Leptodrassex algericus Dalmas 1919
Creators: name: Russell-Smith, Anthony
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Gnaphosidae
Leptodrassex
Leptodrassex algericus

description: Leptodrassex algericus Dalmas, 1919
Figs 12 C ̄D
Leptodrassus algericus Dalmas, 1919: 245, Fig. 7.
Castanilla marchesii Caporiacco, 1936: ♀ paralectotype, MZUF 119 (not ♀ lectotype, MZUF 271) misidentification. Micaria sp.: Haddad & Bosmans, 2013: 397, Fig. 4 (misidentification).
Diagnosis. Females of this species are distinguished from other congeners by the large rectangular median cavity which is longer than wide (see Fig. 12C and D) and the seemingly long and parallel spermathecal chambers of the vulva.
Material examined. Castanilla marchesii Caporiacco, 1936: ♀ paralectotype (designated by Haddad & Bosmans, 2013), LIBYA: Ain Doua [21°48'N, 24°52'E], Auenati [el-Auenàt], IV.1933, leg. L. O. Marchesi, MZUF 119, Mag no. 2552.
Comments. In the course of the examination of type material, we examined the lectotype and paralectotype of Castanilla marchesii Caporiacco, 1936 (Fig. 12 C). The species was recently studied by Haddad and Bosmans (2013) and was assigned to the genus Micaria based on the presence of spatulate setae on the scapulae of Ta I. The authors also recognised the difference between the lectotype and paralectotype of this species, assigning the former to M. pallipes (see comments in M. pallipes) and leaving the latter undetermined due to the very bad condition of the specimen and to the fact that the epigyne did not conform to any of the known species of Micaria. Notwithstanding the poor condition of the specimen, we recognised characters which place it in the genus group Leptodrassex. These include the small size, pale colouration, cheliceral dentition on both margins (2̄4 on PM and 2̄3 on RM in Leptodrassex, 2̄3 on PM and 2̄4 on RM in Neodrassex (see Ott, 2012)), plumose setae at the base of the fangs, anterior median eyes large (possibly largest), well separated and in a black surround, cephalothorax widening at the thoracic part and with no fovea, lack of dorsal abdominal scutum in males. All these characters are considered to be distinctive for Leptodrassex group (Murphy, 2007; Ott, 2012). Short closely spaced setae and branchiate hairs are supposed to cover the legs of several specimens examined by Murphy (2007) but it is very difficult to see and distinguish the type of setae in the C. marchesii paralectotype. Additionally, the cheliceral dentition (3 on PM and 2 on RM) the epigynal configuration with the very characteristic large rectangular median cavity conforms to Leptodrassex rather than to Micaria and closely resembles Leptodrassex algericus Dalmas (1919) (Dalmas, 1919, Fig. 7 and reproduced here in Fig. 12 D). Based on the proximity of the two areas from which the two species are recorded (L. algericus from Algeria and C. marchesii paralectotype from Libya) and on the close similarity of the two epigynes we place C. marchesii paralectotype under L. algericus.
Distribution. Algeria, Libya.
description: Published as part of Russell-Smith, Anthony, 2017, New species and new records of ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from Cyprus, pp. 237-255 in Zootaxa 4329 (3) on page 243, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4329.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/1002542