BULLETIN DE L'INST ITUT ROYAL DES SC IENCES NATURELLES DE BELG IQUE ENTOMOLOG IE, 69: 25-34, 1999 BULLETIN VAN HET KON INKL JJ K BELG ISC H INSTI TUUT VOOR NATUURWETENSCHAPPEN ENTOMOLOGIE, 69: 25-34, I999 The genera Agroeca, Agraecina, Apostenus and Scotina in the Maghreb countries (Araneae: Liocranidae) by Robert BOSMANS Summary The fo ur genera have been rarely cited in the Magh­ reb. Not one species was mentioned in LucAs's (1846) The genera Agroeca, Agraeci11a , Apos1e1111s and Scoti11a occurring in standard work on the fa una of Algeri a. Only in 1932, the Maghrcb countries are revi sed. Eight species are recorded, four of wh ich arc new , the other four are re-described: Agroeca a1111ulipes SIMON menti oned the presence of Agroeca annulipes SIMON, Agroeca inopina O.P.-Cambridge, Agroeca 111aghrebe11 sis 11. SIMON , Agraecina lineata (SlMON) and Scotina celans sp., Agraeci11a li11ea1a (SI '10N), Agraeci11a hod11a n. sp. , Scolina ce/ans (BLACKWALL) in Algeria or Morocco. Twenty five years (BLACKIVall). Apos1e1111s maroccanus n. sp. and Apos1e11us a/gericus 11. later, DENIS (1956) described the species Agroeca lio­ sp. ;Jgroeca /io cra11oides DE I • 1956 i a junior synonym of A. m11111/ipes SIMON, 1878. Di stribution data of all species, in the Maghreb cranoides fro m Morocco. To my knowledge, these are but also in Europe are given. the onl y records concerning th e fo ur genera in the Magh­ reb. Key words: Liocranidae; taxonomy: distribution: Maghreb. Abbreviations: CJvK: Co ll ection Johan VA KEER; CPP: Co ll ection Piet POOT; introduction CRB: co ll ection Robert BosMANS; IRSNB: Institu t roya l des Sciences naturelles de Belgi­ During two collecting trips to Morocco-Algeria in 1982 que; and 1884, and during a permanent stay at the Houari MNHNP: Museum d'Histoire naturell e de Paris. Boumedienne University in Algiers, Algeria from 1987 Measurements are in mm. to 1991 , a large collection of A.raneae was obtained. Several results on the arachnofauna of Linyphii dae and Dysderidae ha ve been pub I ished, the most recent ones Description of species be ing BOSMANS ( 1996) and BELADJAL & BOSMANS ( 1997). In these papers, it was the purpose to describe or re­ Agroeca WESTRJ 'G, 1862 describe all species occurring in the Maghreb countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania), even Agroeca species are relative ly large Liocranids whi ch can the common European species. [n Algerian universities, be distingu ished by the presence of three pa irs of ventral and probably in universities of the other Maghreb coun­ spines on metatarsus I. Twenty four palaearctic and tries as well, there is a pennanent absence of identifi­ nearctic species have been described, of which some cation books, and it is increasingly difficult to gather the are insufficiently known; a few neotropical and oriental scattered literature concerning the arachnofauna of these species are probably misp laced in the genus. co untries. Descriptions of all occurring species are there­ Two species have been mentioned from the Maghreb. fore highly appreciated. In 1932, SIMON mentioned the presence in Algeria of The present paper is a first contribution to the systema­ Agroeca annulipes SIMON, a species formerly known only tics of the spid er family Liocranidae. The nomenclatural from Corsica. In I 956, DEN IS described Agroeca liocra­ stab il ity of thi s family is still in discussion. Following the noides, a new species from Morocco. most recent classifications of PLATNI CK ( 1997) and DIP­ PENAAR & JOCQUE ( 1997), the following liocranid genera occur in the Maghreb: Agroeca WESTRI NG 1862, Agrae­ Agroeca annulipes StMON, 1878 cina SIM ON 1932, Apos/enus WESTR ING 185 1, Brachya­ (Figs 1-4) ni/lus SIMO N 1913, Mesiotelus SIMON 1897, Phrurolini/­ lus WUNDERLICI I 1995, Phruro/ithus C.L. KOCH 1839, Agroeca annu/ipes SIMON 1878: 304 (descr. fema le); and Scotina MENGE 1873. In this paper, the genera Agroe­ SIMON 1932: 972 (descr. female, non male); CANARD ca, Agraecina and Apostenus and Scotina wi ll be treated. 1989: 28. 26 Robeti BOSMANS 1 -· ., . ; .... ·. .. : ~ . ..... ·. ... · .: .· ·. ·. :· 7 8 Figs. 1-4 - Agroeca annu!ipes SIMON. - l. Male palp lateral view; - 2. Idem, ventral view; - 3. Epigyne, ventral view; - 4. Vulva, ventral view. Fig . 5-8 - Agroeca maghrebensis n. sp. - 5. Male palp, lateral view; - 6. Idem, ventra l view· - 7. Ep igyne, ventral view; - 8. Vulva, ventral view. Agroeca liocranoides D E IS 1956: 198 (descr. female) that locality present in the MNHNP as the holotype. In (N. Syn.). my material from the Maghreb, conspecific females were rather frequently collected, often together with males, and Type material: Holotype female of A. annulipes from I am definitely sure they match. I redescribe here the France, Corsica, without futiher locality (MNHNP fe male, and describe the male for the first time. In 1932, 26419); examined. SIMON described what he thought to be the male of A. annulipes, but thi s is in fact a new species, also pre­ Diagnosis: Closely related to A. maghrebensis n. sp. in sent in our collection. S1MO N's specimen is not avail able colour and pination, but easil y distinguished in the male (absent in the MNHNP), but hi s Fig.ure of the male palp by the gently curved apophysis on the palpal tibia, in the with dorsal denticle on the tibi a allows clear identifica­ female by the epigyne with the medi an depression being tion. It is described below as a new species, closely much wider anteriorly than posteriorly and by the oblique related to A. annu/ipes but easil y distinguished by palps copulation duct . and epigyne. In 1956, DE IS described a female from Morocco as Remarks: SIMO ( 1878) described the species for a fe­ Agroeca liocranoides. I could not trace the type material. male from Corsica. I consider the only female from His Fig.ure of the epigyne shows the same oblique, clear- The genera Agroeca, Agraecina, Apostenus and Scotina 27 ly separated copulation ducts as in A. annulipes, consid­ - Saida: without fmther locality (StMON 1932). ered here as an important diagnostic character to separate - Tipasa: Bou Haroun, 30m, l female, stones in grass- it from related species. I therefore consider A. liocranoi­ land, 21.I.1987, R. BOSMA s leg. (CRB); Douaouda, des D EN IS, 1956 a junior synonym of A. annulipes SI MON, Oued Mazafran, 50m, 24 males 10 females, pitfalls in 1878. Populus alba forest, 16.XII.86-26.II. l 988, and 4 males 1 female in pitfall s in Olea maquis, 30.X.1988, R. BosMANS Description: leg. (1 male 1 female in MNHNP, 1 male 1 female in Measurements: Male: Total length 3.8-5.l; carapace IRSNB, rest in CRB); between Staoueli and Bouchaoui, 2.02-2.44 long, 1.44-1.96 wide. Female: Total length 5.4- 70m, lfemale, stones in rough grassland, 3.I.1987, R. 6.4; carapace 2.44-2.72 long, 1. 84-2.26 wide. BOSMANS leg. (CRB). Colour: Carapace w ith median yellowish brown, - Tissemsilt: Djebel Ouarsenis (StMON 1932). longitudinal sh·ipe, laterally mottled dark brown, pale - T lemcen: Nemours (SIMON 1932). specimens with submarginal yellowish brown sb·ipe; MOROCCO legs: Fe dark olive brow n, w ith narrow, di scontinuous - Ain Sebaa (DENIS 1956). yell owish brown stripes, Pa and Ti olive brown, Mt and Ta yellow ish brown, in Mt I-JI suffused with olive Distribution: Corsica (SI MON, 1878, 1932; CANARD, brown; abdomen dorsally w ith olive grey stripe with 1989), Sardinia (SIMON 1932), Morocco (DENlS 1956) postero-median dark grey chevrons. Female: carapace and Algeria (SIMON 1932); cited here also for the first as in male; legs yellow ish brown, Fe distinctly annulated time from Spain. with dark o li ve brown; abdomen dorsally dark brown, laterally mottled with dark grey; venter pale yellowish Ecology: Exclusively occurring at low altitudes near brown. the coast. Adult mainly in winter. Males were only Legs: Ti 1-II with two pair of ventral spines, Mt I-II collected in November, females from November to with three pair of ventral spines. May. Palp (Figs. 1-2): Tibia w ith bluntly pointed apophysis, sli ghtly curved upwards; median apophysis with broad base, distally with small pointed tooth; embolic part with Agroeca maghrebensis n. sp. small distal indentation. (Figs 5-8) Epigyne (Fig. 3): Relatively small compared to other Agroeca species; much longer than w ide, with elongate, Agroeca annulipes; SIMON 1932: 972 (descr. male, non posteriorly rounded median depression, nearly touching female). epigash·ic fuJTow, depression in anterior half with na1Tow median septum; depression often filled with secretions Type material: Holotype male from Algeri a, Wilaya of ("copulation marks"). Bouira, Ighrem, 490m in pitfall s among Tamarisk along V ul va (Fig. 4): Copulation ducts oblique, not touching Oued Sahe!, l 7.XI.1 986, R. BOSMANS leg.; deposited in in middle; spermathecae rounded, w ider than ducts. IRSNB. Material examined and citations: Diagnosis: Males of this species are easily distin­ FRANCE guished by the dorsal angularity on the male palpal tibia, - Corsica: La Po1ta, Muro, Vizzavona, Ba telica (SIMON females by the epigyne with median depression with 1878, 1932). parallel margins and x-shaped pattern of copulation SPAIN ducts. - Cadiz: Tarifa, I female, III.199 l, P. POOT leg. (CPP). - Malaga: Alozaina ., 200m, I male in litter in small Remarks: The male Fig.ured by SIMO (1932) as the male Quercus suber forest, 9.IV.1999, R. BOSMANS leg. (CRB). of Agroeca annu!ipes, SIMON 1878 apparently belongs to ITALY the species described here. - Sardinia: Sassari (SIMON 1932). ALGERIA Description: - Alger: without further locality (SIMON 1932); El Har­ Measurements: Male: Total length 4.0; carapace 2.06 rach, 25m, l female in garden, 30.I.1985, and 2 males, long, 1.68 wide.