ERATIGENA PICTA (SIMON, 1870) COMB. NOV.

(FIGS 12R–T, 13G–H)

Tegenaria picta Simon, 1870: 280–282.

Tegenaria minuta Simon, 1870: 282–283, male; Simon, 1875: 99–100, female.

Tegenaria pusilla Simon, 1870: 101, female; Becker, 1896: 202, pl. 13, fig. 10, male.

Tegenaria perita Simon, 1870: 102, (juv.?).

Tegenaria malacensis Thorell, 1875a: 80–81, male [wrongly cited page number and sex by Roewer, (1954) and subsequently also by Platnick (2012)].

Tegenaria berthae Becker, 1879: XX–XI, female.

Malthonica picta: Guseinov et al., 2005: 164.

Types

The type specimens, representing Teg. picta and Teg. pusilla, could not be traced in the MNHN. Several specimens (MNHN) from the type locality of E. picta (Guadarrama) were determined by E. Simon.

Sub Tegenaria minuta: Probably male holotype. Spain: Guadarrama, 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (MNHN, 1965, 476; also labelled as ‘ Tegenaria picta minuta ’, det. Simon; additional location-label: ‘ Banyuls’), Simon.

Sub Tegenaria malacensis: Holotype. Spain: Andalusia, Malaga, ♂ (ZMUC00012601, N. 171), Lünd.

Other material examined

France (32 ♂, 47 ♀); Germany (5 ♂, 8 ♀); Portugal (1 ♂); Spain (18 ♂, 45 ♀); Switzerland (2 ♂, 1 ♀).

Diagnosis: Eratigena picta and the closely related E. balearica have the dorsal branch of the RTA distally elongated and bent posteriad (all other species of Eratigena gen. nov. with differently shaped RTA), a short dorsal spike at the male palp tibia (absent in E. inermis, E. vomeroi, E. arganoi, E. sardoa, E. sicana, E. hispanica, E. herculea, E. incognita, and E. feminea), a moderately to strongly elongated distal portion of the conductor (not elongated in E. inermis, E. vomeroi, E. atrica, E. agrestis, and E. fuesslini), the distal margin of conductor entirely folded (shared character with E. herculea, E. hispanica, E. arganoi, E. sardoa, and E. sicana), and an epigyne with distinct atrial cavity (shared character with E. agrestis and E. fuesslini, absent in all other Eratigena gen. nov. species). Male E. picta can easily be separated from the closely related E. balearica by having the distal portion of conductor much more elongated, the more convoluted terminal end of the conductor, and the relatively much shorter male palp tibia. Females of E. picta can be separated from E. balearica females by the shape of the transparently visible CD on the epigynal plate and the very differently shaped vulvae.

Description

Redescriptions of E. picta were, at least partly, provided by Dahl (1931: 32, 33 sub Teg. picta, 41, 42 sub Teg. pusilla) and Jones (1984). Drawings were also provided by Brignoli (1971b).

Distribution

Reported from all western European countries. The eastern boundary of distribution may run through western Germany and Switzerland. Records from Hungary, the Balkan region, and Russia may be doubtful (see e.g. Deltshev, 2008a).

Discussion

In E. picta incredibly great variation in size can be observed, which also influences the genital structures (Fig. 12R–S). Such variation is also found in other related species (e.g. Simon, 1937: 1003; Kraus, 1955: 379; Bolzern et al., 2008: 763).

Together with E. balearica, E. picta forms the ‘ Eratigena picta- group’. This is in contrast to previous polyphyletic concepts, which were based on that of Simon (1937) who grouped E. picta with Aterigena soriculata and Aterigena ligurica (all sub Tegenaria).