Gnaphosa gracilior Kulczyński, 1901

Marusik, Yuri M. & Omelko, Mikhail M., 2014, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 3. On new and poorly known Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804, Zootaxa 3894 (1) : -

Gnaphosa gracilior Kulczyński, 1901

Figs 79–89, 90 .

Gnaphosa gracilior: Ovtsharenko et al. 1992: 49 , figs 169–170, 173–176 (♂♀); Marusik & Logunov 1995: 188, figs 40–46 (♂♀); Song et al. 1999: 448, figs 260P, 261D (♂♀); Song et al. 2004: 97, figs 54A–D (♂♀). For a complete synonym listing and references see Platnick (2014)

Material examined. MONGOLIA, Omnogov Aimag: 6♂, 9♀ ( IBPN), Bayandalai Somon, Zoolen uul (Mt. Range), 43°21’N 103°11’E, 1700 m, 27– 30.05.1997 (Yu.M. Marusik); ♂ ( IBPN), Omnogov Aimak, Noyon Somon, Noyon uul (Mt. Range), 1900 m, 30– 31.05.1997 (Yu.M. Marusik). Bayankongor Aimag: 4♂ ( IBPN), Gervanbulag Somon, Knokh-Nuur (Lake), 47°32’N 98°32’, 2600 m, 7– 10.06.1997 (Yu.M. Marusik).

Comments. It is worth mentioning that the figures of epigynes of G. gracilior in Ovtsharenko et al. (1992: figs 170 and 175) undoubtedly refer to two different species. Figure 175 ( Fig. 90 in this paper) looks like a figure of the syntype female of G. potanini Simon, 1895 ( Fig. 91 ), while figure 170 ( Fig. 89 ) is similar to females illustrated in this paper ( Figs 86–87 ). The species illustrated in Figs 90–91 have a thinner scape with an undivided pocket and long lateral margins reaching the scape, while in the species illustrated by Figs 86–89 , the scape is much wider, its pocket partly subdivided and lateral margins not reaching level of scape.

Gnaphosa gracilior has considerable variation in body size, and also in size of epigyne and palp (cf. Figs 82–83 and 84 ).

Notes. The syntype of Gnaphosa potanini ( Fig. 91 ), thought to be a holotype, was illustrated by Marusik & Logunov (1995: fig 37). According to Simon (1895) all type specimens (syntypes) were collected in Western Mongolia (“Valleo de Dserge et rive merid. du lac Chara ussu (7– 12.04.1877); Udsjur (Mingyn) au Gobi (24.06.1877)”) and the south part of Russian Altai (“sources de la riviere Toshongty au vesant occ. du Sailugem (14.06.1879)”). Three localities lie west of 94°E (Map 2, closed circles), but in Ovtsharenko et al. (1992) the distribution map (Map 12) and “material examined” indicates its occurrence exclusively east of Anhui (east of 116°E) to Japan (Map 2, open circles). So, G. potanini sensu Ovtsharenko et al. (1992) is most likely misidentified and therefore G. silvicola Kamura, 1988 , considered by Ovtsharenko et al. (1992) as a junior synonym of G. potanini , is a valid name.

Figures

FIGURES 79 – 85. Male palp of Gnaphosa gracilior. 79 – 81 ventral, retro- and prolateral; 82, 84 bulbus, ventro-prolateral; 83 – 85 bulbus, ventral. 82 and 84 in the same scale, showing differences in size. Scale = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Re— ridge of embolus.

FIGURES 86 – 91. Epigynes of Gnaphosa gracilior (86 – 89,? 90) and syntype of G. potanini (91). 86 – 87, 89 – 91 ventral; 88 dorsal. 89 – 90 after Ovtsharenko et al. (1992) courtesy American Museum of Natural History, 91 after Marusik & Logunov (1995). Note: significant differences between 89 and 90 and similarity between 90 and 91. Abbreviation: Ps— subdivided pocket of septum.