Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934

Aharon, Shlomi, Huber, Bernhard A. & Gavish-Regev, Efrat, 2017, Daddy-long-leg giants: revision of the spider genus Artema Walckenaer, 1837 (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 376 (376), pp. 1-57 : 35-41

Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934

Figs 1 , 121–154 , 206 , 213

Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934: 369–372 , figs 8–10 (♂ ♀, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan).

Misidentifications

Artema transcaspica – Denis 1958: 112 ( Afghanistan). — Roewer 1955: 752 ( Iran). — Ghahari & Marusik 2009: 4 ( Iran). See redescription of A. doriae above.

Diagnosis

Males are easily distinguished from most other known congeners (except A. doriae and Artema sp. c) by their bulbal processes ( Figs 125–127 ): process c triangular, curved and pointing towards prolateral, and distinct ventral process d. Males are possibly distinguishable from A. doriae and from Artema sp. c by their cheliceral proximal incline without ridge or process above modified hairs in lateral view ( Figs 128, 131–133 ) which is present in A. doriae ( Figs 100–102 ) and in Artema sp. c ( Figs 186–191 ). Females differ from other congeners by their rectangular to square-shaped epigynal plate (i.e., lateral margins parallel; Figs 134–145 , 150 ) (rather slightly trapezoidal in A. doriae , rectangular and wider in Artema sp. c); by dark median sclerite fused at posterior epigynal margin with lateral sclerotized plates (not fused in A. doriae and Artema sp. c) and by less distinct pale median area posteriorly (in A. doriae the pale median area is usually distinct posteriorly, very prominent in Artema sp. c).

Material examined

Syntypes

The ZIN collection has three vials, two of which (with a total of 10 ♂♂, 18 ♀♀, ~15 juvs) contain both syntypes (as suggested by the label data) and non-types; the third (with 2 ♂♂, 1 juv.) may contain syntypes only, but the label does not specify any collection data. A further vial in MNHN may contain syntypes only (1 ♂, 2 ♀♀), but the collection data are also unclear. For these reasons, we list here all the material from these four vials, sorted by country. Specimen numbers are taken from the original description, but since specimens from different localities and collection dates were combined, individual specimens can no longer be attributed to different localities. This is why specimen numbers are unspecified in two cases below.

TAJIKISTAN: syntype ♀, “ Stalinabad ” [= Dushanbe, 38.53° N, 68.78° E], summer 1933, A. Alparov leg. ( ZIN).

TURKMENISTAN: unspecified number of syntypes and non-types, “Ashkhabad” [= Ashgabat, 37.93° N, 58.36° E], spring 1933, E. Mel‘nikova leg. (syntypes) and 16 Apr. 1934, M.K. Laptev leg. (non-types) ( ZIN); unspecified number of non-types, same locality, in room, 5 Sep. 1936, collector not given ( ZIN); 1 ♂, syntype, “ Krasnovodsk ” [= Türkmenbasy , 40.01° N, 52.96° E], summer 1900, Ahnger leg. ( ZIN); 1 juv., syntype, Repetek, “ Transcaspian Province ” [38.56° N, 63.18° E], 1907, Dolgopolov leg. ( ZIN); 1 ♂, syntype, Akhal-Teke [~ 38.1° N, 58.0° E], 1896, Ahnger leg. ( ZIN); 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, syntypes (?), “ Regio Transcaspica ”, date and collector not given (these are possibly part of the specimens from Ashkhabad collected in 1933 by Mel’nikova) ( MNHN Ar 10178).

UZBEKISTAN: 1 ♀ (non-type), “ Andizhan ” [= Andijan , 40.80° N, 72.30° E], in house, winter 1938, Karpovich leg. ( ZIN).

Other material

TURKMENISTAN: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Badkhyz, Kushka [35.68° N, 62.00° E], 12 Apr. 1985, S. Zonstein leg. ( NHMW 13.677); 1 ♀, Kopetdag, Parkhai [~ 38.25° N, 57.8° E], in house, 19 Dec. 1992, V.I. Perepechaenko leg. ( ZFMK Ar 15245).

UZBEKISTAN: 1 ♂, Navoi Area, Uchkuduk District , Kyzylkum Desert , ca 36.5 km SSW of Uchkuduk , ca 6 km SWS of Tasbulak Well , 120 m a.s.l., sands (41.85° N, 63.30° E), 2 Jun. 2003, A.V. Gromov leg. ( ZMMU); 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Kafirnighan River Valley, Ak-Mechet [38.01° N, 68.29° E], in house, 7 May 1994, S. Ovchinnikov leg. ( ZMMU); 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 1–2 km SE “ Zeravshan Town ” [= Zarafshon , 41.57° N, 64.24° E], 20 Apr.–19 Jul. 1998, A.V. Gromov leg. ( ZMMU); 1 ♀, Bukhara Area [39.51° N, 64.84° E], 33 km SE of Bukhara , 19–20 May 1994, A.A. Zyuzin leg. ( ZMMU).

TAJIKISTAN: 1 ♂, Vaksh River Valley, “ Tigrovaya Balka ” State Res. [38.35° N, 69.18° E], Korolevskaya Dacha , 3 Aug. 2006, S.V. Ovchinnikov leg. ( ZMMU); 1 ♀, in pure ethanol, Khatton Area, Shaartuz Distr ., Khushody (37.152° N, 68.070° E), 378 m a.s.l., edge of sandy desert, shrub litter, 20 Apr. 2015, Y.M. Marusik leg. ( ZFMK Mar 60); 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Kafirnigan River, 10–15 km NNE of Tartki (37.69° N, 68.15° E), inside solitary abandoned farmer house near riverbank, 12 Jun. 1989, S. Zonstein leg. ( SMNH).

Material assigned tentatively (see Notes below)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1 ♀, N of Ajman (25.43º N, 55.48º E), in water traps, 21 Sep.–25 Oct. 2007, A. van Harten leg. ( ZFMK Ar 15246).

Description

Male (unspecified origin; ZIN type vial)

MEASUREMENTS. Total body length 5.7, carapace width 3.1. Leg 1: 39.1 (10.1 + 1.3 + 11.5 + 14.0 + 2.2), tibia 2: 9.0, tibia 3: 7.0, tibia 4: 9.3; tibia 1 L/d: 38. Distance PME–PME 150 μm, diameter PME 190 μm, distance PME–ALE 90 μm, distance AME–AME 60 μm, diameter AME 180 μm.

COLOR. Carapace light ochre with large brown radial marks, with brown median band that splits at posterior margin of ocular area; ocular area ochre to brown, clypeus with dark brown rim and light brown band below AME enlarged at base of clypeus to triangular shape (as in Fig. 121 ); legs ochre yellow without dark rings on femora, patellae, and tibiae; sternum ochre to light brown with narrow brown margins; abdomen without distinct pattern.

BODY. Ocular area slightly elevated; carapace with distinct posterior furrow and distinct median pit close to posterior margin of ocular area; clypeus unmodified; sternum wider than long (2.1/1.7); chelicerae as in Figs 128–130 , with frontal row of ~25 modified (cone-shaped) hairs on each side, situated on elevated process (as in Figs. 146–148 ); cheliceral proximal incline in lateral view without ridge or small process above modified hairs but followed smoothly by first modified hair (as in Fig. 131 ); without stridulatory ridges (unlike some other specimens; see variation below); abdomen globose and high; gonopore with five epiandrous spigots.

PALPS. As in Figs 122–124 ; coxa unmodified, trochanter with short ventral projection, femur with distinct retrolateral process proximally, ventral membranous area proximally bordered on both sides by heavily sclerotized ridges, and small dorsal projection proximally; femur-patella hinges close together dorsally; patella very short; procursus with proximal dorsal process, with weakly developed ventral pocket, and distal dorsal notch on prolateral sclerotized margin; bulb with membranous embolus rising from base of process a; process a with subdistal hump; process b narrow, elongated, and pointed; process c triangular; process d is a distinct small ventral projection (as in Figs 125, 127 , 149 ).

LEGS.Without spines;with long curved hairs, especially on tibiae and metatarsi; retrolateral trichobothrium on tibia 1 at 10%; prolateral trichobothrium present on all tibiae; pseudosegmentation not visible.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in 13 other males: 10.6–18.1 (mean 13.1); color pattern on abdomen varies from pale without any marks to light brown with lateral stripes; leg color varies from light brown to ochre; ocular area usually light brown; carapace pattern varies from wide brown lateral marks to pale carapace with median band only; two brown bands at base of ocular area sometimes absent; clypeus dark rim and dark band sometimes absent; procursus distal dorsal notch on prolateral margin sometimes slightly elevated and not a distinct indentation ( Fig. 126 ); process c sometimes curved and pointing towards prolateral; lateral stridulatory ridges sometimes absent (as in specimen described above) or very indistinct but sometimes present ( Figs 128, 131 , 153 ); cheliceral proximal incline usually without ridge or small process above modified hairs in lateral view ( Figs 131, 133 ); sometimes present but indistinct ( Fig. 132 ). Epiandrous spigots were counted in five additional males and varied from 4 to 7.

Female

In general similar to male; tibia 1 in 24 females: 7.0–12.8 (mean 10.8); stridulatory files laterally on chelicerae always present ( Fig. 154 ); epigynal plate square-shaped ( Figs 134–145 , 150 ), consisting of two sclerotized lateral rectangular areas that are gently swollen posteriorly and depressed medially anteriorly, pale median area with long dark median sclerite, usually fused at posterior epigynal margin with lateral sclerotized plates, small median indentation in posterior rim; anterior epigynal projections oval, not prominent in lateral view.

Distribution

The species is distributed from the Kopet Dag Mountain Range in the south of Turkmenistan to Tajikistan in the East ( Fig. 1 ). The species is also found north of this range and in Uzbekistan. It is likely that A. transcaspica occurs also in Kyrgystan and Kazakhstan. The single record from the United Arab Emirates is dubious (see below) and not shown in the map.

Notes

Artema transcaspica is very similar to A. doriae and to Artema sp. c from Pakistan, India, and Sudan (see below). While males of A. doriae and A. transcaspica are barely distinguishable, females differ slightly in their epigynum structure. For this reason, we decided to be conservative and not to synonymize A. doriae and A. transcaspica .

The single female from the United Arab Emirates is assigned tentatively because it does not seem to fit the distribution of this species.

Figures

Figs 1–2. 1. Known distributions of species of Artema except A. atlanta Walckenaer, 1837. The Japanese record of A. doriae Thorell, 1881 is not shown as it is based on a single introduced specimen. 2. Known distribution of Artema atlanta. Green dots: specimens examined; black dots: specimens not examined (data from: Banks 1898; Beatty et al. 2008; Blackwell 1958; Bösenberg & Lenz 1895; Brignoli 1981; Bryant 1940, 1948; Caporiacco 1928, 1948, 1949; Chamberlin 1924; Chrysanthus 1967; Colmenares 2008; Denis 1953; Doleschall 1857; Dyal 1935; Franganillo 1926a; Gao & Li 2010; Gertsch & Davis 1942; Gonzalez-Sponga 2005; Karsch 1879, 1892; Leardi in Airaghi 1902; Lessert 1936; Majumder & Biswas 1993; Marples 1955; Mello-Leitão 1942; Millot 1946; Moenkhaus 1898; F.O.Pickard-Cambridge 1902; Petrunkevitch 1925, 1929; Pocock 1900; Saaristo 2001; Simon 1885, 1894; Taczanowsky 1874; Thorell 1895, 1898; Vinson 1863; Yaginuma 1970). Records from Israel, Belgium, and Britain are not shown as they are based on single introduced specimens.

Figs 121–127. Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934. 121. ♂, habitus (ZIN type vials). 122–124. Male left pedipalp (ZMMU, Uzbekistan, near Zarafshon): prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. 125– 127. Male left bulb and procursus: prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Scale lines: 122–124 = 1 mm; 125–127 = 0.5 mm.

Figs 128–133. Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934, male chelicerae in lateral and frontal views. 128– 131. ♂♂, Uzbekistan, Zarafshon (ZMMU). 132. ♂, Turkmenistan, Badkhyz, Kushka (NHMW 13.677). 133. ♂, Uzbekistan, 36.5 km SSW of Uchkuduk (ZMMU). Arrows = absence of proximal projections on frontal processes. Scale lines: 128–130 = 0.5 mm; 131–133 = 0.2 mm.

Figs 134–145. Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934, intraspecific variation of epigynum. 134. Uzbekistan, SE Bukhara (ZMMU). 135. Uzbekistan, Ak-Mechat (ZMMU). 136–137. Uzbekistan, SE Zarafshon (ZMMU). 138. Turkmenistan, Badkhyz, Kushka (NHMW 13.677). 139–145. Unspecified data: Tajikistan\Turkmenistan\Uzbekistan (ZIN type vials). Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

Figs 146–154. Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934, ZMMU, Ak-Mechet (♂) and near Zarafshon (♀). 146–148. Male chelicerae with frontal rows of modified (cone-shaped) hairs. 149. Male left bulbal processes. 150. Epigynal plate. 151. Male left bulbal processes. 152. Wrinkled area between processes b and c on male bulb. 153. Male stridulatory ridges. 154. Female stridulatory ridges. Scale lines: 146 = 0.3 mm; 147, 149, 153–154 = 0.1 mm; 148 = 0.03 mm; 150 = 0.4 mm; 151 = 0.2 mm; 152 = 0.06 mm.

Figs 201–207. Cleared female genitalia, dorsal views. 201. Artema atlanta Walckenaer, 1837 (AMNH, USA, Arizona, Tucson). 202. A. bunkpurugu Huber & Kwapong, 2013 (ZFMK Ar 10516, Ghana, Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri). 203. A. nephilit sp. nov. (HUJ Ara 16020, Israel, Samar). 204. A. kochi Kulczyński, 1901 (MNHN AR 10169 part). 205. A. doriae Thorell, 1881 (ZFMK Ar 15234, Iran, Tehran Prov., Tochal). 206. A. transcaspica Spassky, 1934 (ZIN type vials). 207. Artema sp. c. (ZMMU, Pakistan, Baluchistan, Muslim Bagh). Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

Figs 208–214. Cleared female genitalia, posterior dorsal views. 208. A. atlanta Walckenaer, 1837 (AMNH, USA, Arizona, Tucson). 209. A. bunkpurugu Huber & Kwapong, 2013 (ZFMK Ar 10516, Ghana, Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri). 210. A. nephilit sp. nov. (HUJAra 16020, Israel, Samar). 211. A. kochi Kulczyński, 1901 (MNHN AR 10169 part). 212. A. doriae Thorell, 1881 (ZFMK Ar 15234, Iran, Tehran Prov., Tochal). 213. A. transcaspica Spassky, 1934 (ZIN type vials). 214. Artema sp. c (ZMMU, Pakistan, Baluchistan, Muslim Bagh). Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

Figs 97–102. Artema doriae Thorell, 1881, male chelicerae in lateral and frontal views. 97–99. Iran, Tehran (MNHN Ar 10180). 100–101. Iran, Tehran (ZFMK Ar 15233 and SMF). 102. Israel, Yavni’el (HUJ Ara 16030). Arrows = projections proximally on frontal process. Scale lines: 97–99 = 0.5 mm; 100–102 = 0.2 mm.

Figs 186–194. Artema sp. c, male chelicerae, lateral and frontal views. 186, 190, 192. Pakistan Baluchistan Province, Quetta (ZMMU). 187, 193. India Rajastan, Durjana (SMF). 188–189, 191, 194. Sudan, Khartoum (MRAC 121706). Arrows = robust projection proximally on frontal process. Scale lines: 186–189, 192–194 = 0.5 mm; 190 = 0.2 mm; 191 = 0.25 mm.