Harpactea dufourii, Thorell, 1873: 561

Jan Bosselaers & Johan van Keer, 2016, A redescription of Harpactea dufouri (Thorell, 1873) (Araneae, Dysderidae), its occurrence outside the Balearic Islands, and some notes on the corticalis group of the genus, European Journal of Taxonomy 222, pp. 1-13 : 4-8

Harpactea dufouri ( Thorell, 1873)

Figs 1–2

Harpactes dufourii Thorell, 1873: 561 .

Harpactea dufouri – Denis 1961: 236, Fg. 1. — Alicata 1966a: 211, Fg. 61. — Brignoli 1979c: 114, Fgs 2–3. — Le Peru 2011: 268, Fg. 400.

Diagnosis

Harpactea dufouri differs from H. corticalis (Simon, 1882) by the more slender bulbus of the male palp, the more straight conductor and embolus and the larger number of spines on femora III and IV.

Harpactea dufouri somewhat resembles H. heizerensis Bosmans & Beladjal, 1991, but differs from it by the knife-shaped, pointed conductor with very sharp teeth, the posterior diverticulum of the vulva consisting of a small ventral and a larger dorsal lobe and by the larger number of spines on femorae III and IV.

Material examined

SPAIN: 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Catalonia, Baix Empordà, Mont Ras , alt. 103 m, 41°54'55.1" N, 3°8'25.6" E, former quarry converted into lake and picnick area, under stones , 23 Oct. 2013, Van Keer leg. ( CJVK) ( Fig. 1H ) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Balearic Islands, Mallorca, Banyalbufar W. , Font de Sant Merita , Platanus forest , alt. 150 m, sifting litter, 1 Apr. 2003, R. Bosmans leg. et det. ( CRB) .

Description

Male

Largest specimen Mont Ras, total length 5.50 (avg (n = 4) 4.48, sd 1.08). Carapace length 2.16, width 1.60, yellowish brown with faint grey radial striae, more reddish brown in cephalic region, smooth. Cephalic region slightly wider than half the carapace width, three times as wide as the eye group ( Fig. 2A–B ). Fovea weak and thin, length 0.32, anterior end 1.42 from front end of carapace.

MOQ length 0.22, anterior width 0.26, posterior width 0.16, AER width 0.26, PER width 0.34. All six eyes ringed with black, PE clear pearly white, almost touching, diameter of PLE 1.5 times PME. AE as large as PLE, pearly white, subquadratic, separated by half their diameter. PER procurved in both do and fr view. Clypeus vertical, 0.05, equal to half the diameter of AE.

Chilum single, triangular, brown and sclerotised. Chelicerae brown, slightly rugose, anterior rim with two teeth close to fang tip, the bigger one furthest from tip. Posterior rim with two small, widely spaced teeth. Labium twice as long as wide, with small anterior notch. Endites long and parallel, with serrula and bluntly pointed anterior end. Exterior margin notched.

Sternum yellow, rebordered, oval, narrowed frontally and protruding between all coxae. Sternum length 1.45, width 1.05, surface smooth, but with tiny, evenly spaced punctures. Four pairs of heavily sclerotised, sharply pointed, dark brown PCT. ICS and PB fused and surrounding coxae.

Legs orange yellow, shiny. Leg formula 1423. No RH, no trochanter notch. PI very narrow, extending along the whole length of pa III, but restricted to the basal third in pa I, II and IV. Ventral terminal preening brush present on mt III and IV. Tarsi with three claws, no claw tufts or tenent hairs. Leg spination ( Fig. 1F ): fe: I pl 0–0–1; II pl 0–1–1; III do 2–2–2–2; IV do 1–1–1–0; ti: III pl 1–0–1 do 1–1–1 rl 1–1–0 ve 1–1–2; IV pl 1–0–1 do 2–1–2 rl 1–1–1 ve 1–1–2; mt: III do 2–2–1 ve 1–1–2; IV pl 1–1–1 do 2–2–1–2 rl 1–1–0 ve 0–0–1.

Leg measurements:

Abdomen grey, covered with thin, pointed grey setae becoming coarser on anterior rim ( Fig. 2A ). ALS subcylindrical, stout, separated by 1/4 of their length. PMS thin and conical, PLS thin, subcylindrical, separated by half their length.

Male palp as illustrated ( Figs 1A–B , 2C–D, F), with spindle-shaped bulbus, straight, black, simple, pointed embolus and Fat, hyaline conductor with a broadened, sharply toothed tip. Both male specimens captured in Mont Ras had the right palp missing. The loss of the palp occurred quite some time before capture, as the scar had completely healed and was sclerotised.

Female

Largest specimen Mont Ras, total length 5.75 (avg (n = 6) 4.70, sd 0.78). Carapace length 2.10, width 1.56, dark yellowish brown with faint grey radial striae, smooth ( Fig. 2B ). Cephalic region as in male. Fovea weak and thin, length 0.34, anterior end 1.32 from front end of carapace.

MOQ length 0.21, anterior width 0.25, posterior width 0.18, AER width 0.25, PER width 0.37. Eyes as in male. Clypeus vertical, 0.03, equal to one third diameter of AE.

Chilum, chelicerae, labium and endites as in male.

Sternum, PCT, ICS and PB as in male. Sternum length 1.32, width 1.03.

Legs orange yellow, shiny. Leg formula 4123. No RH, no trochanter notch. PI, ventral terminal preening brush and tarsi as in male. Leg spination ( Fig. 1G ): fe: I pl 0–0–1; II pl 0–1–1; III do 0–1–2–2; IV do 1–1–1–0; ti: III pl 1–0–1 do 1–1–1 rl 1–(0,1)–0 ve 1–1–2; IV pl 1–0–1 do 2–1–2 rl 1–0–1 ve 1–1–2; mt: III do 2–2–(1,2) ve 1–1–(0,2); IV pl 1–1–1 do 2–2–1–2 rl 1–1–0 ve 0–0–1; ta: III ve 0–(0,1)–0.

Leg measurements:

Abdomen pinkish grey, covered with thin, pointed grey setae ( Fig. 2B ). ALS conical, touching. PMS thin and conical, PLS thin, subcylindrical, separated by half their length.

Epigyne essentially absent, all sclerotised parts internal (endogyne, Jocqué & Dippenaar-Schoeman 2006: 120), but TB (“valva posterodorsale” of Alicata (1964: 4), “transversal bar” of Chatzaki & Arnedo (2006: 5)) clearly visible from the outside, as illustrated ( Figs 1C , 2G). Vulva with pronounced TB, PD ( Chatzaki & Arnedo 2006: 6) consisting of an irregular ventral lobe and a globular dorsal lobe, both with a perforated, glandular aspect ( Figs 1D , 2E). Genital atrium ( Alicata 1964: 4; Chatzaki & Arnedo 2006: 5) connected on both posterolateral ends to glandular structures. Additional membranous, transparent pouches also present. Spermatheca sausage-shaped, connected to anterior end of genital atrium ( Figs 1 D , 2E).

Distribution

Only known from the Balearic islands and the Northern part of the Catalonian coastal range ( Fig. 1H ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Harpactea dufouri (Thorell, 1873), Mont Ras specimens. A. Male palp, prolateral view. B. Tip of male embolus and conductor, retrolateral view. C. Endogyne, external ventral view, uncleared. D. Cleared vulva, ventral view. E. Leg spination scheme, legend. F. Leg spination scheme of male. White dots are spines present on one leg and absent on the other. G. Leg spination scheme of female. White dots are spines present on one leg and absent on the other. Scale bars: A, C = 0.5 mm; B, D = 100 µm.

Fig. 2. A – G. Harpactea dufouri (Thorell, 1873), Mont Ras specimens, except F – G. A. ♂, dorsal view. B. ♀, dorsal view. C. Tip of male embolus and conductor, retrolateral view, Nomarski interference contrast. D. Tip of male embolus and conductor, retrolateral view, bright Feld. E. Cleared vulva, ventral view. Left: bright Feld, middle: phase contrast, right: Nomarski interference contrast. F. Tip of male embolus and conductor, Banyalbufar specimen. G. Endogyne, external ventral view, Banyalbufar specimen. — H. Map showing the Mont Ras site of Harpactea dufouri (red square), the Gavarres are delimited by a black line. Scale bars: A – B = 1 mm; C – F = 100 µm; G = 0.5 mm; H = 5 km.