Nemesia? meridionalis (Costa, 1835)

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 : 115-117

Nemesia? meridionalis (Costa, 1835)

( Figs 128–134)

Mygale meridionalis Costa, 1835: 122 (♀).

Nemesia badia Ausserer, 1871: 169 (♀); Reimoser 1919: 6; Roewer 1942: 179; Bonnet 1958: 3036; Decae 2012: 25, fig. 1Ce (♂). First sYnonYmized with N. meridionalis by Pérez de San RomÁn Y Ruiz de ZÁrate 1947: 419.

Nemesia meridionalis : Simon 1873: 21; Reimoser 1919: 7; Frade & Bacelar 1931 b: 228; Roewer 1942: 182; PÉrez de San RomÁn Y Ruiz de ZÁrate 1947: 419; Bonnet 1958: 3042; Le Peru 2011: 98, fig. 80 (♀); Isaia & Decae 2012: 281, figs 1–10 (♂ ♀); Decae 2012: 25, figs 2Db, 5 (♂ ♀).

Leptopelma meridionalis : Ausserer 1875: 168.

Description: Female ( Fig. 128): CL 5.5–8.0 mm. Cephalothorax dorsally and ventrally as in Figs 129 and 131, respectively. Eye tubercle as in Fig. 130. Spermathecae tapered, with basally straight, medially bent, and subapically twisted stalks, and noticeably dilated heads ( Figs 132, 133). Spinnerets as in Fig. 134.

Male: Absent in the MNHN material from Algeria.

Material examined: Algeria: Blida Province: 3♀, Chiffa (labelled as ” La Chiffa ”; 36°28′N 2°45′E), iv.1882, E. Simon (MNHN 12671/AR4428) ; Constantine Province: 8♀, surroundings of Constantine (36°21′N 6°36′E), no other data (MNHN 2168/AR4442) ; 3♀, same localitY, no other data (MNHN 11872/AR4480); 2♀, same localitY, no other data (MNHN 9965/AR4437); 5♀, same province (?), Souk el Harras? (labelled as ” Souk Harras ”, may also correspond to the neighbouring Souk Ahras), coll. Ler, no other data (MNHN 385/AR4477) .

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

Note: The characters of the considered females and their relevance to those of N. meridionalis are covered in the Discussion.