Drassodex cervinus ( Simon, 1914 )

Hervé, Christophe, Roberts, Michael J. & Murphy, John A., 2009, A taxonomic revision of the genus Drassodex Murphy, 2007 (Araneae: Gnaphosidae), Zootaxa 2171, pp. 1-28 : 17-18

Drassodex cervinus ( Simon, 1914)

Figs 28–33

Remarks. Two tubes labelled Drassodes cervinus by Simon were discovered in the MNHN collection, one containing four males and nine females collected from Forêt de Céret (Pyrénées-Orientales, France) (MNHN AR 9217), the other containing one male and one female from La Granja (Segovia, Spain) (MNHN AR 9215); they are considered here as the syntype material of D. cervinus . As the female and male syntypes from La Granja respectively belong to D. hispanus and D. granja sp. nov., a male syntype of D. cervinus from Forêt de Céret is here designated as lectotype in order to ensure unequivocal application of this name.

Type material: Lectotype (designated here): male from France, Pyrénées-Orientales, Forêt de Céret, M. Nou, Simon collection n° 23831 ( MNHN AR 14600).

Paralectotypes: 3 males and 9 females, same data as lectotype ( MNHN AR 9217); 1 male and 1 female from Spain, La Granja ( MNHN AR 9215), see D. granja sp. nov. and D. hispanus , respectively.

Other material examined. FRANCE. Pyrénées-Orientales: 1 Ƥ, Vallée d’Eyne, L. Berland, Berland collection ( MNHN AR 9250); 9 Ƥ, Canigou, 1912, E. Simon, Simon collection n° 24836 (paralectotypes of D. validior ) ( MNHN AR 9241); 1 3, Mas Forges, 750 m, June 5, 1982, R. Bosmans, Bosmans collection. Ariège: 1 3 and 1 Ƥ, Aston, next to barrage of Laparan, 1400 m, 2008, H. Brustel & L. Valladares, Déjean collection. SPAIN. Gerona: 1 Ƥ, Puerto de Tosas, July 10, 1992, R. Bosmans, Bosmans collection.

Diagnosis. D. cervinus can be easily identified from all others species of the genus by the shape of the RTA, resembling that of D. hypocrita , but with a much sharper inferior prong ( Fig. 31 ), the rub-shaped and greatly looped embolar coil, without terminal apophysis ( Figs 30–31 ), the large transverse tongue in front of the very small and greatly separated copulatory openings, which are easily visible in ventral view ( Figs 28 , 32 ), and the large number of loops of the membranous coil ( Figs 29 , 33 ).

Description. Male dimensions (min.–max. paralectotypes MNHN AR 9217): total length 8.19–12.00. Carapace 3.68–4.75 long, 2.83–3.51 wide. Leg I: femur 3.32–3.92, patella 1.74–2.08, tibia 3.11–3.66, metatarsus 2.72–3.21, tarsus 1.72–1.92, total 12.61–14.79. Leg II: femur 3.04–3.49, patella 1.60–1.87, tibia 2.60–2.94, metatarsus 2.33–2.72, tarsus 1.52–1.62, total 11.09–12.64. Leg III: femur 2.68–3.15, patella 1.42–1.65, tibia 2.08–2.34, metatarsus 2.04–2.36, tarsus 1.32–1.47, total 9.54–10.97. Leg IV: femur 3.55–4.10, patella 1.62–1.92, tibia 3.08–3.47, metatarsus 3.15–3.51, tarsus 1.57–1.75, total 12.97–14.75. Leg spination: tibiae: III v1 p-2-2; metatarsi: III, IV p0-2-2; III r0-2-2; IV v1 r-2(1p)-2, r0(1)-2-2. RTA bifid, superior prong almost straight to the end, as in D. hypocrita , inferior prong long and narrower than the superior branch ( Fig. 31 ); median apophysis pointing inwards; embolar coil looped around fourth, thin rubshaped, spiralling upwards along one axis, without terminal apophysis ( Figs 30–31 ).

Female dimensions (min.–max. paralectotypes MNHN AR 9217): total length 9.71–13.52. Carapace 4.82–5.11 long, 3.57–3.98 wide. Leg I: femur 3.48–3.89, patella 1.97–2.13, tibia 3.00–3.32, metatarsus 2.58–2.94, tarsus 1.71–1.94, total 12.74–14.22. Leg II: femur 3.34–3.66, patella 1.84–2.04, tibia 2.70–3.00, metatarsus 2.38–2.72, tarsus 1.58–1.77, total 11.84–13.19. Leg III: femur 3.05–3.34, patella 1.64–1.89, tibia 2.24–2.53, metatarsus 2.15–2.47, tarsus 1.39–1.60, total 10.47–11.83. Leg IV: femur 4.00–4.38, patella 1.87–1.96, tibia 3.45–3.66, metatarsus 3.49–3.66, tarsus 1.68–2.11, total 14.49–15.77. Leg spination: tibiae: I v1 p(0)-2-0; III v1 p(2)-2(1p)-2; IV v2 (1p)-2-2; metatarsi: III, IV p1(0)-2-2; IV v1 r-2-2, r0(1)-2-2. Atrium quadrangular, trapezoidal, wider than high (0.40–0.59 wide, 0.30–0.41 high, ratio 1.14–1.53); anterior tongue transverse, slightly arched and widely separated from the lateral margins ( Figs 28 , 32 ); copulatory openings narrow, clearly visible when viewed from above and clearly separated; coiled ducts spiral-column shaped, following internal contour of membranous coils looped more than four times ( Figs 29 , 33 ).

Distribution. East Pyrenees in France and north-eastern Spain.

Figures

FIGURES 28 – 31. Drassodex cervinus (Simon, 1914) (28 – 29 MNHN AR 9217, paralectotype; 30 – 31 MNHN AR 14600, lectotype). 28 – 29 epigyne (28 ventral view, 29 dorsal view); 30 – 31 left male palp (30 ventral view, 31 retrolateral view).

FIGURES 32 – 40. 32 – 33 Drassodex cervinus (Simon, 1914) (MNHN AR 9241, paralectotype D. validior). 32 – 33 epigyne (32 ventral view, 33 dorsal view). 34 – 38 Drassodex fritillifer (Simon, 1914) (MNHN AR 1646, syntypes). 34 – 35 epigyne (34 ventral view, 35 dorsal view); 36 – 37 left male palp (36 ventral view, 37 retrolateral view); 38 left male chelicerae. 39 – 40 Drassodex hispanus (L. Koch, 1866) (MNHN AR 9247). 39 – 40 epigyne (39 ventral view, 40 dorsal view).