Echemus levyi Kovblyuk & Seyyar, 2009

Chatzaki, Maria & Keer, Johan Van, 2019, Ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae, Prodidomidae) from the Greek islands Rodos, Symi and Karpathos, with the description of new species, Zootaxa 4646 (3), pp. 434-460 : 440-442

Echemus levyi Kovblyuk & Seyyar, 2009

Figs 15–16 , 19−20

Diagnosis. Females of this species are distinguished from both E. angustifrons ( Figs 9 ─12) and E. kaltsasi sp.n. ( Figs 13 ─14, 17─18) by the distinctly smaller size of the epigyne, its shape also mushroom-like, but with a longer base (straight lines) and smaller head (i.e. atrium), compared to that of E. kaltsasi sp.n. The vulva of E. levyi is also different with shorter spermathecal coils and glandular heads and a more restricted spermathecal pouch.

Material examined. CYPRUS: Limmasol , Pano Platres, below Caledonia Falls, collected by hand under stones, 1♀, 19.IV.2017, leg. A. Russell-Smith.

Description. Female. Yellow spiders of medium to small size. Body and legs uniformly colored. Measurements: TL 4.940; CL 1.982; CW 1.425; AL 2.593. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.127, PME 0.094x0.121, PLE 0.106, ALE 0.111, AME-AME 0.053 (ca by 1/2 their diameter), AME-ALE almost touching, PME-PLE 0.047 (ca by 1/2 their diameter), PME-PME 0.049 (ca by 1/2 their diameter). All eyes pearly white with black surroundings, especially AME. PME oval, all others round. PER procurved, AER slightly recurved. Prosoma with widening thoracic region, fovea at the middle of posterior half of its length. Labium triangular, longer than wide. Chelicerae with 1 and 3 denticles on RM and PM respectively. Leg formula is IV>I>II>III. Legs spination: Leg I: Fe 2d 1pl; leg II: Fe 2d 1pl, Mt 0- 1v; leg III: Fe 6d, Pa 1rl, Ti/Mt spinose; leg IV: Fe 4d, Pa 1rl, Ti/Mt spinose. Preening brush at Mt III and IV, Ta not densely scopulated.

Epigyne ( Figs 15 , 19 ). Mushroom like atrium formed by almost parallel lateral margins, opening widely to meet anterior margin and reaching the epigastric furrow posteriorly.

Vulva ( Figs 16 , 20 ). Moderately coiled copulatory ducts connected to restricted spermathecal sacs anteriorly. Small glandular heads on anterior ends. Spermathecae oval.

Comments. Our ongoing study on the Gnaphosidae of the East Mediterranean islands revealed the females of the two Echemus species here described. As the female of E. levyi from S. Turkey is still undescribed, it is possible that one of these females is the matching sex of that species due to the geographic proximity of Cyprus and Symi to the south coast of Turkey. We decided to tentatively assign the female from Cyprus to E. levyi and to describe the female from Symi as new, based on the distinctly smaller epigynal size of the former. In Kovblyuk et al. (2009), the comparison of E. angustifrons with E. levyi ( Figs 36, 38 with 37, 39 respectively) shows a clear difference in palp size which should correspond to a similarly smaller epigyne to match the latter species. Although the Gnaphosidae of Cyprus are not the focus of the present paper, this female is described here for comparative purposes.

Distribution: Turkey, Cyprus.

Figures

FIGURES 13–16. Echemus species: E. kaltsasi sp.n. (13–14), E. levyi (15–16). Left column epigynes, right column vulvae.

FIGURES 17–20. Echemus species: E. kaltsasi sp.n. (17–18), E. levyi (19–20). 17, 19 Epigyne. 18, 20 Vulva. AM: anterior margin, at: atrium, g: glandular head.

FIGURES 9–12. Echemus species: E. angustifrons (9–12).

FIGURES 34–40. Phaeocedus vankeeri sp.n. (34–38): 34 Holotype left palp, ventral view. 35 Same, retrolateral view. 36 Same, prolateral view. 37 Female paratype, epigyne. 38 Same, vulva. P. hebraeus holotype left palp (39–40): 39 Retrolateral view. 40 Retrolateral to dorsal view.