Araeoncus rhodes, V. & Tanasevitch, 2011

Tanasevitch, Andrei V., 2011, On linyphiid spiders (Araneae) from the Eastern and Central Mediterranean kept at the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Geneva, Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (1), pp. 49-91 : 53-56

Araeoncus rhodes sp. n. Figs 6-12, 20

HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, Greece, Rhodes, Petaloudes , sifting leaf litter, 8.IV.1977, leg. C. Besuchet [2b].

PARATYPE: 1 ♀, from same locality, collected together with the holotype .

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED FOR COMPARISON: MNHNP AR 12101. A vial labeled as “#6421 Streptosphaenus culminicola ( Diplocephalus c.), Pic du Midi, E. Simon”, contains 3 Ƌ and 1 ♀ (a carapace and an abdomen, separated). Most probably, the female was placed into the syntype series later, as in fact Simon (1884) described D. culminicola only from males, and a female was described much later by Denis (1953). Denis’s illustrations of the epigyne do not correspond to the epigyne of the female from Paris Museum, so the female in vial AR 12101 may not belong to D. culminicola .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name, a noun, is derived from the name of the Greek

Island where the new species was found.

DIAGNOSIS: The species is characterised by the shape of the anterior radical processes of the embolic division in the male, as well as by the peculiar shape of well visible translucent oblong receptacles in the female.

DESCRIPTION: Male. Total length 1.85. Carapace slightly modified as in Figs 6 & 7, 0.95 long, 0.62 wide, reddish brown. Chelicerae 0.27 long. Legs pale brown. Leg I 2.17 long (0.60+0.20+0.52+0.50+0.35), IV 2.29 long (0.65+0.20+0.60+0.52+0.32). Chaetotaxy: 2.2.1.1, spines length on TiI-III about 0.3-0.5 diameter of segment, on TiIV about diameter or a bit longer. TmI 0.43. Metatarsus IV without trichobothrium. Palp (Figs 8-12): Cymbium with a long, pointed, slightly curved prolateral outgrowth. Paracymbium relatively small, hook-shaped. Distal suprategular apophysis like a long, narrow, slightly curved band, pointed distally. Embolic division with two distal anterior radical processes almost equal in size to each other. Embolus relatively short and thick. Abdomen 0.87 long, 0.62 wide, grey.

Female. Total length 2.00. Carapace 0.80 long, 0.60 wide. Chelicerae 0.35 long. Leg I 2.09 long (0.60+0.17+0.50+0.47+0.35), IV 2.21 long (0.65+0.22+0.57+ 0.47+ 0.30). Length of spines on legs about of 1-1.5 diameter of segment. TmI 0.47. Abdomen 1.27 long, 1.00 wide. Epigyne typical for representatives of Araeoncus Simon, 1884 , with well visible translucent oblong receptacles as in Fig. 20. Body and leg coloration, as well as chaetotaxy, as in male.

TAXONOMIC REMARKS: The new species seems to be most similar to A. cypriacus sp. n., but differs well by the shorter and thicker embolus, as well as by the shape of the anterior radical processes. The female can be easily distinguished by the peculiar shape of the well visible translucent oblong receptacles. The male carapace is very similar to that of Diplocephalus culminicola Simon, 1884 , the palp of which has not yet been illustrated. The shape of the palpal tibia of D. culminicola is very similar to that of Dactylopisthes mirificus (Georgescu, 1976) , and to the representatives of Archaraeoncus Tanasevitch, 1987 , but the palpal conformation of D. culminicola is fully corresponding to that of Diplocephalus Bertkau, 1883 .

DISTRIBUTION: Known from the type locality only.

Archaraeoncus hebraeus sp. n. Figs 13-19, 21 HOLOTYPE: Ƌ, Israel, Maize, Newe Yaar, summer 1986, leg. S. Heimer. PARATYPE: 1 ♀, Israel, Galilee , Ginosar, on bank of stream, 20.-21.V.1973, leg. I. Löbl

[Is-73/1].

FIGS 6-12

Araeoncus rhodes sp. n., Ƌ holotype. (6, 7) Carapace, lateral and dorsal view, respectively. (8, 9) Left palp, retrolateral and prolateral view, respectively. (10) Palpal tibia, dorsal view. (11) Distal suprategular apophysis, anterior view. (12) Embolic division, anterior view.

FIGS 13-19

Archaraeoncus hebraeus sp. n., Ƌ holotype. (13, 14) Carapace, lateral and dorsal view, respectively. (15, 16) Right palp, retrolateral and prolateral view, respectively. (17, 18) Palpal tibia, prolateral and dorsal view, respectively. (19) Embolic division and distal suprategular apophysis, prolateral view.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name, an adjective, translated from Latin as

“ Jewish ”.

DIAGNOSIS: The new species is characterised by the peculiar shape of the palpal tibia, and by the presence of only one distal suprategular apophysis.

DESCRIPTION: Male. Total length 1.43. Carapace slightly modified as in Figs 13

& 14, 0.67 long, 0.45 wide, brown. Chelicerae 0.22 long. Legs pale brown. Leg I 1.47

FIGS 20, 21

Epigyne of Araeoncus rhodes sp. n., ♀ paratype from Petaloudes , Greece (20) , and of Archaraeoncus hebraeus sp. n., ♀ paratype from Ginosar , Israel (21).

long (0.42+0.15+0.35+0.30+0.25), IV 1.57 long (0.45+0.15+0.40+0.32+0.25). Chaetotaxy: 2.2.1.1, but can be misunderstood as 1.1.1.1, because spines, especially distal ones, scarcely visible. Length of spines on Ti I-III about 0.25-0.30 diameter of segment, on TiIV about 0.5 diameter. TmI 0.42. Metatarsus IV without trichobothrium. Palp (Figs 15-19): Palpal tibia sickle-shaped, with a curved pointed outgrowth on dorsal side. Distal suprategular apophysis relatively short, rounded distally. Embolic division with a long, narrow, spear-shaped anterior radical process, embolus short. Abdomen 0.77 long, 0.55 wide, grey.

Female. Total length 1.34. Carapace 0.65 long, 0.47 wide. Chelicerae 0.20 long. Leg I 1.49 long (0.42+0.17+0.35+0.30+0.25), IV 1.60 long (0.47+0.17+0.40+ 0.31+0.25). Chaetotaxy: 2.2.1.1, proximal spines about as long as diameter of segment, distal spines half of it. TmI 0.45. Abdomen 0.70 long, 0.50 wide. Epigyne with a small aperture, receptacles spherical, wide apart as shown in Fig. 21. Body and leg coloration as in male.

TAXONOMIC REMARKS: The new species is very similar to A. prospiciens (Thorell, 1875) , but differs clearly by the presence of only one distal suprategular apophysis, as well as by the peculiar shape of the palpal tibia.

DISTRIBUTION: Known from Israel only.