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Acantholycosa azarkinae sp. n. is described from the Maritime Province of Russia on the basis of both sexes. Acantholycosa norvegica (Thorell, 1872) is reported from the Maritime Province for the first time. A key and illustrations to all six species that occur in Far East Asia are provided.
spiders, East Palaearctic, Asia, new species, key
Acantholycosa Dahl, 1908 is a relatively small Holarctic genus with 26 species and one subspecies (
While studying wolf spiders in the Maritime Province of Russia we found two additional species, one of which was new to science. The main aim of this paper is to provide a description of the new species. We also review and provide a key to all species known to occur in the whole of the Russian Far East.
Material and methodsSpecimens were photographed using an Olympus Camedia
E-520 camera attached to an Olympus SZX16 stereomicroscope in the
Zoological Museum, University of Turku. The images were montaged using
“CombineZP” image stacking software. Photographs were taken in dishes of
different size with paraffin at the bottom. Different sized holes were
made in the bottom to keep the specimens in the required position. Figures 6–7, 13–21, 29–40 are reproduced from
The standard of description follows that in
The material treated herein will be deposited in the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University (ZMMU) and in Gornotayozhnaya Station (GTS).
Species surveyurn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8E2A95F1-AC1D-4535-8FB1-2202B4897FF0
Figs 1–5, 8–12, 26–28Holotype ♂ and paratypes ♀ (ZMMU) and 1♂ 1♀ (GTS) from Russia, Maritime Province, Lazovski District, Sestra Mt., 43°31'52.23"N, 134°02'49.44"E, 1600 m, scree, 16–23.06.2005 (M.M. Omelko).
The specific name is a matronym in honor of our friend and colleague Galina N. Azarkina.
The new species can be easily distinguished from other congeners occurring in the Far East by the shape of the palp, which has a broad embolus tip (Figs 8, 10) (not broad in the other species) and by the shape of the epigyne, which has a broad apical pocket and well developed hoods (Figs 26–28).
Acantholycosa azarkinae sp. n. is morphologically close to two other endemic species that occur in the Maritime Province: Acantholycosa oligerae and Acantholycosa sundukovi. The three species have similar male palps although they differ from one another by the shape of the tegular apophysis and the embolus.
(male(female)). Total length 8.0(8.9). Carapace: 3.7(3.6) long, 3.4(3.1) wide. Carapace and abdomen blackish brown, pattern indistinct. Femora I in both sexes with dark semicircles. Males darker than females. Male leg I with dense black hairs on all segments except for tarsus (Fig. 5). Leg II also with hairs but less dense. Carapace/femur I ratio 1.06(1.0). Leg I segments: 3.5(3.6) + 1.5(1.6) + 3.5(3.5) + 3.5(3.2) + 1.7(1.5). Femur I with 2 dorsal, 2 pro- and 2 retrolateral spines; patella with 1 retrolateral spine (0 in female); tibia I with 1 prolateral and 5 pairs of ventral spines (1p, 1r, 5-5v in females); metatarsus with 1 pro-, 1 retrolateral and 2 pairs of ventral spines.
Male palp as in Figs 1–4, 8–12. Cymbium with 3 claws, tegular apophysis without apical arm, palea with laminar outgrowth, terminal apophysis large with claw-like tip; embolic base with small, almost indistinct “spine”, tip of embolus widened and subdivided into two lobes.
Epigyne as in Figs 26–28. Apical pocket wide with two distinct hoods, septum distinct, septum with trapezoidal base; spermathecae long, with blind outgrowth in basal third.
Male palp and leg I of Acantholycosa azarkinae sp. n. (1–5), Acantholycosa oligerae (6) and Acantholycosa sundukovi (7). 1, 6, 7 male palp, ventral 2 male palp, retrolateral 3 bulbus, ventral 4 bulbus, retrolateral 5 leg I, prolateral. 6–7 after
Male palp of Acantholycosa azarkinae sp. n. (8–12), Acantholycosa oligerae (13–14, 20–21) and Acantholycosa sundukovi (15–16, 17–19). 8 bulbus, from above 9, 13, 15 terminal part of palp, ventral 10 terminal part of palp, from above 11 tegulum, from above 12, 14, 16 terminal part of palp, retrolateral 17, 20 tegular apophysis, ventral 18, 21 embolus, from above 19 terminal part of embolus and terminal apophysis. 13–21 after
Male palp of Acantholycosa aborigenica (22), Acantholycosa lignaria (23) and Acantholycosa norvegica (24–25). 22–23 ventral 24 bulbus, ventral 25 base of embolus showing tooth. All after
Type locality only.
Figs 22, 35–36
4♂ 3♀ (GTS), Russia, Maritime Province, Ussuriyski District, environs of Gornotaezhnoe Village, Kamenistaya Sopka, 43°42'22.02"N, 132°07'30.93"E, 218 m, stones, 19–26.06.2010 (M.M. Omelko); 3♂ (GTS), same locality, 02.07.2010 (M.M. Omelko).
This species has been well described in the two
publications mentioned above. It is distributed from Central Aimak in
Mongolia to Kolyma River, and south to Maritime Province (
Epigyne of Acantholycosa azarkinae sp. n. (26–28), Acantholycosa oligerae (29–30), Acantholycosa norvegica (31–32) and Acantholycosa lignaria (33–34). 26, 28–29, 31, 33 epigyne, ventral 27, 30, 32, 34 vulva, dorsal. 27–28, 30, 32, 34 after maceration. 29–34 after
Figs 23, 33–34, 37
2♀ (GTS), Russia, Maritime Province, Chuguevskii District, Oblachnaya Mt., 43°41'43.75"N, 134°12'00.04"E, 600 m, fallen tree-trunks, 11–15.08.2003 (M.M. Omelko).
This species has been well described in several publications. It has a trans-Palaearctic range (
SEM microphotographs of epigyne of Acantholycosa aborigenica (35–36), Acantholycosa lignaria (37), Acantholycosa norvegica (38–39) and Acantholycosa oligerae (40). All after
Figs 24–25, 31–32, 38–39
5♂ 3♀ (GTS), Russia, Maritime Province, Chuguevskii District, Oblachnaya Mt., 43°41'43.75"N, 134°12'00.04"E, 1750 m, high mountain birch wood, 23.06.2008, (M.M. Omelko); 39♂ 4♀ (GTS), same locality, bush thicket, 23.06.2008 (M.M. Omelko).
Acantholycosa norvegica
is the type species of the genus. It has been well described in several
publications. This species has a trans-Palaearctic range. Although it
has a wide range and is known from the adjacent Khabarovsk Province (
Figs 13–14, 20–21, 26, 29–30, 40
This species was recently described from material found at a single locality in the Lazo Reserve, the Russian Far East.
Figs 15–16, 17–19
This species is known from the holotype male only. So far, Acantholycosa sundukovi is known from a single locality in the Lazo Reserve (Kordon Amerika), the Russian Far East.
| 1 | Males | 2 |
| – | Females (♀ of Acantholycosa sundukovi – unknown) | 7 |
| 2 | Embolus with large basal spine (Fig. 25); palea with non laminar outgrowth (Fig. 24), terminal apophysis with fine spine (Fig. 24) | Acantholycosa norvegica |
| – | Embolus without basal spine or spine is small, almost indistinct; palea with laminar outgrowth | 3 |
| 3 | Tegular apophysis longer than wide due to well developed apical arm (Figs 6–7) | 4 |
| – | Tegular apophysis wider than long, apical arm absent or small | 5 |
| 4 | Apical arm of tegular apophysis 1.5 times longer than width of apophysis (Fig. 6); tibia I with 6 pairs of ventral spines | Acantholycosa oligerae |
| – | Apical arm of tegular apophysis as long as width of apophysis (Fig. 7); tibia I with 5 pairs of ventral spines | Acantholycosa sundukovi |
| 5 | Tibia-metatarsus I and II with long hairs (Fig. 5); tip of embolus broad and twisted (Figs 1, 3–4, 8–12) | Acantholycosa azarkinae sp.n. |
| – | Legs I and II without long hairs; tip of embolus not broad and not twisted | 6 |
| 6 | Tip of embolus bent (Fig. 22); paleal outgrowth larger than tegular apophysis; tibia I with 5–6 pairs of ventral spines | Acantholycosa aborigenica |
| – | Tip of embolus not bent (Fig. 23); paleal outgrowth smaller than tegular apophysis; tibia I with 4 pairs of ventral spines | Acantholycosa lignaria |
| 7 | Apical pocket thinner than septal width (Figs 31, 33, 37–39) | 8 |
| – | Apical pocket wider or subequal to width of septum (Figs 26–28, 35–36) | 9 |
| 8 | Fovea and septum triangle-shaped (Figs 33, 37), stem of septum lies in thin furrow; tibia I with 4 pairs of ventral spines | Acantholycosa lignaria |
| – | Fovea and septum square or round in shape (Figs 31–32, 38–39); tibia I with 5 pairs of ventral spines | Acantholycosa norvegica |
| 9 | Metatarsus I with 3 pairs of ventral spines; femur I with one retrolateral spine | Acantholycosa oligerae |
| – | Metatarsus I with 2 pairs of ventral spines; femur I with 2 retrolateral spines | 10 |
| 10 | Fovea with rounded sides, apical pocket undivided (Figs 35–36) | Acantholycosa aborigenica |
| – | Fovea with straight sides (Figs 26–28), apical pocket with two distinct hoods | Acantholycosa azarkinae sp.n. |
The number of Acantholycosa species in the Maritime Province of Russia is fewer than that of the Altai-Sayan region only, with 6 and 21 species respectively. The same is true for the number of endemic species (3 and 17 respectively). Presently, only the southern region of the Maritime Province has been relatively well studied. The huge territories of Sikhote-Alin remain uninvestigated. Given the high level of endemism among petrophilous species of spiders it is reasonable to expect the occurrence of additional new species in the province, especially on isolated screes on mountain tops.
We thank Seppo Koponen who arranged the stay of both of us in Turku and allowed us to use local facilities (SEM and digital photomicroscopy). English of the final draft was kindly checked by David Penney. This work was supported in part by the RFFI grants # 09-04-01365 and 11-04-01716.