Alopecosa krynickii (Thorell, 1875)

Nadolny, Anton A., 2018, Lost and found: Alopecosa krynickii (Araneae: Lycosidae) in the Crimea, Zootaxa 4394 (4), pp. 594-599 : 594-599

Alopecosa krynickii (Thorell, 1875)

Figs 1–21

Tarentula krynickii Thorell, 1875a: 104 (♂); Thorell 1875b: 157 (♂). Alopecosa krynickii: Logunov 2013a: 353 (♂). The complete reference list can be obtained from WSC (2017).

Material examined. Crimea, Chernomorskoe Distr., Tarkhankut Peninsula: 1 ♀ (TNU-10059/2), Kipchak Valley, 8– 11.6.2006 (M.M. Kovblyuk); 1 ♀ (TNU-10075/9), steppe between Medvedevo and Okunevka Villages, 29.5.2011 (O.V. Kukushkin); 1 juv (TNU-10010), steppe near Dzhangul coast, under a stone, 19.7.2014 (A.A. Nadolny); 1 ♀ 1 cocoon (TNU-10116/1), watershed of Malyi and Bolshoi Kastel Valleys, 45°26′58″N 32°32′50″E, steppe with Stippa sp., Asphodeline taurica , and Salvia nutans , pitfalls, 13– 27.6.2015 (A.A. Nadolny); 3 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀ 1 juv (TNU-10004/2), Bolshoi Kastel Valley, 45°27′11.9″N 32°33′29.1″E, at night, 19.9.2015 (A.A. Nadolny); 5 ♂♂ 5 ♀♀ 4 juv (TNU-10003/ 1) & 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (MMUE-G7589.1), same locality, at night, 1– 2.10.2015 (A.A. Nadolny); 1 ♂ (TNU-10019/1), same locality, at night, 17.10.2015 (A.A. Nadolny).

Diagnosis. Alopecosa krynickii belongs to the striatipes species group (Logunov 2013a). The embolic division and median (=tegular) apophysis of A. krynickii are similar to those of A. marikovskii Logunov. Also , the males of A. krynickii are similar to those of A. beckeri (Thorell) and A. taeniopus (Kulczynski) : their embolic tips look like a singlebarbed harpoon. The embolus of A. marikovskii is without harpoon. The epigyne of A. krynickii is similar to those of A. akkolka Marusik , A. dryada Cordes , A. kovblyuki Nadolny & Ponomarev , A. schmidti (Hahn) , and A. sulzeri (Pavesi) . All the listed species reliably differ from A. krynickii in the shape of median apophysis, the embolic division, the septum of epigyne, and spermathecae (cf. Lugetti & Tongiorgi 1969; Eskov & Marusik 1995; Cordes 1996; Nadolny & Kovblyuk 2010; Nadolny et al. 2012; Logunov 2013b).

Note. The venter colour pattern in Alopecosa species can be black—in A. schmidti , yellowish— A. cronebergi (Thorell) , with a large black spot behind the epigastric furrow— A. marikovskii , and with a black area in front of the epigastric furrow— A. uiensis Esyunin. Juveniles and adults of A. krynickii have the uniquely bicolour venter of abdomen: black areas in front and behind the epigastric furrow, but the rear end of venter is light ( Figs 5–7 ). This character distinguishes A. krynickii from all other species of Alopecosa in the Crimea, and perhaps in the whole Europe.

Description. Measurements of female / male: total length 16 / 13; carapace: 7.5 / 7.2 long and 5.0 / 4.8 wide.

Female palp spination: femur d1-1-1, p1, r1; patella p1; tibia p2; tarsus p2-1, r1.

Male palp spination: femur d1-1-1-2, p1, r1; patella p1; tibia p2.

FEMALE. Habitus is shown in Figs 1, 6 . Prosoma: Carapace with a poorly marked gradual descend of thoracic region, eye field not elevated ( Fig. 3 ). Carapace brown, with light lines radiating from median oval spot of white setae, lateral wide stripes of black setae, submarginal narrow stripes of white setae, and marginal broken stripes of black setae. Eye area is covered with light setae. Behind eyes there are four black spots (better visible in the males). Clypeus covered with white setae. Sternum and labium brown, covered with black setae. Chelicerae brown, their anterior side (except the distal part) covered with white setae, other sides covered with black setae. Palps light brown, with white and black setae. Coxae brown, covered with black setae. Other leg segments light brown, mainly covered with white setae; black setae forms spots on femora, also all femora with narrow retrolateral longitudinal stripes of black setae. Tarsi I–IV and metatarsi I–II with scopula. Scopulae of tarsi I–II consist of grey setae, III–IV consist of grey and black setae. Spinules are absent from all legs. Ventral sides of tibiae I–II with grey setae (similar to those of scopula). Opisthosoma: Dorsum dark grey, mainly covered with black setae; white setae forms a pattern of lanceolate cardiac mark, two longitudinal parallel lines of rounded spots and a line of oval spots in between them. Venter light brown or yellowish, the anterior half dark, covered with black setae, the posterior half light, mainly with white setae. In adults, this black spot occupies not less than a half of the venter (in juveniles less than a half, Fig. 5 ). Copulatory organs as in Figs 16–18 : epigyne with 2 small anterior pockets, septum vase-shaped, with a median longitudinal ridge, spermathecae spherical.

MALE. Habitus is shown in Figs 2, 7 . The colour pattern of males and females is similar, but dorsal side in females is darker. Prosoma: Carapace with a posterior pitch, gradual descend of thoracic region is poorly marked, eye field not elevated ( Fig. 4 ). Males have well-visible four black spots behind eyes and, compared to the females, a better-marked median oval spot of white setae on carapace. Cymbium brown, with short black setae, other segments of palp are light brown, covered with white and black setae. Tarsi I–IV with scopula and spinules: tarsi I–II have well developed scopula and poorly developed spinules, tarsi III–IV—on the contrary. Metatarsi I–VI with scopula: metatarsi I–II with welldeveloped scopula and few spinules on distal part, metatarsi III–IV with poorly developed scopula, spinules are absent. Venter of tibia I with grey setae (similar to those of scopula). Opistosoma: Dorsum with a lanceolate cardiac mark of black and white setae and two longitudinal parallel lines of white and black spots. Copulatory organs as in Figs 8–15 : retrolateral side of median apophysis curved ventrally (=spoon-shaped lateral extension, after Logunov 2013a), tip of this curve with semi-transparent apophysis on retrolateral side (see Fig. 11 , indicated by question mark), this apophysis is found only in one male, perhaps it can be easily broken or seems to be an aberration; retrolateral part of median apophysis is variable ( Figs 8, 12 ); embolus flat and wide, embolic tip looks like a single-barbed harpoon; the palea with a poorly marked pointed prominence. Also, see the description of the holotype male of A. krynickii given by Logunov (2013a).

Distribution. The Crimea: Tarkhankut peninsula and Simferopol ( Fig. 19 ).

Habitats. The stony steppe in two major habitat zones of the Crimea: true steppe and premontane forest steppe ( Figs 19–21 ).

Phenology. In the Crimea, Tarkhankut peninsula: juveniles can be collected in July and September–October, adult females in May–June and September–October, adult males in September–October; females with egg sacs in June; the peak of adult activity was observed in September–October.

Discussion. Alopecosa krynickii is still known as endemic of the Crimea. It was assumed that endemic spider species of the Crimea predominantly occur in mountains and/or the southern coast ( Kovblyuk 2014: fig. 6), in the habitat zones 3–7 ( Fig. 19 ). As this species has been found from outside the mountain part of the Crimea, its status of an endemic species is likely to be temporary. A. krynickii has been found in Tarkhankut peninsula, in stony steppes which has never been ploughed ( Fig. 20 ). Until the 20th century, virgin steppes had been widespread in the plains of the Crimea (the habitat zone 2 and partly the zones 1 & 3). For example, until 1950s, a stony steppe had stretched in the vicinity of Simferopol, in the type locality of A. krynickii . At present this area is house-built and forested ( Fig. 21 ). It is likely that A. krynickii can be found in other sites of virgin steppes of the Palaearctic, especially in Ukraine and the European part of Russia. It is difficult to collect A. krynickii by pitfalls. Among the 26 collected specimens of A. krynickii , a single specimen was caught by pitfall traps; in order to collect spiders, a total of 60 pitfalls were set in Tarkhankut and exposed for seven months, April–October (the catch was taken twice a month). Thus, hand picking in autumn at night, with the aid of head-torch, seems to be the best method of collecting A. krynickii , as well as other burrowing wolf spiders. The somatic characters, such as carapace profile, scopula and spinules on legs of A. krynickii well correspond to the structural and functional features of burrowing wolf spiders as described by Zyuzin (1990).

I am grateful to Mykola Kovblyuk and Oleg Kukushkin who collected some specimens of A. krynickii . Logistic help with the 2015 expeditions was provided by the Natural Park "Tarkhankutskii", Chernomorskoe, the Crimea. I also thank reviewers (Dmitri Logunov and Galina Azarkina) and editor (Adalberto Santos) for their valuable comments and remarks to the manuscript. English of the manuscript was kindly checked and edited by Dmitri Logunov and Aatemmaa Sennedokkao. This study was supported by Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation grant #14.W03.31.0015.

Figures

FIGURES1–7. Habitus ofAlopecosa krynickii: 1–2dorsum of female and male; 3–4 carapaceprofile of female and male; 5–7 venter of juvenile, female,and male.Arrows indicate position of epigastric furrow.

FIGURES 8–18. Copulatory organs of Alopecosa krynickii: 8 male palp, ventral; 9 bulbus, ventral-prolateral; 10 part of bulbus, retrolateral; 11–12 median apophysis, caudal and ventral; 13–14 embolic division, ventral and caudal-prolateral; 15 embolus, dorsal; 16–18 epigyne, ventral, dorsal, and dorsal-caudal. Abbreviations: AP anterior pocket of epigyne; D fertilization duct; FC functional conductor; MA median apophysis; P palea; S septum; ST spermatheca. Question mark indicates semi-transparent apophysis, explanationin the text.Scale bars 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 19–21. Distribution records (19) and habitats (20, Bolshoi Kastel Valley in October; 21, Simferopol in September) of Alopecosa krynickii. Black circles indicate collecting localities of specimens examined in this study. Arrows indicate type locality of A.krynickii, where Villa Steven was situated.Map after Biodiversity Support Program (1999).