Nemastoma bidentatum bidentatum Roewer, 1914

Novak, Tone, Novak, Ljuba Slana, Kozel, Peter, Schaider, Miriam Gudrun, Komposch, Christian, Lipovšek, Saška, Podlesnik, Jan, Paušič, Igor & Raspotnig, Günther, 2021, Hidden diversity within the Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae) Part I: Morphological evidence, European Journal of Taxonomy 777, pp. 1-67 : 8-11

Nemastoma bidentatum bidentatum Roewer, 1914

Figs 2–3 , 4A , 5A , 6A , 7B , 8B , 9A , 10A , 11B , 12A , 13A ; Tables 1–2

Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914: 141 , figs 20a–d (original description) [partim; type series also includes N. triste ].

Nemastoma bidentatum – Roewer 1923: 658, figs 817a–d [partim; type series also includes N. triste ]; 1951: 132 [partim; the description also refers to N. bidentatum sparsum ].

Nemastoma bidentatum bidentatum – Gruber & Martens 1968: 143–146, figs 4–6, 23 (redescription) [partim; type series also includes N. bidentatum schmidti ssp. nov.]. — Martens 1978: 107–111, figs 140–141 [partim; type series also includes N. bidentatum schmidti ssp. nov.]. — Komposch & Gruber 2004: 485 [partim; type series also includes N. bidentatum schmidti ssp. nov.]. — Novak et al. 2006: 269. — Schönhofer 2013: 36.

Diagnosis (according to Gruber & Martens 1968, slightly modified)

Subspecies of N. bidentatum with large, arched dorsal hump on male Ch basal article, and large, apically, sagittally shallowly bifid, quarter moon-like Ch-Apo, ~2.4 times as high as wide. Pa-Fe distinctively club-shaped (Pa-Fe min:max width ~1:3.5), with 3 stout spines in distal Pa-Fe quarter, spine 2 the largest and longest. Pa-Pt Apo equilateral triangular with rounded apex. Pa-Ti with conspicuous proximal dorsomedial hump. Glans isosceles triangular, terminally rounded-truncated. Rec sem of 1 tubular and 12 elongated balloon-like vesicles.

Material examined

AUSTRIA – VM44 • 1 ♀; Bärental ; 23 Apr. 2018; L. Slana Novak and T. Novak leg. (6/2018); PMSL .

SLOVENIA – VM44 • 2 ♀♀; Ljubelj ; 1 Jun. 1993; S. Brelih leg. (799/1998, rev. 2018); PMSL • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Ljubeljski prelaz ; 20 Jun. 2018; T. Novak leg. (23/2018); PMSL • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; ibid .; 23 Jul. 2021; L. Slana Novak and T. Novak leg. (298/2021); PMSL .

Description (according to Gruber & Martens 1968, slightly modified)

Male (from Ljubelj)

BODY. Length 1.5−1.7.

CHELICERAE. Ch basal article with large, arched hump in front of dorsal indentation, and large ventral triangular hump; Ch-Apo conspicuously quarter moon-like, Apo apex sagittally bilobed, medial lobe with inconspicuous apical pinnacle ( Figs 4A , 6A , 9A ). Secretion field apically medially. Proximal article length 0.57, distal article length 0.54, max width 0.17, movable finger length 0.25.

PEDIPALPS. Pa-Tr with high, subequilateral dorsal hump. Pa-Fe distinctively club-shaped (Pa-Fe min:max width ~1:3.5), ventrally bent; with 3, rarely 4 stout spines in distal Pa-Fe quarter; spine 2 the largest, with 2–3 pinnacles. Pa-Pt distinctively ventrally bent, with large, stout, apically rounded medio-ventral Pt-Apo. Pa-Ti straight or slightly bent dorsally, with small, but distinct proximal dorso-medial hump. Pa-Ta terminally narrowing, conically oval ( Figs 5A , 6A , 10A ). Pa article lengths in Table 1.

PENIS. Pe length 1.7, Pe basis ⅓ Pe length, glans isosceles triangular, terminally rounded-truncated ( Figs 7B , 8B ).

LEGS. Leg article lengths in Tables 1–2.

Female (from Ljubelj) BODY. Length 1.6–1.8.

CHELICERAE. Ch with subparallel dorsal and ventral margins, slightly arched dorsally, Ch length:width ~ 2.6:1 ( Fig. 13A ). Proximal article length 0.57, distal article length 0.63, max width 0.21, movable finger length 0.32.

PEDIPALPS. Pa-Tr long, Pa-Tr length:width ~2.5:1, Pa-Tr dorsal margin with low hump with long, straight posterior portion and stair-like front indentation in distal quarter; Pa-Fe max:min width ~ 1.9:1; Pa-Ti straight, simply rod-shaped; Pa-Ta narrow long-oval ( Fig. 13A ). Pa article lengths in Table 1.

OVIPOSITOR. Ovipositor length 1.05, Rec sem with one tubular and 12 elongated balloon-like vesicles ( Fig. 11B ).

LEGS. Leg article lengths in Tables 1–2.

Remarks

The type locality Comana Vlasca in Romania ( Roewer 1914) is erroneous, since besides N. b. sparsum (sic! not described by Roewer 1914), the type series also contains N. b. bidentatum and N. triste , both endemic to the Eastern Alps ( Gruber & Martens 1968: 143). Later, Roewer (1951) designated a type specimen from the type series from an unknown locality, but the mixed composition of the type series remained unresolved ( Gruber & Martens 1968). Thus, there was a need to clarify the type locality ( ICZN 1999: Art. 75.3.1.). Respecting both Roewerʼs drawing of the male Ch characteristic of individuals in the Karawanken/Karavane Mts and the syntopy of the Roewerʼs type specimens with N. triste, Gruber & Martens (1968) redescribed the nominal subspecies N. b. bidentatum upon a neotype ( Gruber & Martens 1968: figs 4−6) from Bärental, Carinthia, Austria (not mapped in Gruber & Martens 1968: fig. 24). Bärental is considered the type locality of the type subspecies. However, according to our findings the figured Pe tip from Leutschach/Lučine, Styria, Austria ( Gruber & Martens 1968: fig. 3), considered under the type subspecies, belonged to N. b. schmidti ssp. nov. All so far published evidence on N. b. bidentatum in Slovenia, Croatia and NE Italy ( Hadži 1927, 1928; Gruber & Martens 1968; Martens 1978; Novak & Gruber 2000; Komposch & Gruber 2004; Novak 2004a, 2004b, 2005b, 2005c; Novak et al. 1984, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2017) refer to other taxa. The type series deposited in Naturhistorisches Museum Wien ( Gruber & Martens 1968) also includes N. b. schmidti ssp. nov. See remarks under N. pluridentatum stat. nov., N. b. schmidti ssp. nov., N. b. gruberi ssp. nov. × N. b. schmidti ssp. nov. and N. b. martensi ssp. nov. × N. b. schmidti ssp. nov.

Distribution

The South-Eastern Alps: Austria, Slovenia ( Gruber & Martens 1968; Martens 1978), perhaps endemic to the Karawanken/Karavanke Mts. Vertical distribution (incomplete data): 980−1407 m a.s.l. (partly Gruber & Martens 1968 and Martens 1978; this work). Type locality: Bärental/Zavrh−Rute (46.47° N, 14.15° E, 980 m a.s.l.) near Feistritz im Rosental/Bistrica v Rožu, Carinthia, Austria.

Ecology

Montane subspecies of N. bidentatum inhabiting submontane and montane neutrophile fir forests within the area of distribution of the montane beech forests, dominated by Abies alba Mill. , with a great admixture of Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. and Fagus sylvatica L. Phenology : adults probably eurychronous.

Figures

Fig. 2. The complete distributional area of the Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, according to Gruber & Martens (1968), Martens (2006), Schönhofer & Holle (2007) and own data, with marked positions of the type localities of the taxa.

Fig. 3. Distributional areas of six subspecies (circles) and hybrids (triangles, squares) within the Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 in Slovenia and adjacent regions. Note that many localities overlap on the map.

Fig. 4. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♂♂. Ch basal articles (medial, lateral views).

Fig. 5. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♂♂. Pa (medial view).

Fig. 6. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♂♂. Synchroscopic images of the male Ch basal article and Pa-Fe (medial views, except G, right figure, which is in dorso-medial view).

Fig. 7. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex. Penes (lateral view). Note: The penis of N. pluridentatum (Hadži, 1973) stat. nov. is unknown.

Fig. 8. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex. Glans (dorsal and lateral views). Note: The penis of N. pluridentatum (Hadži, 1973) stat. nov. is unknown.

Fig. 9. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♂♂. Variation of the Ch basal article (medial view) in species, subspecies and hybrids.

Fig. 10. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♂♂. Variation of the Pa-Fe (A–B first image, C, D–E first image, F–G first image; H–J, L–M right, N–O: lateral view; the others in dorso-medial view to show the armament).

Fig. 11. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♀♀; Rec sem (lateral view, right portion, except F left figure, which is in dorsal view). A. The frame encloses the ovipositor portion with Rec sem. Note: Female N. pluridentatum (Hadži, 1973) stat. nov. is unknown.

Fig. 12. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♂♂. From left to right: Ch basal article (medial, lateral views), Pa (medial view) and Pe tip (dorsal, lateral views). Arrows indicate the most identifying characters. Note: Pe of N. pluridentatum (Hadži, 1973) stat. nov. is unknown.

Fig. 13. Nemastoma bidentatum Roewer, 1914 complex, ♀♀. From left to right: Silhouettes of the Ch basal article, Pa (both medial view) and Rec sem. Arrows indicate the most identifying characters. Note: female N. pluridentatum (Hadži, 1973) stat. nov. is unknown.