Theridion genistae 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 genistae

description: <i>Theridion genistae</i> Simon, 1873 Figs 34-40 <i>Theridion genistae</i> Simon, 1873a: 95, male female, type locality: Corsica. <i>Paidiscura genistae</i>: – Wunderlich 2008: 392, transfer from <i>Theridion</i>. <b>Material examined. France: Corsica, Calvi, Capo di a Veta, 180 m, 42°32’16.5’’N, 08°45’11.6’’E, beating garigue, <i>Cistus</i>, 2 &amp;male;, 29.4.2001, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-402 Co-01/1]</b> . Corsica, Ostriconi estuary, E Ile Rousse, 42°09’40.4’’N 09°03’39.9’’E, at sea shore, 5 m, beating shrubs, <i>Genista</i>, 17 &amp;male; 38 &amp;female;, 3.5.2001, leg B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-410 Co-01/9]. <b>Italy:</b> Calabria, Sibari, beat catches, 1 &amp;female;, 3.6.1977, leg. S. Meyer. Sardinia, Ogliastra, W Baunei, 718 m, 40°06.319’ N, 09°34.867’ E, 2 &amp;male; 1 &amp;female;, 2.6.2003, beating from <i>Quercus</i>, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-443 Sa03/2]. Sardinia, E Dorgali, above Cala Gonone, 40°16.290’N, 09°36.641’E, 220 m, 1 &amp;female;, 2.6.2003, beating in oak forest, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-447 Sa03/6]. <b>Greece:</b> Corfu, Dasia, Sgombou / Gavrolimni, 100 m, beating phrygana and macchia, <i>Quercus</i>, 8 &amp;female;, 28.5.1996, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [TH- 259 Ko 96-4]. Corfu, Spartilas surroundings, 500-600 m, beating scrub, 2 &amp;male; 2 &amp;female;, 29.5.1996, leg. B. Knoflach &amp; K. Thaler [TH-260 Ko 96-5]. Corfu, Spartilas, 600 m, 1 &amp;female;, 3.- 4.6.1997, leg. E. Heiss. Kephallonia, Atheras beach, Atheras, 36 m, 38°19.997’ N, 20°24.195’E, 30 m, 1 &amp;male; 19 &amp;female;, 15.5.2002, beating from scrub, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [Th-427 Ke02/4]. E Crete, Stalida, garden, 1 &amp;male;, 4.- 10.4.1998, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [TH-321 K98/0]. W Crete, Georgioupolis, 1 &amp;female;, 29.3.1999, leg. B. Knoflach and K. Thaler [TH-352 K99-2-3]. Voucher specimens deposited in CTh, MHNG, NHMB, NMW if not specifically indicated. <b>Description, identification.</b> Wiehle (1960, female), Brignoli (1967, male, female), Vanuytven et al. (1994, male). <b>Measurements.</b> Males (n=6, min-max): Total length 1.3-1.6, carapace length 0.6- 0.8, width 0.5-0.7, length femur I 0.9-1.2, tibia I 0.6-0.9 mm. Females (n=6, minmax): Total length 1.4-1.6, carapace length 0.6, width 0.5-0.6, length femur I 0.6-0.8, tibia I 0.4-0.5 mm. <b>Somatic features, colouration</b> (Figs 34-35). Small <i>Theridion</i> species, carapace and sternum dark brown, legs annulated and abdomen with numerous dark dots and characteristic whitish folium, which widens at midline and fades within whitish area (Fig. 34). Female epigastric region bulging. For details see Simon (1873a). <b>Male palp</b> (Figs 36-38). Tibia rather small and short, with one retrolateral trichobothrium. Bulbus largely developed (see also Fig. 35). Embolus forms a long, thread-like spiral. Embolar base with knob-like locking device. Conductor a large, membranous, folded structure with furrow guiding embolus. Median apophysis inconspicuous, with a few scales, hidden within cymbium. <b>Epigynum /vulva</b> (Figs 39-40). Epigynal atrium tiny and rounded. Copulatory ducts long and highly convoluted, narrowing towards receptacula. <b>Generic placement:</b> The generic placement of <i>Theridion genistae</i> in <i>Paidiscura</i> as proposed by Wunderlich (2008) cannot be supported. Neither its general appearance nor structure of the male palpal organ favour such a combination. <i>T. genistae</i> shows a cymbial hood typical for <i>Theridion</i>, whereas in <i>Paidiscura</i> a hook is present. Also leg characters agree with <i>Theridion</i>: number of setae on tibiae I-IV 2/2/1/2 and metatarsus III with trichobothrium (see Knoflach and Thaler 2000). <b>Distribution.</b> Western Mediterranean; known from southern France (Simon 1914; Denis 1935; Soyer 1973; Vanuytven et al. 1994) including Corsica (Simon 1873a, 1914), Algeria (Simon 1914), Tunisia (Simon 1885, 1914), Morocco (Simon 1873a), Italy (Latium, Isola di Zannone; Brignoli 1967). Easternmost records from Greece (present material from Ionian Islands and Crete), where it was hitherto not known (Bosmans and Chatzaki 2005). The species inhabits the vegetation in phrygana/garigue and macchia, which is reflected by the specific epithet referring to <i>Genista</i>. <b> <i>Theridion genistae turanicum</i> Charitonov, 1946.</b> Judging from the illustration of the female genital organs by Charitonov (1946, fig. 29) <i>Theridion genistae turanicum</i> Charitonov, 1946 from Uzbekistan appears to belong to the <i>T. melanurum</i> -group and is not related to <i>T. genistae</i>. This justifies its elevation to species rank, <i>Theridion turanicum</i> stat. n.
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 241-243, 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.", "Wunderlich J (2008) Fossil and extant spiders (Araneae). Fossile und heutige Spinnen. Beitraege zur Araneologie 5: 1 - 870.", "Wiehle H (1960) Der Embolus des mannlichen Spinnentasters. Verhandlungen der Deutschen Zoologischen Gesellschaft, Bonn / Rhein 1960: 457 - 480.", "Brignoli PM (1967) Notizie sui Theridiidae del Lazio (Araneae). Fragmenta entomologica 4: 177 - 197, Tav. III.", "Vanuytven H, van Keer J, Poot P (1994) Kogelspinnen verzameld in Zuid-Europa door P. Poot (Araneae, Theridiidae). Nieuwsbrief van de Belgische Arachnologische Vereniging 9: 1 - 19.", "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.", "Denis J (1935) Liste d'araignees recueillies dans le departement du Var. Annales de la Societe d'Histoire Naturelle de Toulon 19: 104 - 113.", "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.", "Simon E (1885) Etudes sur les Arachnides recuellis en Tunisie en 1883 et 1884 par MM. A. Letourneux, M. Sedillot et Valery Mayet, membres de la mission de l'Exploration scientifique de la Tunisie. In: Exploration scientifique de la Tunisie. Imprimerie Nationale, Paris: 1 - 55.", "Bosmans R, Chatzaki M (2005) A catalogue of the spiders of Greece. A critical review of all spider species cited from Greece with their localities. Arachnological Contributions, Newsletter of the Belgian Arachnological Society 20 (2, supplement): 1 - 124.", "Charitonov DE (1946) [New forms of spiders of the USSR.] Izvestija Estestvenno-Nauchnogo Obshestva pri Molotovskom Universitete imeni Maksim Gorkogo 12: 19 - 32. [In Russian]"]}