Usia echinus, Gibbs, 2011

Gibbs, David, 2011, 2960, Zootaxa 2960, pp. 1-77 : 38-41

Usia echinus . Gibbs sp. nov.

( Figs. 13 & 21, Plate VIII)

Usia ignorata: Efflatoun, 1945: 215 , misidentification in part.

Usia sp. no. 6 Theodor, 1983: 65, Figs. 178–180.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: Morocco, 17 March 2006 Agadir , Imsouane 240m N30º53'10.2" W9º46'48.8", leg. Dils J. Faes J. [♂ in NMWC] . PARATYPES: Algeria, Metilia Sidi Maklouf 15 April 1893 / Museum Paris, Algérie, P. Lesne 6-97 [1♂ 5♀ in MNHN]; Lagouat, March–April 1893 / Museum Paris, Algerie, P. Lesne 6-97 [♀ in MNHN]; A. Selra [illegible]/ Museum Paris, Algerie [2♂ in MNHN] . Egypt, Abu Rowash [=Rawash], 25 February [19]25/ Usia ignorata Beck., Det. Efflatoun [♂ genitalia missing, in TAU] . Israel, Jerusalem, Mishcor Rotem, 23 March [19]65, M. Weichsrlfish / 1303, 730 / Paratype, Usia tribeensis, Theodor , det. O. Theodor 1985 [♀ in TAU]; Mashabei-Sade, 31 March 1975, F. Kaplan [♀ in TAU]; Western Negev , Kerem Shalom, meadow, N31º12' E34º17' 24 March 2000, leg. M.J. Ebejer [♀ in PCME]; En Yorqe’am, 2 April [19]83, A. Freidberg [♂ in TAU]; Lotan Dunes, 18 March 1988, A. Freidberg [♂ 7♀ in TAU]; Nizzanim, 23 March 1995, A. Freidberg [3♂4♂ in TAU]; 13 April 2008 [♀ in TAU]; Holon, 22 April 1992, A. Freidberg [♀ in TAU]; Nizzanim Beach, stable coastal dunes 43m el., 15 April 1995 M.E. Irwin, N31º44'21" E34º36'89", [♀ in TAU]. Libya, Tripolitaine, Azizyhe, Alluaud March 1899 [♀ in MNHN]; Tripolitania: Homs., 12 March 1952, K.M. Guichard., B.M. 1952-460. [♀ in BMNH]. Morocco, Marrakech, Oukaîmeden, 2200m N31º14'0.3" W7º49'1.6" 6 April 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ in PCJD]; Tizi-n-Test, 1450m N30º55'55.9" W8º16'19.7" 30 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in NMWC, ♀ in PCJD]; Taferiate 940m N31º32'35.2" W7º32'7", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ in PCJD]; Guelmin , 11km N Guelmin 430m N29º8'30.3" W10º5'48.4" 23 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [2♂ in PCJD]; Azilal, Âit Mhammed 1850m N31º55'39.7" W6º30'22" 7 April 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; Tata, Iguiour 1260m N29º54'18.8" W8º31'47.5", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; Taroudant, Tizi-n-Test 1200m N30º48'13" W8º23'43.8" 29 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [1♂ 2♀ in PCJD]; 700m N30º45'14.8" W8º48'50.9", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; Ouarzazate, Amerzgane 1370m N31º1'29.8" W7º13'24.7" 31 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; Tiznit, El Merabtine, 70m N29º20'6.1" W10º8'18.4" 22 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [2♂ 3♀ in PCJD]; Arbaa-Sahel 330m N29º40'19.7" W9º51'18.5" 20 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; Mesti, 280m N29º16'29.1" W10º8'22.1" 23 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ in PCJD]; Aglou 50m N29º45'23" W9º53'0.7" 22 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [2♂ 2♀ in PCJD]; Agadir, Tioulit 1200m N29º53'28" W9º0'0.2" 27 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [1♂ 3♀ in PCJD]; Tamri 215m 28 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ in NMWC, 3♂ in PCJD]; Imsouane 280m N30º53'9" W9º46'29.4" 28 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [2♂ 4♀ in PCJD]; 240m N30º53'10.2" W9º46'48.8" 17 March 2006, leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in NMWC, ♂ in PCJD]; 3 March 2007, Tata, 9km W Tissint 535m, N29º51'4.3" W7º15'56.7", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ 2♀ in PCJD]; 13 March 2007, Tafraoute, Ighrem 1200m, N30º7'4.8" W8º25'11.4", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in NMWC, 8♂ 5♀ in PCJD]; 9 April 2008, Es Semara 250m, Mesti, N29º16'3.8" W10º7'53.8", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ 3♀ in PCJD]; 10 April 2008, Tiznit, Sidi Ifni 0m, N29º23'5.9" W10º10'22.2", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ in PCJD]; 13 March 2007, Ouarzazate, Tizi-n-Bachkoum 1450m, N30º49'39.8" W7º17'50", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in NMWC, 16♂ 9♀ in PCJD]; 12 March 2007, Tafraoute, Tizi Mlil 1350m, N29º44'25.6" W8º51'52.6", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♂ 2♀ in PCJD]; 2 March 2007, Sous-Massa-Draa, 6km E Timoulaya 6700m, N29º9'47.6" W9º32'32.9", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; 2 March 2007, Tiznit, Arbaa Sahel 300m, N29º39'47.6" W9º52'11.4", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; 12 March 2007, Tafraoute, Ait Abdallah 1500m, N29º50'15.7" W8º45'48.5", leg. Dils J.Faes J [2♀ in PCJD]; 12 March 2007, Tafraoute, Timzit 1750m, N30º1'4.8" W8º35'46", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; 11 April 2008, Tiznit, Plage Blanche 170m, N28º57'25.8" W10º30'59", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; 4 March 2007, Ouarzazate, Amerzgane 1350m N31º1'26.6" W7º13'27.4", leg. Dils J.Faes J [♀ in PCJD]; Tafingoult , Goundafa , 1500–1600m 10 May / Miss le Cerf & Talbot, Grand-Atlas , 28 April– 9 June 1927 / Museum Paris [2♂ 1♀ in MNHN; 1♀ in TAU]; Cap ghir, 10 April 1936, Maroc , Coll. Rungs / 24 [♀ in MNHN]; Tameslouth , Alluaud 55 [2♀ in MNHN]; Agadir à Taroudant , Thery [♀ in MNHN]; Sidi-Ifni., Within 100m. of, sea., 31 March 1974 / K.M. Guichard & G.R. Else, B.M. 1974-160 [♂ in BMNH]. Tunisia, April / Museum Paris, Tunisie, Bou Hedma, C. Dumont 1929 [2♂ 7♀ in MNHN] .

Etymology. The name is a noun in apposition and derives from the Latin “ echinus = hedgehog or sea urchin”, referring to the spiny apex of the epiphallus.

Diagnosis. A small to mid-sized shining black species with a much wider geographical range than most Micrusia ; relatively long-haired and undusted superficially similar to U. dilsi . Hind femora with long ventral hairs, scutellum with hairs as long as mid length of scutellum, anepisternum shining. Male genitalia large, epandrium apically with lobes that often encompass cerci, but are not elongated. Can be very difficult to distinguish from U. dilsi which usually has dusted anepisternum but this feature not apparent in all populations. Female only reliably identifiable by examination of genitalia (Plate VIII).

Description. Measurements. Body length. 2.3–5.6mm Wing length. 2.2–4.9mm.

Male. Head. Frons relatively narrow, about a sixth head width, at narrowest point decidedly narrower than length of third antennal segment, eye margins convex for hind three fifths, concave in front. Rather matt, finely longitudinally striated medially, shinier close to ocelli, anterolateral grey dust spots small, often poorly defined or absent. Mouth margin very narrow, shining, linear almost absent. Ocellar tubercle shining, ocelli equilateral, lateral ocelli separated from the eye by half their diameter. Longest hairs on ocellar tubercle about as long as front of frons, longer than width across vertex at lateral ocelli. Occiput covered with grey dust obscuring ground colour, this dusting slightly thinner on triangular area behind vertex. Black hairs on occiput short above, longer below, those on ventral side of head almost as long as those on ocellar tubercle. Antennae black, relatively elongate, third segment rather variable but usually elongate, straight dorsally before sulcus, undulating ventrally with convex base and slightly constricted subapically, about twice as long as scape and pedicel combined. A few very short dark setae on dorsum of third antennal segment immediately before apical sulcus, sensilla dark brown. Proboscis black, naked, about as long as mesonotum. Palps very small, black to brown, sub-clavate with a tuft of apical setae as long as the palp. Thorax. Entirely black, mesonotum shining and mostly smooth to inconspicuously wrinkled with hair insertions not strongly marked, often a more rough surface in front of scutellum where dulled by brownish dust. Very limited light grey dust on pronotum, around suture at inner margin of postpronotal lobe, and very obscurely above wing base. Mesonotum with mid-length, perpendicular black hairs averaging a little shorter than those on ocellar tubercle, acrostichals irregularly triserial to quadriserial, paramedian lines bare but hardly differing in surface texture, extending back to above wing bases, laterally hairs generally distributed, lateral hairs the longest. Scutellum shining, dulled with thin, brownish dust along suture, surface transversely wrinkled, disc with scattered long black hairs, hind margin with a very irregular row of longer, black hairs as long as the scutellum is long, angled up at about 45º. Pleura shining black, anepisternum usually lacking dust, thin grey dust covering anepimeron except shining central spot, katepisternum dusted on dorsal third, meron mostly dusted. Posterodorsal half of anepisternum with dark hairs like those on notopleuron. Wing. Clear to tinged brownish, the veins brownish yellow. Anal lobe convex, about equal in width to anal cell. Haltere. Pale yellowish knob, stem slightly infuscated basally. Legs. Black, shining but with rough texture to cuticle, with mid-length semi-erect hairs dorsally, fore and mid femora with rather longer posteroventral hairs, those on mid-femora longer than femora is deep, hind-femora with irregular anteroventral erect black hairs, the longest almost as long as the depth of the femora. Abdomen. Black, short with very broad tergites, surface sculpture of short transverse welts at hair insertions. Disc of tergites covered with mid-length, dense black reclinate hairs, much longer hairs laterally and apically. Sternites black, grey dusted with long black hairs along apical margins. Genitalia. Large, subglobular, almost as large as the remainder of the abdomen in small specimens, relatively smaller in large specimens. Epandrium apically with lobed projections that encompass the cerci, their tips often touching, densely haired on disc, shining and almost bare laterally. Gonocoxite basally bi-lobed with long erect black hairs, a little denser at the point where gonocoxite curves inward, these hairs clearly proximally directed in contrast to other hairs. Gonostyli usually obscured by enclosing epandrium but relatively simple with hooked tip. Tip of epiphallus occasionally visible in dry specimens, the pad of apical spines being diagnostic.

PLATE VIII. Usia echinus Gibbs sp. n.; a epiphallic complex ventral, b epiphallic complex lateral, c gonocoxite ventral, d gonocoxite lateral, e epandrium dorsal, f epandrium lateral, g female genitalia ventral, h female sternite 8 ventral.

Female. Very similar to the male. The frons of the female averages a little broader than in males, between a sixth to fifth head width, more evenly divergent anteriorly, hind ocellus separated from eye margin by about the diameter of that ocellus. The mouth margin is broader such that it is quite clearly visible. Vestiture generally a little shorter, most conspicuously so on the discs of the tergites. Anal lobe averages wider, clearly wider than anal call. Apical sternite rather oblong, widened basally, medially formed into a domed boss falling away steeply proximally. In dry specimens the unsclerotised apical patch forms a grey-dusted longitudinal ridge. When macerated apical notch clear and with median projection.

Discussion. Seems to form a geographically replacing pair with U. dilsi , and possibly a little more distantly related to U. ignorata .

Although Efflatoun (1945) failed to recognise this species, only illustrating U. ignorata , at least one of his specimens (♂ in TAU, genitalia missing and almost certainly the specimen illustrated by Theodor (1983 Figs. 178– 180)) belongs here.

Distribution. Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia. This is one of the most widespread Micrusia occurring from the Atlantic coast of Morocco, along the southern shore of the Mediterranean to Israel. Also one of the most frequently encountered North Africa species, often found in considerable numbers from numerous sites.