Contribution to the knowledge of the spider fauna of Morocco (Arachnida: Araneae) – Third note. On sixteen new species, and noteworthy records.
Abstract
Abstract. We present the latest results of our studies on spiders in Morocco, based on material sampled between 2021 and 2025. A total of eight caves were surveyed in the Tazekka NP and the Beni Snassen massif. Several other habitats were also surveyed (e.g., coastal habitats, mixed forests, arid stony grasslands, shrubby slopes, lapiaz, etc.). In total, 40 species belonging to 10 families were recorded. Sixteen species are described as new to science: Agelescape atlas Lecigne sp. nov.; Berlandina campestris Lecigne & Moutaouakil sp. nov.; Dysdera asaahil Lecigne sp. nov.; D. sidimaafa Lecigne sp. nov.; Gorbiscape dayetchiker Lecigne sp. nov.; G. hichamelguerrouji Lecigne sp. nov.; G. littoralis Lecigne sp. nov.; Nomisia tazekka Lecigne sp. nov.; Oecobius diafa Lecigne & Lips sp. nov.; O. tiznit Lecigne sp. nov.; Scotophaeus amicitiae Lecigne, Moutaouakil & Lips sp. nov.; Zelotes pax Lecigne & Moutaouakil sp. nov.; Z. rex Lecigne sp. nov.; Z. subcallidus Lecigne sp. nov.; two of which may be considered troglophile, i.e., Lycosoides jlida Lecigne sp. nov. or troglobitic, i.e., Lepthyphantes s. lat. ntafaghi Lecigne sp. nov. The males of Diplocephalus bosmansi Lecigne, 2025 and Lepthyphantes noeli Barrientos & Brañas, 2024 are described for the first time. The findings of several other species are noteworthy (either endemic or recently described species, but also species with a poorly known taxonomy, ecology or distribution) and hence represent important records for specific knowledge, both at national and local scales, e.g., Gorbiscape amazighus, Zamani & Marusik 2025; Liocranum atlasicum Zamani & Marusik, 2025; Mogrus sahariensis Berland & Millot, 1941; Pecado impudicus (Denis, 1945) or Zodarion maghrebense Bosmans & Benhalima, 2020. It was found that Tetragnatha nitens (Audouin, 1826) (Lecigne et al. 2025: 146, fig. 90c–e) was misidentified and this record refers to Tetragnatha bogotensis Keyserling, 1865. The species is new to Morocco. Zodarion camillae Lecigne, 2025 was transferred to Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966 and a new combination was established: A. camillae (Lecigne, 2025) comb. nov. Zelotes scrutatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) syn. nov. is synonymised with Zelotes erythrocephalus (Lucas, 1846).
References
Almquist S. 2007. Swedish Araneae, part 2 – families Dictynidae to Salticidae. Insect Systematics & Evolution, Supplement 63 (2006): 285–601. [publ. in 2007 per Jonsson, in litt.]
Arnedo M.A., Oromí P. & Ribera C. 2000. Systematics of the genus Dysdera (Araneae, Dysderidae) in the eastern Canary Islands. Journal of Arachnology 28 (3): 261–292. https://doi.org/10.1636/0161-8202(2000)028[0261:SOTGDA]2.0.CO;2
Azarkina G.N. & Logunov D.V. 2006. Taxonomic notes on nine Aelurillus species of the western Mediterranean (Araneae: Salticidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 13 (7): 233–248.
Barrientos J.A., Martínez-Devesa G., Hernández-Corral J. & Micó E. 2022. Arañas (Araneae) de las oquedades arbóreas del Parque Nacional de Cabañeros (Ciudad Real, España). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 40: 33–46.
Barrientos J.A., Fadrique F., Brañas N., Gerace V. & Mederos J. 2024. Lepthyphantes younnesi sp. nov. y Lepthyphantes noeli sp. nov. (Araneae, Linyphiidae), dos especies nuevas de Marruecos. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 44: 101–109.
Beladjal L., Bouseksou S., Kherbouche-Abrous O., Alioua Y. & Bosmans R. 2025. First exhaustive catalog of spiders of Algeria (Arachnida: Araneae). Zootaxa 5598: 1–185. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5598.1.1
Benhalima S. & Bosmans R. 2020. Revision of the genus Zodarion Walckenaer, 1833 (part IV). The species of Morocco (Araneae: Zodariidae). Zootaxa 4899 (1): 93–114. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4899.1.5
Benhalima S. & Bosmans R. 2024. First historical checklist of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) from Morocco, between 1840–2024. Zootaxa 5555: 407–435. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5555.3.5
Blauwe R. de 1980. Révision de la famille des Agelenidae (Araneae) de la région méditerranéenne (2ème partie). Bulletin de l’Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique 52 (1): 1–54.
Bosmans R. 2006a. Contribution to the knowledge of the Linyphiidae of the Maghreb. Part X. New data on Lepthyphantes Menge (sensu lato) species (Araneae: Linyphiidae). Belgian Journal of Zoology 136: 173–191.
Bosmans R. 2006b. Contribution to the knowledge of the Linyphiidae of the Maghreb. Part XI. Miscellaneous linyphiid genera and additions (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Linyphiinae). Bulletin & Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 141: 125–161.
Bosmans R. & Bouragba N. 1992. Trois nouvelles Linyphiidae de l’Atlas Algérien, avec la description du mâle de Lepthyphantes djazairi Bosmans, et la redescription de Lepthyphantes homonymus Denis (Araneae). Bulletin & Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 128: 245–262.
Bosmans R., Kherbouche-Abrous O., Benhalima S. & Hervé C. 2018. The genus Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922 in the Mediterranean and the Maghreb in particular (Araneae: Gnaphosidae). Zootaxa 4451 (1): 1–67. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4451.1.1
Bosmans R., Pantini P., Loverre P. & Addante R. 2019. New species and new records of ant-eating spiders from Mediterranean Europe (Araneae: Zodariidae). Arachnologische Mitteilungen 57: 8–20. https://doi.org/10.30963/aramit5703
Bosmans R., Lecigne S., Benhalima S. & Abrous-Kherbouche A. 2022. The genus Lycosoides Lucas, 1846 in the Maghreb region, with the description of five new species (Araneae: Agelenidae). Arachnology 19 (Special Issue): 316–340. https://doi.org/10.13156/arac.2022.19.sp1.316
Canto L. del & Canto R. del. 2025. Presencia de Phlegra blaugrana Azarkina, Pérez-Gómez & Sánchez-García, 2022 (Araneae: Salticidae) en el norte de Marruecos. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 47: 175–176.
Chatzaki M. 2010. A revision of the genus Nomisia in Greece and neighboring regions with the description of two new species. Zootaxa 2501: 1–22. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2501.1.1
Chatzaki M., Thaler K. & Mylonas M. 2002. Ground spiders (Gnaphosidae, Araneae) of Crete and adjacent areas of Greece. Taxonomy and distribution. II. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 109 (3): 603–633. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.79612
Deeleman-Reinhold C.L. & Deeleman P.R. 1988. Révision des Dysderinae (Araneae, Dysderidae), les espèces méditerranéennes occidentales exceptées. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 131: 141–269.
Dalmas R. de. 1921. Monographie des araignées de la section des Pterotricha (Aran. Gnaphosidae). Annales de la Société entomologique de France 89: 233–328.
Denis J. 1937. On a collection of spiders from Algeria. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 106 (4): 1027–1060, pl. 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1936.tb06301.x
Denis J. 1945. Descriptions d’araignées nord-africaines. Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire Naturelle de Toulouse 79 (1, 1944): 41–57.
Denis J. 1952. Notes d’aranéologie marocaine. I. Les Zelotes du Maroc. Revue Française d’Entomologie 19: 113–126.
Denis J. 1954. Notes d’aranéologie marocaine. III. Quelques araignées du massif de l’Ayachi, avec une étude sur les Textrix du Maroc. Revue Française d’Entomologie 21: 132–144.
Denis J. 1966. Les araignées du Fezzân. Bulletin de la Société d’Histoire Naturelle d’Afrique du Nord 55: 103–144.
Elkrew H., Hamza A., Ghana S., Shaibi T., Swehli A.I., Elmareme H. & Ahmad A. 2024. Checklist of the spiders (Araneae) of Libya. Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences 22: 19346–19369. https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.2.001419
FitzPatrick M.J. 2007. A taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical species of Zelotes (Arachnida: Araneae: Gnaphosidae). Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 14 (3): 97–172. https://doi.org/10.13156/arac.2011.14.3.97
Gál J., Kovács G., Vincze Z., Keve G., Páll-Gergely B., Bagyó R., Fehér E., Bali K. & Kaszab E. 2025. The red-colored oddball – a new ladybird spider with unusual coloring from Morocco, Eresus rubrocephalus sp. nov. (Araneae: Eresidae). Animals 15 (2707): 1–15. https://doi:10.3390/ani15182707
Guy Y. 1966. Contribution à l’étude des araignées de la famille des Lycosidae et de la sous-famille des Lycosinae avec étude spéciale des espèces du Maroc. Travaux de l’Institut Scientifique Chérifien et de la Faculté des Sciences, Série Zoologie, Rabat 33: 1–174.
Hernández-Corral J., Barrientos J.A. & García-Teba J.P. 2025. Nuevos datos sobre las arañas (Arachnida: Araneae) del Parc Natural del Carrascal de la Font Roja (Alicante, España). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 46: 51–75.
Jocqué R. & Henrard A. 2015. Revalidation of Acanthinozodium Denis, 1966 with description of three new species and discovery of a remarkable male palpal character (Araneae, Zodariidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 114: 1–23. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2015.114
Kmira G., Nasri-Ammar K., Petillon J. & Bosmans R. 2025. Catalog of the spiders of Tunisia (Arachnida: Araneae). Zootaxa 5641: 1–95. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5641.1.1
Korba J. & Opatova V. 2026. Out of North Africa: evolution and biogeography of Afro-Arabian dwarf tarantulas (Theraphosidae, Ischnocolinae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 218: e108559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2026.108559
Lecigne S., Lips J., Moutaouakil S. & Oger P. 2020. Two new cave-dwelling spider species from the Moroccan High Atlas (Araneae: Liocranidae, Theridiidae). Arachnologische Mitteilungen 60: 12–18. https://doi.org/10.30963/aramit6002
Lecigne S., Moutaouakil S. & Lips J. 2023. Contribution to the knowledge of the spider fauna of Morocco (Arachnida: Araneae) – first note – on new records of cave spiders. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 66: 44–71. https://doi.org/10.30963/aramit6607
Lecigne S., Moutaouakil S. & Lips, J. 2025. Contribution to the knowledge of the spider fauna of Morocco (Arachnida: Araneae) – second note. On new species and new records from caves and miscellaneous terrestrial ecosystems. Journal of the Belgian Arachnological Society 40 (1, supplement): 1–184.
Levy G. 1996. The agelenid funnel-weaver family and the spider genus Cedicus in Israel (Araneae, Agelenidae and Cybaeidae). Zoologica Scripta 25 (2): 85–122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.1996.tb00154.x
Levy G. 1998. The ground-spider genera Setaphis, Trachyzelotes, Zelotes, and Drassyllus (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) in Israel. Israel Journal of Zoology 44: 93–158.
Lucas H. 1846. Histoire naturelle des animaux articulés. In: Lucas H. (ed.) Exploration scientifique de l'Algérie pendant les années 1840, 1841, 1842 publiée par ordre du Gouvernement et avec le concours d'une commission académique. Paris, Sciences physiques, Zoologie 1: 89–271, pl. 1–17. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.112444
Logunov D.V. & Schäfer M. 2025. A review of the jumping spider genus Macaroeris Wunderlich, 1992 (Arachnida: Araneae: Salticidae: Dendryphantini). Arachnology 20 (3): 364–409. https://doi.org/10.13156/arac.2024.20.3.7
Martín D.F. & Adame F.R. 2024. Nuevas adiciones a la fauna aracnológica de Andalucía. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 45: 150–166.
Melic A., Silva A., Patanita M.I., Santos S.A.P., Benhadi-Marín J. & Barrientos J.A. 2016. Three new species of Gnaphosidae (Arachnida, Araneae) collected in Iberian Peninsula. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 28: 107–113.
Méndez Ó., Marquerie M. & Domènech M. 2024. Nuevos registros aracnológicos (Araneae) en Cataluña aportan nuevas citas a nivel regional, nacional y peninsular. Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica 22: 79–94. https://doi.org/10.32800/amz.2024.22.0079
Menge A. 1866. Preussische Spinnen. erste Abtheilung. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N.F.) 1: 1–152.
Morano E. 2020. La familia Tetragnathidae Menge, 1866 (Araneae) en el área ibero-balear. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 37: 101–136.
Nentwig W., Blick T., Bosmans R., Hänggi A., Kropf C. & Stäubli A. 2026. Spiders of Europe. Version 02. 2026. Available from https://www.araneae.nmbe.ch [accessed 20 Feb. 2026]. https://doi.org/10.24436/1
Oger P. 2026. Les araignées de Belgique et de France. https://arachno.piwigo.com/ [accessed 20 Feb. 2026].
Ouakri N., Lecigne S., Abou Oualid J. & Dugon M. 2026. Spiders from the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve of Souss-Massa region (Morocco), and description of two new species (Arachnida: Araneae: Gnaphosidae, Salticidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 1051: 1–50. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2026.1051.3261
Platnick N.I. & Murphy J.A. 1984. A revision of the spider genera Trachyzelotes and Urozelotes (Araneae, Gnaphosidae). American Museum Novitates 2792: 1–30.
Shorthouse D.P. 2010. SimpleMappr, an online tool to produce publication-quality point maps. https://www.simple-mappr.net [accessed 20 Feb. 2026].
Platnick N.I. 2001. The world spider catalog, version 2. American Museum of Natural History. Available from https://wsc.nmbe.ch/resources/archive/catalog_2.0/index.html. [accessed 20 Feb. 2026] https://doi.org/10.5531/db.iz.0001
Saaristo M.I. & Tanasevitch A.V. 1996. Redelimitation of the subfamily Micronetinae Hull, 1920 and the genus Lepthyphantes Menge, 1866 with descriptions of some new genera (Aranei, Linyphiidae). Berichte des Naturwissenschaftlich-Medizinischen Vereins in Innsbruck 83: 163–186.
Senglet A. 2004. Copulatory mechanisms in Zelotes, Drassyllus and Trachyzelotes (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), with additional faunistic and taxonomic data on species from southwest Europe. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 77 (1–2): 87–119. https://doi.org/10.5169/seals-402861
Simon E. 1870. Aranéides nouveaux ou peu connus du midi de l’Europe. Mémoires de la Société royale des Sciences de Liège (2) 3: 271–358.
Simon E. 1876. Les arachnides de France. Tome troisième. Roret, Paris.
Simon E. 1898. Histoire naturelle des araignées. Deuxième édition, tome second. Roret, Paris. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.51973
Simon E. 1909. Étude sur les arachnides recueillis au Maroc par M. Martinez de la Escalera en 1907. Memorias de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (6) 1: 5–43.
Simon E. 1937. Les arachnides de France. Synopsis générale et catalogue des espèces françaises de l’ordre des Araneae. Tome VI. 5e et dernière partie. Roret, Paris.
Snazell R. 1983. A new wolf spider of the genus Trabaea (Araneae: Lycosidae) from southern Spain. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 6: 75–77.
Tanasevitch A.V. 2014. Linyphiid spiders (Araneae, Linyphiidae) from caves of Morocco. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 121(2): 277–290.
Van den Spiegel D., Henrard A., Theeten F. & Musschoot T. 2025. Arachnomorpha collection of the Royal Museum for Central Africa. Version 1.3. Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium. Occurrence dataset available from https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/5842032836 [accessed 20 02 2026] https://doi.org/10.15468/ehmc5q
WSC 2026. World Spider Catalog. Version 27. Natural History Museum Bern. Available from http://wsc.nmbe.ch [accessed Feb. 2026]. https://doi.org/10.24436/2
Wunderlich J. 1980. Linyphiidae aus Süd-Europa und Nord-Afrika (Arachn.: Araneae). Verhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg (NF) 23: 319–337.
Wunderlich J. 1995. Zu Taxonomie und Biogeographie der Arten der Gattung Oecobius Lucas 1846, mit Neubeschreibungen aus der Mediterraneis und von der Arabischen Halbinsel (Arachnida: Araneae: Oecobiidae). Beiträge zur Araneologie 4 (1994): 585–608. [publ. in Dec. 1995]
Zamani A. & Marusik Y.M. 2020. A review of Agelenini (Araneae: Agelenidae: Ageleninae) of Iran and Tajikistan, with descriptions of four new genera. Arachnology 18 (4): 368–386. https://doi.org/10.13156/arac.2020.18.4.368
Zamani A. & Marusik Y.M. 2025. New taxonomic and faunistic data on Moroccan spiders (Arachnida: Araneae), including the description of five new species. Zootaxa 5692 (2): 321–337. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5692.2.6
Zamani A., Marusik Y.M. & Szűts T. 2023. A survey of the spider genus Dysdera Latreille, 1804 (Araneae, Dysderidae) in Iran, with fourteen new species and notes on two fossil genera. ZooKeys 1146: 43–86. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1146.97517
Copyright (c) 2026 Sylvain LECIGNE, Soumia MOUTAOUAKIL, Josiane LIPS, Nicolas HÉNON
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Copyright Notices
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are NOT PERMITTED to post their submitted work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on personal websites) prior to publication, as it may lead to nomenclatural issues.
