Acantholycosa valeriae, Omelko, Mikhail M., Komisarenko, Anatoly A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2016

Omelko, Mikhail M., Komisarenko, Anatoly A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2016, A new species of Acantholycosa Dahl, 1908 (Araneae: Lycosidae) from the Russian Far East, Zootaxa 4072 (5), pp. 596-600 : 596-599

Acantholycosa valeriae sp. n.

Figs 1–5 , 9–11, 15–17 , 21–23 , 27

Type material. Holotype ♂ and paratypes 2♀ ( ZMMU), Russia, Maritime Province, Falaza (=Litovka) Mt., alpine belt, 1200 m, 43°06'10"N, 132°46'52"E, 17.06.2015 (M.M. Omelko, A.A. Komisarenko).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor of Russian paleozoologist and senior author's wife Valeria Omelko.

Diagnosis. The new species is closely related to Acantholycosa azarkinae ; which is known only from Sestra Mt. in Maritime Province. Males of the new species can be easily distinguished by absence of dense hairs on legs I and II, by having 3 prolateral spines on metatarsus I instead of 2, and dark colored tarsus (yellowish in sibling species, Figs 3, 6 ). Tegular apophysis in the new species has a pointed upper part, while in A. azarkinae it is rounded. Acantholycosa valeriae sp. n. differs from sibling species by the rounded inner part of embolus tip (Ie) and straight sperm duct (Sd) in the tip of embolus (straight inner part and dorsally bent sperm duct in A. azarkinae , Figs 16, 19 ). Females of the new species can be distinguished by having epigyne with a single median hood (two widely spaced hoods in A. azarkinae ) and shorter receptacles (compare Figs 21–23 and 24–26 ).

Description. Male. Carapace 5.8 long, 3.5 wide. Total length 9.0. Carapace blackish with yellow median band visible only in central part. Lateral stripes yellowish, indistinct. Eye area dark, almost black. Abdomen ventrally blackish with distinct cardiac mark and white spots. Chelicerae dark brown, maxillae and labium brown. Sternum dark, without stripes and spots.

Spination of leg I: femur with 3 dorsal, 2 prolateral and 3 retrolateral spines; patella with 1 prolateral and 1 retrolateral spines; tibia with 3 prolateral, 3 retrolateral and 4 pairs of ventral spines; metatarsus with 3 prolateral, 2 retrolateral and 3 pairs of ventral spines. Femur dark brown, with light spot. Patella, tibia and metatarsus brown.

Male palp as in Figs 4–5 , 9–11, 15–17 . Cymbium with 3 claws. Tegular apophysis comparatively small, without apical arm. Terminal apophysis large, claw-shaped, heavily sclerotized. Palea with weakly sclerotized laminar outgrowth lacking any apophyses. Embolus broadly twisted near tip, basal spine absent, tip subdivided, sperm duct straight, terminating in mesal outgrowth of the tip, inner part of embolic tip rounded.

Female. Total length 9.4 (10.9) (2 ♀♀ measured). Carapace 4.9 (4.9) long, 3.8 (3.9) wide. Median band, postcephalic light spot and submarginal light stripes distinct. Legs dark brown, with dark rings on femora of all legs. Spination of leg I: femur with 3 dorsal, 2 prolateral and 2 retrolateral spines; patella with 1 retrolateral spine; tibia with 2 prolateral, 2 retrolateral and 4 pairs of ventral spines; metatarsus with 2 prolateral, 2 retrolateral and 2 pairs (and 1 unpaired) of ventral spines.

Epigyne as in Figs 21‒23 . Apical pocket small, arch-shaped with only one hood; septum with distinct stem, stem length twice the septal base height, septal base heart-shaped; receptacles elongate without distinct heads, relatively short (1/2 of the height of epigyne, from base to apical pocket); trapezoidal base; spermathecae comparatively short.

Distribution. Type locality only.

Discussion. The discovery of this new species increased the number of named species in Acantholycosa to 30. Twenty two of them are known in Altai-Sayan Mountainous system ( Marusik et al. 2004; Marusik & Logunov 2011), and 18 are endemic to this region. Such a high level of diversity and this large number of endemic species is unknown in other Holarctic Lycosidae and probably all other spiders occurring north of 45°N. Maritime Province, with seven species of Acantholycosa ( A. aborigenica Zyuzin & Marusik, 1998 , A. azarkinae , A. lignaria (Clerck, 1757) , A. norvegica (Thorell, 1872) , A. oligerae Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004 , A. sundukovi Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004 and A. valeriae sp. n.), represents a second region with high species richness and endemism. Four of seven species are known exclusively from the Maritime province. These four endemic species form two species groups, each with two sibling species: oligerae -group, with A. oligerae and A. sundukovi , and azarkinae -group, with A. azarkinae and A. valeriae sp. n. Both species of oligerae -group are known from nearby localities in the Lazo Reserve, while the very similar A. azarkinae and A. valeriae sp. n. are known from distant localities ( Fig. 27 ) separated by about 115 km. Given that all Acantholycosa species, except for A. lignaria , inhabit screes (open stony debris) and that such habitats are isolated from each other in the Maritime Province and poorly studied (chiefly due to poor road network and lack of mapping of such habitats) it is reasonable to expect the discovery of other undescribed species.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Distribution records of Acantholycosa species in the Maritime Province and adjacent part of Khabarovsk Province, Russia.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Acantholycosa valeriae sp. n. (1 – 5) and A. azarkinae (6 – 8). 1 – 2 habitus of male and female, dorsal; 3, 6 male leg I prolateral; 4, 7 male palp, ventral; 5, 8 male palp, retrolateral. 6 – 8 after Marusik & Omelko (2011).

FIGURES 9 – 20. Bulb of Acantholycosa valeriae sp. n. (9 – 11, 15 – 17) and A. azarkinae (12 – 14, 18 – 20). 9, 12 ventral; 10, 13 anterior; 11, 14 retrolateral; 15, 18 embolic division, ventral; 16, 19 embolic division, anterior; 17, 20 embolic division, retrolateral. Scale = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Ie inner part of embolus; Sd sperm duct.

FIGURES 21 ‒ 26. Intact and macerated epigyne of Acantholycosa valeriae sp. n. (21 – 23) and A. azarkinae (24 – 26). 21, 24 intact epigyne, ventral; 22, 25 macerated epigyne, dorsal; 23, 26 macerated epigyne, ventral. 24 – 26 after Marusik & Omelko (2011). Scale = 0.2 mm.