Hahnia helveola Simon, 1875

Kovblyuk, Mykola M., Kastrygina, Zoya A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2017, New data on Hahnia C. L. Koch, 1841 from Crimea (Aranei: Hahniidae), Turkish Journal of Zoology 41 (2), pp. 311-317 : 311-313

Hahnia helveola Simon, 1875 ( Figures 1‒3 )

Hahnia helveola : Harm, 1966: 360, f. 41‒45 (♂ ♀); Roberts, 1998: 272, f. (♂ ♀); Almquist, 2005: 274, f. 258a‒e (♂ ♀).

Records from Crimea. Kovblyuk, 2004a; Mikhailov, 2013; Kovblyuk, Kastrygina, 2015.

Material examined. UKRAINE. Crimea: Feodosiya Distr.: 1 ♂ ( TNU), Karadag Nature Reserve, Lobovoy Mt. Range , 44°54′58.2″N, 35°13′16.2″E, stony steppe, pitfalls, 29.03– 12.04.2008, M. K .; Simferopol Distr. : 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ ( TNU), Chatyr-Dagh Mt. Massif, woods, pitfalls, 08.04.– 06.10.2000, M. K .; Yalta Distr.: 3 ♂♂ ( TNU), Nikitskaya Yaila Mt. , forest, pitfalls, 12– 22.04.2001, M. K .; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( TNU), environs Nikita Vill., forest, 04.09.2001 – 29.08.2002, M. K., А. А . Khaustov; 9 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ( TNU), Yalta Mountain-Forest Natural Reserve, Uch-Kosch canyon, 527 m, 44°32′22″N, 34°10′44″E, forest, pitfalls, 06.09– 01.11.2008, M. K .

Diagnosis. Male is similar to that in H. pusilla (C.L. Koch, 1841) , but differs from it by the pointed conductor (broad in H. pusilla ) and presence of the peculiar pointed outgrowth ( Figure 1 ) on the base of the tegulum (lacking in all other Hahnia species). The shape of copulatory ducts distinguishes the female of H. helveola from all other Hahnia species ( Figure 2 ).

Description. Somatic characters well described in above-mentioned references. Male palp as in Figure 1 . Patellar apophysis slender, distally hook-bent. Tibial setae long, but do not reach the RTA. Conductor pointed. Tegulum with peculiar subbasal pointed outgrowth. RTA strongly bent, sickle-shaped, its tip reaching approximately the middle of the tibia. Embolus originating retrolaterally and coiling clockwise 315° along the margin of the tegulum (left palp).

Epigyne as in Figure 2 . Copulatory opening located in the posterior third of the epigynal plate. Endogyne with two pairs of rounded receptacles, subequal in size (primary and secondary).

Distribution. West Palearctic polyzonal range: from Norway to Spain and Turkey ( Marusik et al., 2011; Helsdingen, 2013; Mikhailov, 2013; Nentwig et al., 2014).

Comments. Crimea is the easternmost point of H. helveola ’s known range.

Habitats. Stony steppes, Juniperus sparse forests, woods with Quercus petraea , Pinus pallasiana , Fagus , Populus , Acer , and Cornus mas .

Phenology. In Crimea: ♂♂ – III‒V, IX–X, ♀♀ – IV, VII‒IX, ♂ ♀ – IV & IX, the peaks of adults’ activity were in April and October ( Figure 3 ). In Britain ( Harvey et al., 2002): ♂♂ – I‒IV, VIII‒XII, ♀♀ – I‒VII, IX‒XII, ♂ ♀ – I‒IV & IX‒XII, the peak of adults’ activity is in October, as in Crimea. In Britain mature males occur from the late summer (in Crimea, from September, a month later) through the winter until spring, and adult females can be found throughout the year. In Sweden: ♀♀ – VI‒IX ( Almquist, 2005).

Figures

Figure 1. Male palp of Hahnia helveola (a- ventral, b- retrolateral). Scale = 0.1 mm. Abbreviation: To – tegular outgrowth.

Figure 2. Epigyne of Hahnia helveola (a- ventral, b- dorsal, c- schematic illustration of copulatory ducts, dorsal).Scale = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: Co – copulatory opening; Cd – copulatory ducts; Fd – fertilization duct; S – receptacle; SS –secondary receptacle.

Figure 3. Seasonal dynamics of adults’ activity of two Hahnia species in Crimea, based on the collected specimens: X-axis, month; Y-axis, number of specimens.