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An Unusual New Wolf Spider Species from the Erg Chebbi Desert in Morocco (Araneae: Lycosidae: Evippinae)

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An Unusual New Wolf Spider Species from the Erg Chebbi Desert in Morocco (Araneae: Lycosidae: Evippinae) 2017. Journal of Arachnology 45:344–355 An unusual new wolf spider species from the Erg Chebbi Desert in Morocco (Araneae: Lycosidae: Evippinae) Steffen Bayer1, Rainer Foelix2 and Mark Alderweireldt3: 1Staatliches Museum fu¨r Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstrasse 13, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]; 2Schanzma¨ttelistrasse 15, 5000 Aarau, Switzerland; 3University of Ghent, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium Abstract. A new species of the lycosid subfamily Evippinae is introduced and preliminarily assigned to the genus Evippomma Roewer, 1959. It was found in the Erg Chebbi Desert in Morocco. Evippomma rechenbergi sp. nov. is a wolf spider with unusual morphological and behavioural features, e.g., having exceptional scales on most of its body and carrying sand by interconnecting sand grains with silk threads. A detailed description and delimitation of this species is given. Its genus-affiliation is found uncertain. We conclude that a comprehensive revision and phylogenetic study of all African genera of the subfamily Evippinae are needed to enable unambiguous identification (including unambiguous genus identification) and for a better understanding of phylogenetic relationships among these genera. Keywords: Diagnostic characters; taxonomy; scales; Evippa; Evippomma ZooBank publication: http://zoobank.org/?lsid¼urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A7A0A1CA-B430-4987-9218-41333E8815DD In 2007, Ingo Rechenberg from the Technical University in diagnostic characters of both genera did not unambiguously Berlin observed two unusual tube-dwelling spider species in match the new species. The North African species of the the Erg Chebbi dunes, a north-eastern outcrop of the Sahara genera Evippa and Evippomma were first revised by Roewer Desert in Morocco. One was a sparassid (Cebrennus rechen- (1959, 1960). His diagnoses for many genera and also for bergi Ja¨ger, 2014) that carries sand with specialized pedipalps many species were not coherent. Roewer (1959, 1960) only when digging its burrow. Even more remarkable was a gave minor consideration to common structural patterns of peculiar rolling movement that this spider performs when the copulatory organs, many of which nowadays are disturbed (Rast et al. 2015). The other spider living in the same considered extremely important for taxonomic research habitat was a wolf spider (Fig. 1) that could not be identified (Alderweireldt 1992, 1996, 1999; Bayer 2012, 2014; Bayer & at that time. Although this spider also builds vertical tubes like Scho¨nhofer 2013; Ja¨ger 2014; Dupe´rre´ 2015). Furthermore, C. rechenbergi, it uses a different technique when carrying Roewer (1959, 1960) included highly variable somatic sand: with the aid of its spinnerets it connects sand grains and characters in his diagnoses. Evippa and Evippomma were then carries off small sand/silk bundles (Foelix et al. 2015, revised by Alderweireldt (1991, 1992), who concluded that the 2017). One morphological peculiarity of this wolf spider is that two genera are closely related. The present study, therefore, its body is covered by numerous lanceolate scale hairs (Foelix provides the first description of the specimens from Erg et al. 2015) (Fig. 4A, B). Scales are well known in Salticidae Chebbi, comments on the possible relationships of this taxon (Hill 1979; Metzner 1999) and also in a few other families like and introduces some unusual morphological features. Gnaphosidae (Platnick & Shadab 1988) and Oxyopidae (Deeleman-Reinhold 2009) but not in Lycosidae, except for the few species of the genus Evippomma from central and METHODS southern Africa (Alderweireldt 1992). Furthermore, the The spiders examined in the present study were collected by spigots on the spinnerets of this unusual wolf spider are Prof. I. Rechenberg in the Erg Chebbi Desert in Morocco. remarkably long (Fig. 4C, D). They are pushed between the Rechenberg also took several photos of living spiders in their sand grains while building the wall of the spider’s burrow in order to achieve a stable tube. Neighbouring sand grains are natural desert habitat. Specimens were examined and drawn tightly connected and arranged like stones in a vault (Foelix et under a Leica M165C stereomicroscope with a camera lucida. al. 2016, 2017). Due to these interesting morphological and Images of preserved spiders and copulatory organs were taken behavioural features, it seemed desirable to identify the with a Sony DSC W70 compact camera using an ocular of the specimens from Erg Chebbi to species level and to determine stereomicroscope. The material was preserved in 75% ethanol. the taxonomic position of this species. After initial assessments Before dissection and preparation, the female copulatory it could be assigned to the subfamily Evippinae Zyuzin, 1985 organs were cleared of surrounding hairs. The opaque tissue following the definition of Zyuzin (1985). Subsequently, the around the vulva was removed using minute pins in order to third author was consulted and after re-examination of several have a better view on the various vulval structures. Generally, representatives of Evippinae, it became obvious that our vulvae were cleared in 96% DL-lactic acid (C3H6O3). In males, specimens belonged to a new species. However, its genus the cymbial hairs of areas close to the bulb were removed so affiliation within the subfamily Evippinae was puzzling. The that all crucial structures could be seen. Scanning electron two genera Evippa Simon, 1882 and Evippomma Roewer, 1959 micrographs were taken with a Zeiss DSM-950, following gold were the best candidates to include the new species, but the sputter-coating. 344 BAYER ET AL.—UNUSUAL NEW WOLF SPIDER FROM MOROCCO 345 Figure 1A–D.—Evippomma rechenbergi sp. nov., habitus: A, living female in natural habitat, dorsal view; B, male prosoma, frontal view, showing the eye arrangement and the dense cover of white scale hairs; C, female paratype (EC04), ventral view; D, male holotype (EC01), lateral view. Images (A–B) by I. Rechenberg. All measurements and all numbers listed next to the scale listed in curly brackets, without a blank. Palp and leg lengths bars are in millimeters (mm). For males, measurements of are listed as: total (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus). holotype are provided first, followed by those of paratypes as Regular solid lines on illustrations indicate edges/margins/ ranges in parentheses. For female paratypes, measurements rims of structures as recognised in the respective view; weak are provided as ranges in parentheses. For the present study, solid lines indicate edges of fine structures, e.g. membranous the ‘‘opisthosoma length’’ excludes the spinnerets and the structures or fine grooves in the area of the epigyne; dashed petiole. The leg formula (from longest to shortest leg) and leg lines indicate inner walls of ducts and/or slits; dotted lines spination pattern follows Bayer (2012). For leg/palp spination (rough) indicate structures visible through the cuticle (e.g., the segments are listed in the following sequence: femur, patella, tibia and metatarsus (metatarsus absent in palp, parts of vulva visible through the epigynal cuticula); dotted however, here palpal tarsus mostly with spines). All spines on lines (fine) indicate color differences (e.g., border of epigynal the prolateral surface of the respective limb segment were field). A schematic illustration of the course of the internal counted and listed, followed by the dorsal, retrolateral and duct system of the vulva is included in the present study (Fig. ventral surfaces. Thus the resulting number is generally 4- 3C). Therein the areas of the spermathecae or lateral vesicles digits. If a spination pattern of a certain limb article differs including spermathecal heads are indicated with ‘‘T’’-symbols, between the left and right sides, the pattern for the right side is the copulatory opening with a circle, and the end of the 346 JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY fertilisation duct in the direction of the uterus externus with an except sample no. EC10, 02 September 2016 (SMNK); 1 ?, arrow. same data except sample no. EC11 (SMF). The following abbreviations are used throughout the text: Other material examined.—MOROCCO: Mekne`s-Tafilalet: ALE, anterior lateral eye; AME, anterior median eye; C, 1 ?, 1 sub-adult juvenile /, Erg Chebbi Desert, near conductor; CB, base of conductor; CT, tip of conductor; CD, Tisserdmine, ca. 750m, sample nos. EC12 [?; only both palps copulatory duct; CL, carapace length; CO, copulatory left, gold-sputtered]/EC13 [juv.], 31816008.500 N, 03859027.600 W, opening; CW, carapace width; CY, cymbium; CYA, cymbium sand dunes in the desert, 11 September 2015, I. Rechenberg alveolus; DSV, duct connecting spermatheca and lateral (SMNK); 4 juveniles, same data except sample nos. EC14–17, vesicle; E, embolus; EA, epigynal atrium/a; EB, embolic base; 28 November – 06 December 2011 (SMF); 1 juvenile, same EF, epigynal field; FD, fertilisation duct; IV/CL, ratio of total data except sample no. EC18, November 2016 (SMNK); 5 length of leg IV versus carapace length; LL, lateral lobe (of sub-adult juvenile ?, 5 sub-adult juvenile /, 1 juvenile, same epigyne); MA, median apophysis (of bulbus genitalis); MAH, data except ca. 760 m, 3181702900 N, 0385805100 W, sample nos. hook of MA; MAL, rounded lobe of MA; MAT, tip of MA; EC19–23 [s.a. ?]/EC24–28 [s.a. /]/EC29 [juv.], 01–17 April MS, median septum of epigyne; OL, opisthosoma length; OW, 2016 (SMNK). opisthosoma width; PLE, posterior lateral eye; PME, poste- Etymology.—The
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