The high complexity of Micronetinae Hull, 1920 (Araneae, Linyphiidae) evidenced through ten new cave-dweller species from the Morocco

Abstract

The Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona is the repository of a set of samples of spiders captured during a prolonged period of time in various caves of the Moroccan Atlas. Seventeen species of Lepthyphantes Menge, 1866 “sensu lato” were found within this material, ten of them new to science: Lepthyphantes almoravidus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes biospeleologorum Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes fadriquei Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes imazigheni Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes lamellatus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes leknizii Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes sasi Barrientos n. sp., Palliduphantes banderolatus Barrientos n. sp. and Palliduphantes megascapus Barrientos n. sp. We offer the description of the aforementioned species, as well as the description of the unknown male of Lepthyphantes taza Tanasevitch, 2014. We also discuss the affinities found between these and other related Mediterranean species, as well as their possible location within the Micronetinae genera currently described. Key words: Lepthyphantes, Palliduphantes, North of Africa, Atlas Mountains, troglobic fauna,new species.

The Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona is the repository of a set of samples of spiders captured during a prolonged period of time in various caves of the Moroccan Atlas. Seventeen species of Lepthyphantes Menge, 1866 “sensu lato” were found within this material, ten of them new to science: Lepthyphantes almoravidus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes biospeleologorum Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes fadriquei Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes imazigheni Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes lamellatus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes leknizii Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes sasi Barrientos n. sp., Palliduphantes banderolatus Barrientos n. sp. and Palliduphantes megascapus Barrientos n. sp. We offer the description of the aforementioned species, as well as the description of the unknown male of Lepthyphantes taza Tanasevitch, 2014. We also discuss the affinities found between these and other related Mediterranean species, as well as their possible location within the Micronetinae genera currently described. Key words: Lepthyphantes, Palliduphantes, North of Africa, Atlas Mountains, troglobic fauna,new species.

The Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona is the repository of a set of samples of spiders captured during a prolonged period of time in various caves of the Moroccan Atlas. Seventeen species of Lepthyphantes Menge, 1866 “sensu lato” were found within this material, ten of them new to science: Lepthyphantes almoravidus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes biospeleologorum Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes ensiferus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes fadriquei Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes imazigheni Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes lamellatus Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes leknizii Barrientos n. sp., Lepthyphantes sasi Barrientos n. sp., Palliduphantes banderolatus Barrientos n. sp. and Palliduphantes megascapus Barrientos n. sp. We offer the description of the aforementioned species, as well as the description of the unknown male of Lepthyphantes taza Tanasevitch, 2014. We also discuss the affinities found between these and other related Mediterranean species, as well as their possible location within the Micronetinae genera currently described. Key words: Lepthyphantes, Palliduphantes, North of Africa, Atlas Mountains, troglobic fauna,new species.