Tetragnatha nitens (Audouin, 1826)

Castanheira, Pedro de Souza, Baptista, Renner Luiz Cerqueira, Pizzetti, Daniela Dos Passos & Teixeira, Renato Augusto, 2019, Contributions to the taxonomy of the long-jawed orb-weaving spider genus Tetragnatha (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) in the Neotropical region, with comments on the morphology of the chelicerae, Zoosystematics and Evolution 95 (2), pp. 465-505 : 477

Tetragnatha nitens (Audouin, 1826) Figs 14 , 15 , 16 , 20E , 22E

Eugnatha nitens Audouin 1826: 118, pl. 2, fig. 2 (♀).

Eugnatha pelusia Audouin 1826: 119, pl. 2, fig. 3 (♂ ♀).

Tetragnatha nitens Walckenaer 1841: 209.

Tetragnatha peruviana Taczanowski 1878: 142, pl. 1, fig. 1 a–c (♂ ♀) syn. nov.

Tetragnatha andina Taczanowski 1878: 144, pl. 1, fig. 2 (♀); Levi 1981: 291 (syn. rejected, see T. bogotensis ).

Tetragnatha peninsulana Banks 1898: 246, pl. 15, fig. 12 (♂ ♀); Levi 1981: 291 (syn. rejected, see T. bogotensis ).

Tetragnatha eremita Chamberlin 1924: 645, fig. 89, 90 (♂); Levi 1981: 292 (syn. rejected, see T. bogotensis ).

Tetragnatha decipiens Badcock 1932: 13, fig. 9 (♀) syn. nov.

Tetragnatha haitiensis Bryant 1945: 408, fig. 37 (♀); Levi 198): 292 (syn. rejected, see T. bogotensis ).

Tetragnatha tullgreni Caporiacco 1947: 24 (♀ preoccupied by T. tullgreni Lessert, 1915)

Tetragnatha caporiaccoi Platnick 1993: 381 (replacement name of T. tullgreni ) syn. nov.

Tetragnatha nitens kullmanni Wiehle 1962: 379, figs 1-5, 6b, 9-11, 14, 15 (♂ ♀); Wunderlich 1992: 365 (syn. rejected, see T. bogotensis ).

Type material.

Tetragnatha nitens : EGYPT: ♂ ♀ syntype, Rosetta, Markaz Rasheed, lost ( Levi 1981). Tetragnatha peruviana : PERU: ♂♂, ♀♀, syntypes: Lima, El Callao and Pacasmayo (191 syntypes, Coll. K. Jelski and J. Sztoleman, MIZ 225658-225682), examined (photos). Tetragnatha decipiens : PARAGUAY: 1 ♀ holotype, “Nanahua”, probably Nanawa, Presidente Hayes, 05.ii.1927 [Coll. G. S. Carter and L. C. Beadle] ( NHM), examined. Tetragnatha caporiaccoi : GUYANA: ♀ holotype, Alto Demerara-Berbice, xii.1931 ( MRAC 532), examined.

Diagnosis.

See the extended diagnosis under T. bogotensis for the diagnostic characters of T. nitens .

Synonymy and notes.

Tetragnatha nitens was first described from Egypt, but its syntypes are lost according to Levi (1981). This common species has been diagnosed and redescribed many times, with plentiful illustrations of its body, chelicerae and genital morphology (e.g. L. Koch 1872; O. Pickard-Cambridge 1872; Simon 1898; F. O. Pickard-Cambridge 1903; Chickering 1957c; Okuma 1983, 1987, 1988b, 1992). Furthermore, it is a senior synonym for 17 species or subspecies according to the World Spider Catalog (2019). As it is easily mistaken for other large-bodied species, misidentified specimens are commonly found in museum collections.

Levi (1981: 291, 292), for example, listed 13 synonyms of T. nitens , of which 11 were new. We highlight that T. festina Bryant, 1945 was listed as a new synonym by Levi (1981) but was previously synonymised by Chickering (1957b: 2), T. aptans Chamberlin, 1920 was a new synonym but not listed as such, and T. eremita Chamberlin, 1924 was not included in the synonymic list of the World Spider Catalog (2019). Indeed, Levi (1981: figs 23-29) clearly misidentified at least some of the females he ascribed to T. nitens , whose illustrations belong to T. bogotensis instead (see above Synonymy and notes for T. bogotensis ). Based on the original illustrations, we are able to confirm the synonymy of the following taxa: T. pelusia Audouin, 1826, T. antillana Simon, 1897, T. vicina Simon, 1897, T. galapagoensis Banks, 1902, T. aptans Chamberlin, 1920, T. seminola Gertsch, 1936, T. steckleri Gertsch & Ivie, 1936, T. elmora Chamberlin & Ivie, 1942, and T. festina Bryant, 1945. On the other hand, four species are in turn synonyms of T. bogotensis (see Synonymy and notes for that species).

Another lapsus occurred with T. nitens kullmanni from Sardinia, Italy ( Wiehle 1962: 379, figs 1-5, 6b, 9-11, 14, 15). It was first synonymised with T. nitens by Wunderlich (1992: 365), but we disagree with this synonymy and consider T. nitens kullmanni as a synonym of T. bogotensis (see Synonymy and notes for that species).

Mainly based on our observations of the morphology of the chelicerae, we propose three new synonymies for T. nitens : T. peruviana from Peru, T. decipiens from Paraguay, and T. caporiaccoi from Guyana. The type materials of all species were studied; for T. peruviana images from MIZ were examined, and for T. decipiens and T. caporiaccoi specimens were studied on visits to NHM and MRAC, respectively.

Tetragnatha decipiens and T. caporiaccoi were described only from females, while descripitions of T. peruviana were based on males and females, with males described first, even though only females were illustrated. Females of the three species and males of T. peruviana clearly show the diagnostic characters of T. nitens (see Diagnosis above).

Variation.

Males (n = 23): total length, 7.22-9.04; females (n = 30): total length, 7.42-11.44. The internal genitalia of females is also variable, with CS stalk shorter or longer than CS head, which places this structure at the same level or anterior to the spermathecae, which also vary in size ( Fig. 15K, L ; Zhu and Zhang 2011: fig. 125G)

Distribution.

This species was first described from Africa (Egypt), but it has a cosmopolitan distribution, with many new records from the Neotropics ( Fig. 22E ).

Figures

Figure 14. Tetragnatha nitens (Audouin, 1826), male (MCTP 1426). A. Dorsal habitus; B. Ventral habitus; C-F. Left chelicera: C. Upper view; D. Inner view; E. Lower view; F. Outer view; G-J. Left male palp: G. Mesal view. H. Dorsal view; I. Ventral view (paracymbium); J. Paracymbium detail, ventral view. Scale bars, 2 mm (A, B); 1 mm (C, D, E, F); 0.5 mm (G, H, I); 0.2 mm (J).

Figure 15. Tetragnatha nitens (Audouin, 1826), female. A. Dorsal habitus (SMF 1528); B. lateral habitus (SMF 1528); C. Chelicerae upper row and eyes (SMF 1528); D. Chelicerae lower row and maxilla (SMF 1528); E-I. Left chelicera (SMF 1528): E. Upper view. F. Inner view. G. Lower view. H. Outer view. I. Basal cusp detail, distal view; J-L. Genital area: J. SEM of genital fold, ventral view (MCTP 11555); K. Internal genitalia, cleared, ventral view (MCTP 43323 ex 7313); L. Internal genitalia variation, cleared, ventral view (SMF 1528). Scale bars: 2 mm (A, B); 1 mm (C, D, E, F, G, H, J); 0.2 mm (I, K, L).

Figure 16. Tetragnatha nitens (Audouin, 1826), SEM photos. A. Left male chelicera, upper and lower views (MCTP 1618). B. Left female chelicera, upper and lower views (MCTP 11555). C. Epiandrous field, ventral view (MCTP 1618). D. Left male palp, bulb detail, mesal view (MCTP 5985). E. Left male palp, mesal view (MCTP 5985); F. Left male palp paracymbium, ventral view (MCTP 5985). Scale bars: 1 mm (A, B); 0.1 mm (C); 0.5 mm (D, E, F).

Figure 20. Embolous and conductor tip detail, dorsal view, SEM photos. A. T. bogotensis (MCTP 4299); B. T. elongata (MCTP 43306 ex 0370); C. T. keyserlingi (MCTP 43319 ex 6944); D. T. mandibulata (SMF 1356); E. T. nitens (MACN 2252); F. T. vermiformis (MCTP 43339 ex 1133). Scale bars: 0.05 mm (A, B, C, E, F); 0.02 mm (D).

Figure 22. Records of the material we analysed (circles), including the type localities of Neotropical junior synonyms cited in the text (stars and triangles). A. Tetragnatha bogotensis; B. Tetragnatha elongata; C. Tetragnatha keyserlingi (excluding Haiti); D. Tetragnatha mandibulata; E. Tetragnatha nitens; F. Tetragnatha vermiformis.