Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876

Al-Khazali, Azhar Mohammed, Al-Abbad, Murtatha Ym, Fomichev, Alexander A. & Kachel, Hamid Saeid, 2023, New data on the wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) of Iraq, Ecologica Montenegrina 67, pp. 101-116 : 106

Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876 ( Figs. 4-6 )

Identification. Armiach Steinpress et al. (2022), Zamani et al. (2021).

Material examined. Iraq: Al-Basrah Province, Al-Shuaiba district, near petroleum fields (wide sandy lands), 1 ♀ and 2 ♂, 30.436477° N, 47.676526° E, ( Fig. 1A ), 21. January 2022, (leg. M. Y. Al-Abbad, collected by hand); Dhi Qar Province, outskirts of Al-Shatrah district , rural area, 13 km from the city center, among the weeds on the banks of Al-Qaed River , at night, 2♀ and 1♂, 31.321544°N, 46.080090°E, ( Fig.1A ), 21. July. 2022, Al-Nassr district , 2 km from the city center, near agricultural land, at night, 1♂, 31.542075°N, 46.053821°E, 21. December. 2022. Al-Rifai district , 30 km from the city center, sand dune area, specimens were taken from the side of Al-Masb Al-am river (third river), at night, 1♀ and 2♂, 31.594224°N, 45.813287°E, ( Fig.1A ), 14. June. 2022. Qalat Suker district , Farmland (annual crops), at daytime, 3♀ and 2♂, 31.845246°N, 46.021201°E, ( Fig.1A ), 21. January. 2020, leg. A. M. Al-Khazali by hand from all locations in Dhi Qar Province ( CBEUS); Central Iraq, Baghdad Province, Al-Taji District, Al-Taji Camp, near one of the buildings belonging to the Iraqi army at night, 1♂, 33.516710°N, 44.259582°E, ( Fig.1A ), 15. August. 2023.; Northern Iraq, Dohuk province, Zakho district, outskirts of Dashtmir region, 2 km from Zakho University , at daytime, 3♀ and 2♂, 37.113154°N, 42.691700°E, ( Fig.1A ), 9. April. 2023, Leg. H. S. Kachel, collected by hand .

Comments. L. piochardi was recently reported from Iran by Zamani et al. (2021), and from Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon by Armiach Steinpress et al. (2022). According to these researchers, this species has variable coloration patterns and shapes of the epigyne. Our current specimens have some differences, especially in the shape of the epigyne and coloring pattern. The general appearance and epigyne of our specimens from Al-Basrah Province are similar to the Iranian specimens collected from Ilam Province near the eastern Iraqi border. However, the dorsal coloration pattern is darker than in Iranian specimens. Spermathecae of our specimens are longer and their heads are elongated, unlike the Iranian specimens, in which the head of the spermatheca is bulbous. The coloration pattern of males ventrally and dorsally is darker than that of females. The general appearance, pedipalps, and epigyne of current specimens from Dhi- Qar Province are similar to the Israeli specimens presented in the paper ( Armiach Steinpress et al. 2022: figs 6,7D; fig.2D; figs 9,10K, respectively). However, the head of spermatheca in our specimens are bulbous similar to the Iranian specimens, unlike what is found in the Israeli and our specimens from Al-Basrah. These differences are considered as intraspecific variations.

Measurements. Male. Body length 23.98; carapace 12.58 long, width 9.46; opisthosoma 11.40 long, width 6.46. Leg measurements: I: 10.03, 4.95, 8.77, 9.52, 4.28 (37.55). II: 10.02, 2.77, 9.16, 9.65, 4.37 (35.97). III: 9.47, 2.36,10.63, 9.08, 4.85 (36.66). IV: 11.12, 3.22, 9.20, 12.60, 5.18 (41.95).

Female. Body length 26.91; carapace 12.75 long, width 9.22; opisthosoma 14.16 long, width 9.31. Leg measurements: I 9.61, 4.30, 7.51, 8.69, 3.82 (33.93). II: 8.16, 3.52, 6.84, 7.42, 3.62 (29.56). III: 8.83, 3.64,7.99, 7.05, 4.30 (31.81). IV: 9.04, 3.96, 8.54, 12.29, 5.16 (38.39).

Distribution. According to the WSC (2023), L. piochardi is known from eight countries in the Middle East, four of which are neighboring Iraq: Turkey, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Israel, Palestine and Lebanon ( Fig. 1B ).

Habitat. The specimens were collected from Al-Basrah province, in the far south of Iraq, during the daytime, from open sandy lands at a distance of 25 km from the center of Al-Shuaiba district. This environment is characterized by a high temperature of up to 55 degrees Celsius during the summer. The specimens were collected from Dhi Qar province from four different locations, in three locations they were collected at night, and two locations represent agricultural lands located outside Al-Nassr and Qalat Sukkar districts ( Fig. 7 ). The collection localities in each of the districts of Al-Rifai and Al-Shatrah were represented by the banks of the main estuary river ( Fig. 8 ). Specimens were collected from among the weeds under Tamarix shrubs, some of which were hidden inside the burrows. Armiach Steinpress et al. (2022) reported that the specimens were collected from dry and arid deserts, steppes, sloping lands, pastures, natural and agricultural lands, as well as from different types of soils such as sandy, silty clay and rocky soil. These observations in previous and current studies indicate that this species tolerates a wide range of different climates and habitats, which are far or outside urban regions. According to these current materials collected from the far south, central and far north of Iraq, we suspect that this species is distributed in most of the Iraqi governorates, which should be confirmed by increasing research and exploration by local researchers in areas that have not been studied so far.

Figures

Figure 1. A. Map of Iraq showing specimens collection localities. B. Map showing the known distribution of Evippa amitaii Armiach Steinpress et al., 2021 (green circles) and Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876 (red circles). (blue circles = Arctosa similis Schenkel, 1938)

Figure 4. Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876. A, B: Male habitus, dorsal and ventral views; C, D: Female habitus, dorsal and ventral views. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 5. Copulatory organs of Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876. A–F: Left palp, A. prolateral view, B. ventral view, C. retrolateral view. D–F. Bulb, ventral view (with and without cymbium), and retrolateral; G–J: Epigyne, G, H. ventral and dorsal views of specimens from Dhi Qar Province; I, J. ventral and dorsal views of specimens from Al-Basrah Province

Figure 6. Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876. A–D. live specimens in their natural habitat in Dhi Qar Province, A. from Al- Rifai District, B. from Al-Shatrah District, C. from Qalat Suker District, D. live specimen in a container from Al-Taji District in Baghdad Province.

Figure 7. Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, habitat. Under Tamarix bushes on the banks of Al-Masb Al-am River (A. Al- Shatrah District, B. Al-Rifai District)

Figure 8. Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, habitat in cropland (A. Al-Nassr District, B. Qalat Suker District).