Redescription of the Type Species of the Genus Argistes (Aranei, Liocranidae)

A previously unknown female of Argistes velox Simon, 1897, type species of the genus Argistes, is described and the male is redescribed. Th e species is known only from Sri Lanka. Status of the genus is briefly commented.</p

Predation on Live and Artificial Insect Prey Shows Different Global Latitudinal Patterns

AimLong-standing theory predicts that the intensity of biotic interactions increases from high to low latitudes. Studies addressing geographic variation in predation on insect prey have often relied on prey models, which lack many characteristics of live prey. Our goals were to explore global latitudinal patterns of predator attack rates on standardised live insect prey and to compare the patterns in predation on live insects with those on plasticine prey models.LocationGlobal forested areas.Time Period2021–2023.Major TaxaArthropods, birds.MethodsWe measured predation rates in 43 forested locations distributed across five continents from 34.1° S to 69.5° N latitude. At each location, we exposed 20 sets of three bait types, one set per tree. Each set included three live fly larvae (maggots), three live fly puparia and three plasticine models of the puparia. We used glue rings to isolate half of the sets from non-flying predators.ResultsArthropod attack rates on plasticine prey decreased linearly from low to high latitudes, whereas attack rates on maggots had a U shaped distribution, with the lowest predation rates at temperate latitudes and the highest rates at tropical and boreal latitudes. This difference emerged from intensive predator attacks on live maggots, but not on plasticine models, in boreal sites. Site-specific attack rates of arthropod predators on live and plasticine prey were not correlated. In contrast, bird attack rates on live maggots and plasticine models were positively correlated, but did not show significant latitudinal changes.Main ConclusionsLatitudinal patterns in predation differ between major groups of predators and between types of prey. Poleward decreases in both arthropod and combined arthropod and bird predation on plasticine models do not mirror patterns of predation on our live prey, the latter likely reflecting real patterns of predation risk better than do patterns of attack on artificial prey

Bucliona kirilli Zhang & Marusik & Oketch & Kioko & Yu & Li 2021, sp. n.

Bucliona kirilli Yu & Li sp. n. Figs 2E, F, 5, 6, 7A, C Type material. Holotype &male; (NMK), KENYA: Nyeri County, Naro Moru Town, Mount Kenya National Park, Metrological Station (S0.1702º, E37.2140º, 3000 m), 16.VIII.2018, Kioko G. leg. Other material examined. KENYA: Laikipia County, Nanyuki Town, Mount Kenya National Park, Sirimon Gate, Bamboo Forest (S0.2675º, E37.28276º, 3176 m), 1&male; (MGEU), 17.VIII.2018, Kioko G. leg. Etymology. The species is named in honour of Kirill G. Mikhailov from Moscow State University for his contributions to the systematics of clubionid spiders and on the occasion of his 60 th birthday; noun (name) in genitive case. Diagnosis. Males of B. kirilli sp. n. resemble those of B. dubia but differ by the parallel sides and a triangular tip of the RTA (vs. wide base and claw-like tip), as well as by the tip of the embolus which is directed antero-mesally (vs. anteriorly). Description. Male. Total length 7.66; carapace 3.65 long, 2.54 wide; abdomen 4.01 long, 2.14 wide. Carapace (Figs 6A–C) uniformly yellow-brown. Labium and endites dark reddish brown. Sternum coloured as carapace. Eyes: AER slightly recurved, PER wider than AER and straight in dorsal view. AME dark, other eyes light; with black rings. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.17, ALE 0.20, PME 0.17, PLE 0.18, AME–AME 0.14, AME–ALE 0.15, PME–PME 0.39, PME–PLE 0.28, MOQL 0.47, MOQA 0.44, MOQP 0.71. Legs yellowish, without distinct pattern. Leg measurements: I and II missing, III (2.50, —, —, —), IV 11.45 (3.20, 3.95, 3.33, 0.97). Abdomen (Figs 6A–C) with wide dorsal scutum covering almost entire abdomen; dorsum anteriorly with triangular, dark, median stripe, reaching 1/3 of abdomen length, centrally without distinct patterns (faded in the preserved holotype but with 2 transverse chevrons in the second female), posteriorly with 3 transverse chevrons; venter anteriorly without any markings, posteriorly with 2 broken longitudinal stripes. Palp (Figs 5A–E, 7A, C): Tibia relatively long, over 1/2 cymbium length, ca. 1.9 times longer than wide, retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) about 1/2 of tibia length, about 5 times longer than wide, slightly wider at base, gradually tapering towards apex, tip triangular, sharply pointed. Embolus Ƨ-shaped in ventral view, bent at almost a right angle, tip directed antero-mesally, base (EB) slightly longer than free part (E), embolus 6.6 times longer than wide. Tegular apophysis (TA) heavily sclerotized, arising retrolatero-distally from tegulum, finger shaped, directed proximally, distally curved retrolaterally. Female. Unknown. Distribution. Known only from the type locality.Published as part of Zhang, Jianshuang, Marusik, Yuri M., Oketch, Ambata D., Kioko, Esther N., Yu, Hao & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Resurrection of the spider genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977, with a description of a new species from Kenya (Araneae, Clubionidae), pp. 195-207 in Zootaxa 5006 (1) on pages 203-206, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5006.1.21, http://zenodo.org/record/515723

Bucliona Benoit 1977

Genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977, status revalidated Bucliona Benoit, 1977: 68. Bicluona Mikhailov, 1994: 52 (described as a subgenus of Clubiona, type Liocranum jucundum Karsch, 1879). Bucliona: Mikhailov 1997: 95 (downgraded to subgenus of Clubiona and synonymized with Bicluona). Type species. Clubiona dubia O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870 from Saint Helena Island, by monotypy. Diagnosis. Bucliona differs from Clubiona sensu stricto (type species Araneus pallidulus Clerck, 1757) by: having a distinct mesal ridge on the male chelicerae (Fig. 2A, C) (vs. lacking in Clubiona); the presence of a dorsal abdominal scutum in males (Figs 4E, F, 6A, C) (vs. absent); the undivided, short tibial apophysis of the male palp (Figs 3B, 5B, 7B–D) (vs. divided in many species); the presence of a tegular (= median) apophysis and the lack of a meandering sperm duct (Figs 3B–E, 5A–E) (vs. lack of a tegular apophysis and presence of a meandering sperm duct); the subtegulum with a prolateral extension (Fig. 8A) (vs. without, Figs 8B–F); the tip of the embolus directed anteriorly or antero-mesally (Figs 3D, 5D, 7A, B) (vs. retrolaterally or posteriorly). Females of Bucliona differ from those of Clubiona sensu stricto in having an epigyne with a distinct, undivided epigynal fovea with an anterior hood and a pair of posterior hoods (Figs 1C, D, 4A, C) (vs. fovea and hoods lacking) and longer copulatory ducts (Fig. 4D). Both the males and females of Bucliona can be recognized by the anterior tibiae with a prolateral “scopula”, which is reduced to a single row (Fig. 2D–F) (vs. dense scopula ventrally on the anterior tibiae). Description. Medium to large size, with the body length of males 4.90–7.75 and of females 6.50–9.50. Male. Body yellow-brown, legs uniformly coloured as carapace (Figs 4E, F, 6A–C). Carapace (Figs 4E, F, 6A, C): elongate-oval, widest at midpoint, pars cephalica slightly elevated above thorax, pars thoracica distinctly wider and slightly higher than pars cephalica; integument smooth; distinctly darker in ocular region, without distinct pattern; cervical groove and radial grooves distinct; fovea a short slit on posterior half of carapace, longitudinal and reddish. Clypeus height distinctly narrower than AME (Figs 2A, C). Chelicerae (Figs 2A, C, 4E, F, 6A–C): robust and red brownish, consisting of a coniform paturon and claw-shaped fang; cheliceral paturon with distinct mesal ridge, distally with several setae; fang furrow with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal teeth. Both endites and labium longer than wide; endites depressed posteriorly, slightly convergent anteriorly, with dense scopulae on inner margin; labium nearly trapezoidal and depressed laterally (Fig. 6B). Sternum (Fig. 6B): shield shaped and brown, longer than wide, anteriorly straight; posterior region protruding strongly between coxae IV. Eyes: in dorsal view, AER slightly recurved, PER almost straight (Figs 4E, 6A); in anterior view, AER almost straight, PER slightly recurved (Figs 2A, C); AME very slightly smaller than ALE, or equal in diameter, AME closer to ALE than to each other; in dorsal view, PME and PLE nearly equal in diameter, well-separated, PME located about 2–3 diameters apart, PME–PLE distance ca. 2/3 PME–PME distance. Legs: leg formula 4213; anterior legs with conspicuous scopulae disto-prolaterally on tibiae, and entire metatarsi and tarsi (Figs 2D, F); anterior femora with 3‒5 dorsal spines, posterior femora with 5‒7 dorsal spines; all patellae with 0‒1 dorsal or retrolateral spine; tibiae I‒II with 2 or 3 pairs of ventral spines, 1 retrolateral, and 1 prolateral spine; metatarsi I‒II with 1 or 2 pair of spines, 1 retrolateral, and 1 prolateral spine; tibiae and metatarsi of posterior legs with more spines than anterior legs but spination varies among different individuals. Abdomen (Figs 4E, F 6A–C): elongate-oval, tapering posteriorly, dorsal scutum over 3/4 of length of abdomen; without distinct colour patterns in the type species and B. jucunda (with median band and chevrons in B. kirilli sp. n., see description below). Palp: femur and patella unmodified, tibia cylindrical with single, unbranched retrolateral apophysis (RTA), apophysis shorter than diameter of tibia; cymbium unmodified, lacking spines; bulb elongate-oval; subtegulum (ST) with characteristic prolateral extension (Figs 3A, C, 5A, C, 8A); sperm duct not meandering, U-shaped in ventral view of tegulum; tegulum with well-developed hook-shaped distal apophysis (TA); embolus helical, originating prolatero-distally, either filamentous and wrapping around dorsal side of tegulum (B. kirilli sp. n.) or shorter, tip directed either anteriorly (B. dubia) or antero-mesally (B. jucunda). Female. General characters as in males, from which the females differ by (1) the cheliceral base without a mesal ridge (Fig. 2B); (2) the abdomen without a scutum (Figs 1A, 4G); and (3) a denser “scopula” on anterior legs (Fig. 2E). Epigyne: epigynal plate with large fovea, located posteriorly, with 1 anterior (AH) and 2 posterior hoods (PH); copulatory openings (CO) small and indistinct, located in central portion of fovea; copulatory ducts (CD) hyaline, strongly convoluted; receptacles (R) small and located posteriorly; bursae (BS) situated anteriorly, balloon shaped, larger than receptacles. Composition. Bucliona dubia (Saint Helena Island), B. kirilli sp. n. (Kenya), and B. jucunda (Far East Russia, China, Korea, Japan).Published as part of Zhang, Jianshuang, Marusik, Yuri M., Oketch, Ambata D., Kioko, Esther N., Yu, Hao & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Resurrection of the spider genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977, with a description of a new species from Kenya (Araneae, Clubionidae), pp. 195-207 in Zootaxa 5006 (1) on pages 196-197, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5006.1.21, http://zenodo.org/record/515723

Bucliona dubia

Bucliona dubia (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870) comb. reval. Fig. 1 Clubiona dubia O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1870: 532, pl. 42, fig. 1 (&female;); O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1873: 213, pl. 24, fig. 3 (&male;). Bucliona dubia: Benoit 1977: 68, figs 26a‒c, 27a‒d (&male; &female;). Clubiona (Bucliona) dubia: Mikhailov 1997: 96, figs 1‒4 (&male; &female;). Type examined. Photograph of the holotype female from OUMNH, Mr. Melliss’s Saint Helena Island collection, May 1869. Diagnosis and description. See Benoit (1977) and Mikhailov (1997). Epigyne and habitus of the holotype female are as in Fig. 1A–D. Comments. The holotype female was thought to be lost (Benoit 1977), however Zoë Simmons, the curator of OUMNH has managed to find the vial with the holotype female. Distribution. The species is known from Saint Helena Island only.Published as part of Zhang, Jianshuang, Marusik, Yuri M., Oketch, Ambata D., Kioko, Esther N., Yu, Hao & Li, Shuqiang, 2021, Resurrection of the spider genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977, with a description of a new species from Kenya (Araneae, Clubionidae), pp. 195-207 in Zootaxa 5006 (1) on page 198, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5006.1.21, http://zenodo.org/record/515723

Resurrection of the spider genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977, with a description of a new species from Kenya (Araneae, Clubionidae)

Zhang, Jianshuang, Marusik, Yuri M., Oketch, Ambata D., Kioko, Esther N., Yu, Hao, Li, Shuqiang (2021): Resurrection of the spider genus Bucliona Benoit, 1977, with a description of a new species from Kenya (Araneae, Clubionidae). Zootaxa 5006 (1): 195-207, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5006.1.2