Zora alpina Kulczyński, 1915

Mazzoleni, Federico, Pantini, Paolo, Pedrotti, Luca & Gobbi, Mauro, 2016, Zora alpina Kulczyński, 1915 (Araneae: Miturgidae): description of the male, redescription of the female, Zootaxa 4139 (3), pp. 445-450 : 446-448

Zora alpina Kulczyński, 1915

Zora alpina Kulczyński 1915: 935 ; Wunderlich 1991: 454, fig. 1194. Zora nigrimana Schenkel 1927: 255 , fig. 15.

Material examined. Italy, Lombardia, Sondrio: Braulio, pasture, 2400 m asl (UTM32N-WGS84 E608456, N5155069), 18.VI–4.VII.2013 1 male ( MUSE), 4–19.VII.2013 1 male 1 female ( MCSNB), 12–26. VI.2014, 1 male ( MCSNB), 26.VI-10. VII.2014, 1 female ( MCSNB); calcareous alpine grassland (partially pasture), 2630 m asl (UTM32N-WGS84 E608957, N5155676), 4–19.VII.2013 1 male ( MCSNB); Valfurva, Valdidentro-Ables, hay meadow, 1820 m asl (UTM32N-WGS84 E598563, N5150041), 18.VII–1. VIII.2014, 1 female ( MCSNB); Valfurva, Sobretta-Gavia, siliceous alpine grassland ( Carex curvula -dominated community), 2690 m asl (UTM32N-WGS84 E615048, N5135573), 9– 22. VII.2014, 1 male ( MCSNB); Brescia: Ponte di Legno, Valle Messi, Festuca varia grassland, 2190 m asl (UTM32N- WGS84 E616182, N5129709), 10–24. VI.2014, 1 male ( MCSNB); peat bog, 2420 m asl (UTM32N-WGS84 E613827, N5132650), 10–24. VI.2014, 1 male ( MCSNB), 2–17. IX.2014, 1 female ( MCSNB).

Diagnosis. Zora alpina can be distinguished from other European Zora species with the two pairs of ventral spines on metatarsus I and II ( Z. manicata Simon, 1878 and Z. silvestris Kulczyński, 1897 ) by the habitus ( Fig. 1 ) and the shape of genitalia ( Figs 4 , 12, 13 .). Zora alpina has light femora and tarsi while Z. manicata has dark femora and tarsi and clear metatarsi. Zora silvestris has mostly distinct dark grey longitudinal stripes or rows of spots on femora I and II (feature absent in Z. alpina ). In addition, Z. alpina has very thin and broken dark marginal bands on the carapace while these are distinct and continuous in Z. silvestris and Z. manicata .

Males of Z. alpina are distinguishable from the other two species by the shape of the tibial apophysis: in retrolateral view, the upper extension of the tibial apophysis is rectangular ( Figs 2 , 6 ) while in Z. manicata ( Fig. 7 ) and Z. silvestris ( Fig. 8 ) it is tapered at the apex. In ventral view, the prolateral margin of the median apophysis is angled in Z. alpina , and rounded in the other two species ( Figs 3 , 9–11 ). Females of Z. alpina are distinguishable by the distance between the spermathecae, which is larger than the diameter of the spermathecae ( Figs 5 , 13 ).

Description of male. Total length 3.11: carapace 1.41 long, 1.10 wide; opisthosoma 1.70 long, 0.90 wide.

Prosoma ( Fig. 1 ): pear-shaped in dorsal view, widest between coxa II and III, narrowing after coxa I; few dark setae present on anterior eye area. Yellow carapace, dark paramedian bands with irregular margin, thinner than median light band, as wide as the lateral light bands; paramedian bands unite between the PME, making entire eye area dark. Dark marginal bands thin and interrupted (male collected 18.VI–4.VII.2013 with continuous marginal bands). Eyes: ringed with black tubercles, anterior row slightly recurved, posterior row strongly recurved. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.06, PME 0.07, PLE 0.07, AME-AME 0.04, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.07, PME-PLE 0.08, AME-PME 0.04, ALE-PLE 0.11. Sternum with three dark spots on each side; dark band from medial part of the anterior margin, one dark spot visible medially on posterior margin. Chelicera with dark longitudinal band; two teeth on both posterior and anterior margins.

Legs: tibiae I and II with 6 pairs of ventral spines; metatarsi I and II with 2 pairs of ventral spines. Coxae, trochanters and femora are yellow while patellae, tibiae and metatarsi are dark brown in legs I and II, brown in legs III and IV. Tarsi tend to be lighter than metatarsi. Leg formula: 4123.

Measurements of legs

Male palp ( Figs 2, 3 , 6 , 9 ): three dorsal spines on palpal femora. Tibial apophysis in ventral view quadrangular shaped with round lobe on prolateral margin and with small triangular anteriorly pointing protrusion. Distal extension of tibial apophysis rectangular in retrolateral view. Median apophysis sickle-shaped when viewed ventrally.

Opisthosoma: light brown or yellow with dark brown or black spots. Brown anal tubercle and spinnerets contrast with lighter colour of the abdomen. Brush of bristles on each anterior spinneret.

Description of female: prosoma 1.55 long, 1.2 wide; opisthosoma 2.20 long, 1.35 wide. Habitus same as in male. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.07, ALE 0.08, PME 0.07, PLE 0.07, AME-AME 0.04, AME-ALE 0.03, PME- PME 0.07, PME-PLE 0.08, AME-PME 0.05, ALE-PLE 0.16.

Legs: same as in male.

Measurements of legs Epigyne and vulva ( Figs 4, 5 , 12, 13 ): atrium oval-shaped with anterior and lateral edges well defined. Spermathecae separated by more than their diameter. Width of the copulatory duct is greater than or equal to the radius of the spermatheca.

Distribution. Endemic to the southern European Alps. It has been found in the Central Italian Alps: Valtellina, Camonica Valley and Trafoi Valley ( Kulczyński 1915). The species has also found on the Swiss side of the Monte Rosa Massif ( Schenkel 1927). The records from Caucaso ( Martynovchenko & Mikhailov 2014) need confirmation.

Remarks on autoecology. Based on our data, we consider Zora alpina restricted to open habitats above 2200 metres asl. Of the 11 specimens found, just one specimen was found at 1800 m asl; thus it was not considered it in the autoecological interpretations. Zora alpina seems to be a generalist in terms of habitat type. We collected the specimens on siliceous and calcareous alpine grasslands both natural as well as grazed by cattle. The specimens collected in this study were found on S-SE faces with slopes of 0–30 degrees. Zora alpina activity coincided with the snow free period, from mid-June to the end of August. All specimens were collected by pitfall traps, suggesting that the species moves between herbaceous vegetation on the ground. Pitfall traps are likely to be a better sampling method than hand-sampling

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Zora alpina. 1 prosoma and leg I, dorsal view (scale bar: 0.5 mm); 2 left palp, ventral view; 3 same, retrolateral view; 4 epigyne, ventral view; 5 vulva, dorsal view (scale bar: 0.2 mm). MA: median apophysis, TAp: tibial apophysis protrusion.

FIGURES 12, 13. Zora alpina. 12 epigyne (scale bar: 0.2 mm); 13 vulva (scale bar: 0.2 mm).

FIGURES 6 – 8. Zora spp., left palp, retrolateral view (scale bar: 0.3 mm). 6 Zora alpina; 7 Zora manicata; 8 Zora silvestris.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Zora spp., left palp, ventral view (scale bar: 0.3 mm). 9 Zora alpina; 10 Zora manicata; 11 Zora silvestris.