Lepthyphantes almoravidus Barrientos 2020, n. sp.
Creators: name: Barrientos, José Antonio
name: Brañas, Neus
name: Mederos, Jorge
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Linyphiidae
Lepthyphantes
Lepthyphantes almoravidus

description: Lepthyphantes almoravidus Barrientos n. sp.
(Figs 2; 13A, B)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7A14D234-8E03-4D83-A1BE-49C3FAB6F339
TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Morocco. 1♀; Ifri Netazarth, Fariata, Tagzirth, Béni-Mellal; 20.V.2004; F. Fadrique leg.; MZB 2017-0665.
DIAGNOSIS. — The epigyne is in an oblique disposition (in relation to the ventral surface of opisthosoma); of similar width from its base to the end. The opening of bursa copulatrix is distal. The lateral walls are rounded and leave a front notch showing a reduced scape. The proscape is small, not very sclerotized, with a wide distal notch; the distal strecher of the scape is present in front and under. L. almoravidus resembles the scape of L. aelleni, although in this case the structure (as a whole) is shorter and keeps a similar width.
ETYMOLOGY. — During the 11th and 12th centuries the Almoravids were the great rulers of the Maghreb, extending their influence throughout the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula. Now we dedicate this species to the memory of those monk-soldiers, who arose from the nomads of the Sahara.
DISTRIBUTION. — L. almoravidus Barrientos n. sp. is known exclusively from the type locality.
DESCRIPTION
Female (holotype)
Body. Total body length: 1.80. Carapace: 0.78 long by 0.69 wide; color very uniform, yellowish and with pale brown tints. Eyes reduced and without pigments; ocular lenses reduced and slightly protruding. Chelicerae: 0.44 long; coloration slightly more intense than the carapace; three small teeth on promargin and none on retromargin. Long and thin legs; yellow, like the carapace, but distal parts lighter. Measurements (some articles missing): leg I (1.86 + 0.29 + without + without + without), leg II (1.81 + 0.29 + 1.86 + 1.68 + 0.98), leg III (1.57 + 0.25 + 1.32 + 1.22 + 0.73), and leg IV (1.71 + 0.27 + without + without + without). Opisthosoma 1.32 long by 1.03 wide, grayish-white, without dorsal pattern, but covered with a fine pilosity.
Female genitalia. Epigyne developed and protruding (Figs 2; 13A, B), showing an oblique disposition with respect to the ventral surface of opisthosoma by elongation of anterior wall. Its basal part straight and keeping a similar width towards the end. Posterior wall also elongate with opening of bursa copulatrix distal. Median plate poorly sclerotized; in its basal zone, receptacula visible by transparency. Lateral walls, and especially anterior wall, with scattered hairs. Distal parts of lateral walls clearly rounded, leaving a mid-cut that shows a reduced scape. Proscape small, little sclerotized, with a wide distal notch; in front and under it, strecher of distal scape visible. Middle part of the scape practically hidden.
Male
Unknown.
description: Published as part of Barrientos, José Antonio, Brañas, Neus & Mederos, Jorge, 2020, The high complexity of Micronetinae Hull, 1920 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) evidenced through ten new cave-dweller species from the Morocco, pp. 1-29 in Zoosystema 42 (1) on pages 5-6, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2020v42a1, http://zenodo.org/record/3627057