Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963

Marusik, Yuri M. & Omelko, Mikhail M., 2014, Reconsideration of Xysticus species described by Ehrenfried Schenkel from Mongolia and China in 1963 (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 3861 (3), pp. 275-289 : 280-281

Xysticus lesserti Schenkel, 1963

Figs 1 , 15–17 , 24

X. l. Schenkel, 1963: 219, figs 124a–c (♂).

X. kurilensis (Strand) . Song & Zhu 1997: 93 (synonymised two names, synonymy rejected here).

Type material. Holotype ♂ [examined] with vial label “Anshunfou, P. Cavalerie”, in the species description type locality is indicated as “Anschun fu, Ganschuen fu” and “Ca 2, Anschun-fu Gantschuen-fu, P. Cavalerie, 1912” in introduction. Modern name is Anshun, Guizhou Province.

Comparative material. Xysticus kurilensis : KURIL ISLANDS: Iturup: 1♂ (BMS), IT-98-TWP-010, nr. Usach River mouth, 35 m, ex Sasa /Alnus leaf litter, 44.469°N, 146.994°E, 29 July 1998 (T.W. Pietsch); 1♂ 4juv (BMS), IT-95-VR-0375B, Konservnaya Bay, 5m, ex wet Sasa- herb litter near beach, 45.332°n, 147.997°E, 31 August 1995 (V.D. Roth). Kunashir: 1♂ (BMS), KU-97-RLC-002, 4 km W Yuzhno-Kuril’sk, 5 m, swept in bog meadow, 44.018°N, 145.809°E, 28 July 1997 (R. Crawford).

Comments. This species was synonymised with X. kurilensis Strand, 1907 by Song & Zhu (1997), without study of type material and without any comments in support of the synonymy. Comparison of the holotype of X. lesserti and specimens from Kuril Islands, including males from the type locality, Iturup Island, revealed that the two names were synonymised incorrectly. The synonymy is rejected here. We provide figures showing differences in thickness of the embolus and in the shape of the tegular apophyses.

It seems that the figures of X. lesserti in all publications by Chinese and Korean authors ( Song & Zhen 1981; Song et al. 1999; Chen & Gao 1990; Chen & Zhang 1991, etc.) refer to true X. kurilensis . It is likely that X. lesserti occurs only in Central China, while X. kurilensis is widespread in costal provinces of China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type localities of 16 Xysticus species described by Schenkel in 1963 and of X. courti sp. n. Numbers in squares for X. bonneti refer to numbers in square brackets in the list of localities.

FIGURES 15 – 20. Male palp of Xysticus lesserti (15 – 17, holotype) and X. kurilensis (18 – 20). 15, 18 — ventral; 16, 19 — retrolateral; 17, 20 — prolateral. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 25. Male palp of Xysticus pseudobliteus (21 – 23, holotype of X. acerboides), habitus of X. lesserti (24, holotype) and X. kurilensis (25). Scale = 0.2 mm [21 – 23].