Eratigena Bolzern, Burckhardt & Hänggi, 2013

Bolzern, Angelo & Jäger, Peter, 2015, Unexpected occurrence of the genus Eratigena in Laos with description of a new species (Araneae: Agelenidae), Zootaxa 3920 (3), pp. 431-442 : 434

Eratigena Bolzern, Burckhardt & Hänggi, 2013

Eratigena Bolzern et al. 2013: 738 . Type species: Eratigena atrica (C. L. Koch, 1843) , original designation.

Remarks. In this recently designated genus, 18 species have been placed so far (Word Spider Catalog 2014), 16 of which are mainly limited to Italy, France, and the Iberian Peninsula. Only two species, Eratigena agrestis (Walckenaer, 1802) and E. atrica , also occur in Central Europe and may have been introduced to the UK and North America ( Bolzern et al. 2013).

Diagnosis. Medium to large sized (carapace length between 2 and 7 mm) Agelenidae with plumose hairs present (absent in Lycosoides Lucas, 1846 , Maimuna Lehtinen, 1967 , and Textrix Sundevall, 1833 ), AER and PER straight or only slightly curved in dorsal view ( Figs 3–5 ; both rows recurved in Lycosoides , Maimuna , and Textrix ; both rows procurved in Agelena Walckenaer, 1805 , Agelescape Levy, 1996 , Allagelena Zhang, Zhu & Song, 2006, and Benoitia Lehtinen, 1967 ) and moderately procurved in frontal view ( Figs 2 , 7 ; AER strongly procurved in Agelena , Agelescape , Allagelena , Benoitia , and Malthonica Simon, 1898 ; AER recurved in Lycosoides , Maimuna , and Textrix ), cheliceral retromargin with six or more teeth ( Fig. 10 ; up to six teeth in Tegenaria Latreille, 1804 ), straight or slightly curved trochanters ( Fig. 12 ; notched in Aterigena Bolzern et al., 2010 , Histopona Thorell, 1869 , and Malthonica ), lateral spines at patellae absent (as in Histopona , Malthonica , and T egenaria; present in all other European genera), and colulus forming a rectangular or trapezoidal plate with distal margin straight or W-shaped ( Fig. 9 ; similar in Tegenaria , strongly reduced in Hadites Keyserling, 1862 and Malthonica ; two separated plates in all other European agelenids). Male genitalia are similar to those of Tegenaria specimens, but differ in having an RTA with one or two branches only ( Figs 14–15 , 17–18, 21 ; rather than more complex in most Tegenaria species), a typically massive conductor with a membranous transverse ridge ( Figs 14–15 (R), 17–20), and an only moderately elongated median apophysis with distal plate-like sclerite or without sclerite ( Figs 14–15 (MA), 17–20; sclerite also absent in Agelena , Agelescape , and Benoitia ; MA absent in Histopona and Textrix ). See also Bolzern et al. 2013.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Eratigena laksao sp. n., male paratype habitus of living specimen (1 lateral view; 2 anterior view; 3 dorsal view; 4 same specimen as subadult, dorsal view).

FIGURES 5 – 13. Eratigena laksao sp. n., male holotype. 5. Carapace, dorsal view. 6. Abdomen, dorsal view. 7. Carapace and chelicerae, anterior view. 8. Sternum, ventral view. 9. Spinnerets, ventral view. 10. Chelicerae, posteroventral view. 11. Mouthpart, ventral view. 12. Coxa with trochanter and basal femora, ventral view. 13. Claws of leg 1, lateral view.

FIGURES 14 – 15. Eratigena laksao sp. n. 14. Left palp in ventral view (male holotype). 15. Same, retrolateral view. Abbreviations: Br = bristles; C = conductor; dRTA = dorsal branch of RTA; E = embolus; MA = median apophysis; R = membranous ridge; RTA = retrolateral tibial apophysis; vRTA = ventral branch of RTA.

FIGURES 16 – 21. Eratigena laksao sp. n., male holotype. 16. Left palp, prolateral view. 17. Same, ventral view. 18. Same, retrolateral view. 19. Bulb of left palp, ventral view. 20. Same, retrolateral view. 21. Palpal tibia, dorsal view.