Accepted by C. Haddad: 15 Mar. 2016; published: 30 May 2016

135

ZOOTAXA

ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition)

ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)Copyright © 2016 Magnolia Press

Zootaxa 4117 (1): 135–140

http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/

Article

http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4117.1.8

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:548825CE-8C2F-4F09-9AAD-C6C304F0A2E2

A new Agraecina spider species from the Balkan Peninsula (FYR Macedonia)

(Araneae: Liocranidae)

CHRISTO DELTSHEV1

& CHUNXIA WANG2

1

National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.

E-mail: deltshev@gmail.com

2

Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. E-mail: wangcx@ioz.ac.cn

The genus Agraecina Simon, 1932 (Araneae: Liocrianidae) is closely related to Agroeca Westring, 1861 and differs from

the latter by the presence of only two pairs of ventral spines on metatarsi I and II, and the simple genital organs (Simon

1932; Bosmans 1999; Bosselaers 2009). Moreover, Bosselaers & Jocqué (2002, 2013) presented cladograms showing the

close relationship between both genera.

Currently, the genus Agraecina includes five species: A. canariensis Wunderlich 1992 from the Canary Islands; A.

cristiani (Georgescu, 1989), found in a cave in Romania; A. hodna Bosmans, 1999 from Algeria; A. lineata (Simon,

1878) distributed from Western Mediterranean to Kazakhstan; and A. rutilia (Simon, 1897) from Sierra Leone (WSC

2016). In this paper, Agraecina scupiensis sp. nov. (male and female) is described and illustrated from Skopje, FYR

Macedonia, where it was collected in grass habitats within the city (Fig. 1) (Stefanovska et al. 2008). The new species

has somatic and genital characters that correspond well to those of the genus Agraecina. The new taxon is compared to

other species of this genus.

FIGURE 1. Localities where spiders were collected (City of Skopje).

DELTSHEV & WANG136 · Zootaxa 4117 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

Specimens were collected using pitfall traps. Coloration is described from alcohol-preserved specimens. Specimens

were examined and measured using a Wild M5A stereomicroscope. Further details were studied and measured under an

Olympus BX41 compound microscope. All drawings were made using a drawing apparatus attached to a Leica

stereomicroscope. Male palps and female genitalia were examined and illustrated after they were dissected from the

spiders’ bodies. Photos were taken with an Olympus C7070 wide zoom digital camera mounted on an Olympus SZX12

stereomicroscope. The images were montaged using Helicon Focus image stacking software. Measurements of the legs

are taken from the dorsal side. Total length of the body includes the chelicerae. All measurements were taken in mm.

Abbreviations used in text include: AME, anterior median eyes; ALE, anterior lateral eyes; EM, embolus; MA, median

apophysis; CD, copulatory duct; ST, spermatheca; fe, femur; pa, patella; ti, tibia; mt, metatarsus; p, prolateral; d, dorsal;

r, retrolateral; v, ventral. Type specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Natural History (NMNHS), Sofia,

Bulgaria.

Liocranidae Simon, 1897

Agraecina Simon, 1932

Agraecina scupiensis Deltshev, sp. n.

Figs 2–13

Agraecina pr. hodna: Stefanovska et al. 2008: 37.

Type material. Holotype ♂, FYR Macedonia, Skopje, Maxari (240 m a.s.l.), grass vegetation, 02.X.2004. Paratypes: 1

♀, same data as for the holotype; 1 ♂, 19.IX.2004, also from Maxari; 1 ♂, Skopje, Karpoš (253 m a.s.l.), grass

vegetation, 23.VI.2004 (all leg. D. Stefanovska).

Etymology. Derived from the Roman name of the city of Skopje - Scupi.

Diagnosis. Somatic characteristics of the new species correspond to those of the genus, but the genitalia differ from

all other known species of the genus. Morphologically, the new species most closely resembles A. hodna Bosmans, 1999

and A. lineata (Simon, 1878), but the male is distinguished by the slender embolus, median apophysis with well-defined

hook apically and thicker tibial apophysis (Figs 4, 5, 10, 11); the female can be distinguished by the median septum

strongly narrowing posteriorly, and the distinct curved and oblique spermathecae (Figs 8, 9, 12, 13).

Description. Male holotype: Total length 4.68; prosoma, length 2.16, width 1.80; sternum length 1.36, width 1.08;

opisthosoma, length 2.52.

Carapace yellowish, with anastomosing, radiating stripes (Fig 2). All eyes subequal, except ALE whose diameter is

about 30% larger than that of other eyes. AME almost touching, separated from ALE by 1/2 their diameter. Clypeus

slightly larger than diameter of AME. Chelicerae yellow, with three teeth along promarginal cheliceral rim, middle one

largest, two teeth on retromarginal rim. Abdomen grey to pale grey (Figs 2, 3). Legs yellowish to yellow-brown (Figs 2,

3). Leg spination - fe: I p 2 d 4; II p 1 d 4; III p 1 d 4; IV p 3 d 2 r 3; pt: I d 1; II d 1; III p 1 d 1; IV p 1 d 1; ti: I p 3 v 4; II

p 2 v 4; III p 2 d 2 r 2 v 3; IV p 4 d 2 r 2 v 3; mt: I p 2 r 1 v 2; II p 2 r 1 v 2; II p 3 r 3 v 4; IV p 4 r 4 v 4. Leg formula 4123,

measurements as in Table 1.

TABLE 1. Agraecina scupiensis sp. nov., leg measurements (male holotype).

Male palp (Figs 4, 5, 10, 11): Tibial apophysis well presented, pointed. Median apophysis with long apical part

curved as hook. Embolus oblique, long, thin.

Female paratype: Total length 5.04; prosoma, length 2.52, width 2.16; sternum length 1.26, width 1.08;

opisthosoma, length 2.52. All characters as described for male (Figs 6, 7). Leg measurements as in Table 2.

Legs Femur Patella Tibia Metatarsus Tarsus Total

I 1.98 1.08 1.8 1.55 1.26 7.67

II 1.73 0.97 1.62 1.44 1.15 6.91

III 1.62 0.9 1.37 1.62 1.08 6.59

IV 2.16 1.08 1.98 2.52 1.26 9.00

Zootaxa 4117 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press · 137A NEW SPECIES OF BALKAN AGRAECINA SPIDER

FIGURES 2–5. Agraecina scupiensis sp. nov., male holotype. 2. Habitus, dorsal view; 3. Habitus, ventral view; 4. Male palp, ventral

view; 5. Male palp, retrolateral view. Scale bars: 2, 3—1 mm; 4, 5—0.5 mm.

DELTSHEV & WANG138 · Zootaxa 4117 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

FIGURES 6–9. Agraecina scupiensis sp. nov., female paratype. 6. Habitus, dorsal view; 7. Habitus, ventral view; 8. Vulva, ventral

view; 9. Vulva, dorsal view. Scale bars: 6, 7—1 mm ; 8, 9—0.5 mm.

Zootaxa 4117 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press · 139A NEW SPECIES OF BALKAN AGRAECINA SPIDER

FIGURES 10–13. Agraecina scupiensis sp. nov., male and female paratypes. 10. Male palp, ventral view; 11. Male palp, retrolateral

view; 12. Epigyne, ventral view; 13. Vulva, ventral view. Scale bars: 10, 11 – 0.4 mm; 12, 13 – 0.2 mm.

TABLE 2. Agraecina scupiensis sp. nov., leg measurements (female paratype).

Legs Femur Patella Tibia Metatarsus Tarsus Total

I 1.8 1.08 1.8 1.37 1.08 7.13

II 1.8 1.08 1.62 1.26 1.19 6.95

III 1.66 0.9 1.44 1.44 1.08 6.52

IV 2.16 1.08 1.94 2.45 1.19 8.82

DELTSHEV & WANG140 · Zootaxa 4117 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

Epigyne and vulva (Figs. 8, 9, 12, 13): with well-defined median septum, greatly narrowing posteriorly. Copulatory

openings wide, sperm ducts arcuate, spermathecae curved and oblique.

Distribution. Known only from the type series localities within the city of Skopje (Fig. 1).

Acknowledgements

We are much obliged to our colleague Dushitsa Stefanovska who provided us with spider material from Skopje, to

Robert Bosmans and Jan Bosselaers for the useful discussion and precise comments, and to Victor Fet for the linguistic

improvement of the text. This research was supported by grant from DFG (German Research Foundation).

References

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1463-6409.2002.00080.x

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