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.