Dysdera subcylindrica Charitonov, 1956

Fomichev, Alexander A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2021, Notes on the spider genus Dysdera Latreille, 1804 (Araneae: Dysderidae) in Central Asia, Zootaxa 5006 (1), pp. 73-89 : 75-80

Dysdera subcylindrica Charitonov, 1956

Figs 1–2 , 7–12 , 25, 28–30 , 31–33 , 37, 39, 50–51, 58–60.

D. subcylindrica Charitonov, 1956: 31 , fig. 4 (♂ ♀).

D. subcylindrica: Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman, 1988: 229 , fig. 265 (♂, removed ♂ ♀ from S of D. arnoldii , contra Dunin, 1985).

D. subcylindrica: Marusik, 2017: 312 , fig. 6 (♂).

Material. TAJIKISTAN: Sughd Region: syntypes 2♀ ( PSU), Kshtut Mt. Pass, 5000–6000 feet, 1908, D. M. Fedotov . KAZAKHSTAN: Almaty Region: 2♂ 4♀ ( ISEA 001.8643 ), Trans-Ili Alatau Mts, Emegen River Valley ( Kaskelen River tributary), 43°04’N 76°37’E, loess cliff at the bottom of steppic slope, collected at night, 1650– 1700 m, 19.04.2016, A. A. Fomichev and others ; 2♂ 5♀ ( ISEA, 001.8157), Zhambyl District, vicinity of Kargaly (= Fabrichnyi ) Village , 09.05.1996, A. N. Ponomarenko and others ; 1♀ ( ISEA, 001.8179), same place, 19.06.1995. A.A. Zyuzin .

Comparative material. Syntypes of D. arnoldii Charitonov, 1956 (Figs 38, 40, 56–57): KYRGYZSTAN: Jalal-Abad Region : 1♂ 2♀ ( PSU), Chatkalskyi Mt. Range , Sary-Chelek Lake, 1900–2000 m, spruce forest with bushes, 9– 12.09.1945, K. V. Arnoldi ; 2♀ ( PSU), Chatkalskyi Mt. Range , nr. Arkit, 1200 m, 13– 17.09.1945, K. V. Arnoldi .

Diagnosis. Dysdera subcylindrica is closely related to D. arnoldii and D. cylindrica . It differs from D. cylindrica in a number of characters: relatively short legs (femur I/carapace ratio 0.93 in male and 0.84 in female, compared to 1.05 and 0.96, respectively), distal part of the psembolus with a less developed crest (C), and the spermatheca (St) without a distinct stalk. Besides, D. subcylindrica can be separated from D. arnoldii by larger size: the carapace length is 4.15–4.35 in both sexes, compared to 3.5 in the male and 3.7 in the female in D. arnoldii . The same applies to the bulb length, which is 1.3 in D. subcylindrica and only 1.1 in D. arnoldii . The male of D. subcylindrica differs from that of D. arnoldii in having the tegulum (Te) with parallel edges in posterior view (convex in D. arnoldii ) and the psembolus with a blunt tip (pointed in D. arnoldii ). Endogynes of both species are almost indistinguishable, but that of D. subcylindica possesses a triangular dorsal arch of the diverticulum (Dd), compared to a trapezoidal dorsal arch in D. arnoldii .

Description. Male. Total length 8.6. Carapace: 4.25 long, 3.2 wide. Abdomen: 4.5 long, 2.35 wide. AME 0.23, PME 0.16, PLE 0.17. General appearance as in Figs 1 , 7–9 . Carapace and chelicerae red. Sternum, labium and maxillae orange. Palps yellow-orange. Legs: I and II yellow-orange, III and IV yellow. Abdomen and spinnerets beige. Leg measurements: I: 3.95, 2.25, 3.45, 3.5, 0.75 (13.9). II: 3.5, 2.05, 3.05, 3.15, 0.7 (12.45). III: 2.6, 1.35, 1.75, 2.5, 0.65 (8.85). IV: 3.45, 1.7, 2.6, 3.4, 0.7 (11.85). Leg spination: III: Ti p4 r3 v5; Mt p7 r3 v4. IV: Fe d5; Ti p4 r2 v7; Mt p7 r3 v3. Bulb as in Figs 25, 28–30 , 31–33 , 37, 39. Length/width ratio 3.7. Posterior apophysis (Ap) cone-shaped in lateral view, mesal part of psembolus with an elongate sclerotized spine (Sp), distal part of psembolus with a small crest.

Female. Total length 10.6. Carapace: 4.35 long, 3.2 wide. Abdomen: 6.3 long, 3.2 wide. AME 0.19, PME 0.14, PLE 0.19. Coloration as in the male (2, 10–12). Leg measurements: I: 3.65, 2.2, 3.15, 3.05, 0.65 (12.7). II: 3.3, 2.05, 2.85, 2.85, 0.65 (11.7). III: 2.5, 1.45, 1.7, 2.4, 0.65 (8.7). IV: 3.35, 1.8, 2.55, 3.2, 0.75 (11.65). Leg spination: III: Ti p4 r2 v6; Mt p5 r2 v5. IV: Fe d4; Ti p3 r2 v9; Mt p7 r3 v3. Endogyne as in Figs 50–51 . Spermatheca wide, 4.5 times wider than long. Lateral arms (La) inclined posteriorly. Transverse bar of the posterior diverticulum (Tb) bulging anteriorly. Posterior diverticulum (Pd) in the shape of an inverted triangle.

Size variations. Males vary from 8.6 to 10.4 in body length, carapace 4.15–4.35 long, 3.2 wide (n=3). Females vary from 9.9 to 10.6 in body length, carapace 4.15–4.35 long, 3.0–3.2 wide (n=3).

Distribution. The species is known from the Hissar Mts in Tajikistan throughout the Alay Range in Kyrgyzstan to the Trans-Ili Alatau Mts in Kazakhstan. Dunin (1985) recorded D. arnoldii from eastern Uzbekistan and northern, western and central Tian Shan. However, some of his records could actually belong to D. subcylindrica , since he mistakenly considered the latter species a junior synonym of D. arnoldii .

Comments. The original descriptions of D. subcylindrica and D. arnoldii are in Russian and provided with sketchy drawings of the bulb shown in posterior view, while their endogynes were not illustrated (figs 4 and 5 in Charitonov 1956). Dunin (1985), based on the materials available to him, came to the conclusion that D. subcylindrica was described based on large specimens of D. arnoldii and hence was to be treated as a junior synonym of the latter. This synonymy was rejected by Deeleman-Reinhold & Deeleman (1988), who provided the first illustration of the endogyne of D. arnoldii . Having studied the bulbs of newly collected specimens of Dysdera from the Trans- Ili Alatau Mts, we have concluded that they do belong to a species from the cylindrica species group. A comparison of our specimens with the syntype male of D. arnoldii has revealed differences in the shape and size of the bulbs, as well as in the body size. We have had no opportunity to re-examine males from the original type series of D. subcylindrica , since they were lost (S. L. Esyunin, personal comm.). A comparison of the endogynes of newly collected specimens from the Trans-Ili Alatau Mts with that of the syntype of D. subcylindrica have revealed no differences. In addition, our identification of recently collected specimens as D. subcylindrica is confirmed by their large size (carapace length 4.15–4.35, bulb length 1.3). Therefore, it is safe to assigny the newly collected Dysdera specimens to D. subcylindrica based on the following facts: (1) the bulb conformation of our specimens is identical to that given in the original description; (2) the structural identity of endogynes between newly collected specimens and the syntype of D. subcylindrica ; and (3) large body and bulb sizes in our specimens (larger than those in D. arnoldii ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Dorsal habitus of Dysdera subcylindrica (1–2), D. dushengi (3–4) and D. mikhailovi sp. nov. (5–6). 1, 3, 5—male; 2, 4, 6—female. Scale bars=2 mm.

FIGURES 7–12. Prosoma of Dysdera subcylindrica male (7–9) and female (10–12). 7, 10—dorsal; 8, 11—lateral; 9, 12—ven- tral. Scale bars=1 mm.

FIGURES 25–30. Male palp (25–27) and bulb (28–30) of Dysdera subcylindrica (25, 28–30), D. dushengi (26) and D. mikhailovi sp. nov. (27). 25–28—prolateral; 29—anterior; 30—retrolateral. Scale bars: 25–27=0.5 mm, 28–30=0.2 mm. Ab- breviations: Ap–posterior apophysis, Ax–apex, C–crest, Se–stem of the psembolus, Sp–spine, Te–tegulum.

FIGURES 31–36. Psembolus of Dysdera subcylindrica (31–33) and bulb of D. dushengi (34–36). 31, 34—prolateral; 32, 35— anterior; 33, 36—retrolateral. Scale bars: 31–33=0.15 mm, 34–36=0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Ap–posterior apophysis, Ax–apex, C–crest, Cm–median crest, Cp–prolateral crest, Cr–retrolateral crest, Se–stem of the psembolus, Sp–spine, Te–tegulum.

FIGURES 50–57. Endogyne of D. subcylindrica (50–51), D. dushengi (52–53), D. mikhailovi sp. nov. (54–55) and D. arnoldii (56–57). 50, 52, 54, 56—dorsal; 51, 53, 55, 57—ventral. Scale bars=0.2 mm.Abbreviations: Dd–dorsal arch of the diverticulum, La–lateral arm of the spermatheca, Pd–posterior diverticulum, Sk–stalk of the spermatheca, St–spermateca, Tb–transverse bar of the posterior diverticulum.