Cteniza moggridgei Pickard-Cambridge, 1874

Decae, Arthur, Mammola, Stefano, Rizzo, Pierluigi & Isaia, Marco, 2019, Systematics, ecology and distribution of the mygalomorph spider genus Cteniza Latreille, 1829 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Ctenizidae), Zootaxa 4550 (4), pp. 499-524 : 514-519

Cteniza moggridgei Pickard-Cambridge, 1874

( Figs. 2 , 21 , 25 , 29 , 33,35 , 38, 39 , 44 , 47, 48 , 66 to 69)

Cteniza fodiens Pickard-Cambridge in Moggridge 1873: 89 –90 plate VII (description female and field observations).

Cteniza Moggridgii Pickard-Cambridge 1874: 196 , 210, 248 plate XX.A (first description male); Ausserer 1875: 147 –148. Cteniza moggridgei Buchli 1968: 1 –40 figs. 14–27 (general biology, laboratory observations)

Material examined. 1 male id. Shu. 19.06.14, France, Alpes Maritimes, Sospel (43.91°N, 7.47°E), leg. S. Huber. 1 male id. 20.04.05 -5, France, Alpes Maritimes, Gorbio (43.79°N, 7.44°E), leg. A. Decae. 1 male id. NHMB.010, Italy, Liguria, Savona / Andora (43.95°N, 8.17°E), leg. R. Fabbri. 1 female id. 20/04/05.4, France, Alpes Maritimes, Gorbio (43.79°N, 7.44°E), leg. A. Decae. 1 female id. Isaia. 020, Italy, Liguria, Quiliano (44.29°N, 8.38°E, alt 82 m), leg. M. Isaia. 1 female id. Isaia. 010B, Italy, Liguria, Imperia, Ubaghi- Montalto Ligure (43.93°N, 7.84°E, alt 326m), leg. S. Beikes. 1 female id. Isaia. 151, Italy, Liguria, Ubaghi-Montalto Ligure (43.93°N, 7.85°E), leg. M. Isaia. 1 female id. NHMB.002, Italy, Liguria, Rochetta Nervina (43.88°N, 7.60E, alt 970 m), leg. M. G. Comotti.

Morphological variation. We did not observe any morphological variation that might hint at the existence of species level diversity between specimen taken from the French and Italian populations of C. moggridgei .

Diagnosis. See diagnosis of C. sauvagesi above. Simon (1914: 3–5, figs 1–10) described and figured diagnostic differences in both sexes to distinguish C. moggridgei from C. sauvagesi . As the most prominent distinguishing character Simon noted and figured a transverse recurved ‘groove’ (“ d’un profond sillon tranverse un peu recurve ” Simon 1914: 4, fig. 6) in the male cephalic part of C. moggridgei . This character had earlier been noted by Ausserer (1875: 147–148). Buchli (1968: 24) reports on this character that he observed it with difficulty in three specimens in a sample of five. We observed Simon’s ‘ sillon’ (furrow, scratch, groove) and Ausserer’s ‘ furche’ (furrow, wrinkle, groove) in two out of three males included in our sample as a rather inconspicuous, although notable character. We found all Simon’s diagnostic characters, safe the general size difference, including the ‘ sillon’ on the male carapace, to be variable at the species level and therefore of low diagnostic value.

Description. Female (id. Isaia-020), Italy, Liguria, Quiliano (44.29°N, 8.38°E, alt 82 m), leg. M. Isaia. Carapace: greenish brown, shiny ( Fig. 33 ), almost glabrous with few bristles around the eye-group and on the crest of the bulging cephalic part only, fovea procurved, deep, posterior edge concave. Eye-group ( Fig. 38 ): anterior eyes grey, posterior eyes grey, eye-group wider than long (PR/EL= 1.7), AR slightly shorter than PR (AR/PR= 0.94), ALE largest, PME larger than PLE, AME twice their diameter apart, eyes grouped on and around low ocular process. Chelicerae: very strong, warm brown, further as C. sauvagesi . Maxillae: field proximal cuspules stronger developed than in C. sauvagesi . Labium and sternum as C. sauvagesi . Palps and Legs: short and strong slightly lighter colored than carapace, spine patterns largely as in C. sauvagesi although Buchli (1968) reports smaller numbers of spines on metatarsus I (20–22 in C. moggridgei versus 25–31 in C. sauvagesi ) and tarsus IV (7–11 in C. moggridgei versus 11–15 in C. sauvagesi ). We have observed, with Pickard-Cambridge (1874: 286), that the spine patterns on the prolateral face of leg III, mostly on the patella, are diagnostic in many trapdoor spiders species. In the here described specimen of C. moggridgei the spine settings on prolateral leg III are more strongly developed than the type of C. sauvagesi with two tibia spines and more numerous spines on the patella and metatarsus. Tarsal claws, abdomen, spinnerets and spermathecae ( Fig. 2 ) as described for C. sauvagesi (see also Buchli 1968 for a detailed description).

Measurements. TBL= 18.1, CL= 6.2, CW= 5.4, SL= 4.1, SW= 3.2, AR= 1.16, PR= 1.24, EL= 0.75, PaL= 9.8, LegI= 11.9, LegII= 10.7, LegIII= 10.6, LegIV= 15.3, Int= 0.45, Ext= 0.72, LRL= 0.30, LRR= 0.27.

Description. Male (id. Shu. 19.06.14) France, Alpes Maritimes, Sospel (43.91°N, 7.47°E), leg. S. Huber. Carapace ( Fig. 44 ): roundish with thickened rim, tegument dull brown and finely sculptured, caput low, fovea deep procurved. Eyes formation virtually rectangular, ALE largest. Chelicerae: as in female, but in all aspects more lighter built. Sternum, as in female. Labium and maxillae without cuspules or with cuspules strongly reduced. Palps, as in C. sauvagesi , Leg I with strong development of spines relative to C. sauvagesi ( Figs. 29–30 ). Bulb: with slenderer and more proximally curved embolus than C. sauvagesi ( Figs. 66–69 ). Claws, abdomen and spinnerets as in C. sauvagesi .

Measurements. TBL= 10.2, CL= 4.1, CW= 3.6, SL= 2.6, SW= 2.0, AR= 0.77, PR= 0.85, EL= 0.48, PaL= 9.9, LegI= 12.5, LegII= 11.0, LegIII= 9.2, LegIV= 13.1, BuL= 1.46, EmL= 0.69, BuW= 0.62.

Size variation. Males (n= 3): TBL= 9.0–13.5, CL= 4.1–6.1, CW= 3.6–5.3, SL= 2.6–2.8, SW= 2.0–2.3, AR= 0.77–0.78, PR= 0.85, EL= 0.48–0,49, dAME= 0.11–0.13, disAME= 0.12–0.14, PaL= 9.6–9.9, LegI= 12.5–12.8, LegII= 11.0–11.4, LegIII= 9.2–10.1, LegIV= 13.1–14.1, BuL= 1.46–1.49, EmL= 0.62–0.69, BuW= 0.51–0.62. Females (n= 5): TBL= 14.0–18.1, CL= 4.8–6.3, CW= 4.4–5.5, SL= 3.2–4.1, SW= 2.5–3.3, AR= 0.91–1.20, PR= 0.54–0.79, EL= 0.48–0,49, dAME= 0.13–0.14, disAME= 0.13–0.22, PaL= 7.9–10.1, LegI= 9.7–12.4, LegII= 8.7– 11.7, LegIII= 8.3–11.1, LegIV= 11.6–15.3.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Methods of measurement of sexual characters. 1, Bulb (C. sauvagesi, male, Isaia.133, Calabria) measures in standard ventral view. BuL: bulb length. EmL: embolus length. BuW bulb width. 2, Spermathecae (C. moggridgei, female, NHMB.002, Liguria) in ventral view. Int: internal distance receptacles. Ext: external distance receptacles. LRL and RRL: lengths of the left and right receptacle. Scale bars= 0.5 mm

FIGURES 21–24. Top left to right: 21, Ct. moggridgei (female, Isaia.020 Liguria); 22, Ct. sauvagesi (female, Colo.017, Sardinia) Note the irregular distribution of macro-spigots pointed by arrows. Bottom left tyo right: 23, Cy. cunicularium (female, 15/04/90.4, Crete); 24, Cy. grajum (female, Isiai.016a, Kefalonia). Note the compacte groups of macro-spigots in Cy. cunicularium and the more slender PLS with conical distal segment in C. grajum. Scale bars= 1.0 mm

FIGURES 25–28. Genus level diagnostic differences between Cteniza and Cyrtocarenum in the male bulb structure (standard ventral orientation). Left to right: 25, Ct. moggidgei (SHu.19.06.14, Alpes Maritimes); 26, Ct. sauvagesi (Isaia.134, Calabria); 27, Cy. cunicularium (GR80.11, Tinos); 28, Cy. grajum (GR.8.82.5, Kithira). Note the regular curve and tiny apical scoop (SC) in the embolus of the two Cteniza species and the robust distally bent and twisted embolus (tw) in the two Cyrtocarenum species. Scale bars= 0.5 mm

FIGURES 29–32. Genus level diagnostic differences between Cteniza and Cyrtocarenum as seen in the armature and shape of the retrolateral male tibia and proximal metatarsus of leg I. 29, Ct. moggridgei (Shu-19.06.14 Alpes Maritimes); 30, Ct. sauvagesi (NHMB.011, Corsica); 31, Cy. cunicularium (GR80.11, Tinos); 32, Cy. grajum (GR.8.82.5, Kithira). Note strong spines (ss) in ventral half of the tibia and metatarsus as the sole armature in Cteniza and the strong ventral apical clasper-hooks mounted on a distinct process (ch) in Cyrtocarenum. Note also the difference in tibiae shape between the genera and the proximal bent and sclerotized metatarsus (sb) in Cyrtocarenum (absent in Cteniza). Scale bars= 1.0 mm

FIGURES 33–36. Living spiders of the genus Cteniza. 33, Ct. moggridgei (female, 20/04/05.4, Gorbio Alpes Maritimes); 34, Ct. sauvagesi (female, field recording by P. Rizzo Calabria); Ct. moggridgei (male, 20/04/05.5, Gorbio Alpes Maritimes); Ct. sauvagesi (male, field recording by P. Rizzo Calabria).

FIGURES 37–40. Top row: variable, sub-rectangular to trapezoidal, eye-formations in male and female of the genus Cteniza. 37, Ct. sauvagesi (male, Colo.018, Sardinia); 38, Ct. moggridgei (females, Isaia.020, Liguria). Bottom row: Patterns of sternal sigilla in male and female of the genus Cteniza. 39, Ct. moggridgei (male, Shu.19.06.14, Alpes Maritimes); 40, Ct. sauvagesi (female, Riz.006, Calabria). Note the large central sigilla (cs) and the small lateral sigilla (ls). Points of attention are marked with arrows. Scale bars= top-row= 0.5 mm, bottom row 1.0 mm

FIGURES 43–44. Species level diagnostics, differences in the shape of the male carapace. 43, C. sauvagesi (Colo.015, Sardinia); 44, C. moggridgei, (Shu.19.06.14, Alpes Maritimes). Note the anterior distinctively narrowing carapace in C. sauvagesi versus the rounded carapace in C. moggridgei.

FIGURES 45–48. Species level diagnostics, differences in spine patterns on leg I in males 45, C. sauvagesi (right, prolateral, NHMB.011, Corsica); 46, C. sauvagesi (right, retrolateral, NHMB.011, Corsica); 47, C. moggridgei (right, prolateral, 20.04.05.5, Alpes Maritimes); 48, C. moggridgei (right, retolateral, 20.04.05.5, Alpes Maritimes). Note the field of spikybristles (sb) on prolateral femur in C. sauvagesi (45) absent in C. moggridgei (47), and the relatively stronger spines on prolateral patella (ps) and tibia (ss) in C. moggridgei (47–48).

FIGURES 66–69. C. moggridgei specimen Shu.19.06.14 Alpes Maritimes palp-organ (right hand side) in four clockwise rotational shifts of 90° around a central longitudinal axis. 66, standard ventral orientation used for taking measurements. Note general similarity with C. sauvagesi (Figs. 59–62) with slightly more slender and more proximally curved embolus, the apical tiny scoop (sc) is identical. Scale bars= 0.5 mm