Loureedia jerbae (El-Hennawy, 2005)

Szűts, Tamás, Szabó, Krisztián, Zamani, Alireza, Forman, Martin, Miller, Jeremy, Oger, Pierre, Fabregat, Magali, Kovács, Gábor & Gál, János, 2023, A Study in Scarlet: Integrative Taxonomy of the Spider Genus Loureedia (Araneae: Eresidae), Diversity (238) 15 (2), pp. 1-26 : 14-16

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3390/d15020238
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7630113
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B55C7B1A-ED66-8D7E-FE10-A62AD5E0FD59
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Loureedia jerbae (El-Hennawy, 2005)
status

Treatment

Loureedia jerbae (El-Hennawy, 2005) View in CoL .

Figures 1D View Figure 1 , 2D View Figure 2 , 4B View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6B View Figure 6 , 7B View Figure 7 , 8B View Figure 8 and 11A,B View Figure 11 .

Eresus jerbae El-Hennawy, 2005: 88 , Figs 1–4 View Figure 1 View Figure 2 View Figure 3 View Figure 4 (♀) [11] (original description).

Loureedia annulipes Miller et al. 2012: 88 View in CoL [1] (synonymy with L. annulipes View in CoL ; rejected here).

Type material. Holotype: female ( MNHN 471 / AR 835 ), TUNISIA: Djerba ; misidentified as Eresus petagnae (not examined) .

Other examined material. One male ( HNHM), TUNISIA: Djerba, Djerba Midun, 33 ◦ 48 Į 36.2 ĮĮ N, 11 ◦ 02 Į 38.3 ĮĮ E, X. 2019 (leg. S. Macík).

Diagnosis. The male palp of L. jerbae ( Figures 4B View Figure 4 , 6B View Figure 6 , 7B View Figure 7 and 8B View Figure 8 ) is most similar to that of L. phoenixi ( Figures 4A View Figure 4 , 6A View Figure 6 , 7A View Figure 7 and 8A View Figure 8 ), as the arms of the conductor are almost the same length and bear pointed tips and the terminal portion of the prolateral arm curves retrolaterally ( Figure 4A,B View Figure 4 ). The male palp of L. jerbae differs from that of L. phoenixi , in that the longer stem of the conductor bears only a slight curvature along its ectal margin ( Figures 4B View Figure 4 and 7B View Figure 7 ) vs. a shorter stem with an abrupt invagination on the ectal margin ( Figures 4A View Figure 4 and 7A View Figure 7 ), the retrolateral arm of the conductor is slightly longer than the prolateral one ( Figure 4B View Figure 4 ) vs. both arms of the same length ( Figure 4A View Figure 4 ), and the base of the prolateral arm of the conductor is wider ( Figures 4B View Figure 4 and 7B View Figure 7 ). The male coloration pattern of L. jerbae ( Figures 1D View Figure 1 and 2D View Figure 2 ) is similar to those of L. maroccana ( Figures 1C View Figure 1 and 2B View Figure 2 ) and L. lucasi ( Fig 2C View Figure 2 , Henriques et al. [3]: Fig 1d View Figure 1 ); it differs from both species by having numerous white spots and short stripes at the tips of the lateral branches of the median abdominal foliate pattern ( Figures 1D View Figure 1 and 2D View Figure 2 ) vs. no white spots ( Fig 2B, Gál View Figure 2 et al. [2]: Fig 1 View Figure 1 ) or only a few very small spots ( Fig 2C View Figure 2 , Henriques et al. [3]: Fig 1d View Figure 1 ). It also differs from L. lucasi by having a reddish posterior part on the carapace ( Figure 2D View Figure 2 ) vs. dark ( Figure 2C View Figure 2 ). The female of L. jerbae differs from that of L. lucasi by its longer than wide epigynal windows (see El-Hennawy [11]: Figs 1–4 View Figure 1 View Figure 2 View Figure 3 View Figure 4 ) vs. round (see Henriques et al. [3]: Fig 1e,f View Figure 1 ).

Description. Male. Habitus as in Figures 1D View Figure 1 , 2D View Figure 2 and 11A,B View Figure 11 . Total length: ca. 8.00. Carapace: 4.61 long and 3.61 wide. Abdomen: 4.09 long and 3.49 wide. Eye sizes and intereye distances: AME 0.12, PME 1.89, ALE 0.03, PLE 0.03, AME–AME 0.09, and ALE–AME 0.30. The carapace, sternum, labium, chelicerae, and maxillae dark brown. Carapace mostly covered with long black setae and scattered short crimson and white scales. Scale patches of short red setae present mostly on the sides of the pars thoracica and the center of the pars cephalica, with two white spots next to the PLE. Legs covered with thin black hairs, with distinct regions of white hairs at the joints of all segments, forming distinct white annulation ( Figure 2D View Figure 2 ). Abdomen with a crimson red longitudinal foliate pattern with white lines at its lateral extensions. The most anterior part of the median globular pattern with three lobes: white lateral lobes and a crimson red anterior lobe. Measurements of legs: I: 9.11 (3.04, 1.55, 1.86, 1.58, 1.06); II: 8.85 (2.76, 1.62, 1.72, 1.63, 1.11); III: 7.57 (2.63, 1.39, 1.50, 1.32, 0.71); IV: 10.2 (3.25, 1.60, 2.25, 2.03, 1.03).

Palp as in Figures 4B View Figure 4 , 6B View Figure 6 , 7B View Figure 7 and 8B View Figure 8 . The stem of the conductor ca. two times longer than wide. The mesal margin of the conductor almost straight. The ectal margin with a slight medial invagination. The retrolateral arm of the conductor slightly longer than the prolateral arm. The retrolateral arm curves centrally, and both arms with pointed tips.

Female. See El-Hennawy [11], which is the only source regarding this species so far.

Variation. There are two observations of Loureedia from Tunisia on iNaturalist: one from Bizerte, with a very similar abdominal pattern to our specimen. The second specimen, although from Djerba, has noticeably larger white spots lateral to the median red band; two individuals with the same pattern have been photographed in northwestern Libya, not far from Djerba. Likely, these specimens belong to L. jerbae , although it is necessary to examine them to confirm this.

Natural history. No information.

Phenology. Males are active during October.

Distribution. Tunisia ( Djerba) (see Figure 5 View Figure 5 ).