Aelurillus blandus Ait Baha

Abstract

Aelurillus blandus (Simon, 1871) Table 2 Attus blandus Simon, 1871: 155 (d ♂). Aelurillus blandus – Lecigne et al. 2025: 142, fig. 87a–e (♂). Material examined MOROCCO – Chtouka Aït Baha Province • 1 ♂; Aït Baha, near Ichengline; 30.11556° N, 9.23131° W; 324 m a.s.l.; 19 Mar. 2025; S. Lecigne leg.; by hand, Argan grove, under stone; CSL, MOR _ 1706. Distribution and habitat The discovery of Aelurillus blandus (Simon, 1871) at the Aït Baha site is the second report of the species in Morocco, following its first mention with collections made on the Atlantic coast (Beddouza) and in Marrakesh under a typically dry Mediterranean climate (Lecigne et al. 2025). It is consistent with the Aït Baha site, also characterised by a xerothermic environment. This new observation further extends the known range of Aelurillus blandus towards the southwest, previously limited to the Iberian Peninsula and Greece (including Cyprus).