Vankeeria catoptronifera, Bosselaers, Jan, 2012

Bosselaers, Jan, 2012, Two interesting new ground spiders (Araneae) from the Canary Islands and Greece, Serket 13 (1), pp. 83-90 : 88-89

Vankeeria catoptronifera sp. n.

Figs. 2-6 , 10-13 , 15 .

Type material. Holotype female, Greece, Peloponnese, Achaia, A. Zachlorou, Vouraikos Gorge , alt. 1000 m, hand captured, 14 April 2000, J. Van Keer leg. [ CJVK1971 ], deposited in RBINS .

Description

Male unknown.

Female (holotype). Total length 4.70. Carapace length 1.85, w 1.70, fovea brown, length 0.20, anterior end 1.20 from front end of carapace. The orange brown, punctate carapace is covered by sparse white silky hairs in the cephalic region. AER w 0.48, PER w 0.58. AME separated from each other by half of their diameter, almost touching ALE. AME slightly smaller than ALE. PME almost circular, separated from each other by 1.5 times their diameter and from PLE by 3/4 of their diameter. PME slightly smaller than PLE. PLE slightly smaller than ALE, the same size as AME ( Fig. 3 ). MOQ depth 0.27, anterior w 0.24, posterior w 0.27. Promarginal cheliceral rim with three teeth, largest one in the middle and smallest one furthest from fang base, retromarginal rim with two small teeth close to fang base, smallest one closest to fang base. Sternum length 1.18, w 1.05. Abdomen with a frontal row of a few sparse strong setae. Dorsal side of abdomen dark grey with a light grey triangular anterior patch, then, halfway between anterior and posterior end, two lateral subcircular white patches containing a faint sigillum, those patches in turn followed by two faint, light grey chevrons and an oval transverse posterior white patch ( Figs. 2 , 12 ). ALS separated by 1/3 of their length, PLS separated by their length. Small ve, non-erectile bristles on mt I and II. Feathery hairs present. Tarsi with toothed claws and six pairs of tenent hairs ( Figs. 10-11 ). Leg formula 4123. Leg spination ( Fig. 15 ) fe: palp do 0-1-3 rlv 1-1-1; I pl 0-0-1 do 1-1-0; II do 1-1-0; III do 1-2-2; IV do 1-1-2; pa: palp pl 1-0-0 do 0-0-1; ti: palp pl 2-0-0 do 1-0-1; I plv 1-1-1-1-1-1 rlv 1-1-1-1- 1-1-1; II plv 1-1-1-1-1-1 rlv 1-1-1-1-1; III pl 0-1-0 rl 0-1-0 ve 2-(2)-2; IV pl 0-1-0 rl 1-1- 1 plv 1-1-1 rlv 0-0-1; mt: I plv 1-1 rlv 1-1; II plv 1-1 rlv 1-1; III ve 2-0-0; IV rlv 1-0-0. Epigyne ( Figs. 4 , 13 ) a subrectangular brown sclerotised plate with a wide anterior hood and large anterior entrances with a longitudinal sclerotised rim. Vulva: in order not to damage the unique type specimen, the vulva was not studied.

Etymology

The species epithet catoptronifera , from the Greek κατοπτρον, mirror, refers to the mirror-like white patches on the do side of the abdomen of the new species. Discussion

Vankeeria catoptronifera sp. n. is one of the only liocranids known with a strikingly marked abdomen. Sphingius octomaculatus Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001 also has white spots on a dark abdomen, but these are much smaller and fainter than those of Vankeeria . Apparently this beautiful species is very rare and elusive. The type specimen is described by Van Keer as a fast runner.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Figures

Figs. 1 - 6: Line drawings of Zelotes henderickxi sp. n. and Vankeeria catoptronifera sp. n. 1. Zelotes henderickxi male palp ve (left) and rl (right) view. 2 - 6. Vankeeria catoptronifera, female. 2. Habitus, do view. 3. Eyes, dorso-frontal view. 4. Epigyne, ve view. 5. Leg I, pl. 6. Leg II, pl. Scale bars: 1 = 0.5; 3 - 4 = 0.25; 2, 5 - 6 = 1.

Figs. 7 - 13: Colour photographs of Zelotes henderickxi sp. n. and Vankeeria catoptronifera sp. n. 7 - 9. Zelotes henderickxi, male. 7. Habitus, do view. 8. Male palp ve view. 9. Male palp rl view. 10 - 13. Vankeeria catoptronifera, female. 10. Leg II, tarsal tip. 11. Leg I, tarsal tip. 12. Habitus, do view. 13. Epigyne, ve view.

Figs. 14 - 15: Leg spination schemes. Legend in upper right corner. White dots are spines present on one leg and absent on the other. 14. Zelotes henderickxi, male. 15. Vankeeria catoptronifera, female.