Aelurillus leipoldae (Metzner, 1999)

Azarkina, Galina N. & Komnenov, Marjan, 2015, Descriptions of two new species of Aelurillus Simon, 1884 (Araneae, Salticidae) from the Mediterranean, with the synonymization of A. steliosi Dobroruka, 2002, ZooKeys 516, pp. 109-122 : 115-118

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Salticidae

Aelurillus leipoldae (Metzner, 1999) Figs 1, 29-31

Asianellus leipoldae Metzner 1999: 72, figs 37 a–i (♂, SMNK, re-examined).

Aelurillus leipoldae : Azarkina 2002: 253, figs 31-42; Logunov and Chatzaki 2003: 96.

Aelurillus steliosi Dobroruka 2002: 8, figs 5-13 (♂, re-examined) syn. n.

Aelurillus cretensis : Bosmans and Chatzaki 2005: 100 (in part); Bosmans et al. 2013: 110 (in part).

Type material.

Holotype of Aelurillus steliosi : ♂ (MNHN #AR 13334) "GREECE, Crete, Skalani (Pref. Irakleio), 230 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 25°11'E, 21 May 2001, coll. S. Simaiakis ". Holotype of Asianellus leipoldae ♂ (SMNK, 2177) "GREECE, Kreta, Paleohóra, Küstengebirge” [=Crete, Palaiochora, Coastal Ranges, 35°13'N, 23°40'E], 9.01.1993 (D. Leiopold). Paratype of Asianellus leipoldae 1 ♂ (PCHM) "Kreta [=Crete], Chania, 35°18'N, 23°48'E, 4.09.1974 (A. Senglet).

Other material.

GREECE: 10 ♂ 2 ♀ (ISEA 001.4045, 001.4047, 001.4058) Crete, Chania, Lefka Ori Mts., 800 and 1650 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 23 November 1990, 6 July– 6 November 1991, coll. P. Lymperakis; 2 ♀ (ISEA 001.4057) Gavdos Island, Chania, Lavrakas sand-dunes, Juniperus forest, 34°52'N, 24°04'E, 24 July– 8 November 1997, coll. K. Paragamian; 1 ♂ (LM) Crete, September 2002, coll. S.L. Felton; 1 ♀ (SNHM) Crete, Chania, N of Lake Curna [=Kournas], N slope, 100 m from the coast, Luminacea, Salvia, 0-15 m a.s.l., 35°20'N, 24°16'E, 16 April 1958, coll. H. Kahmann; 1 ♀ (SNHM) Crete, Heraklion, 2 km SE of Zaros, NE slope, flat hill, sandy, Phrygana, Cirsium, Cystus, under stones, 35°07'N, 24°55'E, 7 April 1958, coll. H. Kahmann.

Remarks.

The holotype of Aelurillus steliosi is conspecific with that of Aelurillus leipoldae . Both specimens examined (the male holotypes of Aelurillus leipoldae and Aelurillus steliosi ) have the same body coloration and structure of the palpus and the embolic division (Figs 29-31 and see Azarkina 2002: figs 31-38, 41; Dobroruka 2002: figs 6-10). Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the name Aelurillus steliosi Dobroruka, 2002 is a junior synonym of Aelurillus leipoldae (Metzner, 1999), contrary to Bosmans et al. (2013) (see also comment under Aelurillus cretensis ) who synonymized Aelurillus steliosi with Aelurillus cretensis Azarkina, 2002.

Distribution.

Only known from Crete, Greece (Fig. 1; Metzner 1999: map 29; Azarkina 2002: fig. 43).