Crossopriza moqal Huber 2022, sp. nov.

Crossopriza moqal sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 207D5CBF-F03A-4F86-AE29-7FAA4227D1B6

Figs 352, 475–478, 483–508

Diagnosis

Distinguished from similar congeners (C. kittan sp. nov., C. ghul sp. nov.) by details of procursus (Figs 486–487; ventral hump at basis of ventral sclerite; elongated membranous element at tip), and distal bulbal sclerite (Fig. 490; distinctive series of prolateral apophyses); from C. kittan also by more slender male cheliceral apophyses (Figs 488–489) and shorter epigynum (Fig. 496); from C. ghul also by smaller distance between pore plates in female internal genitalia (Fig. 494).

Etymology

The species name refers to the type locality; noun in apposition.

Type material

Holotype OMAN – Ash Sharqiyah North • ♂; Wadi Bani Khalid, Mukal (Moqal) Cave; 22.624° N, 59.097° E; 700 m a.s.l.; 23 Mar. 2017; B.A. Huber leg.; in cave; ZFMK Ar 22420.

Other material examined

OMAN – Ash Sharqiyah North • 5 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀, 1 juv. (partly used for SEM); same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Ar 22421, Ar 22422 • 3 ♀♀ (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Om30.

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 3.1, carapace width 1.35. Distance PME–PME 80 µm; diameter PME 70 µm; distance PME–ALE 20 µm; diameter AME 70 µm; distance AME–AME 20 µm. Leg 1: 35.8

(10.2 + 0.6 + 10.2 + 12.9 + 1.9), tibia 2: 6.9, tibia 3: 4.8, tibia 4: 5.3; tibia 1 L/d: 79; femora 1–4 diameters: 0.22, 0.19, 0.16, 0.17.

COLOR (in ethanol). In general paler than epigean congeners (i.e., slightly troglomorphic). Carapace ochre-yellow, anteriorly in median pit light brown; sternum ochre-yellow with brown anterior margins; legs ochre-yellow, without darker rings, with black lines on femora and (few) on tibiae; abdomen pale gray, with many indistinct internal whitish marks and few indistinct dark marks near spinnerets.

BODY. Habitus as in Figs 475–476. Ocular area slightly raised. Deep thoracic pit and pair of furrows diverging from pit toward posterior margin. Clypeus unmodified (but rim more strongly sclerotized than in female). Sternum wider than long (0.95/0.60), unmodified. Abdomen oval, dorso-posteriorly rounded, tapering at spinnerets. Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots (Fig. 507); ALS with one widened spigot and one pointed spigot, PMS with two small spigots (Fig. 505).

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 488–489, with pair of latero-distal apophyses provided with one large modified cone-shaped hair each (Fig. 502); distance between tips of modified hairs: 430 µm; lateral stridulatory ridges indistinct (Fig. 500; distances between ridges ~6.5 µm) but visible in dissecting microscope.

PALPS. As in Figs 483–485; coxa with rounded retrolateral hump; trochanter barely modified; femur distally strongly widened, with rounded ventral protrusion, proximally with prolateral stridulatory pick, with indistinct retrolateral transversal line, without retrolateral proximal process; femur-patella joints shifted toward prolateral side; tibia-tarsus joints slightly shifted toward retrolateral side; tarsus without macrotrichia; tarsal organ capsulate (Fig. 503); procursus straight, proximal prolateral hump set with numerous long hairs, long dorsal hairs not or only weakly curved, procursus tip (Figs 486–487) with strong ventral sclerite and further distinctive membranous and sclerotized elements, with one hair-like process on retrolateral side (arrow in Fig. 506); genital bulb (Figs 490–492) with simple basal sclerite connected to distal (main) sclerite, sperm duct opening at basis of distal sclerite; distal sclerite with retrolateral ridge and series of distinctive prolateral apophyses.

LEGS. Femur 1 with single row of ~24 ventral spines; without curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other leg tibiae; tarsi without regular pseudosegments but with indistinct platelets.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in six males (incl. holotype): 8.7–10.3 (mean 9.6).

Female

In general similar to male (Figs 477–478) but without spines on legs, with rudimentary stridulatory files on chelicerae (Fig. 501; distances between ridges ~8.5 µm; not visible in dissecting microscope), and with stridulatory organ consisting of pair of weakly sclerotized but distinct processes posteriorly on carapace and pair of light brown plates anteriorly on abdomen. Tibia 1 in ten females: 7.8–10.0 (mean 9.0). Epigynum as in Figs 495–496 and 508, main epigynal plate semicircular, weakly protruding, only posteriorly laterally heavily sclerotized; with pair of pockets (shallow furrows) ~410 µm apart; internal sclerotized arcs clearly visible in untreated specimens; posterior plate short but wide. Internal genitalia (Figs 493–494, 497–499) with large oval pore plates converging anteriorly, dorsal arc wide but simple, ventral arc with indistinct median modification of unknown function.

Natural history

The spiders were found in the twilight area of the cave, in small exposed webs mostly close to the floor, rarely slightly higher; no spiders were seen in the deeper, very hot parts of the cave (beyond ~ 15 m from the entrance). Outside of the cave, suitable spaces among rocks were occupied by C. tiwi sp. nov.

Distribution

Known from type locality only (Oman, Ash Sharqiyah North; Fig. 352).