Hersiliola macullulata ( Dufour, 1831 )

Mirshamsi, Omid, Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2016, A survey of Hersiliidae (Arachnida: Araneae) of Iran with description of one new genus and two new species, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 50, pp. 1447-1461 : 1456-1458

Hersiliola macullulata ( Dufour, 1831)

Figures 4A – F , 5D – E

Material

1♂ ( ZMFUM), Iran: Hormozgan Province, Hormuz Island, January, 2014 (A. Zamani) .

Diagnosis

See Marusik and Fet (2009).

Description

Male. Habitus as in Figure 4A – C . Carapace yellowish-brown with dark marginal markings, pale radial spots, dark markings on median groove and V-shaped mark behind eyes ( Figure 1A ); labium, endites and sternum yellowish-brown without distinct patterns; ocular area dark brown with black eye borders; clypeus and chelicerae brownish; legs yellowish with distinct annulations and pale dark markings; abdomen ventrally cream coloured; dorsally yellowish-brown with brownish markings as shown in Figure 4B , coxa IV separated by one diameter. Total length 4.4; carapace 1.75 long, 1.62 wide, femur I 2.91 long, femur I length/carapace length ratio 1.08, carapace length/width ratio 0.9; eye sizes: AME 0.13, ALE 0.072, PME 0.078, PLE 0.074; clypeus 0.272 high.

Palp as in Figures 4D – F , 5D – E ; tip of cymbium as long as height of tegulum; tegulum discoid; seminal duct thick; tegular apophysis hook shaped, located near the centre of the tegulum; embolus filiform, it makes 1.5 coils; embolus base located at 6 o ’ clock to 6:30 and terminates apically at 12 o ’ clock.

Life history

The single male specimen was collected at night, under a large stone in a dry sandy substrate near the sea. Several spiders belonging to the genera Sahastata Benoit, 1968 (Filistatidae) and Zelotes Gistel, 1848 (Gnaphosidae) were also observed in co-habitation with this species.

Distribution

Mediterranean, Mali ( World Spider Catalog 2015). The record from Mali most likely is based on misidentification. Our record of this species is the easternmost in the whole range.

Figures

Figure 1. Bastanius kermanensis sp. nov. (A) Male habitus dorsal; (B) male habitus, ventral; (C) female habitus, dorsal; (D) female habitus, ventral.

Figure 4. Male of Hersiliola macullulata. (A) Prosoma, dorsal; (B, C) abdomen, dorsal and ventral; (D) palp, ventral; (E) palp, retrolateral; (F) palp, prolateral.

Figure 5. Bastanius kermanensis sp. nov. (A) Male palp, ventral; (B) male palp, retrolateral; (C) palp, prolateral. Hersiliola macullulata. (D) Male palp, ventral; (E) male palp, retrolateral.