Hersiliola sternbergsi, Marusik & Fet, 2009

Marusik, Yuri & Fet, Victor, 2009, A survey of East Palaearctic Hersiliola Thorell, 1870 (Araneae, Hersiliidae), with a description of three new genera, ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 75-114 : 86-92

Hersiliola sternbergsi sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5D8AF1B1-75A1-4512-8E59-EFEAA36294D6

Figs 1 .1, 2 .1, 3 .2, 4 .3, 5 .3, 6 .4-5, 7 .7-9, 8 .2 H. maculata: Vlassov and Sytchevskaya 1937: 248 ( Turkmenistan: Ashgabat); Kaplin 1978: 35 ( Turkmenistan: Repetek); Krivokhatsky and Fet 1982: 69-70 (Repetek); Fet 1983: 837; Fet 1984: 259; Krivokhatsky 1987: 96 (Repetek). Misidentification and misspelling.

H. pallida: Spassky 1952: 196 , 200 (in part); Sabirova 1975: 79 (Repetek); Ovtsharenko and Fet 1980: 443 ( Turkmenistan: Badghyz). Misidentification.

H. sp. 2: Mikhailov and Fet 1994: 504 (in part).

Type material ( 49 specimens). Holotype: ♁ and paratypes 3♀, 4 juv. ( ZMMU) with a label “ TURKMENISTAN, Lebap Area, Karakum Desert, Repetek Reserve , NW environs of Repetek , 200 m, sands, 38°33’57-59”N 63°09’46”–10’13”E, 14.04.2002, A.V. Gromov coll.”

Paratypes. TURKMENISTAN: 1♁, 1♀, 2 subad.♀, 5 juv., Balkan Velayati (= Province), Turkmenbashi (= Krasnovodsk ), 21.01.1978, K.G. Mikhailov coll. ( ZMMU, Ta- 3091) ; 3 juv., Balkan Province, Tuarkyr Mts., Kafigshem Plateau , 7.11.1982, V. Fet coll. ; 1♀ ( ZMMU), Lebap Province, East Karakum, Repetek Reserve , 170 m a.s.l., 05- 06.1914, N.N. Plavilshchikov coll. ( ZMMU) ; 1 subad.♀, attracted by light, 6.05.1972, V.I. Kuznetsov coll. ( ZMMU) ; 2♀, 13.05.1981 ( SMF) ; 1♁, 7.03.1982 ( SMF) ; 1♁, 8.06.1982 ( ZMMU), V.A. Krivokhatsky coll. ; 1♁, 2♀ ZMMU), 18.04.1993, S.V.Ovtchinnikov coll. ; 2♁, 2♀, Lebap Province, Karakum Desert, Repetek Reserve, Repetek , 170 m, 38°33’55”N 63°10’46”E, 17.04.2002, A.V. Gromov coll. ( ZMMU) ; 1♁, Lebap Province, Amudarya Reserve, Kabakly , 4- 14.05.1987, F. Zeleev coll. ( ZMMU) ; 2♀ ( ZMMU), Mary Province, Sultanbent , 05.1929, V.I. Sytchevskaya coll. ( ZMMU) ; 1♀, 1juv., Mary Province, NE vicinities of Serhetabad (= Kushka), Kushka River left bank, 645 m a.s.l., 35°17’24”N 62°20’58”E, 12.04.2002, A.V. Gromov coll. ( ZMMU) . UZBEKISTAN: 1♁, 1♀, Navoiy (= Navoi) Viloyati ( Province ), Kyzylkum Desert , near Gazli , 21.05.1994 (S.V. Ovtchinnikov coll.) ( ZMMU) ; 1♀, Buxoro (= Bukhara) Province , Kyzylkum Desert , near Gazli , 3.05.1998, S.V. Ovtchinnikov coll. ( ZMMU) ; 6♀, 2 juv., Buxoro Province, Yagzakkum Sands , ca 7 km S of Nayumetan, 39°37’30”N 64°23’30”E, 20.04.2002, A.V. Gromov coll. ( ZMMU) .

Etymology. The species name is a patronym honoring our late colleague and friend Maris Šternbergs (1940-1996), of Riga, Latvia, the only Latvian araneologist of his generation, who also instructed VF in spider studies during his visit to Badghyz ( Turkmenistan) in April 1977.

Diagnosis. Hersiliola sternbergsi sp. n. is most similar to H. simoni , from which it can be distinguished by a longer terminal portion of the cymbium, thicker seminal ducts, lower position of the tegular ridge, and position of the base of the embolus (at almost 12 hrs). Females of H. sternbergsi sp. n. differ by a wider septum, thicker lateral arms, and only one coil of the insemination duct around the fertilization duct. The epigyne of H. sternbergsi sp. n. is also similar to that of H. afghanica . These two species have an almost identical septum shape, but in H. sternbergsi sp. n. the epigyne is smaller in size, has smaller spermathecae, and fertilization ducts terminating on the ventral wall of the spermatheca (on the dorsal wall in H. afghanica ).

Description. Male. Total length 4.6-5.4. Carapace 1.85 long, 2.0 wide, femur I 3.5, femur I/carapace length ratio 1.89. Colouration as in female. Palp as in Figs 3.2, 4.3, 5.3, 6.4-5, tip of cymbium as long as height of tegulum; seminal duct thick; embolus filiform, makes one coil (360°); embolus base located at 11-11:30 hrs; tegular apophysis located almost at the center of the tegulum.

Female. Total length 5.0-5.2. Carapace 1.6-1.95 long, 1.8-2.05 (wider than long), femur I 2.5-2.85, femur I/carapace length ratio 1.46-1.56. Pattern distinct, composed by wide dark marginal bands, radial spots, transverse spot on median grove and V- shaped mark behind eyes. Abdomen with a heart spot and four pairs of transverse bands. The upper transverse band originates from the heart spot. Sides of abdomen with dark spots. Epigyne as in Figs 7.7-9, 8.2, with a distinct median plate and windows, proportions of median plate and windows variable; insemination duct makes one coil around fertilization duct; insemination duct terminates on ventral side of the spermatheca.

Comments. Th is species has been collected widely in the lowland deserts of Central Asia ( Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), but constantly misidentified (and misspelled) as “ H. maculata ” or H. pallida . Spassky (1952), who did not list “ H. maculata ”, men- tioned a wide distribution of “ H. pallida ” in the Turanian Zoogeographical Province, thus obviously assuming this name for the population from Ashgabat identified by Vlassov and Sytchevskaya (1937) as “ H. maculata ”. Our study shows that this lowland desert Central Asian taxon is a new species, different from H. macullulata (see above on H. macullulata ).

Hersiliola sternbergsi sp. n. is widespread in lowland Turkmenistan on various types of desert substrates from clay and gypsum to sand. Krivokhatsky and Fet (1982) provide details on its phenology and ecology as a bothrophile in rodent burrows in the sand desert of East Karakum (Repetek Reserve), where it was most numerous in the entrances of burrows of the gerbil, Rhombomys opimus Licht. In Repetek , adult females of H. sternbergsi sp. n. were recorded from November to May, and adult males, from December to April, indicating a winter-spring mating period. Spiders were active in daytime.

Distribution. Turkmenistan (lowland deserts from the Caspian Sea to Amudarya Valley), Uzbekistan (west, Kizylkum Desert).

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of females of Hersiliola sternbergsi sp. n. (1), H. esyunini sp. n. (2), H. lindbergi sp. n. (3) and H. afghanica (4).

Map 1. Distribution of Hersiliidae in Central Asia. ' Hersiliola afghanica; × Hersiliola esyunini; • Hersiliola foordi; · Hersiliola lindbergi; • Hersiliola sternbergsi; + Hersiliola xinjiangensis; ′ Duninia baehrae; ‵ Duninia rheimsae;. Deltshevia danovi; * Deltshevia gromovi; - Ovtsharenkoia pallida; -? identity uncertain

Figure 2. Hersiliola sternbergsi sp. n. (1), H. esyunini sp. n. (2), Ovtsharenkoia pallida (3-8). 1 male carapace, frontal 2 carapace, dorsal 3-4 male carapace, dorsal and lateral 5 abdomen of juvenile, dorsal 6-7 habitus of female and male, respectively 8 female abdomen, ventral.

Figure 3. Retrolateral view of the male palp of Hersiliola esyunini sp. n. (1), H. sternbergsi sp. n. (2), Duninia baehrae sp. n. (3), Deltshevia danovi sp. n. (4), D. gromovi sp. n. (5), and Ovtsharenkoia pallida (6). Scale = 0.5 mm.

Figure 4. Retrolateral view of the male palp of Hersiliola macullulata (1), H. simoni (2), H. sternbergsi sp. n. (3), H. esyunini sp. n. (4), Duninia baehrae sp. n. (5), Deltshevia danovi sp. n. (6), D. gromovi sp. n. (7), and Ovtsharenkoia pallida (8). Scale = 0.5 mm.

Figure 5. Prolateral view of the male palp of Hersiliola macullulata (1), H. simoni (2), H. sternbergsi sp. n. (3), H. esyunini sp. n. (4), Duninia baehrae sp. n. (5), Deltshevia danovi sp. n. (6), D. gromovi sp. n. (7), and Ovtsharenkoia pallida (8). Scale = 0.5 mm.

Figure 6. Male palp of Hersiliola macullulata (1), H. simoni (2-3), H. sternbergsi sp. n. (4-5), H. esyunini sp. n. (6-7), Duninia baehrae sp. n. (8), and Ovtsharenkoia pallida (9). 1-2 ventral 3-4, 6 from below 5, 7,‹ from above 8 retrolateral. Scale = 0.5 mm.

Figure 7. Epigynes of Hersiliola versicolor (1), Hersiliola sp. (2), H. lindbergi sp. n. (3, 6), H. afghanica (4-5), H. sternbergsi sp. n. (7-9), H. esyunini sp. n. (10-12), and H. foordi sp. n. (13-14). 1-8, 10-11, 13-14 ventral 9, 12 dorsal. Scale = 0.5 mm.

Figure 8. Epigynes, ventral view, of Hersiliola afghanica (1), H. sternbergsi sp. n. (2), H. lindbergi sp. n. (3), H. esyunini sp. n. (4), H. foordi sp. n (5), Duninia baehrae sp. n. (6), and D. rheimsae sp. n. (7).