Ninetis marnif Huber, 2025

Huber, Bernhard A. & Meng, Guanliang, 2025, Like grains of sand: Ninetis spiders on the Arabian Peninsula (Araneae: Pholcidae), Zootaxa 5563 (1), pp. 290-335 : 325-332

Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F8745B42-20F4-47BF-978F-85041A099439

Figs 3G, H , 28–33 , 34D

Diagnosis. Males are easily distinguished from all known congeners (and the Omani Magana velox ) by absence of frontal processes on male chelicerae ( Fig. 29G–I ; present in all known congeners); also by unique shapes of procursus ( Fig. 29C ; curved toward dorsal, ventrally semi-transparent) and bulbal processes ( Fig. 29F ; pointed ventral process and very short membranous dorsal process). Females are distinguished by short anterior epigynal plate (longer in known congeners) without median pocket (otherwise present in all species except N. samail sp. nov. and N. minuta ) and pair of internal sclerites directed towards posterior, also visible in uncleared specimens ( Fig. 30 ; in other species straight or curved towards anterior).

Type material. Holotype. OMAN — Dhofar • ♂; W of Al Marnif ; 16.8640 °N, 53.7233 °E; 70 m a.s.l.; 24 Feb. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24423.

Other material examined. OMAN — Dhofar • 4 ♂, 5 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Ar 24424 • 5 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Om 140 • 1 ♀; Ain Hamran; 17.1017 °N, 54.2842 °E; 130 m a.s.l.; 22 Feb. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24425 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, in pure ethanol; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 129 • 5 ♂, 2 ♀ (1 ♂ used for SEM); Wadi Shalyon; 17.1844 °N, 54.9538 °E; 360 m a.s.l.; 1 Mar. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 24426 • 8 ♀, in pure ethanol (four prosomata used for molecular work; 1 ♀ used for SEM); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 149 .

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition, taken from the type locality.

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 0.93, carapace width 0.38. Distance PME-PME 30 µm; diameter PME 35 µm; distance PME-ALE 20 µm; distance AME-AME 10 µm; diameter AME 15 µm. Leg 1: 1.76 (0.50 + 0.14 + 0.46 + 0.40 + 0.26), tibia 2: 0.38, tibia 3: 0.32, tibia 4: 0.52; tibia 1 L/d: 8; diameters of leg femora 90 µm, of leg tibiae 55 µm.

COLOUR (in ethanol). Prosoma and legs ochre to light brown, carapace without darker pattern; legs without darker rings; abdomen ochre-grey with darker internal marks dorsally and laterally; ventrally with ochre-brown plate in front of gonopore.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 3G . Ocular area barely raised. Carapace without thoracic groove (cf. Fig. 31A ). Clypeus unmodified, without sclerotized rim. Sternum slightly narrower than long (0.28/0.30), without anterior processes near coxae 1. Abdomen oval to globular; gonopore without epiandrous spigots ( Fig. 31E ); spinnerets as in congeners ( Fig. 31G ).

CHELICERAE. As in Fig. 29G–I ; without frontal modification; stridulatory files poorly visible in dissecting microscope, consisting of approximately 25 ridges ( Fig. 31D ), distances between ridges ~1.8 µm.

PALPS. As in Figs 28 , 32A, B ; coxa unmodified; trochanter ventrally slightly protruding; femur proximally with very indistinct retrolateral protrusion followed distally by shallow depression, with prolateral stridulatory pick, distally slightly widened but otherwise unmodified; femur-patella joints not shifted toward one side; tibia with two trichobothria in relatively distal position; tibia-tarsus joints not shifted toward one side; tarsus with strong dorsal hairs, tarsal organ capsulate ( Fig. 32C ). Procursus ( Fig. 29A–C ) small, distally curved towards dorsal, ventrally semi-transparent; genital bulb ( Fig. 29D–F ) with pointed ventral process and very short membranous dorsal process (putative embolus).

LEGS. Without spines, without curved hairs; with many short vertical hairs on tibia 1 only, in several rows with ~25 hairs each ( Fig. 32E ; barely visible in dissecting microscope); retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 60%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1; thin metatarsal hairs present on metatarsi 3 (one hair) and 4 (three to four hairs), in proximal ventral position (cf. Fig. 32F–H ); tarsus 1 with ~4 pseudosegments, barely visible in dissecting microscope; tarsal organs on legs 3 and 4 apparently non-functional ( Fig. 33C, D ). Chemosensory hairs, trichobothria, other tarsal organs, rimmed pores, cuticular plates, and tarsal claws as in congeners ( Figs 32 , 33 ).

Variation (male)

Tibia 1 in 11 males (incl. holotype): 0.40–0.49 (mean 0.45).

Female

Females are much lighter than males; this difference is even more pronounced in live specimens ( Fig. 3H ). Chelicerae without stridulatory files ( Fig. 31B ), tibia 1 without short vertical hairs. Tibia 1 in 18 females: 0.36–0.46 (mean 0.41). Epigynum ( Figs 30 , 31F ) anterior plate very short, roughly semi-circular, without pocket; posterior plate wide, as long as anterior plate. Internal genitalia ( Figs 30 , 34D ) with pair of distinctive sclerites near median line, directed towards posterior, i.e. covered by posterior epigynal plate; apparently without pore plates.

Intraspecific distances. The genetic (K2P) distances between three sequenced specimens ranged from 13–15% ( Table 2). No morphological differences were seen among specimens of the three localities.

Distribution. Known from three localities in Dhofar Province, western Oman ( Fig. 4B ).

Natural history. The spiders were found by turning rocks in habitats fully exposed to the sun ( Fig. 5G, H ). At the type locality, the spiders were found running on the ground rather than on the undersides of stones. In Wadi Shalyon, they were beaten from rocks lying on sandy soil. One egg sac contained three eggs with an egg diameter of 0.37.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Ninetis Simon, live specimens. A, B. Ninetis subtilissima Simon, male from Oman, Wadi Ghul and female with embryos from Oman, Wadi Shab. C, D. Ninetis amoud Huber sp. nov., male from Saudi Arabia, NW of Al Fatiha, female from Saudi Arabia, S of Habeel. E, F. Ninetis samail Huber sp. nov., male and female from Oman, near Samail. G, H. Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov., male and female with eggs from Oman, near Marnif. Scale line: 1 mm (all at same scale). Photos BAH.

FIGURE 4. Known distribution of Ninetis Simon. A. Distribution of the entire genus. B. Distribution of Ninetis on the Arabian Peninsula.

FIGURE 5. Typical habitats of Ninetis Simon on the Arabian Peninsula. A, B. Oman, Wadi Ghul and Wadi Tiwi (N. subtilissima Simon). C, D. Saudi Arabia, SW of Mecca and NW of Al Fatiha (N. amoud Huber sp. nov.). E, F. Oman, near Samail and near Al Hoota cave (N. samail Huber sp. nov.). G, H. Oman, near Marnif and Wadi Shalyon (N. marnif Huber sp. nov.).

FIGURE 28. Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov.; male from Oman, W of Al Marnif; ZFMK Ar 24424. Left male palp in prolateral (A), dorsal (B), and retrolateral (C) views. Scale line: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 29. Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov.; male from Oman, W of Al Marnif; ZFMK Ar 24424. A–C. Left palpal tarsus and procursus, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. D–F. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. G–I. Chelicerae, frontal, lateral, and distal views. Abbreviations: dp, dorsal process; vp, ventral process. Scale lines: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 30. Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov.; female from Oman, W of Al Marnif (A–C, G; ZFMK Ar 24424), and female from Oman, Wadi Shalyon (D–F, H; ZFMK Ar 24426). A, D. Epigyna, ventral views. B–C, E–F. Cleared genitalia, ventral and dorsal views. G–H. Internal transversal sclerites at higher magnifications. Scale lines: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 31. Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov.; from Oman, Wadi Shalyon (C–E, G: ZFMK Ar 24426; A, B, F, H: ZFMK Om149). A. Female prosoma, frontal view. B. Left female chelicera, lateral view. C. Left male chelicera, lateral view. D. Stridulatory file on right male chelicera. E. Male gonopore. F. Epigynum, ventral view. G. Left male ALS. H. Left female ALS and PMS. Abbreviations: aep, anterior epigynal plate; pep, posterior epigynal plate. Scale lines: 100 µm (A), 10 µm (B–E), 20 µm (F), 2 µm (G, H).

FIGURE 32. Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov.; from Oman, Wadi Shalyon (A–C, E: ZFMK Ar 24426; D, F–H: ZFMK Om149). A. Right male palp, retrolateral-dorsal view. B. Left male palp, prolateral-dorsal view. C. Tarsal organ (arrow) and neighboring sensilla on right male palp. D. Tip of right female palp, dorsal view; arrow points at tarsal organ. E. Sexually dimorphic short vertical hairs and trichobothrium base on left male tibia 1, retrolateral-dorsal view. F. Thin metatarsal hairs (thick arrows) and trichobothrium on left female metatarsus 4, retrolateral-ventral view. G. Thin metatarsal hair (arrow) on right female metatarsus 3, prolateral-ventral view. H. Tip of thin metatarsal hair (arrow) on left female metatarsus 4, retrolateral-ventral view. Abbreviation: t, trichobothrium. Scale lines: 20 µm (A, B, F), 10 µm (C–E, G), 2 µm (H).

FIGURE 33. Ninetis marnif Huber sp. nov.; from Oman, Wadi Shalyon (A–D, H: ZFMK Ar 24426; E–G: ZFMK Om149). A, B. Tarsal organs on left male tarsi 1 and 2, retrolateral-dorsal views. C, D. Vestigial tarsal organs (arrows) on left male tarsi 3 and 4. E. Tip of left female tarsus 1, retrolateral view. F. Tip of right female tarsus 1, prolateral view. G. Tip of left female tarsus 4, retrolateral view. H. Trichobothrium base on left male metatarsus 1. Scale lines: 2 µm (A–D, H), 10 µm (E–G).

FIGURE 34. Female internal genitalia, transversal sclerites at same magnification. A. Ninetis subtilissima Simon, 1890; from Oman, Wadi Shalyon; ZFMK Ar 24402. B. N. amoud Huber sp. nov.; paratype from Saudi Arabia, NE of Wadi ‘Amoud; ZFMK Ar 24407. C. N. samail Huber sp. nov.; from Oman, near Samail; ZFMK Ar 24420. D. N. marnif Huber sp. nov.; from Oman, W of Al Marnif; ZFMK Ar 24424. Scale line: 0.1 mm.