Zodarion maghrebense Bosmans & Benhalima, 2020

Benhalima, Souâd & Bosmans, Robert, 2020, Revision of the genus Zodarion Walckenaer, 1833 (part IV). The species of Morocco (Araneae: Zodariidae), Zootaxa 4899 (1), pp. 93-114 : 102

Zodarion maghrebense Bosmans & Benhalima sp. nov.

Figures 27–28 , 39–43 , 54–58

Etymology. The name is derived from the Maghreb region, which includes Algeria and Morocco, the two countries in which the species occurs.

Diagnosis. Males are recognised by the elongated tibial apophysis, terminally with anterior and posterior blunt tooth of equal length, females by the epigyne with deep postero-median incision.

Description. Measurements: male (n=4): Total length 2.8–3.8; carapace 1.34–1.96 long, 1.04–1.38 wide. Female (n=4): total length 4.0–5.0; carapace 1.86–2.48 long, 1.25–1.58 wide. Colour ( Figs 27–28 ): carapace dark blackish brown, posterior margin partly yellowish brown; legs of male with black femora, contrasting with pale yellowish patellae, tibiae brown, metarsi and tarsi yellowish brown; femora of females only with distal third darkened; abdomen dark sepia, venter and postero-median dorsal spot whitish. Eyes (holotype): AM=1 (0.1); AL=0.6; PM=0.5; PL=0.65; a=0.6; b=0.3; c=2; d=0.25; MOQ: AW=0.8PW; L=0.8PW.

Male palp ( Figs 39–43 ): tibial apophysis twice as long as wide, proximal part straight, distal part curving upwards in an angle of 60°, tip split into 2 blunt teeth of about equal length, one directed anteriorly, the other posteriorly; tegular base protruding in posterior direction; median apophysis U-shaped, distal part truncate; embolus with 2 teeth, ventral tooth rounded, dorsal tooth truncate.

Epigyne ( Figs 54–55 ): with large, oval, transverse pit; twice as wide as high, postero-laterally with large, paired pockets; with deep postero-median incision in antero-ventral view, as shown in Fig. 57 Vulva ( Figs 56–58 ): spermathecae small, separated by almost 5 diameters.

Type material. Holotype Ƌ and 2ƋƋ paratypes from ALGERIA: SE Tlemcen, Forêt d’Hafir, 34°46’56”N, 01°30’50’’W), 1350 m a.s.l., leg. R. Bosmans, 6. V.1984 (stones in mixed Quercus ilex and Q. suber forest) ( RBINS).

Other material examined. ALGERIA: Tlemcen, S Tlemcen, Col de Zarifète, 34°50’21’’N, 01°22’37’’W, 1150 m a.s.l., leg. R. Bosmans, 24.IV.1984 (stones in Quercus ilex forest), 3ƋƋ ( CRB); S Tlemcen, forêt de Tal Terny, 34°47’00’’N, 01°22’00’’W, 1300 m a.s.l., leg. R. Bosmans, 6–24. V.1990 (pitfalls in Quercus ilex forest), 1Ƌ ( CRB). MOROCCO: Béni Mellal-Khénifra, between Azilal and Béni Mellal, 47 km from Azilal, 32°13’33’’N, 06°32’59’’W, leg. R. Bosmans, 19. VI.1984 (in herbs), 1♀ ( CRB); Kasba Tadla E, SW Aït Rouadi, 32°36’03’’N, 06°09’14’’W, 500 m a.s.l., leg. J. Van Keer, 17.IV.2013, 1♀ ( CJVK); Casablanca-Settat, Mechra-Benabbou, 32°41’26’’N, 07°49’14’’W, 400 m a.s.l., leg. R. Bosmans & J. Van Keer, 9.II.1996 (recent mixed forest plantation in steppe), 1Ƌ 3♀♀ ( CJVK, CRB); Marrakech-Safi, Ben Guerir 10 km N, 32°14’32’N, 07°56’46’’W, 500 m a.s.l., leg. J. Van Keer, 9.II.1996 (Ampelosma grassland), 2♀♀ ( CJVK); Chichaoua 10 km S, 31°15’49’’N, 08°50’38’’W, 400 m a.s.l., leg. J. Van Keer, 9.II.1996 (stones in steppe), 1♀ ( CJVK); Oriental, Debdou S, Aïn Tafrant, 33°57’59’’N, 03°02’14’’W, 1550 m a.s.l., leg. J. Van Keer, 31. V.2018 (stones in mixed Pinus-Thuya forest), 1Ƌ ( CJVK); Debdou S, 33°57’35’’N, 03°02’57’’W, 1550 m a.s.l., leg. J. Van Keer, 31. V.2018 (litter in Quercus ilex forest), 1♀ ( CJVK); Tanger-Tétouan-Al Houceima, Tétouan, 10 km E Chefchaouen, 35°10’02’’N, 05°16’17’’W, 500 m a.s.l., leg. R. Bosmans, 15. V.1984 (litter in Quercus suber forest), 2♀♀ ( CRB); 4 km E Bab Bered, 34°59’40’’N, 04°50’43’’W, 1400 m a.s.l., leg. R. Bosmans, 15. V.1984 (stones in mixed Quercus ilex and Q. suber forest), 1♀ ( CRB).

Distribution. North and Central Morocco, NW Algeria (Map 2).

Figures

FIGURES 23–28. Dorsal habitus of Zodarion valentii Bosmans, Loverre & Addante, 2019 male (23) and female (24), Z. maculatum (Simon, 1870) male (25) and female (26), and Z. maghrebense sp. nov. male (27) and female (28).

FIGURES 29–43. Genitalic morphology of Zodarion valentii Bosmans, Loverre & Addante, 2019 (29–33), Z. maculatum (Simon, 1870) (34–38) and Z. maghrebense sp. nov. (39–43). 29, 30, 34, 35, 39, 40 Male palp, ventral view; 31 Tibial apophysis, retrolateral view; 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 43 Male palp, retrolateral view; 36, 41 Tip of embolus, ventral view.

FIGURES 44–58. Genitalic morphology of Zodarion valentii Bosmans, Loverre & Addante, 2019 (44–48), Z. maculatum (Simon, 1870) (49–53) and Z. maghrebense sp. nov. (54–58). 44, 45, 49, 50, 54, 55 Epigyne, ventral view; 46, 48, 51, 53, 56, 58 Vulva, ventral view; 47, 52, 57 Vulva, dorsal view.