Eusparassus levantinus Urones, 2006

Moradmand, Majid & Jäger, Peter, 2012, Taxonomic revision of the huntsman spider genus Eusparassus Simon, 1903 (Araneae: Sparassidae) in Eurasia, Journal of Natural History 46 (39 - 40), pp. 2439-2496 : 2450-2451

Eusparassus levantinus Urones, 2006

( Figures 4 , 23D )

Eusparassus levantinus Urones, 2006: 108–112 , figs 25–43 (description and illustration of male and female from Spain, holotype male and paratype female examined).

Type material examined

Holotype: male, SPAIN: Castellon Province , Almeria ( La Mosquera ), 20 May 2004, S. Montagud leg. ( MVHN 200504LM1) ; Paratype: 1 female, Enix, Almeria, 18 April 1973, M. Rambla leg. ( MNCN 20.02 / 16315) .

Other material examined

SPAIN: 1♂, Andalusia, Almeria, Cabo de Gata , 36 ◦ 43 ′ 18.8 ′′ N, 2 ◦ 11 ′ 34.69 ′′ W, 21 May 2011, S. Henriques leg. ( SMF) ; 1♂, Andalusia, reared by S. Heist, 25 June 2005, B. Hayen ded. ( SMF) ; 1♀, Andalusia, Medina-Sidonia, Algeleurus , 36 ◦ 28 ′ N 5 ◦ 55 ′ W, 300 m altitude, T. Zieger leg. ( SMF) ; 1♀, Andalusia, Medina-Sidonia, Algeleurus , 36 ◦ 28 ′ N 5 ◦ 55 ′ W, 300 m altitude, T. Zieger leg. ( SMF) ; 1♀, Andalusia, 4 September 2001, St. Heist leg. ( SMF) ; 1♀, Valencia Province: between Pego and Val de Ebo, 405 m altitude, Macchia with few interspersed trees, under stone, 2 June 2010, S. Huber and A. Schönhofer leg. ( SMF) .

Diagnosis

Similar to E. dufouri but distinguished by shape of embolus tip, which is smaller, slimmer and pointed in ventral view and dRTA which is straighter ( Figure 4E–G ); in vulva glandular pores situated on a semicircular process which is fused to entire body of vulva ( Figure 4D ), in contrast they are present on a separated curved structure in E. dufouri females.

Redescription

Male (n = 3). Medium Eusparassus species ; total length: 12.4–14.8, prosoma length 5.9–7.8, prosoma width 4.7–6.2, anterior width of prosoma 2.3–3.3, opisthosoma length 6.5–7.0, opisthosoma width 4.0–4.6. Eyes diameters: AME 0.43, ALE 0.42, PME 0.36, PLE 0.46; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.29, AME–ALE 0.10, PME– PME 0.48, PME–PLE 0.58, AME–PME 0.32, ALE–PLE 0.31, clypeus height at AME 0.35, clypeus height at ALE 0.40.

Chelicerae with two anterior and three posterior teeth, Cheliceral furrow without denticles.

Leg formula: 2 4 1 3. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 11.1 [3.1, 1.4, 1.3, 5.3], I 29.6 [8.1, 3.4, 7.1, 8.2, 2.8], II 32.8 [9.2, 3.9, 7.8, 9.1, 2.8], III 27.7 [8.2, 3.3, 6.4, 7.1, 2.7], IV 30.9 [8.9, 3.2, 7.3, 8.8, 2.7].

Spination. Palp 131, 000 / 001, 1111; Legs: Femur I–III 323 / 424, IV 322 / 422; Patella I–IV 000(1) / 101; Tibia I–IV 2224; Metatarsus I–III 1014 / 2024, IV 3034 / 3036.

Palp. As in diagnosis, with cymbium longer than tibia, embolic projection developed, embolus tip pointed proximad, dRTA strong and flattened, vRTA pointed in ventral view ( Figure 4E–G ).

Female (n = 4). Total length: 17.6–19.7, prosoma length 7.1–8.7, prosoma width 5.8–7.0, anterior width of prosoma 3.7–4.3, opisthosoma length 10.5–11.0, opisthosoma width 6.5–7.0. Eye diameters: AME 0.42, ALE 0.41, PME 0.35, PLE 0.41; eye interdistances: AME–AME 0.33, AME–ALE 0.15, PME–PME 0.54, PME–PLE 0.56, AME–PME 0.51, ALE–PLE 0.43, clypeus height at AME 0.21, clypeus height at ALE 0.33.

Chelicerae with two anterior and three posterior teeth, cheliceral furrow without denticles; basal segment of chelicerae at distal end with one bristle ( Figure 4B ).

Leg formula: 2 4 1 3. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 9.8 [3.1, 1.4, 2.1, 3.2], I 29.0 [8.2, 4.0, 7.0, 7.5, 2.3], II 32.2 [9.5, 4.2, 7.8, 8.4, 2.3], III 27.4 [8.3, 3.6, 6.5, 6.7, 2.3], IV 30.0 [9.1, 3.3, 7.3, 8.0, 2.3].

Spination. Palp 131, 000 / 001, 1111, 1013; Legs: Femur I–III 323 / 424, IV 322 / 422; Patella I–IV 000(1) / 101; Tibia I–IV 2024; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3034 / 3036.

Epigyne / vulva. As in diagnosis. Epigyne longer than wide; MS encircled entirely by AMLL, the latter fused together ( Figure 4C ); turning loop with antro-ventrad elongated tip ( Figure 4D ).

Colouration. Olive brown spider; ventral of opisthosoma with a dark V-shaped marking (like that of E. dufouri ) but with an additional median band ( Figure 23D ).

Known geographical distribution and habitat

Eastern and southern Iberian Peninsula in Spain, mostly coastal areas under stones.

Figures

Figure 4. Eusparassus levantinus Urones, 2006, female paratype (A–D) from Almeria, Spain: (A) eye arrangement; (B) left chelicera, ventral; (C) epigyne, ventral; (D) left vulva, anteriodorso-lateral. Male (E–G) from Andalusia, Spain: (E) left palp, ventral; (F) left palp, retrolateral; (G) tip of embolus and conductor, ventral. Scale bars: (A–C, E, F) 1 mm, (D, G) 0.5 mm.

Figure 23. Ventral opisthosoma colouration, (A) Eusparassus walckenaeri; (B) Eusparassus xerxes comb. nov., (C) Eusparassus dufouri, (D) Eusparassus levantinus.