Attinella dorsata (Banks, 1895) Figures 11-14, 94-98, 105

Attus dorsatus Banks, 1895 (holotype female in MCZ from California: Los Angeles, examined)

Sitticus absolutus Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936, synonymy restored

Sitticus callidus Gertsch & Mulaik, 1936, synonymy restored

Remarks.

While females of this small Southwestern desert-dwelling species are indistinctly unmarked, males tend to be reddish with a narrow central longitudinal stripe (Figs 11-14). Prószyński (2017a) rejected Richman’s (1979) synonymy of Attinella dorsata (Banks, 1895) with Sitticus absolutus, saying that dorsata is unidentifiable. That statement is false, given that the type specimen is in the MCZ and in good condition. The specimen (examined) has a relatively wide carapace with single thin longitudinal pale line dorsally, long fourth leg, no retromarginal cheliceral tooth, and epigyne (Fig. 105) with a single anterior opening that leads posteriorly through a single duct that splits before the spermathecae, which are visible as two small medial pear-shapes flanked by slightly larger chambers. In these respects, it clearly falls within our current concept of Sitticus absolutus as a common, widespread, and relatively uniform species from Texas to California north to Canada (see illustrations by Gertsch and Mulaik 1936, Prószyński 1973). Even if future work were to show that the Californian populations (type locality of dorsatus) and Texan populations (type locality of absolutus) represent distinct species, they are extremely closely related, certainly congeneric. Attus dorsatus is a member of these Californian populations, and for this reason the synonymy of Sittiab (type species Sitticus absolutus) with Attinella (type species Attus dorsatus) is assured.

Material examined.

Canada: British Columbia: Summerland (1 male, CNC), Galiano Island (2 males, 3 females, UBC-SEM), Nanaimo (1 female). U.S.A.: CALIFORNIA: Humboldt Co., Orleans (1 male, UBC-SEM), Siskyou Co., Beaver Creek and Klamath River (1 male, UBC-SEM), San Diego Co., Johnson Canyon (1 male 1 female, UBC-SEM), El Dorado Co., Camino (1 female, UBC-SEM), Inyo Co., Gilbert Summit (1 female, UBC-SEM); Utah: Millard Co., Sevier Lake (1 male, UBC-SEM); Colorado: Morgan Co., Jackson Lake (1 male, UBC-SEM), Jefferson Co., Golden (2 females, UBC-SEM); Texas: Jim Hogg Co., Guerra (1 female, UBC-SEM), Pecos Co., Fort Stockton (1 female, UBC-SEM).