Theridion pinicola Simon 1873
Creators: name: Knoflach, Barbara
name: Rollard, Christine
name: Thaler, Konrad
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Theridiidae
Theridion
Theridion pinicola

description: <i>Theridion pinicola</i> Simon, 1873 Figs 65-67, 69-75 <i>Theridion pinicola</i> Simon, 1873b: 364, 371, male female. Type locality: Corsica. <i>Paidiscura pinicola</i>: – Wunderlich 2008: 392, transfer from <i>Theridion</i>. <b>Material examined. France: Corsica, 3 &amp;male; 35 &amp;female; 4 juveniles (MHNP AR 2257). N Corsica, Calvi, Forêt de Bonifatu, Bocca di Erbaghiolu, 1200 m, 42°25’15.0’’N 08°50’15.5’’E, beating from <i>Pinus nigra laricio</i>, 5 &amp;male; 3 &amp;female; 1 subadult &amp;male; 1 subadult &amp;female;, 2.5.2001, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-409 Co-01/8]</b> . Ibidem, 1200 m, 3 &amp;male; 1 &amp;female; 3 subadult &amp;male;, 30.4.2001. Corsica, Haute Asco, 42°23’32.2’’N 08°55’08.9’’E, 1400-1440 m, 2 &amp;female;, 12.9.2001, beating pine at timber line, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-417 Co01/15]. <b>Tunisia:</b> Kasserine, W Thélepte, Dernaya (close to Algerian border), 35°7’24.3’’N 8°28’57.0’’E, 1120 m, sparse pine wood, 2 &amp;male; (1 &amp;male; CM, 1 &amp;male; SMF), 19.4.2007, leg. C. Muster. Voucher specimens deposited in CTh, MHNG, NMW if not specifically indicated. <b>Description, identification.</b> The species has not been reported since the original description of Simon (1873b: 364, 371; 1881: 105). <b>Measurements.</b> Males (n=5, min-max): Total length 1.5-1.9, carapace length 0.7- 0.9, width 0.7-0.8, length femur I 0.9-1.1, tibia I 0.6-0.8 mm. Females (n=5, min-max): Total length 1.5-2.4, carapace length 0.7-0-8, width 0.6-0.7, length femur I 0.7-0.9, tibia I 0.5-0.6 mm. <b>Somatic features</b> (Figs 65-67). Carapace yellowish with thin dark margins and dark median band from eye region to midline. Sternum light, its margins may be diffuse dark. Legs yellowish with dark annulations from distal femora onwards. Abdomen dark brown, dorsum usually with whitish median folium. Male epigaster protruding. <b>Male palp</b> (Figs 69-71). Conformation of male palp as in other representatives of the <i>Theridion varians</i> group (see Knoflach 1998). Tibia short, with one retrolateral trichobothrium. Conductor pointed and curved. Prolateral part of median apophysis triangular and strongly protruding. Theridiid tegular apophysis pointed. Embolus slender. Distal part of embolus 0.25 mm long. <b>Epigynum /vulva</b> (Figs 72-75). Epigynal cavity rounded, its posterior border strongly sclerotised; with central copulatory orifices fused to common, rounded opening. Copulatory ducts ca. 0.4 mm long. They diverge laterally, forming a few coils, turn inwards and enter the receptacula by a final wide coil. In mated females the epigynal cavity is filled by plug secretions. All parts of vulva clearly translucent through integument. <b>Copulatory behaviour.</b> Copulation follows the pattern of the <i>Theridion varians</i> group, with 6-8 sperm inductions, a presumed initial pseudocopulation and a final mating plug sequence (Knoflach 2004). <b>Generic placement:</b> The generic placement of <i>Theridion pinicola</i> in <i>Paidiscura</i> by Wunderlich (2008) has to be rejected, since there is no convincing argument for such a combination. <i>T. pinicola</i> is clearly a member of the <i>T. varians</i> group, see above and Knoflach (2004), for <i>Paidiscura</i> see Knoflach and Thaler (2000). <b>Distribution.</b> <i>Theridion pinicola</i> was hitherto known only from Corsica (Simon 1873b, 1881, 1914). The present new record from Tunisia suggests a wider distribution. As indicated by the naming of Simon the species occurs on pines, and appears to be a specialised inhabitant of pine forest, “en été sur les pins” (Simon 1881).
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 251-254, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.16.237, http://zenodo.org/record/576484
description: {"references": ["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.", "Simon E (1873 b) Etudes arachnologiques. 2 e Memoire. IV. Revision des genres Theridium et Neottiura. Revision des especes francaises des genres Theridium Walck. et Neottiura Menge. Annales de la Societe entomologique de France (5) 3: 359 - 374.", "Wunderlich J (2008) Fossil and extant spiders (Araneae). Fossile und heutige Spinnen. Beitraege zur Araneologie 5: 1 - 870.", "Simon E (1881) Les arachnides de France. Roret, Paris 5: 1 - 180, pl. XXV.", "Knoflach B (1998) Mating in Theridion varians Hahn and related species (Araneae: Theridiidae). Journal of Natural History 32: 545 - 604.", "Knoflach B (2004) Diversity in the copulatory behaviour of comb-footed spiders (Araneae, Theridiidae). Denisia (Linz) 12: 161 - 256.", "Knoflach B, Thaler K (2000) Notes on Mediterranean Theridiidae (Araneae) - I. Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 78 (2): 411 - 442.", "Simon E (1914) Les Arachnides de France 6 (1). Roret, Paris, 308 pp."]}