Rafalus arabicus Wesolowska & van Harten

Wesolowska, W. & van Harten, A., 2010, Order Araneae, Arthropod fauna of the UAE, Abu Dhabi: Dar Al Ummah, pp. 27-69 : 51-55

Rafalus arabicus Wesolowska & van Harten nov. spec. Plates 20-21, Figures 67-73

Specimens examined: Holotype: ♂, United Arab Emirates Wadi Maidaq , 25 ° 18 ‘N 56° O7 ‘E, 24.ix- 22.x.2006, in water trap, leg. A. van Harten ( MRAC) . Paratypes: 1♂ ‘, 7 ♀, same data as

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holotype; 1 ♀, same locality but 27. xi—22. xii.2005, LT ; 1♂, 1♀, 28.xi-I. xii.2005, WT ; 1♂, 1♀, l juv., 26.xii.2005 — 2. i.2006, WT ; 1♂, 14 P 25.i.2006, WT ; 1♂, 1♀, 4-15. ii.2006, WT ; 2♂, 3 ♀, 4 — l 5.ii.2006, WT ; 1♂, 2 ♀, 7-14.iii.2006, WT ; 4♂, 2 ♀, 29.iii—l0. iv.2006, WT ; 3 ♀, 26.x—9. xi.2006, WT ; 2♂, 4 ♀, 18. xil 5. xii.2007, PT ; 1 ♀, 20. i-3. ii.2008, WT . 1♂, Khor al-Khwair , 7 — 14.iv.2007, LT . 1 ♀, Wadi Bih dam , 24. iv-l. v.2007, LT . 2 ♀, Wadi Safad , 27.xi—22. xii.2005, WT ; 3 ♀, 26.xii. 2005 - 2. i.2006, WT . 1 ♀, Wadi Shawkah , 1 — 9.iv.2007, WT ; 4♂, 5-l 2.v.2007, WT ; 2♂, l 9— 22.v. 2007, WT ; 4♂, 3 ♀, 9-24.vi.2007, WT ; 2♂, 6 ♀, 30.vi—2.viii.2007, WT ; 1♂, 28. x—l 5.xi.2007, WT ; 3♂, 25.v-l 2. vi.2008, WT ; 4♂, 11.viiill. ix. 2008, WT . 1♀, Wadi Wurayah , 22.iv.2006, WT ; 1♂, 1 ♀, l 0— 26.xii.2006, WT ; 1♂, 18- 25. iii. 2007, MT ; 3♂, 7 ♀, 5-30.xi.2008, WT .

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Diagnosis: The male is distinguished by thin, longer than in other congeners embolus, white hairs on retrolateral surface of palp and characteristic black and white hairs on ventral surface of femur of first leg. The female is easily recognisable by the structure of epigyne, unlike in other species of the genus, without deep pocket, with copulatory openings placed paracentrally and small, single-chambered receptacles.

Description: Measurements (male/female). Cephalothorax length 2.8— 3.0/3.0-3.4, width 2.1- 2.2/2. l—2.4, height 1.1-1.3/ 1.5-1.6. Abdomen length 2.8-3.0/3.3 — 3.5, width 1.9/2.3-2.4. Eye field length 1.4/1.4-1.5, anterior 1.9/1.9-2.1, posterior width 1.8/1.7- 1.9.

Male. Medium-sized, hairy spider ( Plate 20). Carapace dark brown with eye field black, covered with dense, short, greyish hairs, on lateral sides hairs white, black line along lateral edges. Anterior part of ocular area with numerous long brown bristles. Anterior eyes fringed by fawn small scales. Clypeus low, yellowish brown. Chelicerae light brown, on promargin two small teeth, on retromargin single tooth. Labium and gnathocoxae brownish with pale tips, sternum brown. Abdomen greyish brown, with small scutum occupying about half of its length. Dorsum clothed in short whitish and long brown hairs. Sides and venter of abdomen light. Dark hairs cover sternum, coxae and abdomen ventrally. Spinnerets brown. Legs brown, covered with short light hairs, among them sparse longer brown ones. Spines numerous, brown. F emora I and ll lighter, yellowish, with brown patches (covered with black scale-like hairs) on ventral surfaces basally and tufts of dark hairs retrolaterally at distal end, long white hairs between the two dark areas ( Fig. 67 ). Pedipalps slender, clothed in very dense hairs. Palpal hairs blackish, except retrolateral surface Where hairs white (in figures white hairs marked broken lines). Tegulum elongated, with posterior triangular lobe, visible end of embolus thin ( Fig. 68 ), tibial apophysis short ( Fig. 69 ).

Female. Similar to male, less hairy, on abdomen traces of lighter median streak ( Plate 21), legs light brown with darker patches or rings. Epigyne small, weakly sclerotised, with central elevated ridge ( Figs 70, 71 ). Copulatory openings fissure-like, seminal ducts form loose loops, receptacle small, spherical ( Fig. 72 ).

Etymology: The species is named after its ‘ terra typica’ (the Arabian Peninsula).

Figures

Figures 67 - 73. Rafalus arabicus nov. spec. 67: First leg; 68: Palpal in ventral view 69: in organ; Same lateral view; 70, 71: Epigynes; 72: Internal structure of epigyne; 73: Diagrammatic of seminal course (IU duct CI.