Crossopriza sahtan Huber 2022, sp. nov.

Crossopriza sahtan sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 51F747A4-2F7D-4873-92BF-0D1939DDE70B

Figs 352, 391–392, 399–432

Diagnosis

Distinguished from known congeners by details of male palp (Figs 403, 406; procursus with two distal elements of similar shape; distal bulbal sclerite with single prolateral tooth); from the similar C. tiwi sp. nov. also by male chelicerae (Figs 404–405; distal apophyses closer together relative to width of chelicerae; proximal frontal processes more distinct) and by shape of epigynum (Figs 411–412; shorter, anteriorly not evenly curved).

Etymology

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

Type material

Holotype OMAN – Al Batinah South • ♂; mountain village above Wadi Sahtan; 3.220° N, 57.316° E; 950 m a.s.l.; 26 Mar. 2017; B.A. Huber leg.; among rocks in wadi; ZFMK Ar 22393.

Other material examined

OMAN – Al Batinah South • 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Ar 22394 • 1 ♀, 3 juvs (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK Om 37. – Ad Dakhiliya • 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 1 juv. (in pure ethanol); Misfah (Misfat); 23.140° N, 57.311° E; 940 m a.s.l.; 24 Mar. 2017; B.A. Huber leg.; among rocks in wadi; ZFMK Om 32 • 2 ♀♀; Wadi Hoota near upper entrance of Al Hoota cave; 23.102° N, 57.373° E; 1000 m a.s.l.; 16 Feb. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 22395 • 1 ♂; Al Hamra; 23.123° N, 57.293° E; 670 m a.s.l.; 24 Mar. 2017; B.A. Huber leg.; cavities in rocks; ZFMK Ar 22396 • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; wadi N of Al Hamra; 23.128° N, 57.291° E; 680 m a.s.l.; 24 Mar. 2017; B.A. Huber leg.; cavities in rocks; ZFMK Ar 22397 • 1 ♀ (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 31 • 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ (partly used for SEM); between Tanuf and Al Hamra, Al Ghubrat cave, lower entrance; 23.0718° N, 57.3680° E; 665 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; cave entrance area; ZFMK Ar 22398 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 103 • 1 ♀, 1 juv.; same locality as for preceding; 18 Nov. 2001; H. Sattmann leg.; NHMW • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv.; same locality as for preceding; 17 Nov. 2001; H. Sattmann leg.; NHMW • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Wadi Ghul, ‘site 2’; 23.233° N, 57.150° E; 1430 m a.s.l.; 15 Feb. 2018; B.A. Huber leg.; ZFMK Ar 22399 • 1 ♀ (in pure ethanol); same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK Om 106 • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Izki, Jarnan Cave; 22.924° N, 57.764° E; 540 m a.s.l.; 24 Mar. 2017; B.A. Huber leg.; in cave and nearby overhangs; ZFMK Ar 22400.

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 5.5, carapace width 2.0. Distance PME–PME 110 µm; diameter PME 130 × 150 µm; distance PME–ALE 40 µm; diameter AME 100 µm; distance AME–AME 40 µm. Leg 1: 60.6 (17.9 + 0.8 + 15.1 + 23.6 + 3.2), tibia 2: 10.9, tibia 3: 7.6, tibia 4: 8.9; tibia 1 L/d: 66; femora 1–4 diameters: 0.33, 0.27, 0.24, 0.26.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace and clypeus ochre-yellow, anteriorly in median pit light brown; sternum dark brown with black radial marks; legs ochre-yellow, without darker rings, with many black lines on femora, few on tibiae, very few on metatarsi; abdomen ochre-gray, with dark marks dorsally, laterally, and posteriorly above spinnerets and with many whitish marks; ventrally with distinct black median band, partly disrupted, with three parallel longitudinal marks behind gonopore.

BODY. Habitus as in Fig. 391. Ocular area slightly raised. Deep thoracic pit and pair of furrows diverging from pit toward posterior margin. Clypeus unmodified, only rim slightly more sclerotized than in female. Sternum wider than long (1.2/0.9), unmodified. Abdomen slightly elongated, dorso-posteriorly angular. Gonopore with four epiandrous spigots (Fig. 420); ALS with one widened spigot and one pointed spigot, PMS with two pointed spigots (Fig. 424).

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 404–405, proximally with pair of pale frontal conical protrusions, distally with pair of lateral apophyses provided with one large modified cone-shaped hair each; distance between tips of modified hairs: 345 µm; lateral stridulatory ridges distinct (Fig. 421; distances between ridges proximally ~8 µm, distally ~6.5 µm), clearly visible in dissecting microscope.

PALPS. As in Figs 399–401; coxa with rounded retrolateral hump; trochanter barely modified; femur distally strongly widened, with rounded ventral protrusion, proximally with prolateral stridulatory pick, without 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. 426); procursus straight, proximal prolateral hump set with numerous long hairs, long dorsal hairs partly weakly curved upwards, procursus tip (Figs 402–403) with strong ventral sclerite and distinctive dorsal sclerite narrowing distally, with single hair-like process (arrow in Fig. 417); genital bulb (Figs 406–408, 418–419) with simple basal sclerite connected to distal (main) sclerite, sperm duct opening basally on prolateral side (arrow in Fig. 419); distal sclerite with sharp retrolateral ridge and single pointed prolateral tooth.

LEGS. Femur 1 with single row of ~40 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 except 2–3 at tip; tarsal organs capsulate, with round or slightly irregular rim (Figs 428–431).

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in 15 males (incl. holotype): 12.5–16.5 (mean 14.3). Smaller males with fewer spines on femur 1 (~30). Dark marks on abdomen always distinct but in variably ‘complete’ pattern.

Female

In general similar to male (Fig. 392) but without spines on legs; without stridulatory files on chelicerae (Fig. 422), corresponding hair on palpal femur only weakly modified (Fig. 423; slightly stronger than usual); with stridulatory organ consisting of pair of weakly sclerotized but distinct processes posteriorly on carapace and pair of indistinct light brown or non-darkened plates anteriorly on abdomen. Tibia 1 in 18 females: 11.9–15.3 (mean 13.1). Epigynum as in Figs 412 and 432, main epigynal plate short but wide trapezoidal, weakly protruding; with pair of shallow pockets (rather furrows) ~365 µm apart; internal sclerotized arc and median round structure visible in uncleared specimens; posterior plate short but wide. Internal genitalia (Figs 409–410, 413–415) with large oval pore plates converging anteriorly, dorsal arc strong but simple, ventral arc with median pouch or pocket of variable size and unknown function.

Natural history

This species was sometimes abundant in cavities in and under rocks, sometimes in very dry environments (e.g., the very shallow Jarnan Cave). In one particularly suitable habitat above Wadi Sahtan (a large rock suspended above a small stream) the density was extremely high: approximately 100 large specimens and many small specimens were estimated on a rock surface of approximately 2 m 2. At Al Ghubrat Cave, the spiders were only found at the cave entrance, while the interior of the cave was occupied by Artema ghubrat Huber, 2019.

Distribution

Known from several localities in north eastern Oman (Al Batinah South and Ad Dakhiliya Provinces) (Fig. 352).