Agyneta pinicola, Gnelitsa, Valery A., 2014

Gnelitsa, Valery A., 2014, On a new Agyneta species from Ukraine related to A. suecica Holm, 1950 (Araneae: Linyphiidae), Zootaxa 3894 (1), pp. 169-176 : 170-176

Agyneta pinicola sp.n.

Figs 1–3 , 7, 10, 11 , 14-17 , 23–26

Agyneta suecica: Evtushenko 1991: 4 (misidentification); Gnelitsa 1993: 8 (misidentification).

Types. Holotype ♂ 2 km northw of Kuzky Village, Konotop District, Sumy Region, UKRAINE, 51.3016° N 33.2939° E, 22.05. 2003, Pinus forest with Quercus , Betula and Sorbus on sand dunes, on the ground under moss, Gnelitsa leg. (Zoology Department of Sumy State Pedagogical University).

Paratypes: 1♂ 2♀, the same data as holotype (author’s private collection).

Other material: 2♀, Volchik Village environment, Konotop District, Sumy Region, 51.363°N 33.4598°E, 25.05.2003, Pinus forest with Quercus , Betula and Sorbus , in litter; 1♂, Lebedin Town environment, Sumy Region, 50.5994°N 34.4384°E, 14.05.1992, Pinus forest with Betula and Caragana , in litter and moss, Gnelitsa leg., (author’s private collection); 4♂ 2♀, Loska village environment, Novgorod-Seversky District, Chernigov Region, 51.5139°N, 32.5339°E, 26.05.1989, Pinus forest with Betula and Sorbus, Evtushenko leg., (K. Evtushenko private collection).

Etymology. The species name pinicola is a combination of the words “pini”—plural of “ pinus ” and “cola”—“those who lives”, the gender is feminine. The specific name indicates occurrence of the species in pine forest stands.

Diagnosis. The new species differs from other congeners by the conical outgrowth of the male palpal patella. Differences with the sibling species, A. suecica , are summarized in Table 1 .

Description. Male. Total length 1.48. Carapace ( Figs 23, 24 ) 0.69 long, 0.56 wide, yellow-grey. Posterior median eyes separated slightly less than by their diameter. Sternum 0.45 long and 0.36 wide, glossy, yellow-grey gradually darkened to the border with numerous yellow points scattered. Abdomen uniformly grey. Chelicera with a small tooth on outer margin, laterally with numerous indistinct, thin striae close together. Tibial spination 2222. TmI—0.72, TmII—0.66, TmIII—0.49, TmIV—0.68.

Length of leg joints.

with shortened proximal piece (iii) ( Figs 1, 2 ) with elongated proximal piece (iii) ( Figs 4, 5 )

Embolus “e” with small tubercle (tu) ( Fig. 2 ) with tooth shape tubercle (tu) ( Fig. 5 )

elongated tubercle (iv) opposite to embolus proper hook like thorn (iv) opposite to embolus proper ( Fig. 2 ) ( Fig. 5 )

Palp as in Figs 1–3 , 10–11 , patella with conical extension bearing one setae on the top; tibia without apophyses; cybmium unmodified; lamella characteristica well developed, unbranched; base of embolus (v) claw like; tubercle of embolus (tu) fine.

Female: total length 1.82. Carapace ( Figs 25–26 ) 0.71 long, 0.52 wide, pale yellow. Posterior median eyes separated by about their diameter. Sternum 0.39 long and 0.38 wide, glossy, yellow-grey gradually darkened to the border with scattered yellow pits. Abdomen uniformly grey. Chelicera with a small tooth on outer margin, stridulation striae as in male. Tibial spination 2222. TmI—0.72, TmII—0.64, TmIII—0.48, TmIV—0.68. Palp as in Fig. 7 .

Length of leg joints.

Epigyne and vulva as in Figs 14–17 . Epigyne with wide proximal part of proscape, proscape sides slightly curved, oblique Figs 14–15 .

Distribution. Chernigov and Sumy Regions (northeastern Ukraine).

Remarks. Agyneta arietans is known from the male only and also has the unusual dorsal conical extension of the palpal patellais. This species was considered in three taxonomic papers ( Pickard-Cambridge 1872; Simon 1884; Wiehle 1956). The available descriptions of A. arietans include information on the male body size, the carapace configuration (general view laterally, dorsal view of the frontal part and the clypeus configuration) and the arrangement of the eyes. Both O. Pickard-Cambridge (1872) and Simon (1884) described the patella, tibia and the cymbium of male palp in detail and described surface of carapace and sternum. Simon (1884) mentioned short, barely visible spines on the tibiae of the legs. The rest of the features described referred to the colour of carapace, sternum, abdomen, palps and legs. The existing taxonomic descriptions of A. arietans are not sufficient to distinguish it from A. suecica or A. pinicola sp. n. The present status of A. arietans remains unclear so far.

I have unsuccessfully attempted to find and redescribe type specimens of Agyneta arietans . There is no information regarding the holotype specimen in the catalogue of the O. Pickard-Cambridge collection at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (James Hogan, personal communication) and the holotype was not found at the Natural History Museum in London (Janet Beccaloni, personal communication). Agyneta arietans is reported from Italy, Germany, Romania and Poland ( Helsdingen 2013).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Agyneta pinicola sp. n. male palp: 1 — retrolateral, 2 — ventral, 3 — prolateral. Agyneta suecica male palp: 4 — retrolateral, 5 — ventral, 6 — prolateral. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 13. Agyneta pinicola sp. n. (7, 10 – 11): 7 — female palp, retrolateral; 10 – 11 — male palpal tibia dorsal and laterodorsal. Agyneta suecica (8 – 9, 12 – 13): 8, 9 — female palp retrolateral (after Holm, 1950); 12, 13 — male palpal tibia dorsal and latero-dorsal. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 14 – 22. Agyneta pinicola sp. n. epigyne (14 – 17): 14 — ventral, 15 — caudal, 16 — dorsal, 17 — vulva, ventral. Agyneta suecica epigyne (18 – 22): 18, 22 — ventral, 19 — caudal, 20 — dorsal, 21 — vulva, ventral. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 23 – 26. Agyneta pinicola sp. n. male carapace: 23 — lateral, 24 — dorsal; female carapace: 25 — lateral; 26 — dorsal. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Tables

TABLE 1. Main features of the species.

Male	Agyneta pinicola sp. n.	Agyneta suecica
Apical part of paracymbium “ap”	edges not parallel; relatively wide proximal piece narrow distally (Fig. 1)	with almost parallel edges (Fig. 4)
Anterior pocket of paracymbium “apo”	relatively wide (Fig. 1)	relatively narrow (Fig. 4)
Proximal part of paracymbium “pp”	with lengthwise rib (Fig. 1)	no lengthwise rib (Fig. 4)
Palpal tibia	with straight anterior edge of the lateral surface (i) (Figs 1, 2)	with curved anterior edge of the lateral surface (i) (Figs 4, 5).
Lamella characteristica “lc”	middle part wider than in A. suecica (Fig. 2) mesal surface with main distal tooth (ii), “lc” partly hides it (Fig. 2)	middle part more narrow than in A. pinicola sp. n. (Fig. 5) anterior edge with main distal tooth (Fig. 5)