Acantholycosa levinae Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004

Fomichev, Alexander A., 2021, New data on the wolf spiders from theAcantholycosa-complex (Araneae: Lycosidae) from the South Siberia, Zootaxa 5026 (4), pp. 567-585 : 577-578

Acantholycosa levinae Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004

Figs 4–5 , 18–19 , 28–31, 36–37, 66–68, 75–76

A. levinae Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004: 112 , f. 61–65 (♂).

A. levinae — Marusik & Omelko, 2017: 597, f. 11 (♂).

Material examined. RUSSIA: Altai Republic: 1♂ 1♀ ( ISEA, 001.8658) , 1♀ ( ISEA, 001.8722), Katunskyi Mt. Range, Srednee Mul’tinskoe Lake , 49°59’N, 85°50’E, scree and lichen pillows, 1650–1760 m, 23– 27.07.2019, A.A. Fomichev, Yu.V. Dyachkov ; 2♀ ( ISEA, 001.8659), Katunskyi Mt. Range, watershed of Mul’ta River and Kuiguk River , 49°59.019’N, 85°51.096’E, scree, 2400 m, 26.07.2019, A.A. Fomichev, Yu.V. Dyachkov, E.A. Nepaeva ; 3♂ 1♀ ( ZMMU) , Katunskyi Mt. Range, Poperechnoe Lake , 49°55’N, 85°53’E, scree, 1885–2000 m, 21.07.2018, A.E. Naidenov, K.E. Naidenova .

Diagnosis. Acantholycosa levinae resembles A. baltoroi . Both species have protruding palea (Pl) with triangleshaped projection (Ts), robust terminal apophysis (Ta) and relatively straight embolus (Em). The males of these two species differ by the tip of the embolus (bilobated in A. levinae , and single-blade in A. baltoroi ) and by the shape of the terminal apophysis (curved and bifurcated in A. levinae , and straight and blunt in A. baltoroi , cf. Fig. 29 and fig. 60 in Marusik et al. 2004). The female of A. levinae differs from those of A. baltoroi by the shape of epigynal fovea (Fo), which is rectangular in the former species (vs. heart-shaped) and by rectangular septal base (Sb) (vs. anchor-shaped, cf. Fig. 66 and fig. 2D in Buchar 1976). The epigyne of A. levinae is similar to those of species from the plumalis -group: A. logunovi Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004 , A. paraplumalis Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004 and A. plumalis Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004 . The similarity includes a rectangular shape of the fovea as well as septal base and apical pocket (Ap) consisting of one hood. The female of A. levinae differs from all aforementioned species by a reduced septal stem. In addition, it can be separated from A. logunovi and A. paraplumalis by having the apical pocket as wide as the septal base (vs. twice narrower). Finally, the female of A. levinae can be distinguished from A. plumalis by having receptacles (Re) almost touching each other (vs. widely spaced, cf. Fig. 66, 68 and fig. 3 in Fomichev & Marusik 2011, and figs 47, 50– 52 in Marusik et al. 2004).

Description. Female.Total length 8.6. Carapace: 4.15 long, 3.3 wide. General appearance as in Fig. 5 .Coloration. Carapace, sternum and labium dark brown. Eye field black. Chelicerae, endites and palps yellow-brown. Coxae yellow-gray. Legs yellow-brown, femora with transverse dark gray stripes. Abdomen dark gray dorsally, with dark brown cardiac mark. Venter of abdomen yellow-gray. Spinnerets dark gray. Spination of leg I: Fe d1-1-1 p0-0-2 r0- 1-1; Ti p1-0-0 r1-0-0 v1-2-2-2-2-2; Mt p0-1-0 r0-1-0 v2-2-0. Leg measurements: I 3.9, 1.8, 3.65, 3.45, 1.7 (14.5); II 3.9, 1.75, 3.4, 3.55, 1.75 (14.35); III 3.8, 1.6, 3.15, 4.3, 1.85 (14.7); IV 4.85, 1.8, 4.3, 6.85, 2.55 (20.35).

Epigyne and internal genitalia as shown in Figs 66–68 . Fovea as wide as long. Septal base smoothly declines anteriorly. Lips of the epigyne (Li) separated by one of their wide. Receptacles clavate, not clearly delineated from copulatory ducts (Cd). Copulatory ducts 1.5 times longer than receptacles.

Male. See Marusik et al. (2004) for description. General appearance as in Fig. 4 . Palp as in Figs 18–19 , 28–31, 36–37. Tegular apophysis (Tg) almost oval, with reduced apical and basal arms. Palea with abrupt retrolateral margin. Triangle shaped projection almost straight, with a hooked apical part. Terminal apophysis massive, subdivided into two lobes. Embolus with a spine (Sp) in the basal part. Distal part of the embolus subdivided into triangular secondary part and embolus proper.

Distribution. Known from several close localities in the Katunskyi Mt. Range in Altai Mountains ( Figs 75– 76 ).

Comments. There are some doubts if the females match with males due to the morphology of the epigyne. Since A. levinae belongs to the baltoroi -group, this species epigyne would be expected to have an anchor-shaped septal base. Instead, the epigyne of the females described herein are similar to those of species from the plumalis -group. Nevertheless, males and females were collected together in two different places, thus I treat them as conspecific.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. General appearance of Acantholycosa sayanensis (1–2), A. kulikovi sp. n. (3), A. levinae (4–5), A. sergeevi sp. n. (6), Mongolicosa lizae sp. n. (8–9) and leg I of A. sergeevi sp. n. (7). 1, 4, 6, 8—male, dorsal; 2, 3, 5, 9—female, dorsal; 7—leg I of male, prolateral. Scale bars=2 mm.

FIGURES 10–19. Male palp (10–13) and bulb (14–19) of Acantholycosa sergeevi sp. n. (10–11), A. sayanensis (14–15), A. sidorovi sp. n. (16–17), A. levinae (18-19) and Mongolicosa lizae sp. n. (12–13). 10, 12—retrolateral; 11, 13, 14, 16, 18— ventral; 15, 17, 19—anterior. Scale bars=0.2 mm.

FIGURES 63–71. Epigyne and female internal genitalia of Acantholycosa kulikovi sp. n. (63–65), A. levinae (66–68) and Mongolicosa lizae sp. n. (69–71). 63, 66, 69—intact, ventral; 64, 67, 70—macerated, ventral; 65, 68, 71—macerated, dorsal. Scale bars=0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Al apical lips of the epigyne, Ap apical pocket, Cd copulatory ducts, Fo epigynal fovea, Li lip of the epigyne, Re receptacle, Sa septal base arm, Sb septal base, Ss septal stem.

FIGURES 72–77. Male of Acantholycosa sayanensis from Borus Mt. Range (72), female of Acantholycosa sp. (A. azyuzini or A. levinae) with egg sac, from Katunskyi Mt. Range (73), habitat of A. sayanensis and A. sergeevi sp. n. in Borus Mt. Range (74), collecting localities of studied species from the Acantholycosa-complex (75–76) and map showing the main mountain systems of South Siberia and adjacent regions (77). Diamond—A. sayanensis, square—A. sidorovi sp. n., triangle—A. kulikovi sp. n., star—A. levinae, circle—A. sergeevi sp. n., inverted triangle—Mongolicosa lizae sp. n. The frame of Fig. 76 refers to the content of Fig. 75.