Clubiona blesti Forster, 1979

Malumbres-Olarte, Jagoba & Vink, Cor J., 2012, Redescription of Clubiona blesti Forster, 1979 (Araneae: Clubionidae) with a preliminary molecular phylogeny of New Zealand Clubiona, Zootaxa 3277, pp. 27-42 : 30-36

Clubiona blesti Forster, 1979

Figs 1–3, 4a, 5–6, 7c–f

Clubiona blesti Forster, 1979: 78 , fig. 309 (description of female).

Type material. NEW ZEALAND: Fiordland: holotype female (not examined), Lyttles Flat, in wet tussock in bog, 17 February 1975, A.D. Blest (Otago Museum).

Other material examined. NEW ZEALAND: Otago Lakes: Temple Peak 44º47.158’S 168º27.804’E, 27 February 2003, C.J. Vink, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012640). Mid Canterbury: Ellangowan Scenic Reserve 43º47.9’S 173º01.6’E, 12 December 2006, J. Malumbres-Olarte, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012641); same data except 20 February 2007, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012642). Central Otago: Te Papanui Conservation Park 45º40.8’S 169º45.3’E, 2 March 2008, J. Malumbres-Olarte, 1 male ( LUNZ 00012648); same data, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012646); same data except 21 December 2007, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012649); same data except 45º39.9’S 169º47’E, 18 January 2008, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012643); same data except 20 February 2008, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012644); same data except 45º40’S 169º46.6’E, 4 March 2008, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012645); same data except 14 December 2008, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012647). Dunedin: Swampy Spur 45°48.08’S 170°29.40’E, 20 October 2011, M. Wakelin, 1 female ( LUNZ 00012709).

Other locality records. NEW ZEALAND: Nelson: Lake Sylvester, Cobb, 1300 m, tussock, 30 April 1969, J.S. Dugdale (Otago Museum, not examined).

Diagnosis. Clubiona blesti is distinguished from other New Zealand Clubiona species by an abdominal pattern that consists of only a medium band that extends along the entire length of the dorsal surface ( Fig. 2 ). This band is either absent, partial or accompanied by lateral stripes in other New Zealand Clubiona species (see Forster 1979: figs 286-296). Males can be identified by the apically notched retrolateral tibial apophysis, which is broader than in C. cambridgei ( Fig. 4 a-d and see Forster 1979: figs 299–300). Females can be recognised by the oval shape of the copulatory opening, which is constricted somewhat at the anterior end ( Figs 5 , 6 , 7 ).

Description. Male (LUNZ00012648): Carapace length 3.2, width 2.2, height 1.7; abdomen length 3.7, width 1.8; sternum length 1.7, width 1. AME 0.17, ALE 0.19, PME 0.13, PLE 0.15, AME-AME 0.09, AME-ALE 0.2, ALE-ALE 0.87, PME-PME 0.46, PME-PLE 0.33. Leg I 8.3 (2, 1.5, 2.3, 1.7, 0.8); leg II 8.2 (2.1, 1.5, 2.1, 1.7, 0.8); leg III 6.2(1.7, 1, 1.3, 1.6, 0.6), leg IV 8.7 (2.2, 1.3, 1.9, 2.5, 0.8).

Chelicerae with five promarginal teeth in a row and no retromarginal teeth.

Pedipalp as in diagnosis. Embolus arising from tegular apophysis, bent 90 degrees ventrally, extending almost to tegulum. Sperm duct with horizontal U-turn visible through tegulum. Tegular apophysis with nob-like projection ( Fig. 3 ).

Colour in ethanol ( Fig. 2 a). Carapace and sternum yellowish-brown, darker in cephalic area. Abdomen pale grey-brown with dorsal dark-brown medium folium. Legs pale yellow-brown.

Female (LUNZ00012640): Carapace length 3.9, width 2.9, height 1.8; abdomen length 5.8, width 3; sternum length 2.3, width 1.3. AME 0.2, ALE 0.23, PME 0.13, PLE 0.15, AME-AME 0.16, AME-ALE 0.25, ALE-ALE 1.09, PME-PME 0.63, PME-PLE 0.47. Leg I 9.4 (2.5, 1.7, 2.5, 1.8, 0.9); leg II 9.4 (9.4, 2.5, 1.7, 2.5, 1.8, 0.9); leg III 7.3 (2.1, 1.3, 1.6, 1.7, 0.6), leg IV 10.8 (2.9, 1.5, 2.6, 3, 0.8, 10.8). Size range: carapace length 2.2–4.8 (mean 3.5, n=10), body length 6.0–10.2 (mean 8.1, n=10).

Five promarginal cheliceral teeth, with the second one the largest and the distal one very small, and two or three retromarginal teeth.

Copulatory opening as in diagnosis. Epigynum strongly sclerotised and laterally flat, with rugose ventral surface; posterior margin with a pair of lobes in all examined specimens except for specimen LUNZ00012642, from Central Canterbury, which had a flat margin. Single copulatory opening with slight septum at posterior edge that leads to anteriorly visible copulatory ducts. Copulatory ducts bent vertically and directed ventrally, and connected to spermathecae. Spermathecae separated into two parts with fertilisation ducts arising from ventral side ( Figs 5 , 6 , 7 c–f).

Colour in ethanol ( Fig. 2 b). As for male.

Biology. Forster (1979) suggested that C. blesti is an active hunter associated with tussocks. The examined specimens were collected from the leaves and bases of Chionochloa rigida (Raoul) Zotov , an alpine tussock grass species.

Distribution. New Zealand South Island (Fiordland, Dunedin, Central Otago, Otago Lakes, Mid Canterbury, Nelson) (Fig. 1).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Clubiona blesti. a male habitus (BLCO 6), b female habitus (BLCO 2).

FIGURE 3. Clubiona blesti, left pedipalp. c—conductor, e—embolus, rta—retrolateral tibial apophysis, sd—sperm duct, t—tegulum, ta—tegular apophysis. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Left pedipalps, retrolateral view. a Clubiona blesti; b Clubiona cambridgei; Travis Wetland (CMMC 2); c Clubiona cambridgei, Lake Wairarapa (CMWA 2); d Clubiona cambridgei, Lake Wairarapa (CMWA 1).

FIGURE 5. Clubiona blesti, epigynum, ventral, not cleared. cd—copulatory duct, co—copulatory opening, ea—epigynal atrium. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 6. Clubiona blesti, epigynum, dorsal view, cleared. cd—copulatory duct, fd—fertilisation duct, s—spermatheca. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 7. Epigyna, ventral view. Clubiona cambridgei; a Lake Wairarapa, WA (CMWA 3); b Travis Wetland, MC (CMMC 3). Clubiona blesti; c Ellangowan Scenic Res., MC (BLMC 1); d Ellangowan Scenic Reserve, MC (BLMC 2); e Temple Peak, OL (BLOL 1); f Te Papanui Conservation Park, CO (BLCO 7). Scale bar = 1.0 mm.