Haplodrassus dentifer Bosmans & Abrous, 2018

Bosmans, Robert, Kherbouche-Abrous, Ourida, Benhalima, Souâd & Hervé, Christophe, 2018, The genus Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922 in the Mediterranean and the Maghreb in particular (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 4451 (1), pp. 1-67 : 15-17

Haplodrassus dentifer Bosmans & Abrous , sp. n.

Figs 30‒40 , 49‒53 , map 2

Types. Holotype ♂, paratypes 1♂ 2♀ from Morocco, Souss-Massa , between Aoulouz and Tallliouine (N30°34’41” W8°3’11”), 600m, stones in steppe, 4.II.1996, J. Van Keer leg.; deposited in RBINS .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin noun dens (tooth) and the verb ferre (to wear) and refers to the presence of a tooth at the base of the embolus.

Diagnosis. Haplodrassus dentifer sp. n. is closely related to H. rufipes . Males are at once recognized by the presence of a subterminal tooth at the prolateral margin of the embolic apophysis in H. rufipes ( Figs 131 , 142 ), absent in H. dentifer ( Figs 35 , 51 ), females by the converging, gradually narrowing antero-lateral branches of the areola ( Figs 40 , 52 ), straight and truncate in H. rufipes ( Figs 132 , 143 ).

Description. Measurements: Male (n=5): Total length 5.6‒9,6 mm; carapace 1.22‒2.02 long, 0.99‒1.58 wide. Female (n=11): Total length 7.6‒9.6 mm; carapace 1.96‒2.44 long, 2.44‒3.12 wide. Colour: Carapace yellowish brown with darkened eye region; chelicerae dark brown; sternum and legs yellowish brown; abdomen grey.

Male palp ( Figs 32‒36 , 49‒51 ): Tibia 2.5 times as long as wide, gradually narrowing, slightly widened before the rounded tip ( Figs 33 , 50 ); embolic apophysis nearly straight, without denticulations, with pointed tip; base of embolus with strong denticulate keel ( Figs 36 ).

Epigyne ( Figs 38‒40 , 52‒53 ): Anterior margin nearly as wide as areola; pro-fovea short, less than half the length of the fovea; foveal border marked by a strong medio-lateral tooth, but often obscured by the presence of concretions (compare Figs 39 and 40 ).

Further material examined. AFRICA: ALGERIA, Laghouat, 20 km south of Laghouat (N33°38’41” E2°55’51”), 740m, 1♂, pitfalls under Zizyphus bushes in a daya, 14.V.1990, R. Bosmans leg. ( CRB) , Ghardaia: Ksar el Atteuf (N32°28’30” E3°44’57”), 1♂, pitfalls in alfalfa cultures, 25.III.2015, Y. Alioua & A. Hadj Mhammed leg. (CYA) , Tamanrasset, Issek (N22°34’35” E6°01’54”), 1200m, 1♀, II.1988, K. De Smet leg. ( CRB) . MOROCCO, Draâ-Tafilale t, Col de Tagalm , SE Zebzat, 1930m, 2♀, stone field, 19.IV.2012, R. Bosmans & J. Van Keer leg. ( CJVK, CRB) , Tinerhir 20 km E. (N31°30’36” W5°31’48”), 1350m, 1♂, litter in small palm yard, 6.II.1996, J. Van Keer leg. ( CJVK) , Tizi ‘n Ikhsane (N30°26’56” W7°31’24”), 1650m, 1♀, stones in steppe, 6.II.1996, J. Van Keer leg. ( CJVK) , Fès-Meknès, Missour (N33°2’56” W3°59’22”), 1♀, 7.XII.2001, 1♀, 7.III.2002, 2♀, 27.IV.2002, pitfalls in steppe, R. Bosmans leg. (CRB), Guelmim-Oued Noun, 10 km W. Taghjijt (N29°04’02” W9°17’52”), 650m, 1♀, stones in steppe, 13. II.2007, R. Bosmans leg. ( CRB) , Tata (N29°45’35” N7°58’57” E), 1♀, litter in palm yards, 14. II.2007, R. Bosmans leg. ( CRB) , Lâayoune- Saguia al Hamra, Tarfaya 40 km S., (N27°35'53” W12°57' 11'), 2♀, stony desert, 11. II.2007, R. Bosmans & J. Van Keer leg. ( CRB) , Marrakech-Safi, Imi n’Tanoute (N31°10’16” W8°50’43”), 1♀, Coll. Simon 25299 (MNHN AR15687). TUNISIA, Sousse, Hergla S. (N35°59’17” W10°30’41”), 10m, 1♂, pitfalls in salt marsh, 27.II‒8.III.2005, J. Van Keer leg. ( CJVK) . EUROPE: SPAIN: Cádiz: Sierra de los Pinos, Villalengua del Rosario (N36°37’55” W5°22’33”), 1400m, 1♀, under stones in the crest of a limestone mountain, 16.II.2016, I. Sánchez leg. ( CIS) .

Ecology. The specimens were collected in steppe vegetation, salt marshes, stony fields, dunes with scarce vegetation and palm yards, situated in the arid, semi-arid and desert climate zones of the Maghreb. Males and females were found from December to May.

Distribution. This species occurs in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and was once collected in the South of Spain (map 2).

Figures

FIGURES 30–40. Haplodrassus dentifer sp. n. (paratypes from Morocco, Aoulouz). 30. Male, dorsal aspect; 31. Female, dorsal aspect; 32. Cymbium of male palp, dorsal view; 33. Male palpal tibia, dorsolateral view; 34. Male left palp, retrolateral view; 35. Idem, ventral view; 36. Idem, retrolateral view; 37. Distal part of female palp, lateral view; 38‒39. Epigyne, ventral view, two different specimens; 40. Vulva, ventral view.

FIGURES 49–57. Figs 49‒53. Haplodrassus dentifer sp. n. (paratypes from Morocco, Aoulouz). 49. Male left palp, ventral view; 50. Male palpal tibia, dorsolateral view; 51. Embolic apophysis of male palp and base of embolus, ventral view; 52. Epigyne, ventral view; 53. Vulva, ventral view. Figs 54‒57. Haplodrassus longivulva sp. n. (Morocco, Missour). 54. Male left palp, ventral view; 55. Male palpal tibia, dorsolateral view; 56. Epigyne, ventral view; 57. Vulva, ventral view.

FIGURES 126–135. Haplodrassus rufipes (male from France, Saint-André, females from Spain, Torremolinos). 126. Male, dorsal aspect; 127. Female, dorsal aspect; 128. Male left palp, retrolateral view; 129. Idem, ventral view, embolus partly broken off; 130. Male palpal tibia, dorsolateral view; 131. Embolic apophysis of male palp, ventral view, embolus partly broken off; 132. Epigyne, ventral view, specimen without concretions; 133. Vulva, dorsal view; 134. Epigyne, specimen with concretions; 135. Idem, vulva, ventral view.

FIGURES 136–144. Figs 136‒139. Haplodrassus rhodanicus (male from Portugal, Alcochete, female from France, Leucate). 136. Male left palp, ventral view; 137. Male palpal tibia, dorsolateral view; 138. Epigyne, ventral view; 139. Vulva, ventral view. Figs. 140‒144. Haplodrassus rufipes (Lucas) (male from France, Saint-André, female from Spain, Torremolinos). 140. Male left palp, ventral view; 141. Male palpal tibia, dorsolateral view; 142. Embolic apophysis, ventral view; 143. Epigyne, ventral view; 144. Vulva, ventral view.