Enoplognatha diversa (Blackwall, 1859)

Bosmans & Van Keer, 2012, On the spider species described by L. Koch in 1882 from the Balearic Islands (Araneae), Arachnologische Mitteilungen 43 (1), pp. 5-16 : 6-7

Enoplognatha diversa (Blackwall, 1859) ( Figs 2-3 )

Theridion elimatum L. Koch, 1882 : 630, pl. 20, fig. 8; new synonymy.

Type material

Holotype female of Theridion elimatum from Spain, Baleares, Mallorca, Palma Riera , 22 April, Schaufuss leg.; not examined, unavailable in ZMB .

Comments

According to KOCH (1882), the prosoma of this species is yellowish brown, the abdomen grey brown with a dark folium with white spots and bordered with white, ventrally with two parallel white stripes, legs yellowish brown. The description of such a folium points clearly in the direction of Enoplognatha species of the diversa or mandibularis group. Koch’s figure of the epigyne provides further details that point clearly in the direction of E. diversa (compare Figs 2-3 ), the most common Enoplognatha species in Spain ( BOS- MANS & VAN KEER 1999). Theridion elimatum L.

Koch, 1882 is therefore considered a junior synonym of Enoplognatha diversa (Blackwall, 1859) . It should be noted here that another Theridion species in Koch’s paper ( Theridion mansuetum ) appeared to be a junior synonym of Enoplognatha mandibularis ( Lucas, 1846) , see BOSMANS & VAN KEER (1999).

Distribution

Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco in the west, to Crete in the east.

Figures

Figs. 1 - 10: Fig. 1. Male palp of Dysdera mordax L. Koch, 1882 in L. Koch (1882). Figs. 2 - 3: Enoplognatha diversa (Blackwall, 1859) 2. Epigyne of Theridion elimatum in Koch (1882); 3. Epigyne of Enoplognatha diversa in Bosmans & Van Keer (1999). Figs. 4 - 5. Oedothorax fuscus (Blackwall, 1834). 4. Epigyne of Erigone marina in Koch (1882). 5. Epigyne of Oedothorax fuscus in LocKet & miLLidge (1953). Figs. 6 - 7: Liocranum inornatum (L. Koch, 1882). 6. Epigyne of Zora inornata in Koch (1882); 7. Epigyne of Liocranum variabilis in WunderLich (2008). Figs. 8 - 10: Cheiracanthium occidentale L. Koch, 1882. 8. Epigyne of Cheiracanthium occidentale in Koch (1882). 9. Vulva, ventral view; 10. Idem, dorsal view.