Spiracme lendli (Kulczyński, 1897) comb. nov.

Figs 2, 3 A – C, 4 A – C, 5 A, B, 6 A – C, 7, 8

Xysticus lendli Kulczyński, 1897: Chyzer and Kulczyński 1897: 301, Tab X, fig. 64 (♂).

Spiracme mongolica: Purgat et al. 2021: fig. 6 (misidentification).

Xysticus cf. lendli: Ponomarev and Shmatko 2021: 217, fig. 16.

Type material.

Holotype male: Hungary Örkény (thoroughly searched for in the collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, without any success, likely lost).

Material examined.

Hungary • 1 male; Szank; forest steppe; 46.602 ° N, 19.571 ° E; 11 Sep. 2017; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net; (HNHM Araneae - 11039) • 1 female; Zsana; forest steppe; 46.415 ° N, 19.621 ° E; 11 Sep. 2017; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net; (HNHM Araneae - 10719) • 1 male; Harkakötöny; forest steppe, 46.507 ° N, 19.568 ° E; 11 Sep. 2017; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 2 males; Kiskunhalas; forest steppe; 46.477 ° N, 19.432 ° E; 11 Sep. 2017; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 3 males; Kiskunhalas; forest steppe; 46.483 ° N, 19.452 ° E; 09 Sep. 2018; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 2 males; Kiskunhalas; forest steppe; 46.493 ° N, 19.415 ° E; 21 Sep. 2018; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 1 male; Soltvadkert; forest steppe; 46.536 ° N, 19.384 ° E; 11 Sep. 2017; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 1 male; Soltvadkert; forest steppe; 46.527 ° N, 19.374 ° E; 11. Sep. 2017, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 3 males; Soltvadkert; forest steppe; 46.530 ° N, 19.401 ° E; 11. Sep. 2017, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 3 males; Soltvadkert; forest steppe; 46.532 ° N, 19.385 ° E; 21. Sep. 2018, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 1 male; Zsana; forest steppe; 46.409 ° N, 19.621 ° E; 11. Sep. 2017, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 3 males; Zsana; forest steppe; 46.415 ° N, 19.621 ° E; 09. Sep. 2018, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 3 males; Zsana; forest steppe; 46.396 ° N, 19.647 ° E; 09. Sep. 2018, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 2 males; Imrehegy; forest steppe; 46.446 ° N, 19.318 ° E; 11. Sep. 2017, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 1 male; Pirtó; forest steppe; 46.493 ° N, 19.415 ° E; 20. Sep. – 05. Oct. 2018, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; pitfall trap • 1 male; Pirtó; forest steppe; 46.472 ° N, 19.436 ° E; 09. Sep. 2018, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 4 males; Pirtó; forest steppe; 46.496 ° N, 19.421 ° E; 05. Oct. 2018, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net • 2 males; Bócsa; forest steppe; 46.614 ° N, 19.464 ° E; 07. Sep. 2021, N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net.

Comparative material.

S. striatipes Hungary • 2 males, 2 females; Csengőd; mesic grassland; 46.722 ° N, 19.350 ° E; 15 Jun. 2018; N. Gallé-Szpisjak and R. Gallé leg.; sweep net.

Diagnosis.

Males of this species can be readily distinguished from congeners by the thick and bent embolus, with transverse ridges (pine cone-like pattern in Fig. 5 A – B) near the tip. The thick embolus makes it similar to that of S. striatipes but differs by the bent embolus (straight in S. striatipes; see Figs 3, 4), the less pronounced indentations (deep indentations in S. striatipes; see Fig. 6), the absence of the large triangular-shaped tutaculum (present in S. striatipes; see Fig. 6), and the slightly pointing outward RTA (curved towards the cymbium in S. striatipes; see Figs 3, 4) as seen from the ventral side (compare Fig. 6 A vs. Fig. 6 D). The bent embolus is present in Xysticus mongolicus, and the bulb shows an overall similarity. However, the indentations (absent in X. mongolicus), the tegular bump Fig. 3 C (absent in X. mongolicus; see Fig. 3 F), and the twisted embolus as seen from the side (strongly bent in X. mongolicus) separate S. lendli from X. mongolicus. Female epigyne of S. lendli with an upside-down heart-shaped median septum (see Fig. 8 B), which is seemingly a plate with a pronounced anterior border (Fig. 8 A, C) with a clear indention on the posterior margin (Fig. 8 B, C, F), probably to accommodate the thin tip of the RTA (Figs 3 C, 7 A).

Description.

Male. Total length 3.88. Carapace: 1.84 long, 1.79 wide. Abdomen: 2.17 long, 1.71 wide. Clypeus 0.16 high, chelicera 0.70 long. Eye sizes and inter-distances: MOA-WA 0.22, MOA-WP 0.23, MOA-L 0.23, AME 0.07, ALE 0.10, PME 0.06, PLE 0.09, AME - AME 0.20, AME - ALE 0.13, PME - PME 0.23, PME - PLE 0.29.

Colouration (on a freshly collected specimen, Fig. 2 B): Carapace dark brown sides with median, longitudinal, beige-coloured, wide stripe. Ocular area white. Abdomen dark brown with mottled black spots and median folium-shaped light stripe. Around folium’s lobe, three pairs of white and black spots present (Fig. 2 A, B). These spots can be seen on bleached specimen as well, where the dark brown coloured areas became light brown. Chelicera, gnathocoxae, labium, and sternum sand-yellow with small dark brown spots.

Legs: sand-yellow with mottled dark brown dots (uneven in size). Tibiae I – II, metatarsi I – II, and tarsi I – II with dark brown / blackish rings on the distal end of the segment. Hindlegs light in colour, almost white, with black dots mottled on the appendage. The proximal end of tibia IV and the distal end of the femur, patella, tibia, and metatarsus IV with dark rings. Leg segments: I: 7.05 (2.04 + 0.96 + 1.6 + 1.6 + 0.85); II: 6.67 (1.95 + 0.88 + 1.45 + 1.48 + 0.91); III: 3.87 (1.19 + 0.58 + 0.83 + 0.67 + 0.6); IV: 4.51 (1.4 + 0.58 + 0.92 + 0.89 + 0.72).

Palpal femur, patella tibia, and cymbium with sand-coloured background mottled with dark brown dots and patches. Bulb without significant appendages, but tegular ledge or bump present (Figs 3 C, 4 C, 7 A). Embolus originates on prolateral part of the bulb at 11 o’clock position, twisted as seen from the side (Fig. 7) and bent as seen from the venter (Figs 3 A – C, 4 A – C, 5 A, B), with indentations on the distal third of embolus (Figs 5 A, B, 6 A, B), making it pine cone-like.

Female. Total length: 5.99. Carapace: 2.66 long, 2.89 wide. Abdomen: 3.68 long, 2.92 wide.

Clypeus 0.24 high, chelicera 1.01 long. Eye sizes and inter-distances: MOA-WA 0.58, MOA-WP 0.53, MOA-L 0.40, AME 0.11, ALE 0.16, PME 0.09, PLE 0.12, AME - AME 0.40, AME - ALE 0.21, PME - PME 0.37, and PME - PLE 0.45. Leg segments: I: 8.49 (2.61 + 1.34 + 1.87 + 1.7 + 0.97); II: 8.49 (2.65 + 1.24 + 1.84 + 1.77 + 0.99); III: 5.53 (1.76 + 0.91 + 0.93 + 1.05 + 0.88); IV: 6.16 (1.94 + 0.88 + 1.44 + 1.07 + 0.83).

Colouration lighter than in males, carapace and abdomen patterns similar as in males (Fig. 2 C, D), but with less contrast on the pattern. Leg colouration and pattern also similar to males, but overall lighter in colour.

Distribution.

Pannonian: Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia.

Habitat.

Specimens were collected in habitats characterised by sandy soil, covered with open dry grassland, and small forest patches (forest steppe, Fig. 1 B, C). The grassland consists of drought-tolerant plant species (e. g., Alkanna tictoria, Festuca vaginata, and Stipa borysthenica). The main tree species of the forest patches are Poplus alba, and the bush layer includes Juniperus communis and Crataegus monogyna (see further details in Gallé et al. 2022 a).

Biology and phenology.

Adult specimens were collected in September and October. We used a sweep net to collect S. lendli specimens very close to the ground surface in the herb layer. Life history remains mainly unknown. Noteworthy, females were very rarely found, so far only one. The overall ratio of the sexes was 33: 1.