Sarax ioanniticus (Kritscher, 1959) comb. nov.

Figs 135, 142–143; Table 9.

Lindosiella ioannitica Kritscher, 1959: 454–457, figs 1–4.

Lindosiella ioannitica – Kraus 1961: 491.

Charinus sp. – Rosin & Shulov 1960: 167–168, unnumbered fig.

Charinus ioanniticus – Weygoldt 1972b: 123, fig. 22c; 2002b: 469; 2005: 2–5, figs 1–6; 2006a: 246, fig. 12; 2007: 81–82. — Delle Cave 1986: 150–151, fig. II. — Kovařík & Vlasta 1996: 57–58. — El- Hennawy 2002: 452–453, figs 1–2. — Harvey 2003: 6. — Seyyar & Demir 2007: 109–111, figs 1–4. — Seiter & Hörweg 2013: 49–51, fig. 3. — Seiter & Wolff 2014: 233. — Torres-Contreras et al. 2015: 146, 148. — Blick & Seiter 2016: 586–588, figs 1–2, 6. — Teruel & Friedrich 2016: 22. — Miranda et al. 2016a: 31. — Agapakis & Miranda 2019: 13–15. — Shakhatreh et al. 2020: 35–37. — Colla et al. 2020: 642–645, 647, figs 1–3, 6–9. — Gainett et al. 2020: 4–5, 7, 10–13, figs 1b, 3.

Diagnosis

This species may be separated from other species of Sarax in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia by the following combination of characters: trichobothria bc and bf situated close to each other at the proximal end of the leg IV distitibia and sbf is situated about midway between these two trichobothria and the distal sc and sf series. It may be further distinguished from S. israelensis comb. nov. by the smaller number of ventral spines on the pedipalp patella.

Etymology

The species name is an adjective referring to the type locality, the Johanniter castle, built in Rhodos (Greece) in 1309 after the First Crusade.

Type material

Syntypes GREECE • 1 ♀; Island of Rhodos, Lindos, below castle; 15–16 Apr. 1959; E. Kritscher leg.; NHMW 19138 • 5 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; NHMW 19137 • 2 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; NHMW 1427 .

Additional material

GREECE • 2 ♀♀, 3 juv.; Rhodos, O. Bechtold leg.; MHNG • 1 ♀; Dodekanes, Rhodos, Rhodos City; Jun. 1978; N. Polemikos leg.; SMF 56704 • 6 ♀♀; Rhodos, Lindos, castle of Johannites [Monolithos]; 27 Apr. 1964; V. Helversen and H. Pieper leg.; in wall and rock fissures of substructure; SMF 17319 • 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; SMF 17392 • 6 ♀♀; Kos, bunker of castle; 30 Apr. 1965; H. Piepper leg.; SMF 17391 • 1 ♀; Rhodos, town of Lindos, Krichter leg., SMF 11895/1 • 7 ♀♀, 4 juv., 4 exuvia; under ancient city Rhódos; 3 Sep. 2003; P. and S. Weygoldt leg.; in subterranean tunnels; SMNS • 2 ♀♀; Rhodos; 3 Sep. 2003; P. and S. Weygoldt leg.; in subterranean tunnels under ancient city; AMCC [LP 2843] .

ISRAEL • 1 ♀; Carmel Ridge, Haifa; 32°47′47.50″ N, 35°00′59.47″ E; 24 Jun. 2014; G. Wizen leg.; HUJ INV AMB 100 • 1 ♀; Haruba cave; 9Mar.2014; Aharon and Gavish-Regev leg.; HUJ INV AMB 119 • Khirbet Roma, near Rumana, Beit Netofa Lower Galilee; 32°47′20.39″ N, 35°17′35.18″ E; 178 m a.s.l.; 21 Mar. 2015; O. Segev leg.; HUJ INV AMB 120 • 1 ♀; Jerusalem, Rosin leg.; 4 May 1960; SMF 12126/1 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; SMF 12127/1 .

TURKEY • 2 ♂♂; Iskenderun, Çevlik (Jeskyne); 36°07′ N, 35°55′ E; 3 Aug. 1998; Sobotnik leg.; MHNG • 1 ♂; Adana, 12 km N of Kozan; 300 m a.s.l.; 5 May 1967; C. Besuchet leg.; under rock; MHNG • 1 ♀; Yalan Dünya Cave, Beyrebucak Village, Gazipaşa District, Antalya Province; 36°13′16.92″ N, 32°24′4.43″ E; 5 Dec. 2013; K.B. Kunt and Y.M. Marusik leg.; ZMUC 2413 .

Description

CARAPACE. Six anterior setae (Fig. 142A); frontal process triangular (Fig. 142C). Small granules densely scattered between ocular triads and among sulci. Median eyes and median ocular tubercle reduced; pair of setae on median ocular tubercle; lateral eyes reduced, pale, with seta lateral to lateral ocular triad; lateral ocular triad situated near carapace margin.

STERNUM. Tritosternum projected anteriorly with typical setation, long, surpassing base of pedipalp coxae (Fig. 142B); other sternal platelets narrow and projected, with pair of setae anteriorly on plaque and some smaller setae posteriorly; pentasternum with posteromedial depression and four setae posteriorly.

OPISTHOSOMA. Ventral sacs present, withour ventral sac cover.

GENITALIA. Female genital operculum with short setae posteromedially; median region with setae; gonopod finger-like, unsclerotized basally. Male gonopod sclerotized dorsally and in distal part of fistula (difficult to interpret structures due to transparency of gonopod).

CHELICERAE. Acute projection on retrolateral surface of basal segment, opposite to bifid tooth; retrolateral surface of claw with row of setae basally to medially; claw with eight teeth; row of six setae on prolateral surface of basal segment; bifid tooth on basal segment with dorsal cusp smaller than ventral cusp.

PEDIPALPS. Coxae without seta encircled by round carina and with three setae on margin. Femur with five dorsal spines and five ventral spines (Fig. 142E–F); two prominent setiferous tubercles between first dorsal spine and proximal margin; setiferous tubercle between ventral spine 1 and proximal margin. Patella with five dorsal spines in primary series (Fig. 142E); two prominent setiferous tubercles distal to spine I; three or four ventral spines (Fig. 142F); small setiferous tubercle between spine I and distal margin. Tibia with ventral spine distally and two setae between spine and distal margin. Tarsus with two dorsal spines, distal spine long, about one-third length of tarsus, proximal spine one-third length of distal spine (Fig. 142D); cleaning organ with 25–28 setae in ventral row.

LEGS. Tibia of leg I with 21 articles; tarsus I with 37 articles; first tarsal article similar in length to second article. Leg IV basitibia with four pseudo-articles; trichobothrium bt situated in proximal third of pseudo-article; distitibia trichobothrium bc situated closer to bf than to s bf, sc and sf series each with five trichobothria.

Measurements

See Table 9.

Distribution

The extensive distribution of this species includes records from Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Israel, Italy and Turkey.

Natural history

This synanthropic species inhabits caves in disturbed areas. Its broad distribution may be associated with parthenogenetic reproduction (Fig. 143A–C).

Remarks

This species is closely related to S. israelensis comb. nov., which overlaps its distribution. It was originally described in the genus Lindosiella and is hereby transferred to Sarax based on the phylogenetic analyses of Miranda et al. (2021). The morphological characters that support its placement in Sarax include the lateral eyes situated near the lateral margin of the carapace, the presence of a seta lateral to the lateral ocular triad, and the finger-like female gonopod. See Miranda et al. (2016a) for more details about S. ioanniticus comb. nov.