Gnaphosa modestior Kulczynki 1897
Creators: name: Řezáč, Milan
name: Růžička, Vlastimil
name: Oger, Pierre
name: Řezáčová, Veronika
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Gnaphosidae
Gnaphosa
Gnaphosa modestior

description: <i>Gnaphosa modestior</i> Kulczy&amp;nacute;ki, 1897 (Figs 1C, 1F, 1I, 2D, 2H, 3) <i>GnaphOsa mOdestiOr</i> —KulcZy&amp;nacute;ski in ChyZer &amp; KulcZy&amp;nacute;ski (1897): p. 184, table VII, figs 18a–c (descr. &amp;male; &amp;female;). Grimm (1985): p. 72, figs 37a–b (&amp;male;), 38 (&amp;female;, redrawn from ChyZer &amp; KulcZy&amp;nacute;ski 1897). Heimer &amp; Nentwig (1991): p. 420, figs. 1108.1–1108.3 (&amp;male; &amp;female;), redrawn from ChyZer &amp; KulcZy&amp;nacute;ski (1897). Ovtsharenko <i>et al.</i> (1992): p. 64 (designated lectotype &amp;female;). <i>GnaphOsa laeta</i> —Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski in Chyzer &amp; Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski (1897): p. 185, table VII, fig. 19 (descr. &amp;female;); removed from the synonymy of <i>G. alpica</i> (Ovtsharenko <i>et al.</i> 1992), <b>new synonymy</b>. <i>GnaphOsa alpica</i> — Ovtsharenko <i>et al.</i> (1992): p. 61, figs 221–222 (&amp;male;). Thaler &amp; Knoflach (2004): p. 425. Misidentifications. <b>Diagnosis.</b> Males differ frOm thOse Of Other species Of the cOmplex in a markedly elOngated tibial apOphysis (twO times lOnger than the rest Of tibia, Fig. 1I). Females differ frOm thOse Of Other species Of the cOmplex in that the length Of the scapus is mOre than twO times the width (Fig. 2D), and pOsitiOned mOre anteriOrly (distance frOm the pOsterOlateral pOckets is equal tO the length Of the pOckets). The lateral edges Of the pOsterOlateral pOckets cOnverge pOsteriOrly (in Other species they are parallel). The vulva differs in that the distal part Of the median ducts bulge in an even manner, but the prOximal parts run clOse and parallel tO each Other (pear-shape, Fig. 2H; in the Other species Of the cOmplex they regularly cOnverge tO the frOnt—similar tO the shape Of the letter A). <b>Remarks.</b> This species was described based On the male frOm NOrtheastern CrOatia (&amp;Dstrok;akOvO) and females frOm Central Hungary (BalatOnalmádi) and sOuthwestern ROmania (Bazia&amp;scedil;, Mt. AlliOn near OrșOva). The type material shOuld be at the Hungarian Natural HistOry Museum in Budapest (see OvtsharenkO <i>et al.</i> 1992), but is currently missing (László Dányi, in litt.). Nevertheless, thanks tO Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski’s precise drawings, the identity Of <i>G. modestior</i> is clear. The drawings Of the male palp shOw all the diagnOstic characters, including the remarkably lOng retrOlateral tibial apOphysis (RTA). The male mOrphOlOgy shOwn is identical tO the mOrphOlOgy Of the material frOm Czechia. The depicted epigyne (Chyzer &amp; Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1897: plate VII, fig. 18a) pOssesses pOsteriOrly cOnverging pOsterOlateral pOckets that are a diagnOstic feature Of females belOnging tO the males with lOng RTA. In the same study, Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski described a single female Of this species frOm Szerencs, nOrtheastern Hungary, under the name <i>G. laeta</i> (Chyzer &amp; Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1897). The type material shOuld be at the Hungarian Natural HistOry Museum in Budapest (see OvtsharenkO <i>et al.</i> 1992), but is currently missing (László Dányi, in litt.). Nevertheless, the precise drawing in the Original descriptiOn (Chyzer &amp; Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1897: plate VII, fig. 19) allOws unambiguOus identificatiOn. The depicted epigyne, bOth in the shape Of scapus and the pOsterOlateral pOckets, is identical tO epigynes Of <i>G. modestior</i> frOm Czechia (Figs 2D, 2H). Hungary is an arachnOlOgically well-researched territOry and the Only single species Of the <i>Gnaphosa alpica</i> cOmplex, <i>G. modestior</i> can be fOund there (Csaba Szinetár, persOnal cOmmunicatiOn). TherefOre, we cOnclude that <i>G. laeta</i> is a juniOr synOnym Of <i>G. modestior</i> (the descriptiOn Of <i>G. modestior</i> precedes the descriptiOn Of <i>G. laeta</i> in Chyzer &amp; Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1897). Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski’s mistake was caused by underestimatiOn Of intraspecific variatiOn in the shape and relative length Of the epigynal scapus. His females Of <i>G. modestior</i> had shOrter scapus than the female Of <i>G. laeta</i>. But, as seen in the material frOm Czechia, the length Of scapus Of <i>G. modestior</i> is intraspecifically variable. In this species, the scapus is an elastic structure and as such it dOes nOt have cOnstant prOpOrtiOns amOng individuals. In cOntrast, the pOsterOlateral pOckets are a sclerOtised structure, the shape Of which is unifOrm within the species. Interestingly, Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski himself admitted that <i>G. laeta</i> was prObably an aberrant female Of <i>G. modestior</i> (Chyzer &amp; Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1897: p. 186). WithOut sufficient explanatiOn, OvtsharenkO and cOlleagues paired the male Of <i>G. modestior</i> with <i>G. alpica</i> females (the males Of <i>G. alpica</i> had nOt been knOwn in that time) and synOnymised <i>G. laeta</i> (female Of <i>G. modestior</i>) with <i>G. alpica</i> (OvtsharenkO <i>et al.</i> 1992). They used the name <i>G. modestior</i> fOr Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski’s females and matched <i>G. dolanskyi</i> sp. n. males tO them. <b>Ecology and Distribution.</b> Open xerOthermic habitats and fOrest-steppes. Adults in spring and summer. PannOnian biOregiOn: sOutheastern Czechia (Heneberg &amp; &amp;Rcaron;ezá&amp;ccaron; 2014 and data in this article) (the species is cOnsidered critically endangered in Czechia—&amp;Rcaron;ezá&amp;ccaron; <i>et al.</i> 2015), SlOvakia (GajdOš <i>et al.</i> 1999), nOrtheastern Austria (Thaler &amp; KnOflach 2004, sub <i>G. alpica</i>), Hungary, sOuthwestern ROmania, nOrtheastern CrOatia (Chyzer &amp; Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1897). The pOpulatiOn frOm SOuthern Italy (this study) is likely tO be part Of a cOntinuOus distributiOn acrOss Italy. In Czechia this cOnspicuOus species was Only recently fOund in several areas that have been arachnOlOgically well studied in the past. TherefOre, we suppOse that the current distributiOn in sOutheastern Czechia might be a result Of a recent range expansiOn. <i>Material examined. Czechia:</i> Hnanice, bOttOm Of the Dyje river valley bellOw ŠObes vineyard (48.8084°, 15.9770°), Oak forest fringe, 4 August 2007, 2 &amp;male;&amp;male;, 25 August 2007, 1 &amp;male;, leg. L. Reischlová, coll. Z. Majkus; Podmolí, Dlouhý Les fOrest (48.8348°, 15.9506°), xerOthermic sparse Oak fOrest On the steep rOcky slOpe, 15 May 2013, 1 &amp;male;, 9 April—23 May 2014, 2 &amp;male;&amp;male;, leg. &amp; coll. A. Jelínek; Dolní Bojanovice (48.876°, 17.052°), xerothermic edge of a wood, 28 April—8 June 2012, 1 &amp;male; 1&amp;female;, leg. M. &amp;Rcaron;ezá&amp;ccaron; &amp; P. Heneberg, coll. EBMP (Heneberg &amp; &amp;Rcaron;ezá&amp;ccaron; 2014); Hodonín, Pánov reserve (48.8887°, 17.1379°), sands with sparse steppe vegetatiOn, 17 May 2015, 1 &amp;female;, leg. M. &amp;Rcaron;ezá&amp;ccaron;, cOll. EBMP. <i>Italy:</i> Calabria: Bagaladi (30.0553°, 15.812°), Mediterranean fOrest, 1100 m a.s.l., NOvember 2013 — June 2014, 1 &amp;male;, 1&amp;female;, pitfall traps, leg. E. CastigliOne &amp; F. Manti, persOnal cOll. Of P. Oger.
description: Published as part of <i>Řezáč, Milan, Růžička, Vlastimil, Oger, Pierre &amp; Řezáčová, Veronika, 2018, European species of the Gnaphosa alpica complex (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), pp. 289-294 in Zootaxa 3</i> on pages 291-294, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1145567
description: {"references": ["ChyZer, C. &amp; KulcZynski, W. (1897) Araneae Hungariae. TOmi II-di pars pOsteriOr: ZOdariOidae, AgalenOidae, DrassOidae, ZOrOpseOidae, DysderOidae, FilistatOidae, CalOmmatOidae, TheraphOsOidae. Editio Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Budapest, 226 pp. [pp. 145 - 370]", "Grimm, U. (1985) Die Gnaphosidae Mitteleuropas (Arachnida, Araneae). Abhandlungen des NaturwissenschaFtlichen Vereins in Hamburg, N. F., 26, 1 - 318.", "Heimer, S. &amp; Nentwig. W. (Eds.) (1991) Spinnen MitteleurOpas: ein Bestimmungsbuch. Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin &amp; Hamburg, 543 pp.", "Ovtsharenko, V. I., Platnick, N. I. &amp; Song, D. X. (1992) A review of the North Asian ground spiders of the genus GnaphOsa (Araneae, Gnaphosidae). Bulletin OF the American Museum OF Natural HistOry, 212, 1 - 88.", "Thaler, K. &amp; Knoflach, B. (2004) Zur Faunistik der Spinnen (Araneae) von Osterreich: Gnaphosidae, Thomisidae (Dionycha pro parte). Linzer BiOlOgische Beitrage, 36 (1), 417 - 484.", "Heneberg, P. &amp; ReZac, M. (2014) Dry sandpits and gravel sandpits serve as key refuges for endangered epigeic spiders (Araneae) and harvestmen (Opiliones) of Central European steppes aeolian sands. EcOlOgical Engineering, 73, 659 - 670. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. ecoleng. 2014.09.101"]}