Lathys nielseni
Creators: name: Marusik, Yuri
name: Koponen, Seppo
name: Fritzén, Niclas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Dictynidae
Lathys
Lathys nielseni

description: <i>Lathys nielseni</i> (Schenkel, 1932) Figs 4-6, 10-12, 17-19, 23-25, 28-32 <i>Altella n.</i> Schenkel, 1932: 206, f. 1 (D &amp;female;). <i>L. humilis</i>: Lehtinen 1967: 242, f. 264 (♁). Misidentification <i>L. bifoveolatus</i> Miller, 1971: 71, pl. IV, f. 3 (D &amp;female;). <i>L. humilis</i>: Palmgren 1977: 22, f. 4.20-24 (♁ &amp;female;). Misidentification. <i>L. n.</i>: Thaler 1981: 126, f. 74-76, 80-84 (♁ &amp;female;). <i>L. humilis</i>: Hu 1984: 60, f. 55.1-2 (&amp;female;). Misidentification, seems to refer to <i>L. nielseni.</i> <i>L. n.</i>: Roberts 1987: 170, f. 88a (♁ &amp;female;). <i>L. n.</i>: Heimer and Nentwig 1991: 380, f. 985 (♁ &amp;female;). <i>L. n.</i>: Roberts 1995: 88, f. (♁ &amp;female;). <i>L. n.</i>: Roberts 1998: 90, f. (♁ &amp;female;). <i>L. n.</i>: Almquist 2006: 320, f. 281a-f (♁ &amp;female;). <i>L. humilis</i>: Zhu 1985: 58, f. 48a-c (♁). Misidentification, seems to refer to <i>L. nielseni</i> or <i>L. annulata.</i> <i>L. humilis</i>: Song et al. 1999: 364, f. 215N (♁). Misidentification, seems to refer to <i>L. nielseni</i> or <i>L. annulata.</i> <i>L. humilis</i>: Song et al. 2001: 287, f. 181A-B (♁). Misidentification, seems to refer to <i>L. nielseni</i> or <i>L. annulata</i>. Note: some of the references to <i>L. humilis</i> may refer to this species. <b>Material examined.</b> FINLAND: Åland Isl., Geta, Getaberget: 6♁, 27&amp;female;, 33 juv. (ZMT / ARA28251), lichenous rocks, 24.05.1975 (P.T. Lehtinen); Humppila, Rantakallio: 1&amp;female; (ZMT), 28.06.1962 (P.T. Lehtinen); Parainen, Mustfinnö: 1♁ (MZT), forest, 4.06.1968 (S. Koponen); same locality: 1♁, 15&amp;female; (ZMT), <i>Vaccinium</i> - type forest (P.T. Lehtinen); same locality: 1♁, 25&amp;female; (ZMT), among moss in forest, 14.06.1966 (M. Saaristo); Turku, Kärsämäki, Pomponrahka: 5&amp;female; (ZMT), among <i>Cladonia</i>, 29.03.1967 (M. Saaristo); Drags&amp;eng;ärd, Purunpää: 1♁ (ZMT), 6.06- 20.07.1971 (P.T. Lehtinen); Rymättylä, Ruotsalainen: 1&amp;female; (ZMT), 10.07.1971 (P.T. Lehtinen); Nauvo, Seili: 1&amp;female; (ZMT), lichenous rock, 1- 30.10.1967 (P. Häkkilä); Somero, Ruunala: 1♁ (ZMT), 1974-1975 (H. Hippa and R. Mannila); Virrat, Patalankylä, Yli-Havankajärvi: 1 juv. (ZMT), 11.07.1972 (P.T. Lehtinen); Turku, Ruissalo: 1&amp;female; (ZMT), 1968 (P.T. Lehtinen); Pori, Yyteri: 1&amp;female; (ZMT), <i>Elymus</i> dyne, 14.10. 1961 (P.T. Lehtinen); Tuusula, Ruotsinkylä: 6♁, 15&amp;female;, 5 juv. (ZMH), <i>Calluna</i> - type forest, 1962-1965 (V. Huhta); Mäntyharju, Hietaniemi, Mäkelä: 2♁, 2&amp;female; (ZMH), <i>Vaccinium</i> - type pine forest among <i>Pleurozium</i>, 29.05.1966 (P. Palmgren); Hanko, Tvärminne by: 9♁, 4&amp;female;, 5 juv. (ZMH), <i>Calluna</i> - type pine forest among <i>Cladonia</i> and <i>Hylocomium schreberi</i>, 1.06.1962 (P. Palmgren); same locality and habitat: 5&amp;female;, 16 juv. (ZMH), 8.08.1964 (P. Palmgren); 1&amp;female; (ZMH), Drags&amp;eng;ärd, Högholmen: among litter in <i>Myrtillus</i> - type forest, 5.06.2006 (I. Österblad); 1&amp;female; (ZMH), Hanko, Lappohja, Högsand: 1&amp;female;, pitfall-trap, sandy shore, edge of dry pine forest, 19.07- 9.08.2004 (N.R. Fritzén); Kuusamo, Rukajärvi, Rukatunturi: 4&amp;female;, 15 juv. (ZMT), 10.07.1961 (P.T. Lehtinen). RUSSIA: 2♁, 3&amp;female; (ZMMU), <b>Bashkortostan</b>, Ilmenski Reserve, 29.05.1959 and 8.06.1959, (Stebaev). 2♁ 7&amp;female; [ARAN.SIB 117, MZT] <b>Novosibirsk</b> Area, Borovoye, 16.6.1983 (H. Hippa). <b>Description.</b> Measurements (Finnish specimens). <b>Male</b>. Total length 1.8; carapace 0.89 long, 0.69 wide, 0.42 high; chelicerae 0.53 long. Variation (n=3): total length 1.7-1.9; carapace 0.88-0.90 long, 0.68-0.71 wide, 0.39-0.45 high; chelicerae 0.49-0.63 long. [table omitted] <b>Female</b>. Total length 1.8; carapace 0.78 long, 0.62 wide, 0.39 high; chelicerae 0.33 long. Variation (n=3): total length 1.6-2.3; carapace 0.75-0.86 long, 0.58-0.65 wide, 0.37-0.40 high; chelicerae 0.26-0.36 long. [table omitted] <b>Colouration.</b> Carapace in both sexes without distinct pattern, although dark stripes distinguish the cephalic area from the thoracic region. Abdomen with distinct pattern consisting of brownish pigment: long median stripe with transverse arms. Legs without annulations. <b>Copulatory organs.</b> Male palp (Figs 10-12, 17-19) with patellar apophysis, tibia with three apophyses (retrolateral dorsal, retroventral and retrolateral (or intermediate) that fix (lock) terminal part of conductor. Conductor very long with two arms. Upper arm coiled, lower part spine-like and slightly twisted. Epigyne as in Figs 23, 28-32, with indistinct epigynal fovea and distinct round copulatory openings. Spermathecae egg-shaped. Insemination ducts long with each duct having a vertical and a horizontal loop. First duct turned downwards and then upwards. <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>L. nielseni</i> can be easily distinguished from <i>L. humilis</i> and <i>L. annulata</i> by lacking white guanine spots on the abdomen (Figs 4-6). The epigyne of <i>L. nielseni</i> resembles that of <i>L. annulata.</i> The two species can be separated by the shape of the receptacula (egg-shaped in <i>L. nielseni</i> and rounded in <i>L. annulata</i>) and the longer insemination ducts in the Japanese species. In addition to colour pattern, males of this species can be separated from the European <i>L. humilis</i> by the different shapes of the patellar and tibial apophyses (cf. Figs 13-16 and 17-19), the thinner tip of the conductor and the absence of leg annulations (cf. Figs 1, 4). The females of the two species can be separated by the shape of the fovea (distinct margins and septum in <i>L. humilis</i>, no distinct margins and septum in <i>L. nielseni</i>), the shape of the spermathecae and the length and the course of the insemination ducts (cf. Figs 20, 23, 26-30). <b>Distribution.</b> It seems that this species has a trans-Palaearctic range and is distributed from the UK to Shandong (China) and possibly to Taiwan. Within Europe, this species has been reported from Austria, Belorus, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland (Helsdingen 2007). In addition, <i>L. nielseni</i> is also known from the St. Petersburg Area and the southern Urals in Russia. The easternmost proven record of this species lies in the Novosibirsk Area (ca 85°E). The northernmost records are from Finland (where the species is often found up to 63°N) and Kuusamo, 66°10’N (Map 1). A comparison of figures of the epigyne (Figs 31-32) made from Finnish and Shandong specimens (identified by Hu 1984 as <i>L. humilis</i>) leaves no doubt that the Chinese specimens belong to <i>L. nielseni</i>. Other records from eastern China based on males may also refer either to <i>L. nielseni</i> or <i>L. annulata</i> (known exclusively from females). The identity of <i>L. humilis</i> from Gansu (Schenkel 1936) remains unclear. Figures of the epigyne made by Schenkel are dissimilar to those of both <i>L. humilis</i> and <i>L. nielseni</i>. The specimen stored in the Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, lacks the epigyne and the abdominal pattern is indistinct due to bleaching. <b>Habitats.</b> Thaler (1981) reported <i>L. nielseni</i> from warm pine wood steppe (as high as 1500 m a.s.l.), and Buchar and R&amp;uring;&amp;zcaron;i&amp;ccaron;ka (2002) mentioned that it occurs within moss and lichens in pine forests (at 400 m). In England this species occurs in moist places at ground level on heathland, under stones or among damp, dead <i>Molinia caerulea</i> litter between the tussocks (Harvey et al. 2002). Almquist (2006) reported the species from dune heaths. In Finland it has been collected mainly from dry habitats, among litter, moss and lichens, also on sand dunes with <i>Elymus.</i> It seems that this species occurs only in litter, while the sibling <i>L. humilis</i> inhabits bushes and trees, and is found in litter occasionally. <b>Discussion.</b> The taxonomy of <i>Lathys</i> remains poorly and improperly studied in several respects. The limits of this genus are unclear (<i>Lathys insulana</i> Ono, 2003 seems to belong to <i>Argenna</i> or an undescribed genus; several Nearctic species appear to be distantly related to <i>L. humilis</i>). <i>Scotolathys</i>, which has long been considered a synonym of <i>Lathys,</i> was recently revalidated (Marusik et al. 2009). Many <i>Lathys</i> species remain unstudied since their original description, with many species known only from one sex. Many species appear to have been incorrectly synonymised with <i>L. stigmatisata.</i> Only a few species have been illustrated adequately. One of the reasons why the genus has been studied unsatisfactorily is a lack of developed species criteria. For example, in his revision, Lehtinen (1967) paid attention to the tip of the conductor, which is very similar in many species, or the structure of the epigynal fovea (also similar in many distantly related species) (P.T. Lehtinen pers. comm.). The species criteria were poorly defined because the conformation of the male palp was unknown until recently. The first detailed and correct figures of the <i>Lathys</i> male palpal tibia were published by Thaler (1981) and the structure of the bulbus was shown for the first time in 2006 (Marusik et al. 2006).
description: Published as part of <i>Marusik, Yuri, Koponen, Seppo &amp; Fritzén, Niclas, 2009, On two sibling Lathys species (Araneae, Dictynidae) from northern Europe, pp. 181-195 in ZooKeys 16 (16)</i> on pages 189-194, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.16.228, http://zenodo.org/record/292442
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