Wolf spiders of the Pacific region: the genus \u3ci\u3eZoica\u3c/i\u3e (Araneae, Lycosidae)

The wolf spider genus Zoica Simon 1898 is currently known only from the Indo-Australasian region, including India in the west to northern Western Australia and Papua New Guinea in the east. Here we extend the known distribution of the genus into the Pacific region by describing two new species, Z. carolinensis new species from the Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Z. pacifica new species from the Republic of the Marshall Islands

A Review of Leg Ornamentation in Male Wolf Spiders, with the Description of a New Species from Australia, \u3ci\u3eArtoria schizocoides \u3c/i\u3e (Araneae, Lycosidae)

Morphological modifications of the first pair of legs in addition to widespread color variations of these legs among males of closely related species have been reported in a variety of spiders. Here, the evidence for sexual dimorphism in male foreleg morphology within wolf spiders (family Lycosidae) is reviewed and shown to occur in a number of species belonging to at least seven genera in five subfamilies: Alopecosa, Hogna, Schizocosa (all Lycosinae) Pirata (Piratinae), Evippa, (Evippinae), Pardosa (Pardosinae) and Artoria (Artoriinae). These modifications, often in combination with distinct dark pigmentation, can be divided into three major groups: leg elongation, segment swelling and exaggerated setation (“brushes”). The latter two occur mainly on the tibial segment of the first leg. The function of these foreleg modifications has been studied most extensively in the genus Schizocosa. Since the courtship displays of all male Schizocosa incorporate a seismic component, foreleg ornamentation (namely pigmentation and associated “brushes”) composes only one part of a multimodal courtship display. The function of this foreleg ornamentation appears to vary across closely related Schizocosa species and in some instances involves an interaction with the seismic signaling component. In most instances it appears to play a role in female mate choice and/or mate choice learning. In addition to reviewing lycosid foreleg modifications, we describe a new species of wolf spider, Artoria schizocoides from southwestern Western Australia that possesses sexually dimorphic modifications of the tibia of the first leg. Unique within the Artoriinae, males of this species carry spatulate setae on the ventral side of the tibia of the first leg that differ morphologically from other leg modifications in wolf spiders

Epigaeic spiders (Araneae) of small, man-made habitats on the Lahnberge Campus of the Philipps-University Marburg (Hesse, Germany)

During May and June 1994, 45 pitfall traps were exposed in three types of small, urban habitats: traffic islands, flat gravel roofs and courtyards ranging from 65 to 1.800m2 . The three habitat types differ in their exposure to sun and wind creating microclimatic conditions similar to a variety of natural habitats, i.e. grassland, rocky outcrops and forests. In total, 2.163 spiders (147 juveniles) were caught, belonging to 61 species in 16 families. A cluster analysis showed distinctively different spider assemblages for the three habitat types. Traffic islands are inhabited by a typical open land community. Dominating species are Alopecosa pulverulenta, Pardosa pullata and Pachygnatha degeeri. Gravel roofs show high numbers of salticids, in particular Euophrys lanigera. Courtyards lack dominant species and show a high number of species naturally occurring in forest habitats. The activity density on the gravel roofs and in the courtyards does not appear to be high enough to support stable populations.Im Mai und Juni 1994 wurden im Universitätsgelände der Philipps Universität auf den Lahnbergen bei Marburg/Hessen drei unterschiedliche anthropogene Stadthabitate mit der Hilfe von Bodenfallen untersucht: Verkehrsinseln, Kiesdächer und Innenhöfe (Flächengröße 65-1.8OOm2). Die drei Habitattypen unterschieden sich in ihrer Sonnen- und Windexposition und zeigen Ähnlichkeit mit verschiedensten natürlichen Lebensraumen: Offenland, Felsbereiche, fließgewässerbegleitende Kiesinseln und Wald. Insgesamt wurden 2.163 Spinnen (davon 147 Jungtiere) gefangen. Sie gehörten zu 61 Arten in 16 Familien. Eine Clusteranalyse ergab klar unterschiedliche Spinnengemeinschaften für die drei Habitattypen. Verkehrsinseln werden van einer typischen Offenlandgesellschaft besiedelt. Es dominieren Alopecosa pulverulenta, Pardosa pullata und Pachygnatha degeeri. Kiesdächerzeigen vergleichsweise hohe Aktivitätsdichten von Springspinnen (insbesondere Euophrys lanigera ).lnnenhöfe besitzen keine Charakterarten. Sie werden vor allem von Waldarten besiedelt. Die Aktivitätsdichten auf den Kiesdächern und in den Innenhöfen scheinen nicht hoch genug zu sein, um stabile Populationen zu belegen

Four new Mouse Spider species (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Actinopodidae, Missulena) from Western Australia

Four new species of the Mouse Spider genus Missulena Walckenaer, 1805 (family Actinopodidae) are described from Western Australia based on morphological features of adult males. Missulena leniae sp. n. (from the Carnarvon and Yalgoo biogeographic regions), Missulena mainae sp. n. (Carnarvon), Missulena melissae sp. n. (Pilbara) and Missulena pinguipes sp. n. (Mallee) represent a broad spectrum of morphological diversity found in this genus and differ from other congeners by details of the male copulatory bulb, colour patterns, eye sizes, leg morphology and leg spination. Two of the species, M. pinguipes sp. n. and M. mainae sp. n., are characterised by swollen metatarsi of the fourth legs in males, a feature not previously recorded in the family. A key to males of all named Missulena species from Australia is presented and allows their identification based on external morphology

Abba, a new monotypic genus of orb-weaving spiders (Araneae, Araneidae) from Australia

A new monotypic genus in the orb-weaving spider family Araneidae Clerck, 1757 is described from Australia: Abba gen. nov., with Abba transversa (Rainbow, 1912) comb. nov. as the type species. It differs from all other genera in the family by somatic characters, specifically a patch of approximately five long spines on the prolateral surface of the first leg in males and an abdominal colouration with a pair of two central spots dorsally on a creamy-white surface. Specimens of A. transversa comb. nov. have been collected in Queensland and New South Wales, where the species is largely summer-mature. We also provide a genus level summary of all Australian Araneidae, currently consisting of 230 described species and eight subspecies in 46 genera

Knoelle Framenau, 2006, gen. nov.

Knoelle gen. nov. Type species: Lycosa clara L. Koch, 1877. Here designated. Etymology. The generic name honours my mother, the late Hildegard Framenau. ‘Knölle’ was a nickname she used frequently, and may refer to the German word Knolle (= spud). The gender is feminine. Diagnosis. Knoelle gen. nov. is similar to representatives of the genus Ve na t or Hogg, 1900 in respect to somatic characters, in particular its body colouration with a ventral black patch on the opisthosoma. However, it differs considerably by the presence of a large patch of macrosetae at the tip of the cymbium in males which is absent in Venator. Males in the genus Hoggicosa also have a patch of macrosetae at the tip of the cymbium, however it is much smaller. In addition, the tegular apophysis is very different in Hoggicosa as it is of a simple, triangular type lacking the two hooks and the lamellar structure characteristic for Knoelle gen. nov. Hoggicosa also have a very different body colouration with a distinct sexual dimorphism that is absent in Knoelle gen. nov. (McKay 1973, 1975). Description. Medium sized Lycosidae (TL ca. 10.0 – 25.0 mm). Males smaller than females. Prosoma longer than wide (Fig. 1), dorsal profile straight in lateral view (Fig. 4). Head flanks comparatively steep in males (Fig. 5). Dorsal shield of prosoma brown to dark brown, with distinct light brown median and submarginal bands; submarginal and brown marginal bands irregular; white setae in median and submarginal bands. Anterior median eyes ca. twice as large as anterior lateral eyes, row of anterior eyes narrower than row of posterior median eyes; row of anterior eyes slightly procurved (Fig. 5). Chelicerae with three promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Labium shorter than or as long as wide. Opisthosoma mottled olive­grey, centrally lighter and with dark, irregular heart mark (Fig. 1). Venter with a large black patch covering about three quarters of venter from epigastric furrow. Leg formula VI>I>II>III. Spination of legs: Femur: 3 dorsal, 2 apicoprolateral, 2 retrolateral; patella: 1 prolateral (male only), 1 retrolateral; tibia: 2 dorsal (male only), 3 ventral pairs, 2 prolateral (male only), 2 retrolateral; metatarsus: 3 ventral pairs, 2 prolateral (male only), 2 retrolateral (male only), 1 apicoprolateral (male only), 1 apicoretrolateral (male only), 1 apicoventral. Cymbium tip with large patch of macrosetae (Figs 2, 6– 7). Tegulum undivided, large retrolateral tegular lobe; tegular apophysis with two distinct, basally directed hooks. Embolus originating prolaterally on palea and curving ventrally around it, long and slender. Terminal apophysis and pars pendula sickle­shaped (Fig. 8). Epigyne with inverted T­shaped median septum, that widens anteriorly (Figs 3, 9). Distribution. As for species (Fig. 11). Remarks. Knoelle clara comb. nov. is a typical representative of the subfamily Lycosinae as the tegular apophysis is ‘transverse, with a ventrally directed spur’ and it has a ‘sinuous channel on the dorsal surface’ (Dondale 1986). A recent molecular phylogeny inferred from 12 S rRNA and NADH 1 that included seventy world­wide Lycosidae species placed K. clara comb. nov. as sister taxon to Allocosa hasseltii (parsimony analysis) or in a polytomy with most other Australian Lycosinae (Bayesian analysis) (Murphy et al. 2006). Morphological evidence places Knoelle gen. nov. close to Ve n at o r or Hoggicosa (see generic diagnosis), but a detailed phylogenetic analysis of the Australian Lycosinae is required to ascertain the systematic position of the new genus.Published as part of Framenau, Volker W., 2006, Knoelle, a new monotypic wolf spider genus from Australia (Araneae: Lycosidae), pp. 55-67 in Zootaxa 1281 on pages 57-58, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17340

Anomalosa Roewer 1960

Genus <i>Anomalosa</i> Roewer, 1960 <p> <i>Anomalosa</i> Roewer 1960: 977. Lehtinen & Hippa 1979: 7.</p> <p> <b>Type species.</b> <i>Anomalomma kochi</i> Simon, 1898. By original designation.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Within the Venoniinae <i>(sensu</i> Lehtinen & Hippa 1979), <i>Anomalosa</i> has somatic and genitalic characters similar to <i>Venonia</i>. It differs from <i>Venonia</i> in its colouration, as the dorsal shield of the prosoma and the opisthosoma have light median bands, in particular distinct in males, whereas the dorsal shield of the prosoma and the opisthosoma of <i>Venonia</i> are of uniform colouration with a posterodorsal white spot above the spinnerets. Pedipalp morphology shows distinct differences between <i>Anomalosa</i> and <i>Venonia</i>. The cymbium is not truncated apico­retrolaterally as in <i>Venonia</i> and the prolateral tegular lobe is much larger than the tegular apophysis in <i>Anomalosa</i> (smaller than the tegular apophysis in <i>Venonia</i>). <i>Anomalosa</i> clearly differs from <i>Anomalomma</i>, where <i>A. kochi</i> was initially placed, as <i>Anomalomma</i> has short spinnerets (Simon in Hasselt 1890: 199: “Mammillae brevissimae, ut in <i>Cybeo</i> L. Koch.”). The type material of the type species of the genus, <i>A. lycosinum</i> Simon, 1890, appears to be lost (Lehtinen & Hippa 1983).</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Small wolf spiders (TL ca. 3.8–6.8 mm) with narrow, elongated prosoma and opisthosoma. Dorsal profile of prosoma straight in lateral view (Fig. 4). Head flanks steep in frontal view (Fig. 5). Uniform brown to black colouration, but centrally lighter or with a distinct light median band. Indistinct darker radial pattern. Anterior median eyes slightly larger than anterior lateral eyes, row of AE narrower than row of PME; row of AE procurved (Fig. 5). Chelicerae with three promarginal and three retromarginal teeth. Labium as wide or slightly wider than long. Opisthosoma uniformly olive­grey to black, with a light median line, in particularly distinct in males. Posterior spinnerets distinctly longer than anterior spinnerets (Fig. 3). Coxae light yellow­brown, femora II–IV with one basal and one central light annulation. Leg formula generally VI>I>II>III, but variable as legs I–III are of very similar length. Spination of legs: Femur: 2 or 3 dorsal, 0–1 (rarely 2) apicoprolateral; patella: 1 apicodorsal; tibia: 2 dorsal; 2 ventral pairs, 1 prolateral; metatarsus: 3 ventral pairs.</p> <p> Tegulum with a prolateral, bipartite (i.e. partly sclerotised and partly membranous) lobe and a retrolateral extension in which the spermduct is visible. Tegular apophysis membranous (heavily reduced in <i>A. kochi</i>). Embolus originating prolaterally on palea, long and slender and with a curled tip that rests in a cavity of the terminal apophysis. Terminal apophysis originates centrally on the apical part of the bulb. Epigyne a simple sclerotised plate with a posterior incision. Large, oval spermathecae and reduced fertilisation ducts.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> Currently only known from Australia (Figs 12, 21).</p> <p> <b>Remarks.</b> A recent molecular phylogeny inferred from 12S rRNA and NADH1 including seventy world­wide lycosid species with the majority from the Australasian region, included <i>A. oz</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> (as <i>Anomalosa kochi</i>, WAM T56076) as representative of <i>Anomalosa</i> (Murphy <i>et al.</i> 2006). Independent of the phylogenetic analysis used (parsimony, Bayesian), <i>A. oz</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> represented the sister taxon of <i>Venonia micarioides</i> (L. Koch, 1877) in a clade that also included both species of <i>Allotrochosina</i> Roewer, 1960 (Vink 2001). This confirmed the close relationship of <i>Anomalosa</i> and <i>Venonia</i> that is evident by similar somatic and genital morphology. This clade (Venoniinae <i>sensu stricto</i>) is sister to a clade including all species of <i>Pirata</i> (Piratinae <i>sensu</i> Zyuzin, 1993) (Murphy <i>et al.</i> 2006).</p> <p> The male pedipalp of <i>Anomalosa</i> is characterised by a large prolateral tegular lobe and membranous tegular apophysis (heavily reduced in <i>A. kochi</i>). These structures are equivalent to structures in <i>Venonia</i> in which the prolateral tegular lobe is generally much smaller and the tegular apophysis much larger (Yoo & Framenau in press). Lethinen and Hippa (1979) did not know the second species of <i>Anomalosa</i>, which bears both, a distinct prolateral tegular lobe and a tegular apophysis (e.g. Fig. 16), and erroneously termed the prolateral lobe as median (= tegular) apophysis.</p>Published as part of <i>Framenau, Volker W., 2006, Revision of the Australian wolf spider genus Anomalosa Roewer, 1960 (Araneae: Lycosidae), pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 1304</i> on pages 4-5, DOI: <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/173690">10.5281/zenodo.173690</a&gt

ERRATUM TO FRAMENAU, V.W. 2006 THE WOLF SPIDER GENUS VENATRIX ROEWER NEW SPECIES, SYNONYMIES AND GENERIC TRANSFERS (ARANEAE, LYCOSIDAE) (RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 23 145-166)

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