Episinus algiricus Lucas 1846
Creators: name: Knoflach, Barbara
name: Rollard, Christine
name: Thaler, Konrad
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Theridiidae
Episinus
Episinus algiricus

description: <i>Episinus algiricus</i> Lucas, 1846 Figs 10-13, 15-17, 22, 25-26 <i>Episinus algiricus</i> Lucas, 1846: 269, fig. 11, pl. 17, subadult male, type region: Algeria, not examined. <i>Episinus albescens</i> Denis, 1965: 611, figs 1-3, female, holotype from Landes, France, in MHNP, examined, <b>syn. n.</b> <b>Description, identification.</b> Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski (1905), Denis (1965; sub <i>E. albescens</i>, female), Knoflach and Thaler (2000, female). Species name <i>algiricus</i> as in original description (see Lucas 1846: 269). <b>Synonymy.</b> The type specimen (female) of <i>Episinus albescens</i>, which is in rather poor condition, allows a clear synonymisation according to the epigynal/vulval characters (Figs 15-16). Shape and size of epigynal cavity and receptacula agree well with <i>E. algiricus</i>. Also colour pattern and the abdominal shape figured by Denis (1965) support this interpretation. <i>E. albescens</i> has not been recorded since its description. The type locality in Landes lies within the distribution area of <i>E. algiricus</i>. <b>Material examined. France: Var, Cavalaire, 1 &amp;male; (MHNP AR 2198, sub <i>Episinus truncatus</i>).</b> Menton, 1 &amp;male; (MHNP AR 2184), 22.5.1915, E. Simon. “ Gallia ” without exact locality, 2 &amp;male;, 6 &amp;female; 1 juvenile (MHNP AR 2196). Landes, surroundings of Dax, 1 &amp;female;, August 1962, leg. Schilt (Denis 1965; type of <i>E. albescens</i>; faded and shrivelled; MHNP). Corse, Evisa, 1 &amp;female; (MHNP AR 2206 sub <i>E. angulatus</i>). <b>Italy:</b> Sardinia, Ogliastra, W Baunei, 718 m, 40°06.319’ N, 09°34.867’ E, 1 &amp;male; (CTh), 2.6.2003, beating from <i>Quercus</i>, leg. B. Knoflach &amp; K. Thaler [Th-443 Sa03/2]. Baunei / Dorgali, close to branch-off to Codula di Luna, 635 m, 40°05.791’ N, 09°33.158’ E, 1 &amp;female; (CTh), 5.6.2003, pasture plateau, beating from <i>Cistus</i>, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-455 Sa03/14]. E Dorgali, above Cala Gonone, 220 m, 40°16.290’ N, 09°36.641’ E, 1 &amp;female; (CTh), 5.6.2003, beating in oak forest with rocky, bare ground, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-458 Sa03/17]. <b>Tunisia:</b> Monastir, salt marsh near airport, 35°45’N 10°47’E, 1 &amp;male; (CM), 27.4.2007, from scrub, leg. C. Muster. <b>Algeria:</b> “ Forêt de Zonagha ”, 1 &amp;female;, 1 juvenile (MHNP). <b>Measurements.</b> Males (n=5, min-max): Total length 2.9-4.2, carapace length 1.2- 1.6, width 1.0-1.4, length femur I 3.4-4.2, tibia I 2.8-3.9 mm. Females (n=5, minmax): Total length 4.2-5.0, carapace length 1.5-1.6, width 1.2-1.4, length femur I 2.5-2.8, tibia I 2.1-2.4 mm. Prosoma smaller than in <i>E. maculipes</i> (see also Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1905), but male legs comparatively longer (Fig. 22). <b>Somatic features, colouration</b> (Figs 22, 25-26). Habitus, colour and pattern similar to <i>E. maculipes</i>. Sternum dark, its light median stripe narrower than in <i>E. maculipes</i>, sometimes even missing. Carapace with brown median band and reticulate pattern at margins. These and leg markings more diffuse than in <i>E. maculipes</i>. Venter and epigaster usually dark or greyish. <b>Male palp</b> (Figs 10-12). Theridiid tegular apophysis (= TA 2 in Knoflach and Thaler 2000) of characteristic shape, markedly projecting beyond conductor and cymbium (TTA in Figs 10-12). Conductor forming two small tips, retrolateral one tooth-like (Fig. 11). Palp morphology as in other congeners: embolus well developed, containing numerous loops of sperm duct, partially guided by a large conductor, three apophyses present (nomenclature of median apophysis, theridiid tegular apophysis and extra tegular apophysis according to Agnarsson et al. 2007), tibia with one dorsal and two retrolateral trichobothria, cymbium with two distal groups of setae. Palp altogether smaller than in <i>E. maculipes</i> (Figs 22 vs. 21; see also Kulczy&amp;nacute;ski 1905), in ventral view 0.4-0.5 mm broad, 0.7-0.8 mm long (distance between distal rim of tibia and tip of cymbium). Tibia as wide as long (Fig. 11), see also Simon (1914). <b>Epigynum /vulva</b> (Figs 13, 15-17). Epigynal cavity longer than wide, covering proximal part of receptacula (Figs 13, 17), without median septum. Cavity 0.19-0.21 mm wide, its posterior margin distinct. Receptacula seminis small as compared with <i>E. maculipes</i>, and less spherical. The uncertain assignment of <i>E. algiricus</i> females in Knoflach and Thaler (2000) can be confirmed here. <b>Distribution.</b> <i>Episinus algiricus</i> is apparently confined to the western Mediterranean. Several records come from North Africa, Algeria (Lucas 1846; Simon 1914; Denis 1937), Tunisia (Simon 1914) and Morocco (Simon 1873a), and from south-west Europe, Portugal (Bacelar 1927; Cardoso 2009), Spain (Simon 1873a, 1914), France (Simon 1914; Denis 1934, 1964, 1965, 1966; Soyer 1973) including Corsica (Simon 1873a; sub <i>E. truncatus</i> Walckenaer, 1809), and Italy (Sardinia), see also Knoflach and Thaler (2000). Sympatric occurrence with <i>E. maculipes</i> seems to be evident from a few localities only, e.g. Vendée, Longeville (Denis 1964, 1966). Among the present records from Sardinia both species were found at least not far apart.
description: Published as part of <i>Knoflach, Barbara, Rollard, Christine &amp; Thaler, Konrad, 2009, Notes on Mediterranean Theridiidae (Araneae) – II, pp. 227-264 in ZooKeys 16 (16)</i> on pages 232-233, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.16.237, http://zenodo.org/record/576484
description: {"references": ["Lucas H (1846) Histoire naturelle des Animaux articules. Arachnides. In: Exploration scientifique de l'Algerie pendant les annees 1840, 1841, 1842. Sciences physiques, Zoologie, 1 (Paris): 89 - 321, pl. 1 - 22.", "Denis J (1965) Un Episinus nouveau pour la faune de France (Araneidae Theridiidae). Bulletin du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (2) 36 (5): 611 - 613.", "Kulczynski W (1905) Fragmenta arachnologica III. 6. De Episinis. Annotatio altera. Bulletin international de l'Academie des Sciences de Cracovie, 1905: 430 - 440, pl. 11.", "Knoflach B, Thaler K (2000) Notes on Mediterranean Theridiidae (Araneae) - I. Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 78 (2): 411 - 442.", "Agnarsson I, Coddington JA, Knoflach B (2007) Morphology and evolution of cobweb spider male genitalia (Araneae, Theridiidae). Journal of Arachnology 35: 334 - 395.", "Simon E (1914) Les Arachnides de France 6 (1). Roret, Paris, 308 pp.", "Denis J (1937) On a collection of spiders from Algeria. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 4, 1936: 1027 - 1060, pl. I-V.", "Simon E (1873 a) Araneides nouveaux ou peu connus du midi de l'Europe (2 e memoire). Memoires de la Societe royale des sciences de Liege (2) 5: 1 - 174, 3 pl.", "Bacelar A (1927) Aracnidios Portugueses. I. Bulletin de la Societe Portugaise des Sciences Naturelles 10 (8): 87 - 97.", "Cardoso P (2009) Portugal spider catalogue (v 1.5). Available online at http: // www. ennor. org / catalogue. php (updated 5.2.2009).", "Denis J (1934) Elements d'une faune arachnologique de l'ile de Port-Cros (Var). Annales de la Societe d'Histoire Naturelle de Toulon 18: 136 - 158.", "Denis J (1964) Complements a la faune arachnologique de Vendee. Bulletin de la Societe scientifique de Bretagne 38: 99 - 117.", "Denis J (1966) Second supplement a la faune arachnologique de Vendee. Bulletin de la Societe scientifique de Bretagne 39: 159 - 176.", "Soyer B (1973) Contribution a l'etude ethologique et ecologique des araignees de la Provence occidentale. VIII. Les therides des collines et des terrains sales. Bulletin de la Societe Linneenne Provence 26: 113 - 121."]}