Neoscona theisi (Walckenaer, 1841)*

Zamani, Alireza, Marusik, Yuri M. & Sestakova, Anna, 2020, On Araniella and Neoscona (Araneae, Araneidae) of the Caucasus, Middle East and Central Asia, ZooKeys 906, pp. 13-40 : 13

Neoscona theisi (Walckenaer, 1841)* Figs 11A, B ; 12C, D ; 13A, B ; 14A, D ; 17A-C ; 18

Neoscona theisi : Grasshoff 1986: 69, fig. 90-100 (♂♀); Tanikawa 1998: 137, fig. 1-8, 11-17 (♂♀); Tanikawa 2007: 67, fig. 150-159, 572-574 (♂♀).

Neoscona sodom Levy, 1998: 340, fig. 117-126 (♂♀). syn. nov.

Neoscona sodom : Bosmans et al. 2019: 9, fig. 1a-e (♂).

Material examined.

Iran: 2♂ 5♀ (MHNG), Mazandaran Province: around Amol, 36°18'N, 52°21'E, 18.07.1973 (A. Senglet); 3♂ 6♀ (MHNG), Babol, 36°33'N, 52°42'E, 19.07.1973 (A. Senglet); 5♀ (MHNG), Gilan Province: Rudbar, 36°49'N, 49°25'E, 4.09.1973 (A. Senglet). Russia: Daghestan: 1♂ (PPC), Sergokalinski Dist., Sergokala Vil., 31.07.2008 (A.V. Alieva); 1♀ (PPC), Makhachkala, 08.2009 (S.V. Alieva); 1♀ (PPC), same locality, 08.2008 (S.V. Alieva); 3♀ (PPC), Magaramkentski Dist., Tselegyun Vil., 8.08.2008 (S.V. Alieva); 1♀ (PPC), Kizilyurtovski Dist., Sultan-Yangiyurt Vil., 18.05.2009 (M.A. Aliev, Z.A. Shavlukov); 1♀ (PPC), Karabudakhkentsky Dist., 07.2008. (N.M. Gasanova). Georgia: 1♀ (photographed specimen), Tbilisi, 41.767986N, 44.767779E, 17.09.2019 (A. Seropian). India: 1♀ (MMUE), Himachal Pradesh State: Patlikuhl Town, 32°07'N, 77°08'E, 1200 m, 28-29.5.1999 (Y.M. Marusik); 4♂ 2♀ (MMUE), Punjab State: Patiala, University campus, 30°21'N, 76°27'E, 24-25.6.1999 (Y.M. Marusik); 4♂ 1♀ (MMUE) and 5♀ (MMUE), same data.

Diagnosis.

Neoscona theisi differs from the congeners occurring in the region by the presence of a wide black median band on the venter of abdomen and thin white lateral stripes (Fig. 12D ). Males of this species have tibia II with fewer ventral spines (ca. 20) than N. spasskyi (ca. 40) and N. isatis sp. nov. (ca. 90) and more than in N. adianta (ca. 10). Males of N. theisi can be recognized also by the palp with pointed dorsal extension/projection of the tibia (Fig. 14A ) (vs. absent), distinct ventral conical projection of the tegulum (Te) lacking in other species, broad and well sclerotized lamella and wide conductor (vs. lamella thin and weakly sclerotized, conductor club-like), and long prolateral extension of median apophysis, longer than spur of median apophysis (vs. extension absent or as long as spur). The epigyne of N. theisi differs from those of N. isatis sp. nov. and N. spasskyi by the lack of constriction. Females of N. theisi well differ from those of N. adianta by having a white median band on carapace, darker abdominal pattern and the epigyne being almost twice longer than wide (vs. white band absent, epigyne almost as wide as long).

Description.

See Grasshoff (1986) and Tanikawa (1998).

Comments.

Neoscona theisi is a widely distributed species, with a current natural range covering Pakistan to Japan. Levy (1998) described N. sodom on the basis of both sexes from Israel. Judging by the figures provided in the original description, there are no significant differences in the copulatory organs and habitus of N. sodom and N. theisi . Therefore, the former name is synonymized with the latter.

Distribution.

Pakistan, India, Philippines, China to Indonesia, Japan. Introduced to Seychelles, Pacific Is. ( WSC 2019). The westernmost localities of this species (sub N. sodom ) are Cyprus ( Bosmans et al. 2019) and Israel ( Levy 1998). New records for Iran, Georgia, and Russia.

Figures

Figure 11. Dorsal habitus of Neoscona theisi (A, B), N. spasskyi (C) and N. isatis sp. nov. (D, E). A, C, D Females B, E males.

Figure 12. Habitus of Neoscona spasskyi (A, B) and N. theisi (C, D). A-C Dorsal D ventral C, D showing variations in comparison to specimens depicted in Figure 11. Photos C, D courtesy of A. Seropian.

Figure 13. Females of Neoscona theisi (A, B), N. spasskyi (C, D) and N. isatis sp. nov. (E, F). A, C, E Prosoma, ventral B, D, F abdomen, ventral. Photos A, B courtesy of A. Seropian.

Figure 14. Male palps and tibiae II of Neoscona theisi (A, D), N. isatis sp. nov. (B, F) and N. spasskyi (C, E). A-C Male palp, prolateral D-F male tibia II, ventral. Abbreviations: Co conductor, La lamella, Ma median apophysis, Me extension of median apophysis, Ta terminal apophysis, Te tegulum. Scale bars: 0.2 mm, unless stated otherwise.

Figure 17. Epigynes of Neoscona theisi (A-C), N. spasskyi (D-F) and N. isatis sp. nov. (G-I). A, D, G Ventral B, E, H posterior C, F, I lateral. Abbreviations: Le lateral extension, Sc scape. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 18. Distribution records of Araniella mithra sp. nov. (blue circle), A. villanii sp. nov. (violet star), Neoscona isatis sp. nov. (green pentagon), N. spasskyi (black square), N. theisi (gray triangle, only new records) and N. tedgenica (brown asterisk).