Meriola californica Banks

Meriola californica Banks

Figs 16–18, 90

Trachelas californica Banks, 1904: 339, pl. 40, fig. 47 (female holotype from Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, examined by Platnick & Shadab, 1974).

Trachelas californicus Petrunkevitch, 1911: 523; Roewer, 1955: 589; Bonnet, 1959: 4667; Platnick & Shadab, 1974: 32, figs 40, 107–110; Dondale & Redner, 1982: 129, figs 237–239.

Meriola californica Platnick & Ewing, 1995: 8.

Diagnosis. Males (Figs 17–19) can by distinguished by the combination of tubercles on the carapace surface, an opisthosoma with a chevron pattern and a distinct dorsal posterior sclerotization, a long triangular RTA, and slender, sinuous embolus. Females (Fig. 16) can by distinguished by the small anterior hood and the long, forwardly-directed copulatory ducts.

Description. See Dondale & Redner (1982) for male and female descriptions.

Natural history and habitat. The range of distribution of this species covers the ecosystems of Cascade Province, California Coastal Chaparral Forest Shrub Province and California Dry Steppe Province. The combination of wet winters with dry summers produces a distinctive natural vegetation of hard-leaved evergreen trees and shrubs called sclerophyll forest. The vegetation varies between a dense conifer, cedar and hemlock forest, with numerous species of shrubs, sagebrush and grassland communities, to mixed prairie.

Distribution. Pacific Coast from Washington south to Baja California Norte.

New records. U.S.A.: Washington: King Co.: Seattle, N 47.606210°, W 122.332071°, 8.X.1933, Exline-Peck, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9059125). Seattle, N 47.606210°, W 122.332071°, 6.X.1934, M. H. Hatch, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9059127). Same data, 10.XII.1936, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9059137). California: San Luis Obispo Co: Oceano, N 35.098865°, W 120.612393°, 25–29.XI.1970, S. C. & C. F. Williams, 1 female, 1 imm. (CAS, CASENT 9059118). Monterey Co.: Hastings Natural history and Habitat Reserve, N 36.366667°, W 121.550000°, 4.III.1946, Salvia mellifera, J. Linsdale, 1 imm. (CAS, CASENT 9059108). San Francisco, in house, N 37.774930°, W 122.419416°, 5.XII.2005, B. Heterick, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9059499). San Francisco Co: Presidio, Lobos Creek, N 37.786944°, W 122.480833°, elev. 20 m, 2.II.2007, oak woodlands, beating, M. Leong, P. Morgado & T. Shelton, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9050755). Same data, 10.X.2007, 3 females (CAS, CASENT 9052370). Same data, 5.X.2007, 3 females (CAS, CASENT 9052898). Presidio, Dragonfly Creek, N 37.790833°, W 122.473889°, elev. 70 m, 5.X.2007, Eucalyptus stand, beating, M. Leong, P. Morgado & T. Shelton, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9052365). Presidio, Abandoned Hospital, N 37.790833°, W 122.473889°, elev. 70 m, 2.II.2007, dunes, oaks, riparian, beating, M. Leong, P. Morgado & T. Shelton, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9052378). Presidio, Inspiration Point, N 37.792222°, W 122.456944°, elev. 55 m, 7.XII.2007, serpentine soil, beating, M. Leong, P. Morgado & T. Shelton, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9052886). Same data, 19.X.2007, 2 females (CAS, CASENT 9052965). Same data, 8.II.2008, 2 females (CAS, CASENT 9052995). Presidio National Park, Battery Point, N 37.805278°, W 122.477778°, elev. 50 m, 16.II.2007, beating, M. Leong, P. Morgado & T. Shelton, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9052400). Marin Co.: Ross, N 37.962424°, W 122.554978°, 31.III.1918, H. Van Duzee, 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9059113). Inverness, N 38.101034°, W 122.856938°, 15–22.II.1964, P. Arnaud Jr., 1 female (CAS, CASENT 9059095). Same data, 23.II–6.III.1964, 2 females, 2 imms. (CAS, CASENT 9059104). Same data, 11–31.I.1964, 4 females (CAS, CASENT 9059135). Sonoma Co.: Cazadero, N 38.533232°, W 123.085285°, 1.IX.1918, H. Van Duzee, 3 females (CAS, CASENT 9059123).