Zodarion nicki Strand, 1914

Figs 83–87, 106

Zodarium nicki Strand, 1914: 181 .

Zodarion nicki – Denis 1937: 41.

Zodarion nitidum – Levy 1992: 86 (partially misidentified).

Diagnosis

Refer to the diagnosis for Z. nitidum .

Type material examined

Holotype

ISRAEL • ♀; Jaffa-Rehovoth; 25 Jun. 1913; E. Strand leg.; SMF 2969.

Other material examined

ISRAEL • 3 ♂♂; Halukim; 30.854° N, 34.784° E; 16 Apr. 2001; S. Pekár leg.; HUJINV-Ar 21305 to HUJINV-Ar 21307 • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding, HUJINV-Ar 21308, HUJINV-Ar 21309 • 7 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 2 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; S. Pekár leg.; CMU • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 5 Sep. 2011; S. Korenko leg.; CMU • 51 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 4 Apr. 2016; S. Pekár, S. Korenko and E. Líznarová leg.; CMU • 15 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 4 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; May 2017; O. Macháč leg.; CMU • 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 4 Apr. 2019; S. Korenko leg.; CMU • 15 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, 4 juv.; Midreshet Sde Boker; 30.857° N, 34.781° E; 2 Mar. 2018; S. Pekár leg.; CMU • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 2 juv.; same collection data as for preceding; 5 Apr. 2019; S. Pekár leg.; CMU .

Description

Male (HUJINV-Ar 21305)

HABITUS (Fig. 84A–B). Carapace, chelicerae, sternum and mouthparts black. Cx I–III black, Cx IV brown; Fe of all legs black; Pa and Ti I yellow, with a few greyish spots; Pa and Ti II–IV entirely grey; Mt and Ta of all legs greyish-yellow. Abdomen and spinnerets black; PVS present.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 2.85; carapace 1.35 long, 1.1 wide. Clypeus 0.08 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE =PME 0.06, PLE 0.04, AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.02, ALE–ALE 0.27, AME–PME 0.06, PME–PME 0.31, PME–PLE 0.05, PLE–PLE 0.21, ALE–PLE 0.09. Legs: I 7.25 (1.64, 0.59, 1.58, 1.95, 1.49), II 6.38 (1.55, 0.55, 1.49, 1.8, 0.99), III 6.59 (1.58, 0.82, 1.35, 1.79, 1.05), IV 7.79 (2.11, 0.59, 1.61, 2.3, 1.18). Palp: 1.09 (0.47, 0.22, 0.13, 0.27).

PALP (Fig. 85A–F). Palp entirely similar to that of Z. nitidum (for a detailed description, refer to Levy 1992: cf. figs 57–59).

Redescription

Female (HUJINV-Ar 21308)

HABITUS (Fig. 84C–D). Carapace and abdomen similar to those in male. Cx I and II blackish, Cx III and IV greyish-yellow, with disparate black spots; Fe I and II entirely black, Fe III and IV yellow proximally and black distally; Pa I and II entirely yellow, Pa III and IV greyish, with yellow median part; Ti and Mt I and II yellow, with several greyish spots; Ti III and IV black, with a pair of parallel, yellow stripes; Mt and Ta of all legs yellow. Palp segments black. Spinnerets greyish basally and yellow apically.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 2.89; carapace 1.33 long, 0.96 wide. Clypeus 0.18 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE=PME 0.06, PLE 0.05, AME–AME 0.07, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.3, AME–PME 0.07, PME–PME 0.36, PME–PLE 0.06, PLE–PLE 0.2, ALE–PLE 0.18. Legs: I 5.48 (1.33, 0.49, 1.52, 1.24, 0.9), II 4.82 (1.24, 0.93, 0.46, 1.36, 0.83), III 4.58 (1.18, 0.46, 0.9, 1.39, 0.65), IV 6.25 (1.58, 0.68, 1.36, 1.8, 0.83). Palp: 1.37 (0.49, 0.3, 0.15, 0.43).

EPIGYNE (Fig. 86A–D). Epigyne comprising a transverse plate, with highly sclerotized margins on both anterolateral sides; vulva with divergently twisted spermathecal ducts.

Size variation

Total body length varies from 2.4 to 3.4 in males (N = 6) and 2.89–4.8 in females (N =7). Carapace length/width 1.3–1.6/ 1.05–1.2 in male and 1.33–2/ 0.96–1.5 in females. For the carapace length/width ratio, refer to Fig. 87.

Remarks

Zodarion nicki was first described by Strand (1914). Comparing the physical type specimen with Strand’s description revealed that while the somatic features of the holotype have deteriorated over time; the epigyne structure remains sufficiently well-preserved and closely resembles that of Z. nitidum (Fig. 83C–D cf. Fig. 31A–B, respectively). A detailed comparison between the holotype and newly collected material from Israel shows complete concordance in both somatic and copulatory structures. Therefore, a redescription of the female is provided here based on the new material, and the male is described here for the first time. In light of recent studies by Pekár et al. (2022) and Ortiz et al. (2024), which confirmed premating isolation and phylogenomic divergence between Z. nicki and Z. nitidum, we reject the previously proposed synonymy and reaffirm Z. nicki as a valid species.

Distribution

Israel.