Ozyptila utotchkini Marusik 1990

Ozyptila utotchkini Marusik, 1990

(Figs 1–12)

Ozyptila utotchkini Marusik in Marusik and Chevrizov, 1990: 93, figs 9–11 (ɗ); Marusik and Koponen, 2001: 66 (faunistic records).

Material examined. RUSSIA: Maritime Province: 1 Ψ (ZMMU), Anuchino Distr., env. of Lazovski Reserve, coniferous-broad leaf forest, 10–11 September 1983 (Vinokurov); 2 Ψ (ZMMU), Anuchino Distr., Lazovski Reserve, coniferous-broad leaf forest, August–September1983 (Bakurov); 1 Ψ (ZMMU), same locality, 27 August –10 September 1984 (Bakurov); 2 ♂ 4 Ψ 3juv. (ZMMU), Lazovski Reserve, Korpad' Kordon, 43o16'N 134o08'E, 6–9 August 1998 (Yu.M.Marusik); 1 Ψ (ZMMU), Ussuriyski Distr., Suputinski (=Ussuriyski) Reserve, Grabovaya Sopka, fir wood, 43º37’05”N 132º21’30’’E, 23–25 May 1972 (G.F.Kurcheva); 2 Ψ (ZMMU), Ussuriyski Reserve, 43o39'N 132o33'E, leaf litter, 29–31 July 1998 (Yu.M.Marusik); 1 ♂ (ZMUT), Ussuriyski Distr., Gornotayozhnoye Vill., herb-shrub meadow near Lysaya Sopka, 43º41’N 132º09’E, 31 May 2007 (M. M.Omelko); 2 ♂ 1 Ψ (ZMUT), Ussuriyski Distr., c. 30km E of Ussuriysk, Kamenushka Vill., 43º36.45’N 132º13.60’E, 29 August 2001 (Y. M.Marusik); 1 Ψ (ZMMU), Terneyski Distr., Sikhote-Alinsky Reserve, mixed pine-oak forest, site 1–2, Nevidimka River, 45º00’N 135º56’50”E, 9 August 1979 (Gromyko); 1 Ψ (ZMMU), same locality, 29 May 1985; 1 ♂ (ZMMU), Sikhote-Alinsky Reserve, Kabany Kordon, 135o52'40"E 45o08'16"N, 650-900 m, taiga, 30 June – 4 July 1999 (Y. Sundukov); 1 Ψ (ZMMU), Vladivostok City, Okeanskaya, 43º13’N, 132º01’E, forest-park, leaf litter, 2 October 1997 (Y. M. Marusik).

Diagnosis. Ozyptila. utotchkini can be separated from all other members of O. rauda- group by the copulatory organs. The epigyne of this species has no visible fovea, but a strong extension of the epigynal plate, while other species in the group have distinct fovea (cf. Dondale & Redner 1975: figs 103–107; Hippa et al. 1986: figs 2a–f, 3a–c; Ono et al. 1990: fig. 33). The male can be easily distinguished by the shape of the tegular and tibial apophyses.

Description. Female (n=6): Total length 3.15–3.75. Carapace: 1.55–1.63 long, 1.53–1.55 wide, light brown with dark margins and a pair of dark stripes behind eyes, median band is light yellow, and the sides are variegated. The abdomen is variegated with light brown without a distinct pattern, but with more or less distinct white transverse stripes. The legs are light brown with dark femora. Tibia I and II with 2 pairs of ventral spines. Metatarsi I and II with 3 pairs of ventral spines.

Epigyne as in Figs 1–6, 10–12, with fovea turned upward and hidden by an extension of the plate (Ee), the upper part of which has transverse wrinkles (Figs 1, 4–5, 10–12). The upper part of the plate in the penultimate female (Fig. 4) is weakly sclerotized, and paler than the other parts of epigyne, while in mature females, the upper part of the plate is most heavily sclerotized (Fig. 5). Copulatory openings are located in the fovea (Ef, Figs 3, 10) and visible only in the anterior view.

Male (n=3): Total length 2.7–3.2. Carapace: 1.543–1.63 long, 1.43–1.63 wide, dark brown, with light median band, and a pair of light submarginal stripes. The abdomen is brown, with dark and light transverse stripes. The legs of the male are darker than those of the female, with the femora dark brown.

The palp is as in Figs 7–9, with three tibial apophyses: long transverse proventral (Pa), digiform retroventral (Ra) and spine–like retrolateral (Rt); bulbus with large tegular apophysis extending tegulum (Ta), the free part of embolus (Em) is short and makes an entire loop; portion of free embolus with serrate margin (Figs 9–11).

Remarks. This species was named after the well–known Soviet arachnologist Alexander S. Utotchkin who made important contributions to the study of the Thomisidae of the former USSR. The male palp of this species has a typical conformation for the O. rauda- group, while the female genitalia appear unusual. In fact, it is so unusual, that although the senior author had female specimens on hand while describing the male, it was decided that these females were not conspecific with the males. However, additional collecting has convinced us from the opposite. The conformation of the epigyne of this species is more similar to those of the genus Cozyptila, in particular C. blackwalli (Simon, 1875) and C. guseinovorum Marusik & Kovblyuk, 2005. All these species have extensions of the epigynal plate which bears the copulatory opening.

The epigyne of O. utotchikini resembles that of O. gasanensis Paik, 1985, described from the holotype female from Korea, which is lost. It is impossible to conclude from Paik’s figures (Paik 1985: figs 4–5) whether the two species should be synonymised or not. However, from the figures, differences do exist. For instance, the epigynal plate of Korean specimen has no transverse wrinkles, and has longitudinal receptacula which are distinctly thicker than in the Russian specimens. When topotype females of O. gasanensis are found or males of O. utotchkini are collected in Korea it will be possible to conclude whether or not the two species are conspecific.

Distribution. This species is known only from the southern half of Maritime Province (Fig. 13) in eastern Russia. Its occurrence in adjacent Korea and Northeast China is very likely.