Eusparassus dufouri, Simon, 1932

Moradmand, Majid, 2013, The stone huntsman spider genus Eusparassus (Araneae: Sparassidae): systematics and zoogeography with revision of the African and Arabian species, Zootaxa 3675 (1), pp. 1-108 : 24

dufouri species group

Diagnosis. Opisthosoma ventrally with a distinct dark marking ( Figs 48b, d ; 49b, f ); chelicerae without intermarginal denticles ( Figs 13e , 15d , 23e ); male palp with ST reduced in size and mostly not visible ( Figs 12a , 15a , 17a , 20a , 22a ); female epigyne with fused AMLL encircling MS entirely ( Figs 11c , 13a , 16a , 18a , 21a , 23a, f )

Species composition. Eight species: Eusparassus dufouri Simon, 1932 ; E. barbarus ( Lucas, 1846) ; E. oraniensis ( Lucas, 1846) ; E. fritschi ( Koch, 1873) stat. rev.; E. letourneuxi ( Simon, 1874) ; E. atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov.; E. syrticus Simon, 1909 and E. levantinus Urones, 2006 .

Distribution. From Iberian Peninsula ( Portugal and Spain) to North-western Africa ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) ( Fig. 70b ).

Remarks. Identification of females in the dufouri group is difficult; therefore a combination of characters must be used to identify the species, including eye pattern and structures of vulvas. Males are easily distinguishable by the shape of RTA and ET. Eusparassus fritschi stat. rev. is removed from synonymy with E. oraniensis . Eusparassus atlanticus stat. nov. which was subspecies of E. dufouri is elevated to species level, for comparison the nominate species ( E. dufouri ) is illustrated ( Figs 11a–e ) [for more details see Moradmand and Jäger 2012a: figs 2–3, 23C].

Figures

FIGURE 11. Eusparassus dufouri Simon, 1932, male and female from Portugal (SMF). (a) left palp, ventral; (b) embolus tip and conductor, ventral; (c) epigyne, ventral; (d) vulva, dorsal; (e) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral. Abbreviations: EFB— epigynal field bridge, GP—glandular process, Msa—membranous sac, expanded.

FIGURE 12. Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov., male from Morocco: Sidi Mimoun (MNHN). (a) left palp, ventral; (b) left palp, retrolateral; (c) embolus tip and conductor, ventral.

FIGURE 13. Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov., syntype female from Morocco: Djebel Damnata (MNHN). (a) epigyne, ventral; (b) vulva, dorsal; (c) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (d) eye arrangement, dorsal; (e) left chelicera, ventral.

FIGURE 15. Eusparassus barbarus (Lucas, 1846), neotype male from Algeria: Teniet el Haad (MRAC). (a) left palp, ventral; (b) left palp, retrolateral; (c) embolus tip and conductor, ventral; (d) left chelicera, ventral; (e) eye arrangement, dorsal.

FIGURE 16. Eusparassus barbarus (Lucas, 1846), female from the type locality, Algeria (MIZ). (a) epigyne, ventral; (b) vulva, dorsal; (c) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral.

FIGURE 17. Eusparassus oraniensis (Lucas, 1846), male from Morocco: Erg Chebbi (SMF). (a) left palp, ventral; (b) left palp, retrolateral; (c) embolus tip and conductor, ventral.

FIGURE 18. Eusparassus oraniensis (Lucas, 1846), neotype female from Algeria: Oran (ZSM). (a) epigyne, ventral; (b) vulva, dorsal; (c) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (d) eye arrangement, dorsal; (e) left chelicera, ventral.

FIGURE 20. Eusparassus fritschi (Koch, 1873) stat. rev., male from Morocco (SMF). (a) left palp, ventral; (b) left palp, retrolateral; (c) embolus tip and conductor, ventral.

FIGURE 21. Eusparassus fritschi (Koch, 1873) stat. rev., syntype female from Morocco: Mtuga (SMF). (a) epigyne, ventral; (b) vulva, dorsal; (c) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (d) eye arrangement, dorsal; (e) left chelicera, ventral.

FIGURE 22. Eusparassus letourneuxi (Simon, 1874), male from Algeria: Djebel Ferroukha (CRB). (a) left palp, ventral; (b) left palp, retrolateral; (c) embolus tip and conductor, ventral.

FIGURE 23. Eusparassus letourneuxi (Simon, 1874), neotype female from Algeria: Yakouren (MNHN). (a) epigyne, ventral; (b) vulva, dorsal; (c) left vulva, anterio-dorso-lateral; (d) eye arrangement, dorsal; (e) right chelicera, ventral; (f) variation in epigyne, ventral.

FIGURE 48. Habitus of species of the dufouri group. (a–b) Eusparassus dufouri Simon, 1932; (c–f) Eusparassus levantinus Urones, 2006. (a, c) dorsal, (b, d, f) ventral, (e) frontal.

FIGURE 49. Habitus of species of the dufouri group. (a–b) Eusparassus atlanticus Simon, 1909 stat. nov., syntype female; (c– d) Eusparassus fritschi (Koch, 1873) stat. rev., syntype female; (e–f) Eusparassus letourneuxi (Simon, 1874), female. (a, c, e) dorsal, (b, d, f) ventral.

FIGURE 70. Distribution range of (a) Eusparassus walckenaeri group; (b) Eusparassus dufouri group.