Metellina kirgisica (Bakhvalov, 1974)

Oezkuetuek, Recep Sulhi, Marusik, Yuri M., Kunt, Kadir Bogac & Elverici, Mert, 2017, Taxonomic notes on two sibling species of Metellina from Asia (Araneae, Tetragnathidae), ZooKeys 695, pp. 75-88 : 76-78

Metellina kirgisica (Bakhvalov, 1974) Figs 7-8, 11-15, 20-22, 26-28, 37-42, 43-46, 47

Meta orientalis : Spassky, 1952: 1977-198 (misidentification).

Meta kirgisicus Bakhvalov, 1974: 101, f. 6-7 (♀).

Meta kirgisica Bakhvalov, 1982: 136, f. 1 (♀); Bakhvalov 1983: 86, f. 1 (♀).

Metellina kirgisica : Marusik, 1989: 44; Marusik et al. 2007: 271, f. 31, 52 (♀).

Material examined.

AZERBAIJAN: Lenkoran Dist.: 1♀ (ZMMU), env. of Aurora Vill., 38°40'N, 48°52'E, 23-28.04.2001 (Y.M. Marusik). KYRGYZSTAN: 1♂ (lost), Kirgizian Mt. Range, Ala-Archa River, ca. 42.645°N 74.480°E, 8.05.1983 (S.V. Ovtchinnikov); 1♀ (lost), Chatkal Mt. Range, Sary-Chelek Reserve, Karangitun Gorge, ca. 41°40'N, 71°56'E, 3.05.1983 (S.L. Zonstein). TAJIKISTAN: Khatlon Area: 4♀ (ZMMU), Vose Distr., Khodzha-Mumin Mt., 37°45.941'N, 69°38.665'E, 474 m, 25.04.2015 (Y.M. Marusik); 1♀(ZMMU), Khovaling Distr., Darai-Mukhtor, env. of "Vose Museum", 38°23.572'N, 69°57.910'E, 1579 m, 28.04.2015 (Y.M. Marusik); 2♀ (ZMMU) Hissar Mt. Range, Ramit Reserve, 38°44.605'N, 69°18.486'E, 1324 m, 1.05.2015 (Y.M. Marusik); 1♀ (ZMMU), environs of Dushanbe, Hissar Mt. Ridge, 38th km of Varzob Hwy, Takob Gorge, env. of Dehmalik Vill, 38°50.829'N, 68°54.637'E, 805 m, 8.05.2015 (Y.M. Marusik & M. Saidov). CHINA, Xinjiang Province 1♀ (ZMUT), 70 km southwest of Urumqi, Nantaizi, 43.399°N to 43.438°N, 87.214°E to 87.262°E, 1800-2100 m, 3.05.-28.06.2004 (N.R. Fritzén).

Note.

Bakhvalov (1974) described Meta kirgisicus only in a key to the orb-weaving spiders of Kyrgyzstan. The type material was not mentioned. In the subsequent paper Bakhvalov (1982) described the same species as Meta kirgisica on the basis of the holotype female and several paratypes. This description was supplemented with new figures. A year later this species was described again based on the same material and figures (Bakhvalov, 1983). Bakhvalov (1982, 1983) indicated that types will be deposited in the Laboratory of Entomology of the Institute of Biology of Kirgizian Academy of Sciences. According to Sergei L. Zonstein (pers. comm.), who was working in that laboratory, Bakhvalov never deposited type specimens in the Laboratory of Entomology. After the death of Bakhvalov his private collection was taken by son, and its fate is unknown.

Diagnosis.

Females of M. kirgisica can be distinguished from sibling M. orientalis by smaller size (carapace 2.0-2.1 long vs. 2.7), more developed pattern of carapace (cf. Figs 4-6 and 11-12, 16), and proportions of the median plate of epigyne (as long as wide vs. wider than long). Males of the two species can be distinguished by the shape of paracymbial spur (Ps), straight and spine-like in M. kirgisica and bent claw-like in M. orientalis (cf. Figs 19 and 21-22).

Description.

Male. Measurements (male unavailable, specimen lost, palp was illustrated in 80th by YM). Female: total length 4.5-5.5; carapace 2.0-2.1 long, 1.5-1.7 wide. Carapace yellow with complex dark pattern and distinct marginal dark stripe (Figs 11-12, 16). Legs yellowish with dark annulation and dark spots around base of each spine; femora, tibia and metatarsus of legs with two dark rings, rings of femora thick and thin on tibia and metatarsi; coxae IV with blackish dot (Fig. 13); distal half of tibia and metatarsi I and II with row of stiff setae forming a kind of catching basket (Figs 14-15). For leg measurements see Table 2.

Abdomen with three pairs of humps, anterior the largest, two posterior humps less distinct. Abdomen with distinct pattern as shown on Figs 11-13, 16; venter with wide light band.

Palp as in Figs 20-22; spination of cymbium not documented; paracymbium with weakly sclerotised ventral arm and large and broad dorsal arm; dorsal arm with spine-like spur (Ps).

Epigyne as in Figs 26-28, 37-46; almost instinct transversal sclerotised plate (Sp, Fig. 44) in front of epigynal plate, epigynal plate twice as wide as long, heavily sclerotised with pair of small lateral pits (Pt); median plate (Mp) weakly sclerotised except kind of septum (Se), septum twice as thin as median plate; median plate longer than wide; receptacles touching each other consisting of two lobes (Fig. 46).

Distribution.

The species was previously known from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan ( Marusik 1989; Mikhailov 2013), and Xinjiang, China ( Marusik et al. 2007). A search for literature records reveals that it was reported also from southeastern Kazakhstan (sub. M. orientalis : Spassky 1952). New material studied in this work reveals its occurrence in Tajikistan and eastern Azerbaijan (Fig. 47).