Spiracme Menge, 1876

Gallé-Szpisjak, Nikolett, Gallé, Róbert, Szabó, Krisztián & Szűts, Tamás, 2024, On the identity and placement of Xysticus lendli Kulczyński, 1897 (Araneae, Thomisidae): an integrative approach, Zoosystematics and Evolution 100 (3), pp. 1017-1028 : 1017-1028

Spiracme Menge, 1876

Figs 2 , 3 A – C, G – I , 4 A – C , 5 A, B , 6 , 7 , 8

Type species.

Spiracme striata Menge, 1864 . Xysticus striata Menge, 1876 , by monotypy.

Note.

Breitling (2019) revalidated the genus Spiracme , but he did not provide any diagnosis or any diagnostic features. As delimited by Breitling (2019), it is impossible to give a precise diagnosis for the genus, including all and only those species. Hence, it should be subject to future revision or reconsideration.

Diagnosis.

Males can be recognised by the bulb lacking apophyses (Fig. 6 A, D ) or tegular apophysis ( Gertsch 1953; Menge 1876; Lehtinen 2002). The tutaculum is triangle-shaped in this type of species. Tibia with two or three apophyses; VTA is simple and rounded; and RTA has a distinct pointed hook ( Lehtinen 2002). Females can be recognised by the prominent septum (but can be absent; see Gertsch 1953). Both sex lateral eyes are 1.5 times larger than the median eyes and have light elevation ( Menge 1876).

Composition.

Currently 10 species have been added to this genus ( WSC 2024): S. striatipes (L. Koch, 1870) , S. baltistana (Caporiacco, 1935) , S. dura (Sørensen, 1898) , S. keyserlingi (Bryant, 1930) , S. lehtineni (Fomichev, Marusik & Koponen, 2014) , S. nigromaculata (Keyserling, 1884) , S. quadrata (Tang & Song, 1988) , S. triangulosa (Emerton, 1894) , S. vachoni ( Schenkel, 1963) .

Description.

see Menge (1876) and Lehtinen (2002).

Distribution.

Holarctic.

Figures

Figure 2. Habitus of Spiracme lendli: A, B. Male; C, D. Female; A, C. Specimen in alcohol, bleached out; B, D. Fresh specimens; Scale bar: 2.0 mm.

Figure 3. Male palps: A – C. Spiracme lendli; D – F. Xysticus mongolicus; G – I. S. striatipes; A, D, G. Prolateral view; B, E, H. Ventral view; C, F, I. Retrolateral view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: tb — tegular bump; tut — tutaculum.

Figure 4. Distinguishing characters of Spiracme lendli (A ‒ C) and Xysticus mongolicus: (D ‒ F); D. Prolateral view; B, E. Ventral view; C, F. Retrolateral view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 5. Comparison of male emboluses: Spiracme lendli (A, B) and Xysticus mongolicus (C, D). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 6. Spiracme spp. Male palps scanning micrographs Spiracme lendli: (A – C) Spiracme striatipes: (D – F); A. Bulb, ventral view; B, C. Closeup of the embolus, ventral view; D. Bulb, ventral view; E, F. Closeup of the embolus, ventral view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm (A – B, D – E); 0.05 mm (C, F). Abbreviation: tut — tutaculum.

Figure 7. Spiracme lendli, male palps scanning micrographs: A. Entire palp retrolateral view. male; B. Bulb closeup, showing the embolus, the tegular bump, and the tutaculum. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: tb — tegular bump; tut — tutaculum.

Figure 8. Spiracme lendli epigyne A. Fresh specimen, intact epigyne, ventral view; B. Prepared epigyne, ventral view; C. Same, in wintergreen oil; D. Vulva, dorsal view; E. Epigyne, ventral view; F. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.