Eusparassus educatus Moradmand 2013, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Moradmand, Majid
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sparassidae
Eusparassus
Eusparassus educatus

description: Eusparassus educatus spec. nov.
Figs 40–41, 56a, 65c–d
Type material. Holotype: male, NAMIBIA: Kunene Region: NE of Juriesdraai, Palmwag Lodge, under roof, S 19˚53.246', E 13˚56.203', 3 March 2005, DK 378, D. Kunz leg. (SMF).
Paratypes (4♂, 5♀♀): NAMIBIA: Kunene Region: 1♂, campsite Warmquelle, under roof, S 19˚8.299', E 13˚48.830', 2 March 2005, DK376, D. Kunz leg. (SMF); 1♂, campsite Warmquelle, under roof, S 19˚ 8.299', E 13˚ 48.830', 3 March 2005, (DK 377, SD 341), D. Kunz leg. (SMF); 1♂, 2♀♀, Epupa Falls, S 17˚0.122', E 13˚14.714', 23 March 2005, D. Kunz leg. (SMF, 1♂, DK 337, SD 530, 1♀, DK336, SD332). Karasburg District: 1♂, Farm Augurabis 109, Gaapriver, S 27˚27'04.0'', E 17˚42'18.9'', 556 m, 25 August 2005, TB 05/174, EduVentures 7 th Expedition in Fish River Canyon (NMNW 47510). Erongo Region: 1♀, Brandberg, Hungarob River side, S 21˚13.25', E 14˚31.03', 700 m, Pitfall row 2, 27 April 2000, K. Meakin leg. (NMNW 45421); 1♀, Brandberg, Numas Plateau (NMNW 35237); 1♀, N of Keetmanshoop, W. 1910–11, Kramer leg., Dr Werner ded. 28 August 1912 (ZMH).
Etymology. The specific name “educatus” is a Latin term (adjective) meaning “to train” or “to bring up a child”. It referrs to “the EduVentures Programme”, an educational program by NMNW aiming to explore and collect the biodiversity data within the remote areas of Namibia and educating children who have in most cases disadvantaged lives. One paratype male was collected during “the EduVentures 7th Expedition” by these children. This new species is the first species described from their material and named to promote this educational project and support these children.
Diagnosis. This unique species can be easily diagnosed by strongly elongated palpal structures, especially the slender embolus, which is covered by the similar long EM (Figs 40a–c, 41d); female vulva is uniquely coiled and twisted and has an extra small glandular process (Figs 41b, c) [see also diagnosis for tuckeri species group above].
Description. Male (ranges: n=5, single measurement: holotype):
Measurements (holotype first). Males medium-sized. Total length 11.1–16.3, prosoma length 6.0–8.2, prosoma width 5.4–6.8, anterior width of prosoma 2.9–3.5, opisthosoma length 5.1–8.1, opisthosoma width 2.3–5.5. Eye diameters: AME 0.52, ALE 0.48, PME 0.42, PLE 0.51; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.20, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.43, PME-PLE 0.53, AME-PME 0.41, ALE-PLE 0.28, clypeus height at AME 0.37, clypeus height at ALE 0.48. AME and PLE approximately equal (Fig. 40d).
Chelicerae. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 3 to 5 posterior teeth, cheliceral furrow without intermarginal denticles (Fig. 40e).
Legs. Leg formula: II I IV III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 11.3 [3.6, 1.3, 2.1, 4.3], I 36.0[10.0, 4.4, 9.7, 9.8, 2.1], II 41.5 [11.6, 4.7, 11.7, 10.8, 2.7], III 32.4 [9.8, 4.0, 8.6, 7.9, 2.1], IV 34.2 [10.0, 3.7, 9.1, 9.3, 2.1].
Spination. Palp 131, 000/001, 1111; Legs: Femur I– III 323, IV 322; Patella I– IV 001 /101; Tibia I–IV 2124 / 2224; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3034/3036.
Palp. As in diagnosis with cymbium approximately 2.5 times longer than tibia; dRTA very slim, vRTA rounded and not well developed; embolus very narrow, covered by hyaline and folded embolus membrane (EM) (Figs 40a–c), E and EM loosely connected (Fig. 41d).
Female (ranges: n=5, single measurement: paratype MM 52):
Measurements. Medium-sized; total length 16.7–19.0, prosoma length 8.1–8.5, prosoma width 6.8–7.4, anterior width of prosoma 3.8–4.3, opisthosoma length 8.6–10.5, opisthosoma width 5.0–7.5. Eye diameters: AME 0.48, ALE 0.50, PME 0.44, PLE 0.56; eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.24, AME-ALE 0.02, PME-PME 0.50, PME-PLE 0.45, AME-PME 0.46, ALE-PLE 0.28, clypeus height at AME 0.38, clypeus height at ALE 0.50.
Chelicerae. Chelicerae with 2 anterior and 3 to 5 posterior teeth, cheliceral furrow without intermarginal denticles.
Legs. Leg formula: II I IV III. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 8.3 [2.5, 1.2, 1.3, 3.3], I 26.5 [7.3, 3.3, 7.1, 7.2, 1.6], II 28.5 [8.3, 3.4, 7.8, 7.3, 1.7], III 23.5 [7.1, 3.0, 6.1, 5.8, 1.5], IV 24.8 [7.3, 2.7, 6.5, 6.7, 1.6].
Spination. Palp 131, 001, 1111, 1013; Legs: Femur I– III 323, IV 322; Patella I–II 000, III–IV 001; Tibia I–IV 2024; Metatarsus I–III 2024, IV 3036.
Epigyne/vulva. As in diagnosis with EF longer than wide (Fig. 41a), MS hyaline and connected to CD in dorsal view (Fig. 41b); vulva coiled in series of complex loops (Fig. 41c)
Colouration. Yellowish cream with dark black marks on prosoma and dorsal opisthosoma, legs distinctly with strong black bands (Fig. 56a).
Known geographical distribution and habitat. Relatively widely distributed throughout Namibia, collected from desert areas, some specimens under roofs of buildings.
description: Published as part of Moradmand, Majid, 2013, The stone huntsman spider genus Eusparassus (Araneae: Sparassidae): systematics and zoogeography with revision of the African and Arabian species, pp. 1-108 in Zootaxa 3675 (1) on pages 66-69, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3675.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6422593