Entelecara omissa (Linyphiidae)

Jonsson, Lars J., 2005, Agroeca dentigera and Entelecara omissa (Araneae: Liocranidae, Linyphiidae), found in Sweden, Arachnologische Mitteilungen 29 (1), pp. 49-52 : 50-51

Entelecara omissa (Linyphiidae)

Entelecara omissa was described by PICKARD -CAMBRIDGE (1902), but was named w ithout any detailed description as a nomen nudum two years earlier ( PICKARD -CAMBRIDGE 1900). The first drawings of the male palp were published later ( PICKARD - CAMBRIDGE 1903), although the drawing of the female's epigyne was of Entelecara errata (O. P.- Cambridge, 1913) (see PICKARD -CAMBRIDGE 1913). O. P.-Cambridge never made any drawings of the female of E. omissa . It has been reported from mesotrophic fens in England and from Ireland ( RUSSEL-SMITH 2002), from a fen area in Belgium ( DECLEER 1992), from fens in Poland ( KUPRYJANOWICZ 1997), from Ukraine (K. Mikhailov pers. com.), from a reed swamp in the Czech Republic ( BUCHAR & RUZICKA 2002), the Netherlands (van HELSDINGEN 1999) and from an ombrotrophic mire in Germany ( SCHIKORA 1994) and also from two other localities in Germany ( STAUDT 2004). The latter two records in STAUDT (2004) are probably misidentifications and need confirmation (Blick, pers. com.). In England the species is found among tussocks and litter, cut sedge, reed-beds and similar habitats at ground level in fens ( RUSSEL-SMITH 2002).

In the same fen in Lomma as Agroeca dentigera a female of Entelecara omissa was found (7 Nov. 1990). E. omissa has also been found at three different lakes near Stockholm as reported by TULLGREN (1955) as a new species: Entelecara depilata . By comparing the drawings and description by TULLGREN (1955) and by checking the types in the NRM in Stockholm with the drawings made by LOCKET & MILLIDGE (1953), Roberts (1987) and TAZOE (1993), it is obvious that Entelecara depilata Tullgren is a junior synonym of Entelecara omissa O. P.-Cambridge, new synonym. In Sweden two females of Entelecara depilata have also been reported from the open mire Knisa myr ( ALMQUIST 1984). Those females have been checked and are E. omissa . Entelecara depilata has also been reported from Estonia ( VlLBASTE 1987) and is probably also E. omissa .

The syntypes of E. depilata in the NRM are small, total length approx. 1,5 mm, cephalothorax approx. 0,65 mm. They are rather dark, with yellowish legs bearing dark annulation on the coxae. They have trichobothria on metatarsus I-III, but no trichobothrium on leg IV. Anterior median eyes slightly larger than anterior lateral eyes ( Tullgren, 1955; pers. obs.). Trichobothria on metatarsus I approx. 0,45. This is in accordance with the descriptions of Entelecara omissa by LOCKET & MlLLIDGE (1953) and ROBERTS (1987). Fig. 7 shows the drawing of the epigyne of E. depilata made by TULLGREN (1955) and fig. 8 shows the epigynes by ROBERTS (1987).

Figures

Fig. 7 - 8: Entelecara omissa O. P. - Cambridge, female epigynes: 7 - from T ullgren (1955: Taf. IV, Fig. 8 a, sub E. depilata), 8 - from R oberts (1987: p. 41, fig. 11 f).