Serket (2002) vol. 8(2): 57-72. Revision of the North African spider genus Dorceus C.L.Koch, 1846 (Araneida: Eresidae) Hisham K. El-Hennawy 41, El-Manteqa El-Rabia St., Heliopolis, Cairo 11341, Egypt Abstract The eresid genus Dorceus is revised and five species from North and West Africa are recognized and distinguished in a key. All the existing type specimens were examined and all species are redescribed. Scanning electron microscopy was used in the examination ofmale palps. A distribution map for each species is provided based on verified literature distribution records. The transfer of Eresus albopictus to Dorceus is rejected. New synonyms are: D. caniceps Simon, 1910 = D. fastuosus C.L.Koch, 1846; D. eburneus (Simon, 1876) = D. latifrons Simon, 1873. Keywords: Eresidae, Dorceus, North Africa, Taxonomy, Spiders. Introduction Dorceus C.L.Koch, 1846 is the second described genus after Eresus Walckenaer, 1805 in the history of family Eresidae C.L.Koch, 1851. The family currently includes 10 genera, 103 species, and 7 subspecies which are distributed throughout the Ethiopian, Mediterranean, Oriental, and Palaearctic regions as well as Brazil (Platnick, 2002). Dorceus was first described by Koch (1846) to accommodate D.fastuosus. He described a male from Senegal and provided a beautiful drawing for it. After 27 years, Simon (1 873a) described a second species, D. latifrons, based on a dry female specimen from Algeria. At the same time, he described two Eresus species from Sicily and Algeria under the names E. albopictus and E. lucasi respectively. The second species was later synonymized by Roewer (1954) with the first one and transferred by Lehtinen (1967) to genus Dorceus. Simon described the remaining species of Dorceus between 1876-1910. Species recognition was mainly based on colour patterns, a character found to be variable amongst the eresids (KuUmann et al., 1972). Simon (1910) provided a key to the males of Dorceus, separating them into two groups based on the colour pattern on the cephalic part ofthe cephalothorax. He could not find enough material to study and separate the females too. Roewer (1954) listed 8 species ofDorceus: 6 from the Palaearctic region and 2 from the Ethiopian region. This was confirmed by Platnick (2002) who also listed 8 species from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, West Africa, Senegal, and Egypt. Lehtinen (1967) provided two drawings ofmale palpal organs ofD. eburneus Simon, 1876 and an undescribed species from Central Africa. The most recent information on Dorceus was provided by El-Hennawy (1998), with the redescription of the male of D. quadrispilotus Simon, 1908 from Egypt. Near the end of the second millennium, some eresid genera were revised: Stegodyphus Simon, 1873 by Kraus & Kiaus (1988), Penestomus Simon, 1902, Wajane Lehtinen, 1967 and Seothyra Purcell, 1903 by Dippenaar-Schoeman (1989 & 1990). Dorceus with its few species deserves revision. Methods The type material of the known species were examined. The right palp of a male of each species was photographed and examined by scanning electron microscope (Jeol JSM-5400). The abdominal patterns of males were drawn. Epigyna and vulvae of the three known female specimens were examined and photographed. Measurements ofthe different species were taken in millimetres for comparison. The distribution of Dorceus species was summarized from the literature. The names and coordinates of geographical localities were verified using the Royal Military College Atlas (Anon, 1928), The Arab Atlas (Anon, 1968), Nordafrika map (Anon, 1983), and National Geographic Society's Atlas of the World (Anon, 1996) and plotted on a map. Abbreviations used: ALE = anterior lateral eye; AME = anterior median eye; L = length; LOQ = lateral ocular quadrangle; MOQ = median ocular quadrangle; PLE W = posterior lateral eye; PME = posterior median eye; TL = total length; = width. Material from the following collections were examined: CHE - H.K.El- Hennawy private collection, Cairo, Egypt; MPTNG = Museum d'histoire naturelle, Geneve, Switzerland; MNHN = Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; OMNH = Oxford University Museum of Natural History; ZMHB = Museum fiir Naturkunde, Zentralinstitut der Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Germany. There is no collected material of genus Dorceus in the following museums, which answered my inquiries: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Dr. Jurgen Gruber); The Natural History Museum, London (Dr. Janet Beccaloni); American Museum of Natural History (Dr. Norman I. Platnick). The internet search facilitated but yielded the same result with the following museums: Institut royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique; National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; Staatliches Museum fiir Naturkunde Karlsruhe; Zoological Museum, University ofCopenhagen. Systematics Genus Z)<?/'c^M5 C.L.Koch, 1846 Dorceusfastuosus C.h.Y^ooh, 1846: 15-16. Dorceus C.LKoch, 1850: 70. Simon, 1864: 300; 1892: 254; 1910: 290. Lehtinen, 1967: 231, 389. El-Hennawy, 1998: 97. 58 Type species: Dorceusfastuosus C.L.Koch, 1846. By monotypy. Diagnosis: Dorceus and the closely related Seothyra can be distinguished from other eresid genera by their short posterior spinnerets which are half the length of the anterior ones and the cylindrical, widely spaced anterior spinnerets which are strongly conical in other genera. The two genera differ mainly in the shape of the cephalothorax where the cephalic part is nearly as long as wide in Seothyra, and reverse trapezoidal in Dorceus; the size ofthe eyes are equal or subequal in Seothyra, PME while the are larger than the rest in Dorceus; the development ofthe front legs which are usually thicker than the others, especially in males o\Seothyra compared to Dorceus where almost all the legs are of equal thickness (Simon, 1903; Lehtinen, 1967; Dippenaar-Schoeman, 1990). Description: Total length (in mm): Male: 5-14, Female: 12-13. Cephalothorax: Cephalic part: wider than long, higher than thoracic part; posterior edge semi-circular PME in shape, abruptly inclined towards thoracic part. Eyes: largest; other eyes PME AME AME subequal or equal in size; less than 1.5 times (1.18-1.43); widely MOQ separated in females, and narrower in most males; wide trapezoidal, narrower anteriorly, sometimes slightly protruding forwards; lateral eye area reverse trapezoidal slightly wider anteriorly; ALE directed laterally and downwards. Clypeus: very narrow, sometimes with a small lip-like protrusion between chelicerae. Thoracic part: almost flat, slightly inclined posterior to cephalic part; fovea vary from small and circular, to wide and deep, situated just behind incline of cephalic part. Chelicerae: with big tooth on inner edge fitting against fang; with strong boss. Male palp: without tibial or patellar apophyses; female palp with toothed claw. Abdomen: oval, overlapping cephalothorax; variable abdominal pattem present only in males. Spinnerets: anterior spinnerets thick, cylindrical, widely spaced; posterior spinnerets flattened, very short, halfthe length ofthe anterior ones; median spinnerets smallest, quite vestigial. Cribellum: bipartite. Leg formula IV-I-II-IIl; Leg I L : Cephalothorax L 2-2.7 in males, 1.4-1.8 in females; leg spination: spines usually ventral on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi I-IV in males and III, IV in females; tarsi with three claws, two uniserrated and one smooth; in males, legs covered by orange, brown, black and white patches; calamistrum absent from metatarsus IV ofmales. Distribution: The distribution ofDorceus species is confined to the range: 29°17'E- 17°00'W, 14°40'N-35°21'N, from North Africa and Senegal (Fig. 31). Habitat: The habitat ofDorceus ranges from relatively humid regions near sea level on the Mediterranean or Atlantic coast to coastal desert regions, at most 220 km from the coast. Key to Dorceus species Males 1. Cephalic part covered by black hairs except for two white spots on anterior third and two smaller spots just before PLE. Tibiae I, II without ventral spines. Abdomen dorsally covered by black hairs, except for "African mask" abdominal pattem (Fig. 5). Palp with terminal element of conductor screw-shaped, with two projections seen together from ventral side (Fig. 26). Egypt D. quadrispilotus -. Cephalic part covered by white hairs. Tibiae I, II with ventral spines 2 2. Cephalic part covered by white hairs except a triangle-shaped pattem with its base between the PLE and its apex just behind the MOQ, as well as anterior and lateral edges, covered by brown hairs. Integument yellow. Abdomen dorsally covered by 59 . Figures 1-2. Habitus oftwo Dorceus holotypes. 1. D.fastuosus S- 2. D. latifrons Figures 3-8. Abdominal patterns ofDorceus males. 3,4. D.fastuosus (4. Type of D. viberti); 5. D. quadrispilotus; 6-7. D. latifrons; 8. D. trianguliceps 60 ) brown hairs, except two white areas on both sides (Fig. 8). Palp with terminal element ofconductor L-shaped retrolaterally (Fig. 28). Tunisia D. trianguliceps -. Cephalic part without triangle-shaped area. Integument crimson red 3 3. Abdomen with brown median pattern (Figs. 3, 4) in form ofa plant leaf(or a spade card) with two continuous lobes. Palp with terminal element of conductor hook- shaped retrolaterally (Figs. 16, 19). Senegal, Tunisia D.fastuosus -. Abdomen with a pattern consisting ofspots, six arranged in three pairs, preceded by a few anteriorly and smaller scattered spots, all covered by brown hairs (Figs. 6, 7). Palp with terminal element of conductor divided (Fig. 22). Algeria, Tunisia d. latifrons Note: D. albolunulatus male is not included in the key. It is only known from original description which is not sufficient. Females: Only the female ofD. latifrons is known. Description ofDorceus Species Dorceus albolunulatus (Simon, 1876) (Fig. 31) Eresus albolunulatus Simon, 1876: 86. Dorceus albolunulatus Simon, 1910: 293. Note: The original description of this species was based on a female specimen (Simon, 1876). However a modification of the description was published by Simon (1910), and the holotype was then identified as a male Dorceus specimen. The description corresponds with that of a male having the typical abdominal pattern found in Dorceus. Unfortunately, the tube no.1825 holding the type material from NE MNHN Algeria, requested from was found empty. Therefore, only the description of Simon is available here for comparison with other species. Description: Male (based on description of Simon (1910): TL 6 mm. Cephalothorax black, bearing grey bristles dorsally and whitish hairs posteriorly; cephalic part low, wider than long, posteriorly slightly inclined; median eyes unequal, arranged in transverse trapezium. Abdomen black, with white transverse strongly curved band anteriorly, and similar band posteriorly but curved in opposite direction; medially with two white indentations disposed between bands. Legs short, femora entirely black, patellae and tibiae tawny, metatarsi and tarsi yellowish red, with scattered white hair. Distribution: Algeria (Type locality): Biskra 34°51'N 05°44'E, about 220 km from seacoast (altitude 121 m), (Taczanowski) (examined by Simon, 1876, 1910) (Fig. 31). Dorceusfastuosus C.L.Koch, 1846 (Type species) (Figs. 1, 3-4, 11,15-20, 30-31. Table 1 Dorceusfastuosus C.L.Yioch, 1846: 15-16, pl.435, fig.1088; 1850: 70. Simon, 1886: 366; 1892: 254. Erythrophorafastuosus Simon, 1864: 300. NEW SYNONYMY. Dorceus caniceps Simon, 1910: 291. Dorceus viberti Simon, 1910: 292. Lehtinen, 1967: 231 (synonym). 61 Dorceus canicipiti Simon, 1910: 294. Roewer, 1954: 1291. NEW SYNONYMY. Material examined: ZMHB: Dorceusfastuosus, Holotype S, Senegal, Mian, Kat.- Nr. 1527. MNHN: Dorceus fastuosus C.L.Koch, tube no.l237 (AR5405) 3 S from Senegal: Dakar; D. viberti E.Simon, tube no.9126 (AR5404) 1 c?, 1 ? from Tunisia: Nefzana (Vibert) (may be Nefza ?)[$ Misidentified]. OMNH: 1 S Dorceusfastuosus B.510, Algeria, Lord Walsingham 1903. Note: The holotype (Fig. 1) is a dry pinned specimen. Therefore, the measurements of MNHN the biggest specimen of 3 (5^ of were taken. The description is a combination ofthis specimen and the holotype. Description: Male (MNHN): TL 7.82. Cephalothorax: L 4.14. Cephalic part: L 2.76, W 3.18. Integument crimson red, covered by short white hairs; posterior and lateral edges very dark, covered by yellowish hairs. Eye measurements: AME 0.14, ALE 0.14, PME 0.17, PLE 0.12, AM-AM 0.12, AL-AL 2.31, PM-PM 0.37, PL-PL 1.94, W AM-AL 0.99, AM-PM 0.03. Thoracic part: L 1.38, 3.07. Colour as in cephalic part. Fovea wide. Chelicerae: crimson red, covered by dense white and yellowish white hairs anteriorly, nearly bare posteriorly in parts adjacent to labium and maxillae; internal side black. Sternum L 2.23; yellowish brown, covered by sparse white to yellowish white hairs. Labium L 0.85, Maxilla L 1.27; reddish brown, covered by sparse white to yellowish white hairs; their tips white. Pedipalps: tibia ventrally covered by long white hairs; other segments covered by pale brown hairs. Palpal organ (Figs. 11, 15-17fastuosus; 18-20 viberti): terminal element ofconductor is hook-shaped retrolaterally (Figs. 16, 19). Legs: yellowish brown, covered by white and brown hairs. Coxae: yellowish brown, covered sparingly by white to yellowish white hairs. Femora: proximal 1/3-1/2 white, distal 2/3-1/2 brown; Patellae and tarsi white; Tibiae brown; Metatarsi: I, II proximal 2/3 white, distal 1/3 brown, II, IV all white. Tarsi: tip flattened; with a claw tuft. Spination pattern: only ventral on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi I-IV. Leg I: tibia 0-0-2; metatarsus 0-0-1-4; tarsus 0-1-1-3. Leg II: tibia 0-0-2-0(2); metatarsus 0-l(2)-4-4; tarsus 0-4-4. Leg III: tibia 0-1-2-3; metatarsus 0-4-2-7(6); tarsus 0-3-6. Leg IV: tibia 0-2(0)-3(l)-5(4); metatarsus 0-3-4-3-3-3-7; tarsus 0-1-3-4-7. Table 1. Leg measurements ofDorceusfastuosus male. Leg I II III IV Femur 2.55 2.45 2.04 2.89 Patella 1.53 1.19 1.19 1.50 Tibia 1.60 1.53 1.19 1.90 Metatarsus 1.53 1.39 1.36 1.84 Tarsus 1.19 1.09 0.78 0.99 Total length 8.40 7.65 6.56 9.12 Abdomen: L 4.61; whole dorsal area covered by thick white hairs, medially with brown abdominal pattern (Fig. 3) in form of a plant leaf (or a spade card), with two continuous lobes, posterior lobe smaller with slim base; the partem covers muscle attachment points; outer border ofabdomen covered by brown hairs except vicinity of spinnerets covered by white and yellow hairs; ventmm covered by brown hairs, except for creamy white area above the book-lungs and posterior of genital fiirrow; cribellum: small, bipartite. [Note. The abdominal pattem variable: circular in the holotype, maybe due to dryness (Fig. 1), and it varies too in the D. viberti type (Fig. 4).] 62 9 10 Figures 9-10. Epigynum (9) and vulvae, dorsal view (10) ofDorceus latifrons $. (A specimen formerly considered D. eburneus). 13 14 Figures 11-14. Palpal organs ofDorceus males, prolateral view. W. D.fastuosus; 12. D. latifrons; 13. D. quadrispilotus; 14. D. trianguliceps. Measurements of the holotype (ZMUB) and the two other male D. fastuosus and male D. viberti (MNHN) specimens: TL 5.1, 7.14, 6.80, 8.85; cephalic area L 2.21, W 1.70, 2.89, 2.81, 2.47, 2.81, 3.23, 3.29; abdomen L 2.21, 3.40, 3.40, 5.03. Female: unknown. 63 Distribution: Senegal: Dakar 14°40'N 17°00'W, on Atlantic ocean coast (Simon, 1886, 1910). Tunisia: Dorceus viberti, Nefzaua (Vibert) (Simon, 1910), may be Nefza (Djebel Abiod) 37°00'N 09°03'E, about 15 km from seacoast (Fig. 31). Notes: 1. Simon (1886) described D. fastuosus specimens from Senegal. Simon (1910: p.291 note) indicated them to be misidentified and renamed them as D. caniceps, which was mentioned in p.294 as D. canicipiti. Those three specimens were examined here (MNHN) and synonymized with D. fastuosus. No specimens carrying MNHN the name D. caniceps or D. canicipiti were found in the collection. 2. The male Dorceusfastuosus B.510, Algeria, Lord Walsingham 1903 (OMNH) does not belong to genus Dorceus. It is an Eresus species. The ratio between length and width ofcephalic part and width ofthoracic part (Fig. 30) elucidates this. It is obvious in this figure that the specimen of Oxford is different from other Dorceus males. It was misidentified. Dorceus latifrons Simon, 1873 (Figs. 2, 6-7, 9-10, 12, 21-23, 30-31. Tables 2-3) Dorceus latifrons Simon, 1873a: 160-161, pl.3, figs.26-27; 1910: 294. Eresus eburneus Simon, 1876: 86. NEW SYNONYMY. Dorceus eburneus Simon, 1885: 20-21; 1892: 249, fig.205; 1910: 292. Lehtinen, NEW SYNONYMY. 1967: 461, fig.464. Material examined: MNHN: Dorceus latifrons, tube no.1826 (AR5400) 1 $ from Algeria; Dorceus eburneus, tube no.1209 (AR5402) 6 6^, 1 9, 1 s Tunisia: Beni Saudu ? (Algeria: Bou Saada). D. viberti, tube no.9126 (AR5404) 1 $ from Tunisia: Nefzana (Vibert) (may be Nefza ?). MHNG: Dorceus eburneus 1 S, Tunisie, coll. H. de Saussure. Note: The holotype (Fig. 2) is a dry pinned specimen. Therefore, the measurements of MNHN the female and the biggest male specimens of were taken. The description is a combination between these specimens and the holotype. Description: Female (MNHN tube no. 1209 (AR 5402)): TL 12.92. Integument: & cephalic part, metatarsi tarsi I, II, palps and chelicerae reddish brown; anterior edge of cephalothorax dark; thoracic part and legs orange brown; labium, maxillae, W stemum and coxae lighter than legs. Cephalothorax: L 5.95. Cephalic part: L 3.57, MOQ AME 4.50; rectangular. slightly protruding forwards. Eye measurements: 0.13, ALE 0.13, PME 0.18, PLE 0.14, AM-AM 0.21, AL-AL 3.23, PM-PM 0.56, PL-PL W 3.18, AM-AL 1.43, AM-PM 0.08. Thoracic part: L 2.38, 4.25. Fovea small. Chelicerae: with big tooth (cusp) intemally; tooth with three black denticles on the side facing the fang. Stemum L 3.34; Labium L 1.17; Maxilla L 1.80, maxillae covered by dense brownish hairs. Pedipalps with stiff bristles, ventrally on tarsus, prolaterally on metatarsus and tarsus (longer setae). Legs without scopula; with long bristles concealing claws. Metatarsus IV with calamistrum, of a single row of short bristles situated about 2/3 on segment retrolaterally. Tarsi: tip thickened, laterally pressed; with weak scopula. Spination pattern: only ventral on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi III, IV. Leg III: tibia 0-0-2distal; metatarsus 0-2,1-4; tarsus 0-1-4. Leg IV: tibia 0-0-1pro, distal; metatarsus 0-2,3,3-2,5 mostly prolateral; tarsus 0-1,3,3-1,4 (left metatarsus 321225; tarsus 0-214). 64 Table 2. Leg measurements ofDorceus latifrons female. Leg I II III T1VV Femur 3.31 3.06 2.46 J.to Patella 1.70 1.78 1 19 9 04 Tibia 1.78 1.61 1.19 2.29 Metatarsus 2.04 1.70 1.19 2.04 Tarsus 1.36 1.19 0.59 0.93 Total length 10.19 9.34 6.62 10.78 Abdomen: L 8.26; creamy white (above and below); covered by short dense creamy white hairs. Abdominal pattern absent. Cribellum: small bipartite (larger than in male). Among Genitalia: the three female specimens examined, the holotype D. latifrons, a dry pinned specimen was impossible to examine. The epigynum was removed and cleared. It was compared with that of the two other females which were formerly considered D. ebumeus and D. viberti and found to be identical (Figs. 9-10). Hence, D. ebumeus is here regarded as a junior synonym with D. latifrons. The female D. viberti (MNHN, tube no.9126 (AR5404)) is here identified as D. latifrons. It may be misplaced in the vial ofthe male D. viberti but does not belong to its species. Measurements of the female holotype D. latifrons, female D. viberti and subadult female D. eburneus (MNPIN): TL 11.56, 12.24, 10.2; cephalic area L 4.5, 3.74, 3.57, W 5.95, 4.42, 4.34; abdomen L 6.8, 8.24, 6.63. Male (MNHN tube no. 1209 (AR 5402)): TL 14.06. Cephalothorax: L 5.41; integument crimson red; covered by white hairs mixed with pale brown hairs. L W MOQ Cephalic part: 3.71, 4.77. slightly protruding forwards. Clypeus: with a protrusion between chelicerae. Eye measurements: AME 0.14, ALE 0.12, PME 0.19, PLE 0.17, AM-AM 0.20, AL-AL 3.92, PM-PM 0.58, PL-PL 3.39, AM-AL 1.64, AM- PM 0.07. Thoracic part: L 1.70, W 3.99. Fovea circular. Chelicerae: crimson red, covered by long brown hairs anteriorly. Sternum L 6.93; Labium L 1.06; Maxilla L 1.80; sternum, coxae and pedipalps orange to brown; maxillae and labium strawberry red; all covered by pale brown hairs. Pedipalps: covered by long brown hairs. Palpal organ (Figs. 12, 21-23): with conductor terminally divided (Fig. 22). Legs: orange to brown, covered by pale brown hairs except: distal border of femur, distal half of patella, distal third oftibia and metatarsus, proximal third oftarsus covered by white hairs (less distinct on legs III, IV); both sides of metatarsus I covered by white hairs. Spination pattern: only ventral on tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi I-IV (numerous). Leg I: tibia 0-0-6distal; metatarsus 2-1,1,1-5; tarsus 2-2-1,2. Leg II: tibia 2,2,3-2-7; metatarsus 5-3-4-4-4-6; tarsus 5-4-6. Leg III: tibia 3-2-2-7distal; metatarsus 4-6-4-10; tarsus 3-4-3-4-5. Leg IV: tibia 3-3-3-4-3-1 1; metatarsus 50+6 distal; tarsus 3,4-4-4-6. Table 3. Leg measurements ofDorceus latifrons male. Leg I II in IV Femur 3.97 3.71 3.44 4.03 Patella 1.96 1.70 1.43 2.01 Tibia 2.28 1.96 1.59 2.65 Metatarsus 2.38 2.01 1.70 2.65 Tarsus 1.48 1.27 0.95 1.22 Total length 12.07 10.65 9.11 12.56 65 Prolateral Retrolateral Ventral SEM Figures 15-29. of palpal organs of Dorceus males, prolateral, retrolateral and ventral views. 15-20. D. fastuosus (18-20. Type of D. viberti); 2\-23. D. latifrons; 24-26. D. quadrispilotus; 27-29. D. trianguliceps. 66