Gnaphosa modestior Kulczyńki, 1897

Řezáč, Milan, Růžička, Vlastimil, Oger, Pierre & Řezáčová, Veronika, 2018, European species of the Gnaphosa alpica complex (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 3, pp. 289-294 : 291-294

Gnaphosa modestior Kulczyńki, 1897

( Figs 1C, 1F, 1I , 2D, 2H , 3 )

GnaphOsa mOdestiOr —KulcZyński in ChyZer & KulcZyński (1897): p. 184, table VII, figs 18a–c (descr. ♂ ♀). Grimm (1985): p. 72, figs 37a–b (♂), 38 (♀, redrawn from ChyZer & KulcZyński 1897). Heimer & Nentwig (1991): p. 420, figs. 1108.1–1108.3 (♂ ♀), redrawn from ChyZer & KulcZyński (1897). Ovtsharenko et al. (1992): p. 64 (designated lectotype ♀).

GnaphOsa laeta —Kulczyński in Chyzer & Kulczyński (1897): p. 185, table VII, fig. 19 (descr. ♀); removed from the synonymy of G. alpica ( Ovtsharenko et al. 1992) , new synonymy.

GnaphOsa alpica — Ovtsharenko et al. (1992): p. 61, figs 221–222 (♂). Thaler & Knoflach (2004): p. 425. Misidentifications. Diagnosis. Males differ frOm thOse Of Other species Of the cOmplex in a markedly elOngated tibial apOphysis (twO times lOnger than the rest Of tibia, Fig. 1I ). Females differ frOm thOse Of Other species Of the cOmplex in that the length Of the scapus is mOre than twO times the width ( Fig. 2D ), and pOsitiOned mOre anteriOrly (distance frOm the pOsterOlateral pOckets is equal tO the length Of the pOckets). The lateral edges Of the pOsterOlateral pOckets cOnverge pOsteriOrly (in Other species they are parallel). The vulva differs in that the distal part Of the median ducts bulge in an even manner, but the prOximal parts run clOse and parallel tO each Other (pear-shape, Fig. 2H ; in the Other species Of the cOmplex they regularly cOnverge tO the frOnt—similar tO the shape Of the letter A).

Remarks. This species was described based On the male frOm NOrtheastern CrOatia (ĐakOvO) and females frOm Central Hungary (BalatOnalmádi) and sOuthwestern ROmania (Baziaş, Mt. AlliOn near OrșOva). The type material shOuld be at the Hungarian Natural HistOry Museum in Budapest (see OvtsharenkO et al. 1992), but is currently missing (László Dányi, in litt.). Nevertheless, thanks tO Kulczyński’s precise drawings, the identity Of G. modestior is clear. The drawings Of the male palp shOw all the diagnOstic characters, including the remarkably lOng retrOlateral tibial apOphysis (RTA). The male mOrphOlOgy shOwn is identical tO the mOrphOlOgy Of the material frOm Czechia. The depicted epigyne ( Chyzer & Kulczyński 1897: plate VII, fig. 18a) pOssesses pOsteriOrly cOnverging pOsterOlateral pOckets that are a diagnOstic feature Of females belOnging tO the males with lOng RTA.

In the same study, Kulczyński described a single female Of this species frOm Szerencs, nOrtheastern Hungary, under the name G. laeta ( Chyzer & Kulczyński 1897) . The type material shOuld be at the Hungarian Natural HistOry Museum in Budapest (see OvtsharenkO et al. 1992), but is currently missing (László Dányi, in litt.). Nevertheless, the precise drawing in the Original descriptiOn ( Chyzer & Kulczyński 1897: plate VII, fig. 19) allOws unambiguOus identificatiOn. The depicted epigyne, bOth in the shape Of scapus and the pOsterOlateral pOckets, is identical tO epigynes Of G. modestior frOm Czechia ( Figs 2D, 2H ). Hungary is an arachnOlOgically well-researched territOry and the Only single species Of the Gnaphosa alpica cOmplex, G. modestior can be fOund there (Csaba Szinetár, persOnal cOmmunicatiOn). TherefOre, we cOnclude that G. laeta is a juniOr synOnym Of G. modestior (the descriptiOn Of G. modestior precedes the descriptiOn Of G. laeta in Chyzer & Kulczyński 1897 ). Kulczyński’s mistake was caused by underestimatiOn Of intraspecific variatiOn in the shape and relative length Of the epigynal scapus. His females Of G. modestior had shOrter scapus than the female Of G. laeta . But, as seen in the material frOm Czechia, the length Of scapus Of G. modestior is intraspecifically variable. In this species, the scapus is an elastic structure and as such it dOes nOt have cOnstant prOpOrtiOns amOng individuals. In cOntrast, the pOsterOlateral pOckets are a sclerOtised structure, the shape Of which is unifOrm within the species. Interestingly, Kulczyński himself admitted that G. laeta was prObably an aberrant female Of G. modestior ( Chyzer & Kulczyński 1897: p. 186). WithOut sufficient explanatiOn, OvtsharenkO and cOlleagues paired the male Of G. modestior with G. alpica females (the males Of G. alpica had nOt been knOwn in that time) and synOnymised G. laeta (female Of G. modestior ) with G. alpica (OvtsharenkO et al. 1992) . They used the name G. modestior fOr Kulczyński’s females and matched G. dolanskyi sp. n. males tO them.

Ecology and Distribution. Open xerOthermic habitats and fOrest-steppes. Adults in spring and summer. PannOnian biOregiOn: sOutheastern Czechia ( Heneberg & Řezáč 2014 and data in this article) (the species is cOnsidered critically endangered in Czechia—Řezáč et al. 2015), SlOvakia (GajdOš et al. 1999), nOrtheastern Austria ( Thaler & KnOflach 2004, sub G. alpica ) , Hungary, sOuthwestern ROmania, nOrtheastern CrOatia ( Chyzer & Kulczyński 1897). The pOpulatiOn frOm SOuthern Italy (this study) is likely tO be part Of a cOntinuOus distributiOn acrOss Italy. In Czechia this cOnspicuOus species was Only recently fOund in several areas that have been arachnOlOgically well studied in the past. TherefOre , we suppOse that the current distributiOn in sOutheastern Czechia might be a result Of a recent range expansiOn. Material examined. Czechia : Hnanice , bOttOm Of the Dyje river valley bellOw ŠObes vineyard (48.8084°, 15.9770°), Oak forest fringe, 4 August 2007, 2 ♂♂, 25 August 2007, 1 ♂, leg. L. Reischlová, coll . Z. Majkus; Podmolí, Dlouhý Les fOrest (48.8348°, 15.9506°), xerOthermic sparse Oak fOrest On the steep rOcky slOpe, 15 May 2013, 1 ♂, 9 April—23 May 2014, 2 ♂♂, leg. & coll. A. Jelínek ; Dolní Bojanovice (48.876°, 17.052°), xerothermic edge of a wood, 28 April—8 June 2012, 1 ♂ 1♀, leg. M. Řezáč & P . Heneberg , coll. EBMP ( Heneberg & Řezáč 2014); Hodonín, Pánov reserve (48.8887°, 17.1379°), sands with sparse steppe vegetatiOn, 17 May 2015, 1 ♀, leg. M. Řezáč, cOll . EBMP. Italy: Calabria: Bagaladi (30.0553°, 15.812°), Mediterranean fOrest , 1100 m a.s.l., NOvember 2013 — June 2014, 1 ♂, 1♀, pitfall traps, leg. E. CastigliOne & F. Manti, persOnal cOll. Of P. Oger.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Left male palps of the species of the GnaphOsa alpica complex. A–C, ventral views; D–F, retrolateral views; G—I, dorsoretrolateral views; A, D, G, GnaphOsa alpica, France: Villeneuve sur Vère; B, E, H, GnaphOsa dOlanskyi sp. n., Bulgaria: Panagyurishte;C, F, I, GnaphOsamOdestiOr, CZechia:Podmolí.

FIGURE 3. Adultfemale of GnaphOsamOdestiOr, CZechia:Hodonín, Pánov reserve.

FIGURE2.Epigynesof thespecies ofthe GnaphOsa alpica complex.A–D,ventralviews; E–H,dorsalviews;A, E, GnaphOsaalpica, lectotype, France: Alps; B, F, GnaphOsa alpica, France: Arifat; C, G, GnaphOsa dOlanskyi sp. n., Bulgaria: Panagyurishte; D, H, GnaphOsamOdestiOr, CZechia:Hodonín.MD—median duct,PP—posterolateral pocket.Scale = 0.1 mm.