1 – 16. Scytodes seppoi sp. n. 1: male, dorsal view; 2: idem, ventral view; 3: male, dorsal view of prosoma; 4: female, dorsal view; 5: idem, ventral view; 6: male left palp, retrolateral view; 7: idem, prolateral view; 8: idem, frontal view; 9: male left palp, retrolateral view; 10: idem, prolateral view; 11: tip of bulb, retrolateral view; 12: male left palp, frontal view; 13: idem, caudal view; 14: epigyne and scutula; 15 – 16: vulva.