Tegenaria maelfaiti, Robert Bosmans, 2011

Robert Bosmans, 2011, On some new or rare spider species from Lesbos, Greece (Araneae: Agelenidae, Amaurobiidae, Corinnidae, Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae), Arachnologische Mitteilungen 40 (1), pp. 15-22 : 16-17

Genus Tegenaria Latreille, 1804

According to BOLZERN et al. (2009), the differences between the genera Tegenaria and Malthonica Simon, 1898 remain unclear. GUSEINOV et al. (2005) distinguished the two genera by the embolus length but BOLZERN et al. (2008) argued that this character is unsuitable for phylogenetic evaluation. Assigning a new species to a correct genus thus becomes difficult without a comprehensive revision of the two genera ( BOLZERN et al., 2009). The species described below has a relatively short embolus and is provisionally placed in the genus Tegenaria .

Tegenaria maelfaiti sp. nov. ( Figs. 1-5 ).

Type material. Holotype male, 2 paratype males from Greece, Lesbos, Nomos Mandamados: road Klio-Sykaminia (N 39°22’33” E 26º10’59”), 350 m, litter and stones in small Pinus forest, 27.III.2008, R. Bosmans leg .; paratype female from Greece, Lesbos, Nomos Agiasos, Agiasos S. (N 39°05’53” E 26°21’57”), 550 m, stones in Castanea forest, 2.IV.2008, L. Baert leg. ( KBIN). Deposited in KBIN .

:

Etymology: The species is dedicated to my good friend and excellent ecologist the late Jean-Pierre Maelfait.

Diagnosis: Males of the species are readily distinguished from other Tegenaria species by the combined characters of the tibial apophyses and the bifid median apophyses. Tegenaria longimana Simon, 1879 from Turkey is a related species, with similar but differently shaped tibial apophysis and distal parts of the median apophysis. Females are recognized by the absence of sclerotisation in the epigyne and the course of the copulatory ducts.

Description

Measurements (males n=27, females n=4): Male: Total length 3.8-6.2; prosoma 1.59-2.79 long, 1.46- 2.06 wide. Female: Total length 4.8-5.0; prosoma 1.87-1.98 long, 1.34-1.43 wide. Leg measurements as in Table 1.

Colour: Prosoma yellowish brown to brown, with submarginal stripe, touching at level of fovea, and narrow grey margin; chelicerae yellowish brown; sternum grey with median stripe and 3 lateral whitish spots. Legs pale yellowish, Fe, Ti and Mt greyish at ends, Fe with 2 grey annulations, Ti and Mt with 1 median annulation. Abdomen dorsally greyish black, with anteromedian area and 5 -6 chevrons whitish, ventrally whitish with scattered greyish black spots, anastomising in some specimens. Spinnerets whitish, dorsal side of dorsal spinneret and ventral side of ventral spinneret greyish black. Leg spination as in Table 2.

Male palp ( Figs. 1 -3 ) Tibia elongated, dorsal apophysis long, with parallel margins and rounded terminally, retrolateral apophysis a large, rounded lobe. Median apophysis bifid, with shorter, pointed anterior tooth and longer, less pointed posterior tooth. Conductor slightly shorter than alveolus, rounded, folded along its entire retrolateral margin, terminal part pointing in posterior direction. Embolus filiform, semi-circular, arising on mesal side of bulbus.

Epigymun and vulva ( Figs. 4-5 ): Epigynal plate slightly protruding over epigastric furrow, posterior margin with two indistinct concavities, with a pair of posteriorly directed teeth but without exterior sclerifications; copulatory ducts wide; spermathecae rounded.

Further material examined

Agiasos: Oros Olympos (N 39°04’01” E 26°21’30”), 800 m, 1 female, stones in Platanm forest, 2.VI.2008 ( CRB); - Kalloni: Anemotia, E. of Moni Voukolon (N 39°04’00” E 26°07’18"), 400 m, 1 female, stones in grassland, 29.III.2008 ( KBIN) ; road Anemotia-Skala Kallonis, Karyo (N 39º13’36” E 26°07’50”), 100 m, litter and herbs along rivulet, 29.III.2008 ( CRB) ; - Mandamados: road Klio-Sykaminia (N 39°22’33” E 26°10’59”), 350 m, 24 males, litter and stones in small Pinus forest, 27.III.2008 ( CHDK, CJVK, CRB) ; - Mithymna: road Argenos-Vafios (N 39°21’06” E 26°14’29”), 320 m, 3 males, stony grassland and shrubs, 28.111.2008 ( CHDK, CJVK, CRB).

Ecology: Males were collected in March and April, females in March, April and June. It was mainly found in forest (pine, chestnut and plane forests), but also in shrubs and olive groves and along rivulets.

Distribution: Only known from Lesbos. As Tegenaria species tend towards small distribution areas, this species is possibly endemic to the island.

Figures

Figures 1 - 5: Tegenaria maelfaiti sp. nov. 1. Male palp, lateral view; 2. Idem, ventral view; 3. Palpal tibia, dorsal view; 4. Epigyne, ventral view; 5. Vulva, ventral view. C = conductor; CD = copulatory duct; CO = copulatory opening; DTA = dorsal tibial apophysis; E = embolus; ET = epigynal tooth; MA = median apophysis; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; ST = spermatheca.

Tables

Table 2: Tegenaria maelfaiti sp. nov. leg spination (holotype).

	Fe	Pt	Ti	Mt	Ta
I	(dpl)-d-pl	d-d	d	v rl (plrl)	-
II	d-d-(plrl)	d-d	d	vpl 2v (plrl)	-
III	d-d-(plrl)	d-d	d(plrl)	rl pv (rlplpvrv)	-
IV	d-(pl-rl)	d-d	(drl) (pvplrl) (dplrl)	(pvrv) (plrlrv) (plrlpvrv)	-

Table 2: Tegenaria maelfaiti sp. nov. leg spination (holotype).