Lepthyphantes lamellatus 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 lamellatus

description: Lepthyphantes lamellatus Barrientos n. sp.
(Figs 7; 14 D-F)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: C393FC92-24AF-4F0A-8DD2-91D7777C58A9
TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Morocco. 1♂; Ifri Nhmamne, Aglefth, Taglefth, Azilal; 20.IX.2016; F. Fadrique leg.; MZB 2016-4160. Paratypes. Morocco. 1♀; same locality and date as the holotype.
OTHER MATERIAL. — Morocco. 2 juv.; same locality and date as the holotype; MZB 2017-0664.
DIAGNOSIS. — The paracymbium is especially wide in its proximal part; at the junction with the median part it extends through a small spiny projection; the apical part is digitiform and curved in inverted “C”. The bulb has a lamella characteristica flattened, curved 90° distally, where it is finely serrated and fluted. The terminal apophysis and the basal lobe of the embolus are in the form of submembranous and transparent sheet, with a denticulate border. The epigyne is small and simplified. The proscape is flattened and rounded, wider than long, and with a posterior notch in the folding area. The middle and distal parts of the scape cannot be observed, as they are practically hidden under the proscape; only the distal part of the stretcher is visible. In general, the genital structures are simplified, but sufficiently different to support the definition of a new species of the afer group, particularly diversified in the Maghreb. By the shape of its proscape, the new species seems close to L. longihamatus and perhaps also to L. longipedis.
ETYMOLOGY. — The chosen name highlights the structure of the lamella characteristica; it has a flattened and laminar appearance, with its distal edge finely serrated. It is easily observable in the bulb at rest.
DISTRIBUTION. — This species is exclusively known from the type locality, a cave in the province of Azilal, in the high Atlas of Morocco.
DESCRIPTION
Male (holotype)
Body. Total body length: 2.60. Carapace: 1.17 long, by 0.90 wide, brown yellowish, and uniform. Eyes developed and with independent black areolas. Chelicerae with a stem 0,54 long, with two unequal teeth on the promargin. Legs yellow amber, almost uniform; thin and longer than in the female; measurements: leg I (1.96 + 0.34 + 2.40 + 1.91 + 1.22), leg II (1.86 + 0.32 + 1.86 + 2.40 + 0.86), leg III (1.62 + 0.27 + 1.57 + 1.32 + 0.83), and leg IV (1.86 + 0.32 + 1.91 + 1.96 + 0.89). Opisthosoma: 1,57 long by 0,93 width, grayish, without dorsal pigmentary pattern although with some hint of gray macules; covered with scattered brown hairs.
Palps and copulatory bulb (Figs 7 A-C; 14F). Tibia and tarsus (cymbium) without notable elements, although the latter presents laterally the paracymbium and lodges a voluminous bulb in its ventral face. Paracymbium wide and trapezoidal in its proximal zone; in the junction with the middle part an acute spinous protrusion delimiting the posterior pocket. Apical part considerably narrowed, having distally the shape of a curved and blunt fingering; the whole set curved in a regular “C”. At rest, bulb with on its retrolateral side, a lamella characteristica wide and laminar, D-shaped, toothed and finely fluted distally distally; this structure characteristic and easily observed. From the radix a submembranous terminal apophysis and the embolus; embolus apical lobe with a transparent membrane with with a denticulate border. Main lobe of embolus protected by this membranous lobe; more sclerotised and terminated by a sharp tooth. In the anterior part of the resting bulb, distal part of suprategular apophysis visible, having the shape of an acute and sclerotised projection.
Female (paratype)
Body. Total body length 2.55. Carapace: 1.18 long by 0.98 wide, yellow-amber uniform color, bright tone (like the male), without clear pigmentary pattern. Eyes well developed in regular arrangement (two transversal lines) and with independent black areolas. Chelicerae: 0.54 long and coloration similar to carapace; with two teeth on the promargin, separated and of different size as in male. Legs yellow-amber, like carapace, long and thin; measurements: leg I (1.96 + 0.34 + 1.86 + 1.86 + 1.13), leg II (1.91 + 0.32 + 1.59 + 1.62 + 1.13), leg III (1.62 + 0.27 + 1.32 + 1.40 + 0.78), and leg IV (1.86 + 0.32 + 1.81 + + 1.71 + 0.88). Legs covered with a fine hairiness accompanied by some spines. Opisthoma 1.52 long by 1.03 wide, opaque white, without pigmentary pattern; some dark spots distally, covered with dark scattered hairs.
Female genitalia. Epigyne (Figs 7D, E; 14D, E) with a simplified structure, of reduced size, on the ventral side of epigastrum; extending backwards on postepigastrum.Unlike in other species of the afer group, epigyne little protruding from opisthosomal surface. Proscape flattened and with rounded contours, wider than long; well sclerotized and showing a posterior notch in the folding zone. Median and distal parts of scape hidden under the proscape. Distal part more devel- oped, but pressed against the previous two, so that it gives the flattened image mentioned above; distal part protruding in triangular point below the proscape.
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 12-13, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2020v42a1, http://zenodo.org/record/3627057