Megalepthyphantes lydiae Wunderlich 1994
Creators: name: Tanasevitch, Andrei V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Linyphiidae
Megalepthyphantes
Megalepthyphantes lydiae

description: Megalepthyphantes lydiae Wunderlich, 1994
Figs 1-13
Type material examined: SMF, #39732 and #39756; male holotype and female paratype of M. lydiae; GREECE, Naxos; XI.1983; leg. J. Wunderlich.
Other material examined: MHNG; 1 male, 2 females; GREECE, Aetolia-Acarnania, between Chrisovergi and Aitolikón; 14.IX.1972; leg. A. Senglet.
Description of male from Aetolia-Acarnania: Total length 4.25. Carapace 1.90 long, 1.45 wide, unmodified, pale brown to yellow, dorsally with a narrow, dark, longitudinal stripe becoming bifurcated in cephalic part. Chelicerae 0.75 long, unmodified. Legs yellow, distal ends and middle parts of segments darkened. Leg I 11.30 long (3.00+0.55+3.00+3.00+1.75), IV 8.20 long (2.50+0.45+1.95+2.05+1.25). Chaetotaxy.
FeI: 0-1-0-0, II-IV: 0-0-0-0; TiI: 2-1-1-2(3), II: 2-0-1- 2(3), III: 2-1-1-1(0), IV: 2-1-1-0; MtI-IV: 1(2)-1-1-0. TmI 0.14. Metatarsi IV without trichobothrium. Palp (Figs 1-10): Patella with two curved special spines (see Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996) of different sizes. Tibia dorsally with a short ridge and a rounded depression in its retrolateral side. Paracymbium relatively large, proximal part with a tooth (“T” in Fig. 5). Lamella characteristica massive, bent in distal third, with a beak-shaped apex. Terminal apophysis consisting of three parts: a small, straight, wide ridge and two narrow processes: one straight, pointed, stylet-shaped, other one bent and blunt. Embolus relatively large, its serrate surface extended forwards, forming a spear-shaped apex. Carina very small, thumb large, rounded. Embolus proper short, pointed. Abdomen 2.50 long, 1.50 wide, dorsally pale, with two longitudinal rows of grey sports interconnected by transverse stripes.
Description of female from Aetolia-Acarnania: Total length 4.35. Carapace 1.75 long, 1.30 wide. Chelicerae 0.80 long. Leg I 9.85 long (2.65+2.55+0.6+2.50+1.55), IV 8.70 (2.60+2.05+0.5+2.25+1.30). TmI 0.16. Metatarsi IV without trichobothrium. Abdomen 2.55 long, 1.75 wide. Epigyne (Figs 11-13): Proscape strongly sclerotized, slightly narrowed at its base. Distal part of scape swollen, lateral lobes and stretcher totally reduced. Posterior median plate blackish, with a deep median notch in distal margin. Body and leg coloration, and chaetotaxy as in male.
Taxonomic remarks: The structure of the palp of this species is similar to that of the north-African M. auresensis Bosmans, 2006 and M. bkheitae (Bosmans & Bouragba, 1992). The shape of the embolus, particularly the serrate surface extended forwards and forming a spear-shaped apex, of M. lydiae resembles that of the Irano-Caucasian M. camelus (Tanasevitch, 1990). From the three species mentioned above M. lydiae is clearly distinguished by the structural details of its male palp, especially by the shape of the apophysis on the palpal tibia, and by the structure of the paracymbium and the lamella characteristica. The shape of the epigyne of M. lydiae is similar to that of many congeners, but differs clearly by the deeply notched posterior median plate.
Distribution: Known only from Greece: Naxos Island and Epidaurus (Wunderlich, 1994), as well as Aetolia- Acarnania (new data).
description: Published as part of Tanasevitch, Andrei V., 2019, On Megalepthyphantes lydiae Wunderlich, 1994 (Araneae: Linyphiidae), pp. 147-150 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 126 (2) on pages 147-149, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3463439