Zodarion atlanticum, Pekár & Cardoso, 2005

Pekár, Stano & Cardoso, Pedro, 2005, Ant-eating spiders (Araneae: Zodariidae) of Portugal: additions to the current knowledge, Zootaxa 1009 (1), pp. 51-60 : 54-55

Zodarion atlanticum sp. n.

( Figs 5–8 , 16 )

Type data. Holotype male: Azores, Pico, Madalena , 3 June 2004, leg. S. Pekár et M. Hrušková; paratypes: 2f, same data. Type material deposited in SMF.

Other material examined. Leiria district: Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros (all P. Cardoso leg., CPC): Bairro (UTM 29 SND37 ) , 18 June 2002, 2m; Barrenta (UTM 29 SND28 ) , 2 July 2002, 1m; Santarém district: Reserva Natural do Paúl do Boquilobo: Paúl do Boquilobo (UTM 29 SND36 ) , 10 April 2002, 1j; 24 April 2002, 3j; 8 May 2002, 5j; 22 May 2002, 27m; 5 June 2002, 67m+6f; 18 June 2002, 57m+4f; 2 July 2002, 2m+1f; 16 July 2002, 2m+15f+15j; 30 July 2002, 2f+62j; 14 August 2002, 39j; 27 August 2002, 2f+47j; 10 September 2002, 33j; 24 September 2002, 57j; 8 October 2002, 34j; 22 October 2002, 2j; 5 November 2002, 3j. Azores: Faial, Cabeço do Fogo , 17 September 1999, 2f+1j, P. A. V. Borges leg. ( CPB); Pico, Madalena , 5 June 2004, 8m+14f, leg. S. Pekár et M. Hrušková (CSP).

Material used for comparison. Zodarion costablancae : Spain, Valencia, Bellus , 7 June 1994, 1m+2f, R. Bosmans leg. (CRB) ; Tarragona, L'Ampolla , 6 August 2000, 1f, R. Bosmans leg. (CRB) . Zodarion machadoi : Spain, Pontevedra, Puerto de Fuentedria , 13 August 1994, 1f, R. Bosmans leg. (CRB) ; Portugal, Vila do Conde , 1m +1f ( MNHN, AR9951 ). Zodarion viduum : Portugal, Trás­os­Montes, Viveiro , 16 August 1992, 1f, R. Bosmans leg. (CRB) ; Portugal, Porto, Lisboa, 2f ( MNHN, AR1518 ) .

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the „ rubidum “ group sensu Bosmans (1997). It is closely related to Z. viduum Denis 1937 , Z. costablancae Bosmans 1994 and Z. machadoi Denis 1939 . Males of this species are distinguished from these species by shape of tibial apophysis, which is wide at base and gradually tapering towards tip. Females differ in shape of posterio­lateral margins of epigynal plate that are convergent.

Description. Male. Total length 2.39 mm (SD=0.14, n=10), prosoma 1.25 mm (SD=0.06, n=10) long, 0.87 (SD=0.03, n=10) wide. Colour: Prosoma, chelicerae and sternum brown. Legs yellow but femora I and II brown. Opisthosoma dorsally dark sepia with one whitish spot above spinnerets, ventrally pale. Palp (Figs 56): tibial apophysis broad gradually tapering, curved anterio­dorsally, distally pointed. Basal part of bulbus protruding. Retinaculum with distal end rounded and flattened. Embolus and disal tegular apophysis straight and truncate.

Female. Total length 3.19 mm (SD=0.32, n=10), prosoma 1.34 mm (SD=0.08, n=10) long, 0.92 (SD=0.06, n=10) wide. Colour: as in males but femora III and IV distally light brown. Epigyne (Figs 78): with two pouches. Anterior margin with a wedge­shaped structure. Posterior margins convergent. Width of epigynal plate twice as long as distance between inner ends of posterio­lateral margins.

Distribution. In continental Portugal it is known from the centre of the country, in the Azores from Pico and Faial islands ( Fig. 16 ).

Etymology. The name is an adjective derived from the Atlantic Ocean in whose proximities it is found.

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Zodarion atlanticum sp. n. 5 male palp, ventral view. 6 male palp, retrolateral view. 7 epigyne, ventral view. 8 vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 13–20. Distribution of zodariid spiders in Portugal. 13 Amphiledorus adonis. 14, Amphiledorus ungoliantae. 15 Zodarion alacre. 16 Zodarion atlanticum. 17 Zodarion bosmansi. 18 Zodarion lusitanicum. 19 Zodarion merlijni. 20 Zodarion styliferum. 21 Zodarion styliferum f. extraneum. Current (full symbols) and previous (empty symbols) records.