Episinus maculipes numidicus Kulczyński, 1905

Knoflach, Barbara, Rollard, Christine & Thaler, Konrad, 2009, Notes on Mediterranean Theridiidae (Araneae) – II, ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 227-264 : 237

Episinus maculipes numidicus Kulczyński, 1905

Figs 19-20

E. m. numidica Kulczyński, 1905: 437, pl. 11, figs 4, 17, male, female, type region North Africa.

Description, identification. Kulczyński (1905).

Taxonomic status. Considerations on the subspecific rank have to be postponed owing to lack of material, especially males.

Material examined. Tunisia: Jendouba, Kroumirie near Aïn Draham , 196 m, 1 ♀, ( SMF), 16.4.2007, beating and sweeping in macchia, leg. C. Muster.

Measurements. Female (n=1): Total length 3.8, carapace length 1.3, width 1.2, length femur I 1.9, tibia I 1.5 mm.

Somatic features, colouration. The single female shows a similar colour pattern to E. maculipes , except for the sternum, which lacks a light median stripe.

Epigynum /vulva ( Figs 19-20 ). Epigynal cavity considerably wider than long, 1.8 times in the examined female. Cavity 0.24 mm wide, about as long as receptacula seminis. Median septum broad and rather short.

Differentiation from E. maculipes . As indicated by Kulczyński (1905) Episinus m. numidicus is smaller than E. maculipes . The following features agree well with the description of Kulczyński (1905): Sternum almost completely dark, without light median stripe. Median septum of female epigynum considerably broader and shorter than in E. maculipes ( Fig. 19 vs. 14; see also Kulczyński 1905, figs 17 vs. 18). Ratio width to length of epigynal cavity larger in E. m. numidicus. Cavity about as long as receptacula, while in E. maculipes it is 1.2-1.3 times longer than receptacula.

Distribution. North Africa ( Kulczyński 1905).

Figures

Figures 19-20. Episinus maculipes numidicus Kulczyński from Tunisia. Epigynum (19), epigynum/vulva, ventral (20). Scale line: 0.20 mm.