Tegenaria schoenhoferi, Bolzern & Burckhardt & Hänggi, 2013

Bolzern, Angelo, Burckhardt, Daniel & Hänggi, Ambros, 2013, Phylogeny and taxonomy of European funnel-web spiders of the Tegenaria-Malthonica complex (Araneae: Agelenidae) based upon morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 168 (4), pp. 723-848 : 816-817

TEGENARIA SCHOENHOFERI SP. NOV.

( FIGS 14K, L , 15V, W)

Female unknown.

Type

Holotype. Greece: Corfu , between Acharavi and Portes, ♂ ( SMF), 25.iii.2006, Schönhofer.

Material not included in type series. Three subadult ♀ and 1 subadult ♂, same data as holotype .

Etymology

Named in honour of the arachnologist Axel Schönhofer ( Germany) who has collected many spiders and provided them for this study; genitive singular case.

Diagnosis

Tegenaria schoenhoferi sp. nov. can be separated from all other species by the distinctive RTA, the very strongly elongated, hook-like MA, and the distinctive conductor.

Description

Measurements: Male (N = 2): CL 2.79, CW 2.13, STL 1.46, STW 1.37, OL 2.93, OW 1.89. Leg I (3.32, 1.11, 3.19, 3.08, 1.58), II (2.85, 0.99, 2.61, 2.68, 1.45), III (2.74, 0.85, 2.09, 2.55, 1.23), IV (3.33, 0.98, 3.00, 3.54, 1.55). Pedipalp (1.38, 0.53, 0.43, 1.14), bulbL 0.91. Eyes: PME 0.13, PLE 0.14, AME 0.08, ALE 0.14. Eye distances: PME–PME 0.5–1 x PME, PME–AME 0.5–1 x PME, PME–PLE 0.5–1 x PME, PME–ALE 0.5–1 x PME, AME–AME 0.5 x AME, AME–ALE <0.5 x AME. CLY1 2.5–3 x AME, CLY2 1–1.5 x ALE.

Male palp: RTA with two distinct branches, ventral branch forming longitudinal ridge reaching three quarters of tibia length, lateral branch broad and strongly protruding, distally with straight, truncated ventral part and strongly elongated, finger-shaped dorsal protuberance. Filiform embolus length about 2–2.5 x CB, originating at 8–9 o’clock position, distal tip at 4–5 o’clock position. Conductor with distal portion distinctly elongated, longer than wide, distally strongly bent and moderately acuminated, lateral margin completely folded. Terminal end distinctly elongated, strongly sclerotized, and narrowly pointed. Connection of conductor to tegulum only partly sclerotized. MA originating at 5 o’clock position, strongly protruding, distally with narrow, elongated, hook-like sclerite. MA membranously connected to tegulum.

Other important characters: Cheliceral promargin with three teeth, retromargin with six equally sized teeth. Colulus developed as trapezoidal plate with the distal margin medially notched. PLS with distal segment as long as basal segment. Tarsal trichobothria at palp tarsus and cymbium absent. Distinctly long trichobothria dorsally on palp tibia. Tarsal trichobothria six to eight. Small teeth on paired claws of leg I seven to eight. Leg spination: male palp (2–0– 0–0, 2–0–0, 1–0–2–0), leg femora (2–2–0–0, 2–1–1–0 or 2–2–0–0, 2–2–2–0, 2–1–1–0), patellae (all 2–0–0), tibiae (2–0–0–2p, 0–0–0–2 or 2–1–0–3, 2–2–1– 1p+1+1p or 2–2–1–3p, 2–2–2–1p+1+1p or 2–2–2–3p), metatarsi [0–0–0–1p or 0–0–0–3p+1, 0–1–0–3p+1 (one leg with a chaotic pattern of several spines), 0–3–2– 3p+1, 1–3–3–3p+1], tarsi (I & II 0, III & IV 0–0–1–0).

Coloration: Margin of carapace with four narrow small, symmetrical dark spots, dorsally with two longitudinal symmetrical serrated dark bands, head region with narrow dark median strip. Chelicerae with extensive dark spots. Sternum with distinct pale median band and with three symmetrical pale dots laterally. Opisthosoma dark brownish with pale median band and seven to eight chevrons posteriad. Legs annulated. Colulus darkened. ALS darkened (ventrally more pronounced), PLS with basal segment darkened (dorsally more pronounced), distal segment pale. The subadult females show the same colour patterns.

Distribution

Reported from Greece (Corfu).

Discussion

Tegenaria schoenhoferi sp. nov. displays a very characteristic palp morphology and is, therefore, described despite the paucity of material and the lack of females.

Figures

Figure 14. A, B, E, F, Eratigena inermis; C, D, G, H, Eratigena vomeroi; I, Tegenaria montiszasensis sp. nov.; J, Tegenaria annulata; K, L, Tegenaria schoenhoferi sp. nov.; M-P, Tegenaria annae sp. nov.; Q-T, Tegenaria ariadnae. Left male palp in ventral (A, C, K, M, Q) and retrolateral views (B, D, L, N, R); epigyne in ventral view (O, S), vulva in dorsal (E, G, I, J, P, T) and lateral views (F, H). Abbreviations: E, embolus; C, conductor; CD, copulatory duct; DA, dorsal appendages on CD; FD, fertilization duct; MA, median apophysis; RC, receptaculum; RTA d, dorsal branch of retrolateral tibial apophysis; RTA l, lateral branch of retrolateral tibial apophysis; TR, transversal ridge.