Walckenaeria ferruginea Seo, 1991

Song, Yanjing & Li, Shuqiang, 2011, Notes on Walckenaeria species (Araneae: Linyphiidae) from China, Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (1), pp. 175-196 : 184-187

Walckenaeria ferruginea Seo, 1991

Figs 6-7

Walckenaeria ferruginea Seo, 1991: 36 , figs 1-6. Here re-established as a valid species name.

Walckenaeria orientalis (Oliger, 1985) : synonymized by Marusik & Koponen (2000: 62) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: IZCAS, without registration number; 2♂ 2♀; China, Liaoning Province, Qingyuan County (30.10ºN 101.75ºE); collected by S. Gao; collected on 11.1985 . – IZCAS, X98-053 ; 5♀; no other information available .

DIAGNOSIS: W. ferruginea is very similar to W. orientalis , but males can be distinguished by the shape of their retrolateral tibial apophysis, which is broad and blunt in W. ferruginea ( Fig. 6D, G ), but strongly sclerotized and dentiform in W. orientalis ; by the modifications along the inner margin of the embolus, which has a large curved lamella near the base of the radix and a small dark triangular apophysis near the tip of the embolus in W. ferruginea ( Figs 6G , 7E ), but a curved rectangular lamella near the base of the radix and a hook near the tip of the embolus in W. orientalis ; by the strongly curved tailpiece of the radix in W. ferruginea ( Fig. 6F ), which is almost straight in W. orientalis . Females can be distinguished by the nearly flat posterior margin of the dorsal plate (in ventral view) in W. ferruginea ( Fig. 7D ), which is protruding in W. orientalis ; by the presence of a small nick in the middle of the posterior margin of the ventral plate in W. ferruginea ( Fig. 7D ), which is protruding in W. orientalis ; by the arrangement of the spermathecae, which are parallel in W. ferruginea ( Fig. 7D ), but divergent anteriorly in W. orientalis .

DESCRIPTION OF MALE (from Qingyuan): Total length 2.23. Carapace 1.03 long, 0.75 wide, reddish brown, slightly elevated, with a pair of small “horns” directed anterolaterally ( Fig. 6 A, B ). Clypeus 0.19 high. Abdomen silver grey. AME diameter 0.05, ALE 0.08, PME 0.08, PLE 0.08, AME interdistance 0.40 times their diameter, AME-ALE interdistance 0.46 times ALE diameter, PME interdistance 0.35 times their diameter, PME-PLE interdistance 0.68 times PLE diameter. Sternum 0.64 long, 0.58 wide. Coxa IV interdistance 1.00 times their width. Chelicera with 4 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth ( Fig. 6C ). Tibia of leg I 6.55 times longer than deep. Tm I 0.50, Tm IV present. Number of dorsal spines on tibiae of legs I-IV: 2-2-1-1. Leg measurements: I 3.14 (0.91, 0.28, 0.82, 0.68, 0.46); II 2.99 (0.85, 0.28, 0.78, 0.64, 0.44); III 2.58 (0.74, 0.26, 0.63, 0.58, 0.38); IV 3.29 (0.91, 0.26, 0.89, 0.78, 0.46).

Palp: Tibia short, armed with 1 stout retrolateral apophysis and 1 long strongly curved prolateral apophysis with scaly inner surface ( Fig. 6G ); with 1 prolateral and 2 retrolateral trichobothria ( Fig. 6D ). Paracymbium C-shaped, terminating in a blunt hook ( Fig. 6G ). Tegulum distal to subtegulum in unexpanded palp ( Fig. 6G ). Protegulum extended upwards to form 2 small triangular membranes ( Fig. 6E ). Suprategulum distally produced into 1 long pointed apophysis and 1 partly membranous apophysis ( Fig. 7F ). Embolic division ( Fig. 7E, F ): radix swollen; embolus very thick, with complicated apophyses along inner margin; tailpiece broad at base, abruptly narrowed to a pointed dorsal-curved apex.

DESCRIPTION OF FEMALE (from Qingyuan): Carapace unmodified, similar to that of male in coloration. Total length 2.52. Carapace 1.14 long, 0.83 wide. Clypeus 0.17 high. AME diameter 0.06, ALE 0.09, PME 0.10, PLE 0.09, AME interdistance 0.21 times their diameter, AME-ALE interdistance 0.20 times ALE diameter, PME interdistance 0.38 times their diameter, PME-PLE interdistance 0.41 times PLE diameter. Sternum 0.71 long, 0.61 wide. Coxa IV interdistance 1.03 times their width. Chelicera with 4 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth. Tibia of leg I 6.22 times longer than deep. Tm I 0.48, Tm IV present. Number of dorsal spines on tibiae of legs I-IV: 2-2- 1-1. Leg measurements: I 3.43 (1.03, 0.31, 0.88, 0.73, 0.48); II 3.27 (0.98, 0.29, 0.84, 0.71, 0.46); III 2.86 (0.83, 0.29, 0.70, 0.64, 0.39); IV 3.64 (1.02, 0.29, 0.98, 0.88, 0.48).

Epigynum simple. Dorsal plate partly visible in ventral view ( Fig. 7D ) and elliptical in posterior view ( Fig. 7C ). Copulatory openings long and narrow, present at junction of dorsal plate and ventral plate. Copulatory ducts enclosed in a simple sclerotized capsule ( Fig. 7A, B ). Spermathecae somewhat elliptical, separated from each other by about their maximum diameter ( Fig. 7G ), split visible in anterior part of vulva resulting from damage during dissection ( Fig. 7A, B ).

VARIATION: 2♂ and 7♀ were measured. Total length varies from 2.23 to 2.38 in males, 2.52 to 3.83 in females.

DISTRIBUTION: Korea, China (Liaoning Province).

Figures

FIG. 6 Walckenaeria ferruginea; male from Liaoning, China. (A) Carapace, lateral view. (B) Same, frontal view. (C) Left chelicera, posterior view. (D) Tibia of left palp, dorsal view. (E) Distal part of left palp, ventral view. (F) Same, prolateral view. (G) Same, retrolateral view. Scale lines: A, B=0.2 mm, C-G=0.1 mm.

FIG. 7 Walckenaeria ferruginea; male (E, F) and female (A-D, G) from Liaoning, China. (A) Vulva, dorsal view. (B) Same, ventral view. (C) Epigynum, posterior view. (D) Same, ventral view (arrow pointing to nick in middle of posterior margin of ventral plate). (E) Embolic division, ventral view (with DSA; smallest arrow pointing to triangular apophysis near tip of embolus; largest arrow indicating retrolateral groove of suprategulum). (F) Same, dorsal view. (G) Epigynum, dorsal view. Scale lines: 0.1 mm.