Anatolidion gentile ( Simon, 1881 )

Knoflach, Barbara, Rollard, Christine & Thaler, Konrad, 2009, Notes on Mediterranean Theridiidae (Araneae) – II, ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 227-264 : 229-231

Anatolidion gentile ( Simon, 1881)

Figs 1-9

Theridion gentile Simon, 1881: 106 , male, type locality: Corsica.

Theridion crinigerum Simon, 1881: 72 , female, type locality: Corsica, syn. n.

Theridion crinigerum : – Dalmas 1922: 86, male, Isola del Giglio.

Anatolidion osmani Wunderlich, 2008: 385 , figs 491-495, photo 352, male, type locality: Anatolia, syn. n.

Detailed description. Wunderlich (2008, sub Anatolidion osmani Wunderlich, 2008 , male).

Synonymy. Recent syntopically collected males and females of this striking theridiid from Chios allow matching of the sexes on the one hand, but also synonymy of Simon’s Theridion crinigerum , as well as the recently described species Anatolidion osmani Wunderlich, 2008 . According to Simon’s material, Theridion crinigerum and T. gentile , which since their description have been known from one sex only, can clearly be assigned as conspecific with the Greek specimens, and thus are considered here as synonyms. As both species were described in the same year and the same work it is in compliance with the principle of the first reviser (ICZN 24.2, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, http://www.iczn.org/iczn/index.jsp) for our decision to determine precedence, which is in favour of gentile . The genus created by Wunderlich (2008) cannot be appropriately discussed here. Anatolidion gentile , which now becomes the type species of the monotypic genus Anatolidion Wunderlich, 2008 , appears to share some features with the genus Neottiura , such as voluminous palps, a non-bulging epigaster, as well as an elevated clypeus, so that the cheliceral apodeme is far distant from the anterior eyes.

Material examined. Morocco: 1 ♀ ( MHNP AR 2253 sub Theridion crinigerum ) . Algeria: “ Provence ; Biskra; Tlemcen; Alger ”, 1 ♂, subadult ♂ (shortly before maturation) 5 subadult ♂, 22 juveniles ( MHNP AR 2250 sub Theridion gentile ) . Greece: Chios, Volissos oaks, under oak logs in wood, 1 ♀ ( CTh), 12.5.2006, leg. R. Snazell , swept flowers and grass between oaks, 2 ♂ ( CTh), 12.5.2006, leg. A. Russell-Smith.

Measurements. Male (n=3, min-max): Total length 1.6-1.9, carapace length 0.7- 0.8, width 0.7-0.8, length femur I 0.9-1.0, tibia I 0.6-0.8 mm. Femur of male palp 0.4-0.5 mm long. Female (n=2, min-max): Total length 2.2-2.5, carapace length 0.8- 0.9, width 0.8, length femur I 0.8-0.9, tibia I 0.6 mm.

Somatic features, colouration ( Figs 6-9 ). Carapace as long as wide, rather high. Eye region of male raised, clypeus projecting. Cheliceral apodeme quite distant from anterior eyes. Male epigaster not protruding. Carapace dark brown, with cephalic and lateral diffused dark areas. Sternum dark brown. Legs uniformly brown or with tibiae apically darkened, in males rather faint. Abdomen with blackish areas of various extent on brownish background, males considerably darker. Abdominal hairs long and strong, as indicated by the naming of Simon’s female as T. crinigerum . For further details see Simon (1881) and Wunderlich (2008).

Surprisingly, Dalmas (1922: 87, sub T. crinigerum ) mentions an apical spur on femur IV in the male “L’éperon apical du femur IV du mâle est une particularité très remarquable de cette espèce.”. This particular spur was not visible in the males examined and was not mentioned by Simon (1881: 107).

Male palp ( Figs 1-3 ). Palp rather large ( Fig. 7 ), femur long (see measurements) and slender. Tibia likewise well developed, with two retrolateral trichobothria, distinctly tapering at its base. Base about 0.3 width of distal rim in ventral view ( Fig. 2 ). Cymbium voluminous and rounded. Embolus forms a conspicuous, heavily sclerotised spiral ( Figs 1-3 ), as described by Simon (1881: 107) “bulbe volumineux, … pourvu d’un très fin stylum circulaire, …” and by Dalmas (1922: 86) “...un fort style roulé en deux spires dans un plan perpendiculaire au tarse”. The conductor is a membranous, lobed outgrowth, only its distal part enclosing the embolus. Median apophysis furcate, Y-shaped. Apparently, a second tegular apophysis is missing (see fig. 495 in Wunderlich 2008).

Epigynum /vulva ( Figs 4-5 ). Epigynal cavity small and round, with anterior margin sclerotised ( Fig. 4 ). Copulatory ducts rather wide, ca. 0.8-0.9 mm long, running in several loops, winding in several directions and around each other, proximal coil overlapping receptacles posteriorly ( Figs 4-5 ). Lumen narrows with last coil towards entrance into receptacula seminis ( Fig. 5 ).

Distribution. This little-known species is apparently widespread in the Mediterranean, but records are scattered: Algeria, Morocco, Corsica ( Simon 1881, 1914), Italy (Toscana, Isola del Giglio, see Dalmas 1922, sub T. crinigerum ; Firenze, Villa Mercatale, see Caporiacco 1923, sub T. gentile ), Greece and Turkey ( Wunderlich 2008). Interestingly, the report of Caporiacco (1923) concerns a single female of T. gentile , which at that time and until now was known from the male only.

Figures

Figures 1-5. Theridion gentile Simon from Algeria (MHNP AR 2250; 1-3) and Morocco (4-5). Male palp, retrolateral (1), ventral (2), prolateral view (3). Epigynum/vulva, ventral (4), dorsal view (5). 1-3 and 4-5 drawn at same scale. Scale lines: 0.20 mm (1-3), 0.10 mm (4-5).

Figures 6-9. Theridion gentile Simon from Algeria (MHNP AR 2250). Habitus of specimens preserved in alcohol. Juvenile female (6), adult male (7), subadult male (8, 9). Photos: B. Knoflach.