Nemesia? macrocephala Ausserer, 1871

Zonstein, Sergei L., 2019, New data on the spider genus Nemesia in Algeria (Araneae: Nemesiidae), Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 49 (1), pp. 69-130 : 114-115

Nemesia? macrocephala Ausserer, 1871

( Figs 121–127)

Nemesia macrocephala Ausserer, 1871: 170 (♀); Reimoser 1919: 7; Fage 1917: 484; Roewer 1942: 182; Bonnet 1958: 3042; Baldacchino et al. 1993: 40, fig. 1a (♂); Le Peru 2011: 97, fig. 77 (♂ ♀); Decae 2012: 25, figs 2Fc, 5 (♂ ♀).

Description: Female ( Fig. 121): CL 6.0– 8.5 mm. Cephalothorax dorsally and ventrally as in Figs 122 and 124, respectively. Eye tubercle as in Fig. 123. Spermathecae skittle-shaped with swollen stalks and slightly oblate heads, their general shape rather variable ( Figs 125, 126). Spinnerets as in Fig. 127.

Male: Absent in the MNHN material from Algeria.

Material examined: Algeria: Bordj Bou Arréridj Province: 2♀, surroundings of Bordj Bou ArrÉridj (“ Bordj Bouazzerij ”, as labelled; 36°04′N 4°46′E), no date, collector’s name uncertain, possiblY Laporte (noted as “ Laparte ”; MNHN 4853/AR4432) ; Blida Province: 2♀, Chiffa (labelled as ” La Chiffa ”; 36°28′N 2°45′E), iv.1882, E. Simon (MNHN 12671/AR4428) ; Constantine Province: 1♀, surroundings of Constantine (36°21′N 6°36′E), no other data (MNHN 11872/AR4480) .

Distribution: Nemesia macrocephala has been recorded for Malta and Sicily, Italy ( WSC 2019); the possible current record for Algeria should be considered as highly questionable.

Notes: The characters of the considered females and their relevance to those of N. macrocephala are dealt with in the Discussion.