Dictyna palmgreni, Marusik, Yuri M. & Fritzen, Niclas R., 2011

Marusik, Yuri M. & Fritzen, Niclas R., 2011, On a new Dictyna species (Araneae, Dictynidae) from the northern Palaearctic confused with the East Siberian D. schmidti Kulczynski, 1926, ZooKeys 138, pp. 93-108 : 95-98

Dictyna palmgreni sp. n. Figs 1 –26–912–1318–1922–2328–3032– 3340

Dictyna schmidti : Lehtinen 1967: 451, f. 292, 306; 452, f. 321 (♂♀).

Dictyna schmidti : Palmgren 1977: 21, f. 4.7-9 (♂♀).

Dictyna schmidti (sensu Lehtinen): Danilov 2000: 42, f. 15-16 (♀).

Faunistic references

Dictyna cf. major : Marusik et al. 1992: 137.

Dictyna sp.: Marusik et al. 1993: 71.

Dictyna schmidti (sensu Palmgren): Esyunin & Efimik 1996: 136.

Dictyna schmidti (sensu Lehtinen): Pettersson 1996: 224.

Dictyna schmidti (sensu Lehtinen): Logunov et al. 1998: 131.

Dictyna cf. schmidti : Marusik et al. 2000: 21.

Dictyna schmidti : Almquist 2006: 315 (possibly misidentification).

Etymology.

The specific name is a patronym in honour of the late Prof. Pontus Palmgren (1907-1993) who made a great contribution to studies of Finnish spiders.

Material examined.

FINLAND:Holotype ♂ (ZMT), Muonio, Pallastunturi national park (np), SE slope of Laukukero, 68°02'53"N, 24°03'25"E, 31.05.2008, beaten from lower spruce branches at alpine tree line (N.R. Fritzén). Paratypes: 1♀ 4j (ZMT), same data as holotype; 2♂ 3♀ 9j (ZMT), Muonio, Pallastunturi np, 67°58'50"N, 24°04'23"E, 29.05.2007, spruce fen, at the border of a small open bog, beaten from lower spruce branches (N.R. Fritzén); 1♂ (ZMT), Muonio, Pallastunturi np. 67°58'47"N, 24°04'23"E, 29.05.2007, small semi open bog, sweeping (N.R. Fritzén); 2♂ 1♀ 4j (ZMT), Muonio, Pallastunturi np, SE slope of Laukukero, 68°02'52"N, 24°03'35"E, 27.05.2007, beaten from lower spruce branches near alpine tree line (N.R. Fritzén); 1♀ (ZMT/VR90), Kittilä, Alakylä, 67°21'N, 24°53'E, 17.06.1963 (P.T. Lehtinen) (referred to as allotype of Dictyna schmidti in Lehtinen (1967) and Palmgren (1977); 1♀ 1j (ZMH), Muonio, kirkonkylä, 67°56'N, 23°41'E, 14.07.1943, swampy forest (P. Palmgren); 1♂ (ZMH), Kittilä, 67°39'N, 24°54'E,?1857 (Nylander & Gadd) (labelled as Dictyna schmidti ssp. abieticola ♂ holotype by P.T. Lehtinen); 1♂ (ZMH), Kalajoki, Pentti isl., 64°11'14"N, 23°41'53"E, 8.07.1999, pitfall trap in mesic heath forest with dense stand of Picea abies , (M. Sievänen). RUSSIA: Murmansk Area: 3♀ 5j. (ZMH) (Lt) Lotta river, 50 km E of Finnish frontier, 9.08.1967 (M. Meinander). North Urals:2♀(NHRS), Vishorski Reserve, Ol’khovka River, forest, 13.7.1994 (O. Garkunova). Middle Urals: 6♀ (PSU), Basegi Mnt., forest, branches of Picea, 1.09.1990 (S.L. Esyunin). Yamal Peninsula: 3♀ (2 with missing epigynes) (PSU), South Yamal, Khadyta-Yakha River, mixed forest, 06.1982 (S.L. Esyunin). Krasnoyarsk Province: 1♂ (ISEA), West Sayany, south macroslope of Oiskiy Mt. range, 11 km S of Oiskoye Lake, Buiba River valley, 52°47'N, 93°18'E, 1200-1230 m, 20-21.06.1995 (A. Abramov). Yakutia: 1♂3♀ (ZMMU), Yakutia, Lena River, 10 km downstream off Zhigansk, mouth of Ynyr Khaya Spring, stony bank and meadows, 4-8.07.1989 (K.Yu. Eskov). Magadan Area:1♂ (ZMMU), Upper Kolyma flow, Sibit Tyellakh River basin, Olen’ River valley, environs of “Aborigen” Field Station, on ice field, 600 m, 7.06.1985 (Yu.M. Marusik).

Diagnosis.

Dictyna palmgreni sp. n. resembles Dictyna major and Dictyna schmidti , from which it can be easily separated by the shape of the apical portion of the conductor (broadening and then abruptly tapering, not gradually tapering like in the other two species), the relatively short cymbium, the thick and spiralled epigynal ducts and also by the presence of a digitiform process (accessorial gland). In the male palp, the combination of short length and basal placement of the tibial apophysis also distinguishes it from the two other species.

Description.

Male. Total length 2.63-3.00. Carapace: 1.10-1.30 long, 0.88-0.95 wide, cephalic part 0.60 wide, clypeus 0.14, chelicerae 0.79. Abdomen 1.75 long, 1.20 wide. Cymbium 0.69-0.79 long, 0.40-0.43 wide, length/width ratio 1.70-1.80. Leg I segments: femur 1.17, patella+tibia 1.36, metatarsus 0.86, tarsus 0.57. Carapace brown, cephalic part raised, well separated from thoracic part by ‘furrow’, cephalic portion with 5 longitudinal ‘furrows’ with sparse whitish hairs, thoracic part with radial stripes. Abdomen light to dark brown with dark grey-brownish pattern (Figs 1, 7), somewhat variable and sometimes with cardiac mark posteriorly trifid. Palp as in Figs 18-19, 22-23, tibia short, apophysis carrying ctenidia short (about 2 lengths of ctenidia) and positioned near base of tibia; conductor in one plain, upper arm of conductor abruptly cut, lower arm with bent thin tip directed retrolaterad.

Female. Total length 2.90-3.10. Carapace: 1.05-1.18 long, 0.91-0.94 wide, brown with dark-grey radial stripes, and light brown median band (behind posterior eye row). Cephalic portion with 5 longitudinal ‘furrows’ densely covered with whitish hairs. Clypeus 0.13, chelicerae 0.60. Leg I segments: femur 1.07, patella+tibia 1.14, metatarsus 0.69, tarsus 0.50. Abdomen light brownish with brown pattern as in Figs 2, 8-9, usually with cardiac mark posteriorly distinctly trifid, venter with median dark band. Epigyne as in Figs 28-30, 32-33 with thin septum and rather long margins. Vulvae with spiralled insemination ducts terminated by spiralled ‘receptacula’. ‘Receptacula’ with digitiform cylindrical accessorial gland.

Distribution.

The new species is known across almost the entire northern Palaearctic: from Fennoscandia to Magadan, north to 68° in Finland, and southward to about 53° in Krasnoyarsk Province of Russia. To date, there have apparently been no documented adult specimens from Sweden (L. Jonsson & R. Pettersson pers. comm.), which are needed for the confirmation of its occurrence there.

Natural history.

Adult females occur from late May throughout the summer, males from late May to at least the beginning of July. Finnish specimens have mainly been collected from stands dominated by Norway spruce ( Picea abies ), and often on moist ground (swampy forest or mires). At least to some extent the species is arboreal, but some specimens have been caught using pitfall-traps and some apparently live in open habitats.