Acanthinozodium odem Zonstein 2025, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Zonstein, Sergei
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Zodariidae
Acanthinozodium
Acanthinozodium odem

description: Acanthinozodium odem (Levy, 2007) comb. nov.
Figs 1–25
Zodarion odem Levy, 2007: 15, figs. 38, 39 (♀); Zonstein & Marusik 2013: 115.
Types. Holotype ♀ (HUJ 15220), ISRAEL: Odem Forest, 950 m, pitfall trap, 1–30.V.1996, leg. R. Sharon. Not examined.
Other material examined. ISRAEL: Golan Heights: 1♀ (SMNH), Odem Forest, 0.5 km SW Mas’ade Village, 33°13.5′N, 35°45.0′E, 1000 m a.s.l., 4.VIII.2020, leg. S. Zonstein; Upper Galilee: 1♀ (SMNH), north slope of Mt. Meron, 1.5 km SW Kibbutz Sasa, 33°01.0′N, 35°23.3′E, 850 m a.s.l., 24.IV.2013, leg. S. Zonstein; 1♂ 1♀ (SMNH), close to Meron Field School, 33°00.8′N, 35°23.7′E, 900 m a.s.l., 1.XI.2013, leg. S. Zonstein; 1♂ 1♀ (SMNH), Mt. Meron, 32°59.7′N, 35°24.9′E, 1100 m a.s.l., 2.IV.2018, leg. S. Zonstein.
Diagnosis. Among the members of Acanthinozodium, A. odem shows the most similarity to the Ethiopean A. cratiferum Jocqué & Henrard, 2015. These two species can be distinguished by the following features. In A. cratiferum, both male and female have a noticeably darker and more contrast pattern of the carapace; in males the femora I–II are distally darkened; in females, the medio-ventral part of the abdomen is almost uniformly light, which contrasts with its dark dorsal side (Jocqué & Henrard 2015, fig. 1A–D). While in A. odem, males and females have paler and a certainly less contrast pattern of the carapace and uniformly pale leg segments; in females, the corresponding parts of the abdomen are uniformly dark (Figs 1–6). The structure of the male and female copulatory organs in these species also differs. In A. odem, the median tegular apophysis of the male palp is considerably thicker than that in A. cratiferum (Figs 12, 15 vs. Jocqué & Henrard 2015, figs 2B, 3A). The RTA in males of A. odem is curved and asymmetrically lanceolate; whereas in A. cratiferum, it is rather straight, evenly tapering and acuminate (Figs 12, 13 vs. Jocqué & Henrard 2015, figs 2B, C, 3A, B). In A. odem, the epigyne is relatively short but wide anteriorly, it lacks well-defined lateral folds (Figs 16, 17); while in A. cratiferum, it longer, considerably narrower anteriorly, and provided with thickened lateral folds (Jocqué & Henrard 2015, figs 1E, 3C).
Redescription. Male (SMNH, from Mt. Meron). Habitus as in Figs 1, 3, 4. Total length 4.13. Colour in alcohol: entire cephalothorax light brown; cephalic part of carapace and chelicerae with fairly diffuse darker brownish pattern; eye area blackish brown; palp, legs I–IV, and spinnerets uniformly pale yellow; abdomen dorsally uniformly blackish brown; ventrally light brown; spinnerets yellowish white. Carapace 2.07 long, 1.55 wide. Clypeus 0.24 long. Eyes as in Fig. 7. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.19, ALE 0.11, PLE 0.10, PME 0.09; AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–PLE 0.04, PLE–PME 0.06, PME–PME 0.26. Measurements of legs I: 8.93 (2.34, 0.77, 2.04, 2.30, 1.48), II: 7.81 (1.99, 0.71, 1.75, 2.12, 1.24), III: 7.31 (2.02, 0.68, 1.50, 2.19, 0.92), IV: 10.41 (2.89, 0.82, 2.52, 3.05, 1.13). Spinnerets as in Fig. 9.
Palp (Figs 11–15). Measurements: 2.19 (0.78, 0.37, 0.15, 0.89). RTA moderately long, triangular. Cymbium with slightly concave retro-basal bulge and basodorsal crater-shaped groove (Cg). Tegulum oval, with probasal bulge; median apophysis (MA) claw-shaped with dilated base. Embolus (Em) moderately long and obtusely tipped, with elevated embolar ridge (Er).
Female (SMNH, from Odem Forest; the used figures refer also to the most similar females from Mt. Meron). Habitus as in Figs 2, 5, 6. Total length 5.30. Colour in alcohol mostly as in male, but cephalic part of carapace with more contrast darker pattern and ventral surface of abdomen between light brown epigastrum and yellowish white spinnerets intensely dark brown and only slightly lighter than blackish brown dorsal abdomen. Carapace 2.34 long, 1.83 wide. Clypeus 0.26 long. Eyes as in Fig. 8. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.22, ALE 0.15, PLE 0.12,
PME 0.11; AME–AME 0.06, AME–ALE 0.04, ALE–PLE 0.03, PLE–PME 0.07, PME–PME 0.27. Palp 2.44 long (0.83, 0.39, 0.48, 0.74). Measurements of legs: I: 9.73 (2.62, 0.80, 2.08, 2.56, 1.67), II: 8.58 (2.30, 0.86, 1.73, 2.32, 1.37), III: 8.45 (2.31, 0.86, 1.71, 2.59, 0.98), IV: 11.79 (3.21, 1.01, 2.83, 3.55, 1.19). Spinnerets as in Fig. 10.
Epigyne (Figs 16–18) broadly trapezoidal, somewhat narrowed anteriorly and lacking well-defined lateral folds, with median septum composed of several rims. Endogyne (Figs 19–21): with paired larger bean-shaped bursae and smaller globular receptacles.
Remark. The “peculiar bulging rim” noted by Levy (2007, p. 15) does not represent a solid structure; it consists of an entire anterior rim (Ar) and a paired posterior one (Pr). When tightly closed, all these parts form a sclerotized Y-shaped structure. As these rims move apart, they open paired entrances (Co), each of which leads further into the bursa (Bu) and then into the receptacle (Re), ending in the fertilization duct (Fd). Each paired set is separated from one another by two lens-like bulges (Lb).
Variation. The length of the carapace varies in females (n=3) from 2.23 to 2.37, and in males (n=2) from 2.04 to 2.07.
Ecology. The species occurs in the midland montane zone, where it inhabits woodlands, dominated by the Mediterranean evergreen and semi-evergreen oaks (Querqus coccifera L., Q. insectoria Oliv., and Q. ithaburensis Decne.), which are interspersed with a tall shrubland (see Figs 22–25). All specimens were collected from the leaf litter on the forest floor.
Distribution. Northern part of Israel.
description: Published as part of Zonstein, Sergei, 2025, A redescription of Acanthinozodium odem (Levy, 2007) comb. nov. (Araneae, Zodariidae), with first description of the male, pp. 391-397 in Zootaxa 5583 (2) on pages 392-396, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5583.2.10, http://zenodo.org/record/14797165