Gorbiscape agelenoides ( Walckenaer, 1841 ) Zamani & Marusik, 2020

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2020, A review of Agelenini (Araneae: Agelenidae: Ageleninae) of Iran and Tajikistan, with descriptions of four new genera, Arachnology 18 (4), pp. 368-386 : 382-383

Gorbiscape agelenoides ( Walckenaer, 1841) comb. n.

( Fig. 4E )

Dolomedes agelenoides Walckenaer 1841: 454 (D).

Agelena agelenoides: Simon 1937: 1012, 1042 , figs. 1564–1565 (♂♀).

Agelena agelenoides: de Blauwe 1980: 5 , figs. 3–7 (♂♀).

For the complete list of taxonomic entries see World Spider Catalog (2020).

Remarks: This species is tentatively placed in this genus because of the similarity of the male palp with that of the generotype. This species is clearly different from Agelena labyrinthica , the type of its genus, and therefore cannot be placed in Agelena . Perhaps, it would belong to its own genus, but as we are reluctant to erect monotypic genera, for now, we transfer it to Gorbiscape gen. n. and leave the question open for future phylogenetic studies.

Diagnosis: The male of G. agelenoides differs from the type species by the broader base of the conductor (cf. Figs. 4E and 4D ), the rounded tip of the patellar apophysis ( v. sharply pointed), and not subdivided tip of the embolus ( v. subdivided ). Females of two congeners differ by the absence ( G. agelenoides ) v. presence of the scape ( G. gorbachevi sp. n.). This species is also similar to Agelena ’ canariensis by the shape of the embolus and very broad conductor but differs by having a distinct and wide base of the conductor, which is lacking in the other species.

Description: See de Blauwe (1980).

Distribution: This species is known from the western Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula to Italy ( Helsdingen 2020).

Figures

Fig. 4: Bulb, ventral view. A, B Agelescape cf. livida, from Israel;C Asiascape parthica sp. n.; D Gorbiscape gorbachevi sp. n.; E G. agelenoides. A after Levy (1996), E after de Blauwe (1980), both with modification. Scale bar = 0.2 mm