Peponocranium fallax, Gnelitsa, 2024

Gnelitsa, V. A., 2024, New Spider Species Of Cnephalocotes And Peponocranium (Aranei, Linyphiidae) From The North-East Of Ukraine, Zoodiversity 58 (3), pp. 187-194 : 191-193

Peponocranium fallax sp. n. ( figs 11–13, 16 , 17 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:80522BBA-5C03-44C8-BE50-17DC2B3599CD

Material examined. Holotype}: Ukraine, Sumy Region, Vakalivshchina village, 51.04° N 34.94° E, grass meadow by the edge of mixed forest ( Quercus , Acer, Fraxinus with Pinus ), on the ground, 16.05.1992 ( V. Gnelitsa) ( SIZK).

Diagnosis. Female of the new species can be easy distinguished by the epigyne and vulva structure.

Description (holotype}). Total length 1.82, carapace 0.8 long, 0.57 wide ( figs 13, 16 ), smooth and shining, no sulci, grey-brown-yellow, with grey frontal (head) part.

Posterior median eyes are 0.66 of their diameter apart.

Chelicerae: anterior margin with five teeth, proximal tooth stands apart of the rest four ones. Posterior margin with four tiny teeth gradually diminished distally, fine stridulating files are barely visible.

Sternum 0.45 long 0.43 wide, yellow, gradually turns into dark grey yellow to the margins, extends between coxae IV.

Legs spination: Ti I–IV with one dorsal spine. Ti IV spine length (left/right) 1.52/1.81 of tibia diameter.

Position of Mt trichobothrium (left/right): I — 0.87/0.87, II — 0.90/0.88, III — 0.88/0.84, IV — 0.88/0.86.

Leg measurements given in table 2.

Epigyne: see fig. 11 , vulva: see figs 12 , 17 .

Abdomen grey, no dorsal pattern.

Male: unknown.

Etymology. The name means “fallacious” in Latin and is given due to similarity with P. ludicrum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1861) that earlier caused a misidentification of this spider specimen ( Gnelitsa, 1993, 1998, 2001).

The new species can be distinguished with the following key.

Key to species of the genus Peponocranium occurring in Ukraine (females)

1. Receptacles of the epigyne are directed obliquely out and frontally. ................................... P. fallax sp. n.

– Receptacles are directed frontally and convergent. ........................................................................................ 2

2. Laminae of the vulva directed frontally and convergent; carapace is pale coloured ......... P. orbiculatum

– Laminae directed to each other; carapace is brown....................................................................... P. praeceps

Figures

Figs 11–16. Peponocranium fallax sp. n.: 11 — epigyne ventrally; 12 — vulva ventrally; 13 — carapace laterally; 16 — carapace dorsally. P. praeceps (Ukraine, Vakalivshchina): 14 — epigyne ventrally, 15 — vulva ventrally.

Figs 17–20. Vulva, course of seminal ducts: 17 — P. fallax sp. n.; 19 — P. praeceps (Ukraine, Vakalivshchina); diagrammatic course of seminal ducts: 18 — P. fallax sp. n., 20 — P. praeceps (Ukraine, Vakalivshchina).