Dictyna major Menge, 1869

Marusik, Yuri M. & Fritzen, Niclas R., 2011, On a new Dictyna species (Araneae, Dictynidae) from the northern Palaearctic confused with the East Siberian D. schmidti Kulczynski, 1926, ZooKeys 138, pp. 93-108 : 100

Dictyna major Menge, 1869 Figs 4 –516–1726–2734– 39

Dictyna major : Wiehle 1953: 100, f. 218-221 (♂♀).

Dictyna major : Chamberlin & Gertsch 1958: 82, pl. 24, f. 2-4 (♂♀).

Dictyna major : Roberts 1985: 50, f. 14c (♂♀).

Dictyna major : Roberts 1995: 84, f. (♂♀).

Dictyna major : Roberts 1998: 86, f. (♂♀).

Dictyna major : Paquin and Dupérré 2003: 68, f. 563-565 (♂♀).

Dictyna major : Almquist 2006: 314, f. 274a-g (♂♀).

Dictyna schmidti : Almquist 2006: 316, f. 276a-d (♂♀) (seems a misidentification). For a complete list of references see Platnick (2011).

Material examined.

FINLAND: 1♂ 8♀ 1j (NRF), Pyhtää, Kaunissaari 60°21'42"N, 26°46'50"E, dune shore with sparse Leymus arenarius , 9.06.2009 (N.R. Fritzén); 1♂ (NRF), Lohtaja, Vattajanniemi 64°00'34"N, 23°23'26"E, in vegetation on dune shore, 7.06.2010 (N.R. Fritzén); 1♂ Kalajoki, Letto 64°17'02"N, 23°52'32"E, dune shore with sparse vegetation, 8.06.2010 (N.R. Fritzén); 1♂ 1♀ (ZMT) Utsjoki, Lohva, 12.07.1962 (P.T. Lehtinen). CANADA: Yukon Territory: 3♂ 4♀ (IBPN) Kluane Lake, environs of research station, south bank of the lake, 5-11.07.1993 (Yu.M.Marusik); 1♀ (IBPN) environs of Carmacks, 135 º 55'W, 62 º 04'N, steppe slope and surroundings, 18.07.1993 (Yu.M.Marusik).

Numerous specimens from Tuva ( Marusik et al. 2000), North-East Siberia ( Marusik et al. 1992), Yakutia ( Marusik et al. 1993), Greenland ( Marusik et al. 2006) have also been examined.

Comments.

It has not been possible to trace the Finnish specimens used for making the figures of Dictyna schmidti in Almquist (2006). The illustrations are probably based on misidentified specimens and seem to refer to Dictyna major .

Description.

Thoroughly described by Wiehle (1953), Chamberlin & Gertsch (1958) and Almquist (2006). Here we provide only comparative figures of the copulatory organs in order to demonstrate differences between it and the similar-looking Dictyna palmgreni sp. n. and Dictyna schmidti .

Distribution.

The species has a circum-Holarctic range and is known across the Palaearctic and Nearctic Regions.

Natural history.

This species has different habitat preferences in Siberia and in Finland. In Magadan Area, it is the most common dictynid species, occurring in various habitats within the forest belt and is most numerous on Ledum shrubs. In Finland, Dictyna major is rare, has a scattered distribution and occurs exclusively on dune shores.