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Бюлог1чний вюник МДПУ iMeHi Богдана Хмельницького 6 (3) стор. 359-364, 2Ш6
Biological Bulletin of Bogdan Chmelnltskly Melitopol State Pedagogical University, 6 (3), pp. 359-364, 2016
ARTICLE UDC 576.89
REDESCRIPTION AND NEW DATA ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF A POORLY KNOWN PIRATE SPIDER ERMETUSINOPINABILIS (ARANEI: MIMETIDAE)
Yuri M. Marusik1-2, Alexander A. Fomichev3 & Seppo Koponen4
11nstitute for Biological Problems of the North RAS, Portovaya Str. 18, Magadan 685000, Russia. E-mail: yurmar@mail.ru 2Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa 3Altai State University, Lenina Pr., 61, Barnaul, RF-656049, Russia. E-mail: a.fomichov@mail.ru. 4ZoologicalMuseum, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland. E-mail: sepkopo@utu.fi
A poorly known species of pirate spider belonging to a monotypic genus, Ermetus inopinabilis Ponomarev, 2008, is redescribed in details based on types and other material. Digital photographs and SEM micrographs are provided to illustrate its specific features. The species and genus are reported for the first time from Altai and Tuva.
Key words: Araneae, pirate spiders, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Altai, Mongolia, Tuva, distributional records, illustrated redescription.
Citation:
Marusik, Yu. M., Fomichev, A.A., Koponen, S. (2016). Redescription and new data on the distribution of a poorly known Pirate Spider Ermetus inopinabilis (Aranei: Mimetidae).
Biological Bulletin of Bogdan Chmelnitskiy Melitopol State Pedagogical University, 6 (3), 359—364. Поступило в редакцию / Submitted: 21.11.2016 Принято к публикации / Accepted: 13.12.2016 eross^ef http://dx.doi.org/10.15421/2016105 © Marusik, Fomichev, Koponen, 2016
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INTRODUCTION
Mimetidae Simon, 1881 is a small family comprised of 146 species placed in llgenera (WSC, 2016). The family has worldwide distribution but the majority of the species and genera occur in the tropical and subtropical areas. Only three genera, Ermetus Ponomarev, 2008, Ero C.L. Koch, 1836 and Mimetus Hentz, 1832 penetrate into temperate regions of the Palaearctic and are primarily confined to its southern parts (Mikhailov, 2013; WSC, 2016). Until recently, only five species from two latter genera were known from the Northern Asia (Mikhailov, 2013). A monotypic genus Ermetus was established by Ponomarev (2008) for the new species E. inopinabilis Ponomarev, 2008, which occurs in arid southeastern regions of the Russian Plain and in the Caucasus. The original description of E. inopinabilis was supplied with sketchy drawings of the male palp (only retrolateral view), epigyne, carapace and leg I. Specific features of habitus, chelicerae and details of the male palp were not illustrated. Later, this species was found in the Central and Eastern Ukraine (Polchaninova & Prokopenko, 2013), and in Western Kazakhstan (Logunov et al., 2012). Quite recently, E. inopinabilis was recorded from South-Western Mongolia based on a single male (Fomichev, 2016). At the same time, the species was never redescribed. While studying the material collected in Altai, Tuva and Mongolia, we found several specimens of both sexes belonging to this species. Here, we provide an illustrated redescription of E. inopinabilis and discuss its distribution based on the new and literature records.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Specimens were photographed with a Canon EOS 7D camera attached to an Olympus SZX16 stereomicroscope at the Zoological Museum, University of Turku. Digital images were montaged using Combine ZP or "Zerene Stacker" image stacking software. Epigyne was cleared in a KOH/water solution until soft tissues were dissolved. Photographs were taken in a dish with paraffin on the bottom to hold the specimens in right position. Microphotographs were made with a Jeol JSM-5200 SEM in the Zoological Museum (University of Turku, Finland). All measurements are in millimetres. Abbreviations used are as follows: Fe — femur, Pt — patella, Mt — metatarsus, Ti — tibia, Ta — tarsus, d — dorsal, p — prolateral, r — retrolateral, v — ventral. Data about spination are based on examination of one specimen of each sex (one side of the body).
TAXONOMY
Ermetus Ponomarev, 2008
Type species. Ermetus inopinabilis Ponomarev, 2008, from the Rostov Oblast of Russia.
Diagnosis. The genus is close to Ero C.L. Koch, 1837 but differs from it by the lack of tubercles on the dorsal side of the abdomen, shorter legs, and also by a simple paracymbium composed by one cymbial extension (2 extensions in Ero). From another genus of Mimetidae occurring in the Northern Asia, Mimetus Hentz, 1832, Ermetus can be distinguished by a less extended cephalic part of the prosoma, arrangement of median eyes and by absence of retrolateral longitudinal row of spine-like setae on proximal parts of femora I and II.
Composition. Monotypic.
Figures 1-6. Habitus, leg I and male palp of Emetus inopinabilis. 1 female, dorsal; 2-3 male, dorsal and lateral; 4 male leg I, dorsal; 5 female leg I, dorsal; 6 palp, prolateral. Scale: 1, 3 = 1 mm; 2, 4—5 = 0.5 mm; 6 = 0.2 mm.
BioAoiiwuu eicHUK MAnY Mem Bozbam XMeAbm^bmio 6 (3), 2016
Figures 7-12. Somatic characters of the male of Ermetus inopinabilis. 7 right leg I, dorsal; 8 right tarsus I, showing erected setae, dorsal; 9 right tibia I, dorsal; 10 right chelicera, ventral; 11 epiandrus, ventral; 12 spinnerets, ventral. Abbreviations: Clclusters of spigots, Cs cheliceral seta, Pt peg teeth, Ss strong seta, Tt teeth triplet.
Scale = 0.1 mm (if indicated).
Figures 13-18. Male of Ermetus inopinabilis. 13 abdomen, ventral; 14-15 left chelicera, anterior and mesal; 16-17 terminal part of palp, dorsal and retrolateral; 18 whole male palp, retrolateral. Abbreviations: Cf cymbial furrow, Ss strong seta. Scale = 0.1 mm (if not otherwise indicated).
Ermetus inopinabilis Ponomarev, 2008
Ermetus inopinabilis Ponomarev, 2008: 50, f. 1, 4-7 0$).
Material examined. RUSSIA: Rostov Oblast. S holotype, 1 $ paratype (ZMMU), Ust'-Donetsk District, Razdorskaya Stanitsa, Pukhlyakovskiye slopes natural limit, sandy place with steppe vegetation, 24.06.-8.07.2003 (A.V. Ponomarev). Altai Republic. lS (ISEA), Chulyshman River Valley, near Kendir River mouth, 51°00'N, 88°01'E, stony steppe slope with rocks, 620-780 m, 7.07.2013 (A.A. Fomichev). Tuva Republic. 1 $ (ISEA) near Ubsunur Lake, Irbitei River Valley, 50°44'N, 93°08'E, 1000 m, 13-16.06.1995 (Y.M. Marusik). MONGOLIA: Khovd Aimag 1S (ISEA) Ikh-Khavtag-Uul Mt. Range, near Yargaityn-Sair Gorge, 45°03'N, 92°09'E, mountain stony steppe with rocks and screes, 1900-2150 m, 30-31.05.2015 (A.A. Fomichev). Tov Aimag. 1S 5juv. (ZMMU), Bayankhangai Somon, 47°20'N, 105°24'E, near camp, screes and cliffs in canyon, 1200 m, 2125.05.1997 (Y.M. Marusik).
Diagnosis. Same as for genus.
Birnoziwuu eicHUK MAnY Mem Bozbama XMeabH^brnzo 6 (3), 2016
Figures 19-24. Copulatory organs of Emetus inopinabilis. 19-21 male palp, dorsal, ventral and retrolateral; 22-23 intact epigyne, ventral and caudal; 24 macerated epigyne, posterior. Scale = 0.2 mm (if indicated).
Figures 25. Distribution records of Emetusinopinabilis (dot). Open circle refers to record "Western Kazakhstan".
Description. Male (from Khovd Aimag). Carapace: 1.78 long, 1.45 wide. Abdomen 2.05 long. Coloration. Carapace pale-yellow with two gray stripes running from posterior lateral eyes to fovea and two gray spots near its posterior edge (Fig. 2).
Labium and maxillae pale-yellow. Sternum yellow with unclear gray spots. Chelicerae light-brown. Legs pale-yellow with vague gray rings. Palps pale-yellow. Abdomen cream-colored with white spots forming a pattern dorsally. Chelicera with peg teeth arranged in three triplets (Tt) on the outer margin and 2 strong setae (Ss), each triplet consist of 2 teeth (Pt) and one seta (Cs) (Figs 10, 14-15). Tibia with 3 trichobothria. Tarsus with numerous
fine erected setae (Figs 7-8) lacking in metatarsus and tibia. Epiandrus (Fig. 11) with 3 clusters (Ci) of spigots, each composed by 7-8 spigots. Spination of leg I: Fe d2, p2, r1; Pt d2; Ti d2, p12, r2, v2; Mt p18, r2.
Leg measurements in male
Fe Pt Ti Mt Ta Total
I 1.85 0.75 1.58 1.43 1.2 6.81
II 1.68 0.68 1.3 1.25 1.03 5.94
III 1.45 0.55 1.0 1.03 0.83 4.86
IV 1.95 0.65 1.58 1.63 1.0 6.81
Palp as in Figs 6, 16-21. Tibia relatively short (two times longer than width); cymbium anteriorly wider than at the base, with deep retrolateral furrow (Cf); paracymbium simple, composed by one part (= cymbium without additional outgrowth).
Female (from Tuva). Carapace: 2.48 long, 1.83 wide. Abdomen 3.35 long. Carapace pale yellow, with two light-brown stripes running from posterior lateral eyes to fovea and two light-gray spots along its edges. Labium and maxillae yellow-brown. Sternum yellow with unclear brown spots. Chelicerae brown. Legs pale yellow with light-brown rings. Abdomen as in male. Spination of leg I: Fe d2, p2, r1; Pt d2; Ti d2, p14, r3; Mt p16. Spinnerets as in Fig. 12.
Leg measurements in female
Fe Pt Ti Mt Ta Total
I 2.18 0.95 1.68 1.68 1.18 7.67
II 2.03 0.83 1.43 1.5 1.1 6.89
III 1.83 0.7 1.2 1.3 0.93 5.96
IV 2.45 0.85 1.93 2.0 1.2 8.43
Epigyne as in Figs 22-24; septum almost perpendicular to the ventral surface of the abdomen, posterior plate with 2 fine pits; receptacles round, copulatory ducts short, shorter than radius of receptacle.
Distribution. The species and the genus is known from Ukraine (Dnipropetrovs'k, ca 35°E) to Central Mongolia (105°24'E) (Fig. 25). So far the known range is disjunct because E. inopinabilis is unknown from the area between Daghestan and the Altai; most likely, this disjunction is due to the lack of data from the steppe zone of Kazakhstan.
Biology. In the European part of its range, the species inhabits mainly steppe habitats: steppified meadows, sandy steppes, etc. (Polchaninova & Prokopenko, 2013; Ponomarev, 2008). In Kalmykia this species was collected in a burrow of little ground squirrel (Spermophiluspygmaeus (Pallas, 1778)) (Ponomarev, 2008). In the Asian part of the range E. inopinabilis inhabits mountain stony steppes (Fomichev, 2016; present data). This species occurs in a wide altitude range: from the sea level to 1400 m in the European part, and from 620 m to 2150 m in the Asian part of the range.
Comments. The species was recorded from Mongolia (Marusik & Logunov, 1999) as Ero sp. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to Roman V. Yakovlev, Alexander I. Shmakov, Alexander N. Cherepanov (Barnaul, Russia), Sergey Yu. Sinev (Saint Petersburg, Russia), Alexey V. Pershin (Biysk, Russia) for their help in the organization of field trips to the Altai Republic and Mongolia, in which a part of material treated here was collected. We thank Kirill G. Mikhailov (ZMMU, Russia) for allowing us to the holotype and paratype of Ermetus inopinabilis. English of the final draft was kindly checked by Victor Fet (Huntington, USA).
REFERENCES
Fomichev, A.A. (2016). New data on spiders (Arachnida: Aranei) from south-western Mongolia. Biological Bulletin of Bogdan
Chmelnitskiy Melitopol State Pedagogical University, 6(2), 101-106. Logunov, D.V., Gromov, A.V., Timokhanov, V.A. (2012). Spiders of Kazakhstan. Manchester, UK: Siri Scientific Press. Marusik, Y.M., Logunov, D.V. (1999). On the spiders (Aranei) collected in central Mongolia during a joint American-
Mongolian-Russian expedition in 1997. Arthropoda Selecta, 7(3), 233-254. Mikhailov, K.G. (2013). The spiders (Arachnida: Aranei) of Russia and adjacent countries: a non-annotated checklist.
Arthropoda Selecta, Supplement 3, 262. Polchaninova, N.Y., Prokopenko, E.V. (2013). Catalogue of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranei) of Left-Bank Ukraine. Arthropoda Selecta, Supplement 2, 268.
Ponomarev, A.V. (2008). Additions to the spider fauna (Aranei) from southern Russia and western Kazakhstan: new taxa and
records. Caucasian Entomological Bulletin, 4(1), 49-61. World Spider Catalog, 2016. World Spider Catalog, Version 17.5, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (accessed in November, 2016).
Pimoii4rnU eicHUK МДПУ шет Богдана Хмельницького 6 (3), 2016
