Haplodrassus isaevi Ponomarev & Tsvetkov, 2006 Figs 25 –2730– 31

Haplodrassus isaevi Ponomarev & Tsvetkov, 2006: 9, f. 12-14 (♂♀).

Haplodrassus isaevi: Piterkina and Ovtsharenko 2007: 1426, f. 1.1-6 (♂♀).

Records from Crimea.

Kovblyuk et al. (2008); Kovblyuk et al. (2009).

Type material.

RUSSIA, ROSTOV AREA: 3 ♂♂ paratypes (TNU from CP 18.24.8), Orlovskyi Distr., Rostov Reserve, 6.10.2002, A.V. Ponomarev.

Material.

UKRAINE, CRIMEA: Sudak Distr.: 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀ (TNU), 10 km W Sudak, Mezhdurechie Vill., 3.10.-7.11.2010, A.K. Yusufova. Feodosiya Distr.: 21 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀ (TNU), Karadag Nature Reserve, 28.05.2003-19.12.2008, M.M. Kovblyuk, O.V. Kukushkin.

Diagnosis.

Haplodrassus isaevi is most similar to Haplodrassus dalmatensis but differs by the shape of the terminal apophysis, which has only one tooth-like process (two tooth-like apical processes in Haplodrassus dalmatensis), in lacking a tooth on the embolus (embolic tooth present in Haplodrassus dalmatensis), and also by the proportions of the epigyne. Differences also occur in the spination of certain leg segments: male metatarsus I with two ventral spines in Haplodrassus isaevi, but without spines in Haplodrassus dalmatensis; female metatarsus IV with 4-5 retrolateral spines in Haplodrassus isaevi, but with 3 spines in Haplodrassus dalmatensis .

Description.

Males (n =5) and females (n = 5). Measurements (♂ / ♀): total length 5.4-7.2 (6.4) / 5.5-7.4 (6.3); carapace 2.3-2.9 (2.7) / 2.4-3.0 (2.7) long, 1.9-2.4 (2.2) / 1.9-2.2 (2.0) wide; abdomen 3.1-4.3 (3.7) / 3.0-4.4 (3.7) long, 1.7-2.3 (2.0) / 1.8-2.8 (2.3) wide.

Length of leg segments:

Length of palp segments (male / female): femur 1.0-1.2 (1.1) / 0.8-1.1 (1.0), patella 0.4-0.5 (0.4) / 0.4-0.5 (0.5), tibia 0.3-0.4 (0.3) / 0.3-0.4 (0.4), tarsus 1.0-1.2 (1.0) / 0.6-0.7 (0.7).

Chelicerae with 2-3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth in males and females. Number of promarginal teeth varies from 3 (most common) to 2 (seldom). One female studied had one chelicera with 3 and the other chelicera with 2 promarginal teeth. Coloration grey.

Male palp as in Figs 25-27. Terminal apophysis sharply turned, without ridge, but with tooth (Tt) in subterminal part, embolus without tooth.

Epigyne as in Figs 30-31. Fovea long, lateral pockets slightly converging, foveal width less that spermathecal span.

Distribution.

Greece, Ukraine (Crimea), Russia (Rostov Area), Kazakhstan (West-Kazakhstan Area) (Ponomarev and Tsvetkov 2006; Piterkina and Ovtsharenko 2007; Platnick 2012; present data).

Habitats.

Steppes.

Phenology.

In Crimea ♂♀ - X-XII, ♀♀ - II-III, V, the peak activity of adults occurs in December.

Comments.

In Crimea we found both closely related species, Haplodrassus dalmatensis and Haplodrassus isaevi, to be syntopical in two localities (Sudak Distr., 10 km W Sudak, Mezhdurechie Vill. and Feodosiya Distr., Karadag Nature Reserve). However, these species have quite different phenologies and adults of the two different sp ecies do not co-occur. The reproductive period of Haplodrassus dalmatensis is in May-July with the peak in June, and in Haplodrassus isaevi adults can be found in October-December, with their peak of activity in December.