Synagapetus vettonicus Martinez & Gonzalez, sp. n.

Synagapetus vettonicus Martínez & González, sp. n.

(Figs. 1–4).

Type material. Spain. Holotype: 1 male. El Castañarejo, Candelario (Salamanca, Castilla y León), road from Candelario to Navacarros, río del Barquillo, 20-vii-2010, Sierra de Candelario, 1120 m, 40º22´25.01´´N, 0 5º43´55.25´´W. Paratypes: same date and locality as holotype, 3 males. All specimens (leg. J. Martínez & M. González) were collected with light traps and preserved in 70% ethanol; they are deposited in the M. A. González collection (Department of Zoology, University of Santiago de Compostela); we note here that formal arrangements have been made for the eventual deposit of these types in this collection.

Description of the male. Adult (in alcohol) general colour including legs and antennae, pale yellowish brown; length of each forewing: 4.5–4.8 (n=3). Tibial spur formula: 2,4,4. Distomedial processus of abdominal sternite VI largely subtriangular.

Male genitalia (Figs. 1–4). Segment X, in lateral view, relatively narrow, wider ventrally than dorsally, with its anterior margin clearly sinuous. Segment X long, straight and devoid of conspicuous lateral thorns. Superior appendages (cerci), in lateral view, very long, nearly half as long as inferior appendages, with sinuous margins and tapering to t h e i r apices; in dorsal view thin and slightly divergent, extending about half length of segment X. Inferior appendages (gonopods), in lateral view, with subrectangular appearance, slightly longer than segment X; slightly turned upward at middle, ending in clearly rounded apex. In ventral view, outer margins of inferior appendages almost parallel except distal one-third clearly in-turned and obliquely truncated at apices. Inner faces of inferior appendages each covered by up to 10 black spines (eight in the holotype), inserted only in its distal one-third. Phallic complex typical for genus, with pair of spines running just below typical Y-shaped sclerite; aedeagus dilated at apex, with medial incision forming pair of small rounded lobes.

Female: unknown.

Etymology. Referring to the “vettones,” ancient pre-Roman inhabitants from the central- occidental area of the Iberian Peninsula, the region where the modern Spanish province of Salamanca (where this species was collected) is today.

Discussion. Synagapetus vettonicus n. sp. shares with S. marlierorum and S. placidus, a remarkable resemblance of their inferior appendages in lateral view (Figs. 1, 9, 11). Nevertheless, when they are viewed ventrally (Figs. 3, 10, 12) we see some minor but clear differences: their margins are practically straight in S. placidus, strongly convergent in their distal half in S. marlierorum, and only slightly convergent at its apical third in the new species. There are also some clear differences in the number and disposition of the black spines inserted in their inner faces: In the new species they are less numerous and are restricted exclusively to the distal one-third (they are arranged along the distal two-thirds in S. marlierorum and S. placidus). Furthermore, S. vettonicus differs clearly from the latter two species by the shape of their superior appendages, which are much longer in lateral view (Fig. 1), similar in form and size, to those of S. diversus (Fig. 7).

Notes on distribution. This genus is currently widely distributed in the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula (González et al. 1992) (Fig. 19). The fact that there are no records in the area occupied by the remains of the ancient Betic plate or in North Africa (González et al. 1992; Tobias & Tobias 2008) is undoubtedly the result of historical factors mainly (see Martínez 2014). All Iberian species are endemic, with areas of distribution usually rather limited: S. basagureni, S. diversus, S. lusitanicus, S. marlierorum and S. vettonicus n. sp. are Hesperian endemics (distributed in the area occupied by the remains of the ancient Hesperian plate) and S. insons, S. placidus and S. serotinus are strictly endemic to the Pyrenean plate. Apparently, the three Pyrenean species are allopatric, but the four Hesperian species are commonly sympatric. So, S. lusitanicus and S. marlierorum a r e species exhibiting broader areas of distribution, often cohabiting in many localities of Galicia and northern Portugal. It is interesting to note also that the new species was captured at the type locality along with a male of S. marlierorum.