The first lowland species of the Holarctic alpine ground spider genus Parasyrisca ( Araneae , Gnaphosidae ) from Hungary

Th e fi rs t lowland species of the alpine genus Parasyrisca, Parasyrisca arrabonica Szinetár & Eichardt, sp. n., is described from the sandy grasslands of Hungary. Th e genus was hitherto known only from Western Europe (Pyrenees and Western Alps) and Eastern Europe (Crimea), and although records from Slovenia and Romania were known, these are listed in check-lists in both cases as doubtful since no voucher specimens are available. Th us this species is not only the fi rst representative of Parasyrisca in the Hungarian fauna and in the Pannonian region, but is the fi rst verifi ed record of the genus in Central Europe too. Parasyrisca arrabonica seems to belong to the speciose potanini group (of which this is the fi rst European record and the westernmost occurrence to date), and is especially similar to P. turkenica Ovtsharenko, Platnick & Marusik, 1995 and P. songi Marusik & Fritzén, 2009. Detailed descriptions of the species’ ecological characteristics (habitat, co-occurring species) are provided, as its habitat preference is unusual and unique within the genus. Th is species is quite rare: only eight specimens have been found among 20700 captured spiders. Adult specimens have been collected exclusively in late autumn and early spring (so practically outside the major collecting period), which might explain why this species was not discovered earlier. ZooKeys 16: 197-208 (2009) doi: 10.3897/zookeys.16.234 www.pensoftonline.net/zookeys Copyright Csaba Szinetár et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Launched to accelerate biodiversity research A peer-reviewed open-access journal


Introduction
Th e alpine ground spider genus Parasyrisca Schenkel, 1963 is among the "well-known" gnaphosid genera of the Holarctic (Ovtsharenko et al. 1995;Marusik and Fritzén 2009).So far 47 species have been described (Platnick 2009;Marusik and Fritzén 2009), but there are probably still more awaiting discovery.While Ovtsharenko et al. (1995) covers pretty much the Eurasian highlands (Fig. 18) and European mountains (Alps, Pyrenees), exploration of the Chinese and Iranian highlands has only now started (Marusik et al. 2006), and there are discoveries to be made in the highlands of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India too.Th us discovering a new Parasyrisca species is not that surprising, as the majority of suitable Eurasian alpine habitats have Parasyrisca species which are probably endemic to that very mountain (Mikhailov and Mikhailova 2000;Marusik 2003).However, Parasyrisca arrabonica was found not in high or even low mountains, but at three localities in two separate lowland areas, ca. 100 m above sea level, in the fairly isolated Pannonian sandy grasslands 19).
Natural sandy grasslands are one of the remaining typical habitat types of the Hungarian grasslands, once found in large numbers in Hungary and the Carpathian Basin.Th e most comprehensive habitat assessment of the Pannonian sandy grasslands to date was started within the framework of the project "Monitoring dry grasslands" NBmR, in 2000(Szinetár et al. 2005;Vörösházi 2006).In this project, collections were carried out in three main regions of Hungary: in Kiskunság, in Nyírség and in the Kisalföld sandy grasslands, the three major sandy areas of the Carpathian Basin.During this monitoring program about 155 species have been found, represented by 20700 specimens, among which eight belong to a new gnaphosid taxon found at three separate localities (Bugac, Orgovány and Győrszentiván).Th ese relatively large spiders  belong to the genus Parasyrisca, hitherto not known from Hungary, and only doubtfully recorded from the Carpathian Basin (Fig. 19) and thus without any verifi ed records in Central Europe.From the Alföld (Hungarian Plain) only males (6), while in the Kisalföld (Small Hungarian Plain) one male and one female specimens were found.Adults were all captured in autumn and early spring, which are the least collected periods of the year and probably explains why this species remained undiscovered for such a long time.Th is was the case for Alopecosa psammophila Buchar, 2001, a large wolf spider also recently found, but as collecting periods have been modifi ed to its phenology it has been found in larger quantities in many localities (Szinetár et al. 2005;Esyunin et al. 2007) Besides the unusual habitat choice, this species belongs to a diff erent group, the potanini group, compared to the remaining European species Parasyrisca vinosa (Simon, 1878) and P. marusiki Kovblyuk, 2003 (which belongs to the vinosa group sensu Kovblyuk 2003).

Methods
All specimens were collected via pitfall traps.Identifi cation, study and drawings were carried out at the Berzsenyi College's Department of Zoology, Arachnological Laboratory, using a Leica MZ6 stereo microscope.Drawings were made by János Eichardt.Digital images were taken in the Danish Natural History Museum, using a Nikon DXM1200F attached to the Leica MZ16A microscope and edited using the software packages Auto-Montage and Adobe Photoshop.All morphological measurements are given in millimeters.Th e format of the descriptions and standard abbreviations of morphological terms follow Ovtsharenko et al. (1995) and Marusik and Fritzén (2009).Specimens are deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest (HNHM -holotype, paratype female), the University of West Hungary, Szombathely (UWH -fi ve paratype males) and the Danish Natural History Museum, Copenhagen (ZMUC -one paratype male).
Maps have been downloaded from the NOAA Satellite and Information Service's National Geophysical Data Center (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/topo)and edited in Adobe Photoshop.7, 10); these three species might even deserve a separate species-group.However, without detailed comparative study of the two taxa mentioned above or a cladistic analysis to judge the shared characters we are reluctant to propose a formal new group, but feel the similarity is worth mentioning.

Taxonomy
Diagnosis.Males resemble those of P. turkenica, but can be easily recognized by the shorter and thicker retrolateral tibial apophysis (Figs 2, 3, 7-9) and the thinner and straight, erect conductor (Figs 2,7,8,10).Th e shape of the tibial apophysis is similar to that of P. songi in lateral view but signifi cantly smaller (Figs 3,8,9) and the conductor and terminal apophysis are somewhat diff erent (Figs 2,7,10).Th e epigyne of P. arrabonica Szinetár & Eichardt, sp.n. (Fig. 4) is similar to that of P. turkenica but the shape of the anterior hood diff ers, being twice as wide as high, with the epigynal plate depressed at the posterior end as a posterior ridge of a fl at U shape, with two pointing tips on the sides (Fig. 4).
Colouration.Similar to that of male, but carapace with more distinct pattern: three radially directed dark stripes present on both sides of fovea.
Biology.Th e well-developed chelicerae equipped with strong spines (Fig. 12) suggest that this is a sand-dwelling species.All the adults (as immatures were not considered in the NBmR) were captured between late September and early April.Th us it seems likely that this species overwinters as adults.

Discussion
In their monographic work, Ovtsharenko et al. (1995) sorted the species into four groups: the guzeripli (1 species), the breviceps (10 species), the vinosa group (3 species, see also Kovblyuk 2003, Marusik andFritzén 2009) and the potanini group (32 species).While the guzeripli and the breviceps groups are restricted to a smaller geographical range (Fig. 18), i.e. the Caucasus and Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan respectively, the vinosa and the potanini group are distributed across a much wider (Fig. 18) area (this might be an artifact of insuffi cient biogeographical data).Th us Parasyrisca species occur in most mountain systems across the Palearctic with 46 species, and in the Nearctic with 1 species (southern British Columbia in Canada and western Washington State in the United States; see Ubick 2005).
Parasyrisca species were previously thought to occur at high elevations only, mostly in the alpine zones of mountains on the montane tundra, mainly between 600 and 2200 m (Ovtsharenko et al. 1995), although Marusik (2003) reported fi nding P. holmi also close to the seashore and thus at sea level.Based on the available data, P. arrabonica sp.n. is a typical member of sandy plain habitats with the sandy steppe vegetation.Th ese habitats are located at elevations only 100-125 m above sea level, although it is possible that representatives of this genus can be found in the high mountains of the Carpathian regions (Fig. 19) bordering the Pannon region as two tentative records of P. vinosa are present in the literature (Nikolić and Polenec 1981in Grimm 1985, and Weiss and Urák 2000), in the Eastern Alps or in the Carpathian mountains.
Based on available data we conclude that Parasyrisca arrabonica is a rare, but probably generally occurring species among the ground-dwelling spider communities in the sandy grasslands  of the Hungarian plains in the Carpathian Basin.On the basis of the other spiders co-occurring with P. arrabonica we suspect that this species may occur in the similar dry sandy habitats of southern Moravia, in southern Slovakia and in the sandy steppe habitats of northern Serbia (as was the case of the Alopecosa psammophila).
Th ese sand steppes (Festucetum vaginatae danubiale) are dominanted by the following plant species: Festuca vaginata, F. pseudovina, Stipa borysthenica, S. capillata, Koeleria glauca and Dianthus serotinus.Th e vegetation changes signifi cantly during different seasons: during summer (Fig. 15) the late-coming pink (Dianthus serotinus) is typical, while during springtime the vegetation (Fig. 17) is characterized by diff erent feather grass species (Stipa spp.).During winter vegetation coverage is mainly by dead or dry vegetative parts of plants (Fig. 16).Th e above described sandy steppe has a rather distinct spider fauna (Szinetár et al. 2005;Esyunin et al. 2007).Th ese habitats accommodate specialist spiders and although it is premature to draw ecological conclusions on the basis of slightly more than a half-a-dozen specimens, it is worth mentioning that Parasyrisca arrabonica co-occurs with Alopecosa psammophila Buchar, 2001, A. mariae (Dahl, 1908), A. sulzeri (Pavesi, 1873), Berlandina cinerea (Menge, 1872), Sintula spiniger (Balogh, 1935), Improphantes geniculatus (Kulczyński, 1898), Aelurillus v-insignitus (Clerck, 1757), Pardosa bifasciata (Hahn, 1826), Callilepis nocturna (Linnaeus, 1758) and Dictyna szaboi Chyzer, 1891.Th e sandy steppe vegetation reaches its westernmost occurrence in Hungary, and such habitats exist in Eastern Europe to a large extent.Th e spider fauna is rather distinct and characterized by almost the same species (compare Szinetár et al. 2005vs. Esyunin et al. 2007), even several thousand kilometers away, as has been discussed by Esyunin et al. (2007).Th eir list overlaps with the Hungarian spider list from the same type of vegetation signifi cantly, suggesting that the spider fauna of the sandy grasslands consists of species which are characteristic for dry, open, sandy and rocky habitats regardless of the soil type.However, a relatively small number of species (8% Szinetár unpubl.data) appears almost exclusively connected to sandy habitats, and are therefore considered "psammophilous".Parasyrisca arrabonica probably belongs among these taxa too, although our data are insuffi cient to make an unequivocal statement.Other -well proven -psammophilic species are Alopecosa psammophila and Berlandina cinerea, which have been found in great abundance, whereas others, like Dictyna szaboi, are represented only by a few specimens.
Parasyrisca arrabonica is apparently a typical, but very rare gnaphosid spider of sandy open grassland (or steppe) habitats, and overwinters as adults, which makes them hard to collect.However, suitable vegetation/habitat types are found in numerous other places outside of Hungary, and we encourage our colleagues to extend or modify their collecting periods, which might improve their chances of capturing this species.
Figures 15-17.Seasonal vegetation changes on the habitat of Parasyrisca arrabonica: 15 summer vegetation dominated by the late-coming pink (Dianthus serotinus) 16 winter vegetation of the habitat 17 spring vegetation characterized by diff erent feather grasses (Stipa capillata, S. borysthenica).
. Modifi ed collecting methods also resulted in discoveries even from habitats very close to human settlement, like Pelecopsis loksai Szinetár & Samu, 2003 (applying D-Vac 500 m from city border of Budapest see Szinetár and Samu 2003) or Trebacosa europaea Szinetár & Kancsal, 2007 (applying swimming pitfall traps within the small town of Agárd next to the Velence lake, see Szinetár and Kancsal 2007).