Drassodes mylonasi Chatzaki, 2019

Chatzaki, Maria & Keer, Johan Van, 2019, Ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae, Prodidomidae) from the Greek islands Rodos, Symi and Karpathos, with the description of new species, Zootaxa 4646 (3), pp. 434-460 : 436-439

Drassodes mylonasi Chatzaki sp.n.

Figs 5–8

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by the small body size in combination with the relatively long embolus and large median apophysis of the male palp and the large lateral margins of the epigyne surrounding almost the entire area of the vulva.

Holotype: male, Rodos, S-Soroni, under stones in Pinus forest, 18.V.2006 ( JVK: 2648) . Paratype: Rodos, S- Kamiros, under stones along fieldroad, 1 ♀, 15.V.2006 ( JVK: 2643) . All leg. J. & K. V. Van Keer .

Other material examined. Site 18: 1♀; Site 42: 2♂♂.

Etymology. The name is given in honor of Prof. M. Mylonas, Professor of Ecology and Director of the Natural History museum of the University of Crete who contributed substantially to the study of biogeography of the Aegean in the last forty years.

Description. Male holotype (other specimens). Small size spiders of light brown color. Legs uniformly light brown except for all Fe which are darker due to striae of dark hairs. Measurements: TL 2.611 (2.849 −3.147); CL 1.136 (1.185 −1.414); CW 0.817 (0.999 −1.023); AL 1.291 (1.337 −1.641). Eye sizes: AME 0.063; PME 0.081; PLE 0.060; ALE 0.075; PME-PME, PME-PLE and AME-AME separated by less than their diameter; AME-ALE almost touching. All eyes pearly white with black surroundings (especially AME), PME oval and without black surrounding. PER slightly procurved, AER slightly recurved. Prosoma with widening thoracic region, fovea small, located at about 1/3 of abdominal length. Chelicerae with 3 PM and 1 RM denticle. Leg formula is IV>I>II>III. Legs spination: Leg I: Fe 3d, Ti 2v; leg II: Fe 3d, Ti 2v; leg III: Fe 2−4d, Ti/Mt spinose; leg IV: Fe 2−5d, Ti/Mt spinose. Ta densely scopulated and with numerous trichobothria.

Palp ( Figs 5−6 ). Small transverse tibial apophysis originating from ventral side of cymbium and directed retrolaterally with tapering transverse tip. Spermophore serpent-like. Embolus long medially placed, slightly curved with filiform ending. Its free part longer than half the tegulum, extending almost to the top of cymbium and guided by membranous lamella. Median apophysis relatively stout.

Description. Female. Small size spiders of similar coloration and habitus as male. Measurements: TL 4.260; CL 1.772; CW 1.144; AL 2.213. Eye sizes: AME 0.078; PME 0.082; PLE 0.071; ALE 0.083; PME-PLE 0.065 (separated by ca their diameter), all others almost touching; All eyes pearly white with black surroundings (especially AME), PME oval and without black surrounding. PER slightly procurved, AER slightly recurved. Prosoma with widening thoracic region, fovea small, located at about 1/3 of abdominal length. Chelicerae with 3−4 PM and 0−1 RM denticle. Leg formula is IV>I>II>III. Legs spination: Leg I: Fe 1d; leg II: Fe 3d, Ti 1v; leg III: Fe 6d, Ti/Mt spinose; leg IV: Fe 5d, Ti/Mt spinose. Ta densely scopulated and with numerous trichobothria.

Epigyne ( Fig. 7 ). Large lateral margins surrounding almost the entire area of the vulva. Smaller median epigynal frames forming median tongue connected to epigastric furrow, with copulatory openings on their top.

Vulva ( Fig. 8 ). Spermathecae bilobed with lobes of almost equal size and glandular heads on the basal pair of lobes.

Comments. Drassodes mylonasi sp.n. is very similar to D. serratichelis (Roewer, 1928) , originally described from Crete. However it differs from it in the following characters: in males, by the presence of a small tibial apophysis, the longer embolus and the stouter median apophysis and in females by the different position of the lateral margins in relation to the spermathecae (in D. serratichelis they surround only the basal ones). Interestingly, these distinctive characters are also found between D. serratichelis -as presented by Chatzaki et al. (2002b, p. 618, Figs 40−43 )- and D. serratichelis -as presented by Levy (2004, p.12, Figs 29−32 ). This observation raises doubts about the correct placement of the Israeli Drassodes to D. serratichelis , and it possibly best fits the new species here described. Levy reported the absence of a tibial apophysis in the male palp. However, the size and positioning of the tibial apophysis in D. mylonasi sp.n. is such, that the character could be easily overlooked. The figures by Kovblyuk (2008, p. 20, Figs 6.1−4, 7.1−2), Wunderlich (2011, p. 52, Figs 102-107) and Platnick & Shadab (1976, p. 21, Figs 57−60 ) (sub D. louisianus ) suggest similarity to the original description of D. serratichelis and are hence not questioned here. A closer examination of the Israeli material is required to confirm its identity.

Distribution. Only known from Rodos, possibly also present in Israel.

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Drassodes mylonasi sp.n. 5 Male holotype palp, ventral view. 5a Same, embolar region magnification, prolateral to ventral view. 6 Same, retrolateral view. 7 Paratype, epigyne. 8 Same, vulva. Co: copulatory opening, E: embolus, l: membranous lamella, LM: lateral margin, MA: median apophysis, mt: median tongue.

FIGURES 34–40. Phaeocedus vankeeri sp.n. (34–38): 34 Holotype left palp, ventral view. 35 Same, retrolateral view. 36 Same, prolateral view. 37 Female paratype, epigyne. 38 Same, vulva. P. hebraeus holotype left palp (39–40): 39 Retrolateral view. 40 Retrolateral to dorsal view.

FIGURES 41–47. Phaeocedus vankeeri sp.n. holotype (41–44): 41 Left palp, ventral view. 42 Right chelicerae, ventral view. 43 Opisthosoma. 44 Left palp, retrolateral view. P. hebraeus holotype (45–47): 45 Opisthosoma. 46 Left palp, embolar region magnification, retrolateral to ventral view. 47 Left palp, retrolateral view. S: scutum.

FIGURES 29–33. Phaeocedus vankeeri sp.n. 29 Holotype habitus, dorsal view. P. hebraeus (30–33): 30 Holotype habitus, dorsal view. 31 “Drassodes” sp. (paratype of P. hebraeus), immature female, habitus, dorsal view. 32 Same, maxillae. 33 Same, trochanters. Arrow indicates the indentations in trochanters.

FIGURES 56–57. Turkozelotes attavirus sp.n., female paratype. 56 Epigyne. 57 Vulva.

FIGURES 58–61. Zelotes parascrutatus left palp. 58 Ventral view. 59 Retrolateral view. 60 Embolar region magnification, RL to ventral view. 61 Dorsal view. TA: terminal apophysis, MA: median apophysis, EmbB: embolar base.