Tegenaria circeoensis, Bolzern & Burckhardt & Hänggi, 2013

Bolzern, Angelo, Burckhardt, Daniel & Hänggi, Ambros, 2013, Phylogeny and taxonomy of European funnel-web spiders of the Tegenaria-Malthonica complex (Araneae: Agelenidae) based upon morphological and molecular data, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Zool. J. Linn. Soc.) 168 (4), pp. 723-848 : 791-793

TEGENARIA CIRCEOENSIS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 18I–M , 22L–S )

Types

Holotype. Italy: Lazio: Frosinone, Esperia , ♂ ( NMB-ARAN 21002 , AB827 ), 4.vi.2007, Bolzern & Mühlethaler.

Paratype. Same data as for holotype, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ [1 ♀ was juvenile (juv.) until vii.2007, NMB-ARAN 21003, AB786, NMB-ARAN 21004, AB832]; Latina, at the street between Grotta delle Circeo and San Felice Circeo, 3 ♀ ( NMB-ARAN 21005 , AB463 ), 20.vii.2006, Bolzern & Ramseyer; same location as previous, 12 ♀ (9 ♀ were juv. until vii.2007, NMB-ARAN 21006– 21012, AB717, 735, 784, 789, 826, 913, 911), 5.vi.2007, Bolzern & Mühlethaler .

Etymology

Named after the very beautiful National Park near San Felice Circeo where some of the types were collected.

Diagnosis

Tegenaria circeoensis sp. nov. belongs to a species group together with Teg. capolongoi , Teg. parmenidis , and Teg. sbordonii . The most useful characters for separating these species are the shape of the RTA, the bifid terminal end of the conductor, the presence/ absence of pockets on the median plate of the epigyne, and the location of the copulatory openings.

Description

Measurements: Male (holotype): CL 4.71, CW 3.88, STL 1.85, STW 1.92, OL 4.80, OW 2.95. Leg I (6.21, 1.63, 6.17, 6.92, 3.30), II (4.38, 1.21, 4.07, 5.15, 2.30), III (5.04, 1.33, 4.17, 5.83, 2.21), IV (6.13, 1.47, 5.89, 7.81, 2.83), Pedipalp (1.93, 0.81, 0.86, 1.54), bulbL 0.95. Female (N = 2, paratypes): CL 3.22–3.53, CW 2.60–2.70, STL 1.64–1.69, STW 1.53–1.63, OL 5.46, OW 4.00. Leg I (4.10–4.43, 1.27–1.36, 3.77–4.05, 3.80– 4.20, 2.08–2.24), II (3.69–4.05, 1.17–1.26, 3.10–3.34, 3.33–3.75, 1.71–1.90), III (3.35–3.71, 1.09–1.12, 2.61– 2.97, 3.21–3.55, 1.44–1.81), IV (4.21–4.64, 1.24–1.25, 3.46–4.13, 4.23–4.68, 1.71–1.96). Pedipalp (1.36–1.58, 0.57–0.59, 0.89–0.93, 1.42–1.47). EPL 0.68, EPW 1.28, ATL 0.48, ATW 0.19. Eyes: PME 0.17–0.19, PLE 0.18– 0.19, AME 0.15–0.19, ALE 0.18–0.20. Eye distances: PME–PME 0.5–1 x PME, PME–AME 0.5–1 x PME, PME–PLE 0.5 x PME, PME–ALE 0.5–1 x PME, AME–AME <0.5 x AME, AME–ALE << 0.5 x AME. CLY1 1.5–2 x AME, CLY2 1–1.5 x ALE.

Male palp: RTA with two (possibly fused?) branches, ventral branch indistinct but with distinct ventral ridge, dorsolateral branch massive, strongly protruding, distally with distinctly stepped, anterioventrally orientated ridge. Length of filiform embolus equal CB or moderately longer, irregularly bent, originating at 8–9 o’clock position, distal tip at 2 o’clock position. Conductor very distinct and complex with distal portion moderately elongated, lateral margin completely folded, with bulge-like structure at the origin of the conductor. Terminal end bifid, ventral part distally simple and sharply pointed, dorsal part larger than ventral portion with a massive protuberance, elongated ventrad, distally with several small points and knolls. Connection of conductor to tegulum sclerotized. MA originating at 6 o’clock position, strongly protruding with long, hook-like sclerite. MA membra- nously connected to tegulum. Basal portion of tegulum visible and undulated.

Epigyne and vulva: Epigyne with distinct, subrectangular median region, clearly separated from epigynal plate by sclerotized rim. Medially, this atrium is very smoothly sclerotized (although a septum was visible in a specimen found at the same place as the type specimens). Posterior sclerite absent. CO are distinct holes located at lateral rim. Posteriorly of CO, a distinct pocket is developed, opening anteriomediad. Epigynal ‘pseudo teeth’ absent. Vulva consists of distinguishable CD, RC, and FD. CD short and straight, leading into globular, bean-like shaped, smoothly sclerotized RC, separated by more than 2 x their diameter. FD only represented by small, leaf-shaped appendages.

Other important characters: Cheliceral promargin with three, retromargin with four teeth, in males the second proximal tooth smaller than the others. Colulus developed as trapezoidal plate with the distal margin almost straight. Same pattern of distal spigots on PMS (in females) as described for the type species. PLS with distal segment as long as basal segment. Trichobothria on cymbium and palp tarsus absent. Tarsal trichobothria six to nine. Small teeth on paired claws of leg I 10–11. Leg spination: male palp (2–0–0–0, 2–0–0, 1–2–0–0), female palp (2–0– 0–0 or 3–0–0–0, 2–0–0, 2–2–0–0), leg femora (1–3– 2–0 or 2–2–1–0 or 2–3–2–0 or 2–4–2–0, 1–3–2–0 or 2–2–2–0 or 2–3–2–0, 1–2–2–0 or 2–2–2–0, 1–0–0–0 or 1–1–1–0), patellae (all 2–0–0), tibiae (0 or 2–0–0–0, 0–1–0–0 or 0–1–0–1 or 0–2–0–0, 2–1–0–2 or 2–1–1–0 or 2–1–1–1 or 2–1–2–1 or 2–2–1–1 or 2–2–2–1, 2–0– 0–1 or 2–1–1–1 or 2–1–1–2), metatarsi [0–0–0–2p (only in male) or 0–0–0–3p+1, 0–1–0–3p+1, 0–2–2– 1p+2+1p+1 or 0–2–2–3p+1, 0–2–2–1p+1+2p+1], tarsi (I & II 0, III & IV 0–1–0–0).

Coloration: Margin of carapace darkened with three distinct, crescent-shaped spots, dorsally with two longitudinal symmetrical dark bands, distinctly serrated. Chelicerae with extensive dark spots. Sternum with pale median band, reaching only two thirds of sternum length, and four symmetrical pairs of pale dots laterally and posteriorly. Opisthosoma anteriorly with reddish-brown median band, laterally with two distinct, symmetrical white markings, sides darkly mottled, posteriorly with chevrons (pale, dark bordered). Legs annulated. ALS indistinctly darkened, PLS with basal segment darkened, distal segment pale.

Distribution

Reported from two localities in Lazio, Italy, where the spiders were collected from a shaded rock face on which they had built their funnel webs.

Discussion

The variation in size, spination, and epigyne morphology in the new species is large ( Fig. 22S ). The association of the males and females is supported by sympatric occurrence, breeding experiments, and genetic distance.

On 19 November 2007 a male from Esperia (AB832) was placed on the web of a female from San Felice Circeo (AB911), both having been kept in captivity since their capture in the field in spring 2007. After a short phase of immobility, the male started courtship behaviour by knocking on the web with the palps and the opisthosoma in a fast cadence followed after a short while by copulation. The copulation lasted some 30 min, after which the specimens were separated into different containers. One month later the female produced a cocoon (17.x.2007) and two months later (xii.2007), the spiderlings hatched. First they were kept together with the mother until only about ten specimens were left, at which point they were split into separate containers and fed with crickets (one to two per week). The spiderlings reached maturity after one year (ix.–x.2008). The adult offspring, 2 ♂ and 4 ♀, are preserved in the collection of the NMB (AB964).

Figures

Figure 18. A–C, Tegenaria domestica; D-F, Tegenaria carensis; G, H, Tegenaria argaeica (female paratype); I-M, Tegenaria circeoensis sp. nov.; N-Q, Tegenaria parmenidis; R, S, Tegenaria sbordonii. Left male palp in ventral (A, D, I, N, R), retrolateral (E, J, O, S), and dorsal views (K); epigyne in ventral (B, G, L, P) and vulva in dorsal view (C, F, H, M, Q).

› Figure 22. A, B, Tegenaria capolongoi; C-K, Tegenaria parmenidis; L-S, Tegenaria circeoensis sp. nov. Left male palp in ventral (E, N), retrolateral (F, O), and dorsal views (G, P); epigyne in ventral (A, C, Q, S) and vulva in dorsal view (B, D, R); intraspecific epigynal morphological variation (S); face of male in frontal view (J); spinnerets in ventral view (K); habitus (H) of male in dorsal and sternum in ventral view (I); carapace and abdomen of male in dorsal view (L, M). Scale bars = 0.5 mm (except 1 mm for H).