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. 2015 Aug 10;(516):109–122. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.516.9439

Descriptions of two new species of Aelurillus Simon, 1884 (Araneae, Salticidae) from the Mediterranean, with the synonymization of A. steliosi Dobroruka, 2002

Galina N Azarkina 1, Marjan Komnenov 2
PMCID: PMC4547372  PMID: 26312023

Abstract Abstract

Two Aelurillus species are described as new, Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. (♂♀, from Turkey) and Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. (♂, from Macedonia, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan). Aelurillus steliosi Dobroruka, 2002 is synonymized with Aelurillus leipoldae (Metzner, 1999). Additional distributions of the closely related species Aelurillus v-insignitus are provided for the region of study. Distributional maps are provided for the five species reported in this paper.

Keywords: Aranei, jumping spiders, Mediterranean, synonymy

Introduction

To date, 69 species and two subspecies of Aelurillus have been described in the world fauna (World Spider Catalog 2015). The genus Aelurillus is distributed predominantly in the Palaearctic Region, with only ten species being recorded from outside its limits. The fauna of the Balkans, Turkey and Azerbaijan consists of 14 species of Aelurillus. The best studied region is Greece containing ten species (Deltshev and Paraschi 1990; Metzner 1999; Azarkina 2002; Dobroruka 2002; Logunov and Chatzaki 2003; Bosmans and Chatzaki 2005; Azarkina and Logunov 2006; Bosmans et al. 2009; Russell-Smith et al. 2011). Four species have been recorded from Macedonia (Komnenov 2002; 2003; 2006; Fišer and Azarkina 2005), four species from Turkey (Topçu et al. 2005; Danişman et al. 2012; Azarkina and Mirshamsi 2014, Coşar et al. 2014, Logunov 2015), two from Azerbaijan (Logunov and Guseinov 2002) and one from Bulgaria (Deltshev et al. 2001, Lazarov 2005). Four of the 14 species recorded from the region at hand are regional endemics: two species from Crete (Aelurillus cretensis Azarkina, 2002 and Aelurillus leipoldae (Metzner, 1999)) and two species from Paros Island, Greece (Aelurillus guecki Metzner, 1999 and Aelurillus steinmetzi Metzner, 1999).

Logunov and Chatzaki (2003: 96) proposed Aelurillus steliosi as synonym of Aelurillus cretensis “It is safe to assume that this species is a synonym of Aelurillus cretensis”. Bosmans and Chatzaki 2005 mentioned Aelurillus steliosi in reference to Aelurillus cretensis, but synonymization was confirmed only in Bosmans et al. 2013 followed by Logunov and Chatzaki 2003. However this synonymization was provided without examination of any type material. In this paper the correct synonymization of Aelurillus steliosi is established, with Aelurillus leipoldae based on type material. Two new species are also described, Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. (♂, from Macedonia, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan) and Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. (♂♀, from Turkey), and a new synonymy of Aelurillus steliosi Dobroruka, 2002 with Aelurillus leipoldae (Metzner, 1999) is proposed to replace an erroneous one (Bosmans et al. 2013).

Material and methods

This paper is based on both museum collections and newly collected material from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Specimens were studied in ethanol and their colours refer to those of the preserved specimens. All drawings were made with the aid of a reticular eyepiece attached to an MBS-10 stereomicroscope. The male pedipalps and epigynes were detached for study. Epigynes were macerated in 20% KOH solution for one night. After being drawn, the copulatory organs were placed in microvials or small pieces of paper with ethanol together with the specimens from which they had been removed. Digital images were taken with a Zeiss Stemi 2000 and an attached Canon EOS 550D camera. Stack images were combined using Helicon Focus software. All drawings were edited and assembled in Adobe Photoshop. Distribution maps were produced using the online mapping software SimpleMappr (Shorthouse 2010) with minor modification.

Specimens for this study were borrowed from or placed in the following museums and personal collections:

ISEA

IZSB

LM

MMUM

MNHN

NHM

NHMC

PCHM

PCMK

SMNK

SNHM

Abbreviations used in the text: AME, ALE, PLE, Fm, Pt, TA; Tb, Mt. The sequence of leg segments in measurement data is as follows: femur+patella+tibia+metatarsus+tarsus. All measurements are in mm. For the leg spination the system adopted is that used by Ono (1988).

Taxonomy

Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/F680F462-FC96-4652-AE0E-265C11C1B249

Figs 1 , 2–13 , 14–15

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

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Distributional map of five Aelurillus species.

Figures 2–13.

Figures 2–13.

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Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n.: 2 male, body pattern 3 left palp, ventral view 4 ditto, retrolateral view 5 male face 6 palpal femur, retrolateral view 7 embolic division, retrolateral view 8 ditto, dorsal view 9 ditto, prolateral view 10 ditto, ventral view 11 diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts 12 epigyne, ventral view 13 spermathecae; dorsal view. Scale bars - 0.1 mm (3–8, 11–12), 0.5 mm (10); 1 mm (2).

Figures 14–19.

Figures 14–19.

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Faces of Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. (14–15), Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. (16–17) and Aelurillus v-insignitus (Clerck, 1757) (18–19). Scale bars - 1 mm.

Type material.

Holotype: ♂ (ISEA 000.287) TURKEY, Antalya Province, 18 km SSE of Elmali, Bey Mt. Range, 6 km WSW of Kızlarsivrisi Mt., 1800–2000 m a.s.l., 36°35'N, 30°03'E, 25 April 2009, coll. R.Yu. Dudko, I.I. Lyubechanskij, A.A. Stekolnikov. Paratypes: TURKEY: 1 ♂ (ISEA 000.286) Ankara Province, Bala District, Revnam Forests, 1392 m a.s.l., 39°40'N, 32°54'E, 29 May 2009, coll. Yu.M. Marusik; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ISEA 000.515) Çankırı Province, Ankara-Çankırı Highway, 689 m a.s.l., 40°23'N, 33°34'E, semidesert, 15 September 2010, coll. Yu.M. Marusik; 4 ♂ (ISEA 000.875) Adıyaman Province, Nemrut Mt., 37°58'N, 38°44'E, 14.05.1997 (V. Bryja); 1 ♂ (LM) Kayseri Province, Nigde, Demirkazık, 37°51'N, 35°05'E, 13 June 1993, coll. C. Felton; 1 ♂ (MNHN 12.840) Amasia [=Amasya], 40°39'N, 35°49'E, date unknown, coll. S.L.; 2 ♂ (NHM) Pass vor Alahan, Karaman ü. Mut [=Mersin Province, Alahan Monastery, nr Mut, 36°47'N, 33°21'E], 8 April 1977, coll. H. Nemenz.

Diagnosis.

This species is closely related to Aelurillus v-insignitus and other species of Aelurillus v-insignitus-group (sensu Azarkina 2006), but differs in the male body coloration, viz. Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. has a black eye field (Fig. 2) and the abdomen with a few white spots. Aelurillus v-insignitus has a V-shaped figure on the eye field and a broad light stripe on dorsum on the abdomen in both the black and grey forms (see Żabka 1997: figs 25, 38), Aelurillus laniger Logunov & Marusik, 2000 and Aelurillus steinmetzi Metzner, 1999 has a modified V-shaped figure pattern on eye field (see Metzner 1999: fig. 41 a). The clypeus of Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. is covered with short dense adpressed white hairs (Figs 5, 14) while Aelurillus v-insignitus has sparse white hairs (Fig. 18). Aelurillus guecki Metzner, 1999 and Aelurillus laniger has long shaggy and short yellow-white hairs on clypeus respective and Aelurillus steinmetzi has light red hairs. Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. has dark brown metatarsi and tarsi of leg I and yellow femora, patellae and tibiae (Fig. 15) while Aelurillus v-insignitus has yellow femora and brown to dark brown patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi (Fig. 19). Aelurillus guecki has red-brown metatarsi and tarsi of leg I, all legs covered with dark brown hairs. Aelurillus laniger has grey femora of leg I ventrally, femora of other legs are brown-grey ventrally. The TA of the embolic division has a small tooth-like process (Figs 7–10) which absent from both forms of Aelurillus v-insignitus (Żabka 1997: figs 31, 42) and other Aelurillus v-insignitus-group species (see Logunov and Marusik 2000: figs 5–6; Metzner 1999: figs 43 f, h–i). Palpal tibial apophysis both straight and slightly curved dorsally, almost adequate in size (Fig. 4) while palpal tibial apophysis of Aelurillus laniger both straight, ventral apophysis slightly longer (Logunov and Marusik 2000: fig. 4), ventral palpal tibial apophysis curved ventrally, small and dorsal palpal tibial apophysis long and straight in Aelurillus guecki (Metzner 1999: fig. 40 c), palpal tibial apophysis adequate in size, ventral tibial apophysis slightly curved ventrally and dorsal tibial apophysis straight in Aelurillus steinmetzi (Metzner 1999: fig. 41 c), palpal tibial apophysis adequate in size, ventral palpal tibial apophysis bended ventrally and dorsal tibial apophysis slightly curved dorsally in Aelurillus v-insignitus (Metzner 1999: fig. 42 c). Females differ from those of Aelurillus v-insignitus-group by the poorly visible copulatory openings (Fig. 12).

Etymology.

The species is named for its “face coloration”: Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. has white dense hairs on the clypeus.

Description.

Male (holotype (small) and paratype (large) from Demirkazık ): Carapace 2.00–3.10 long, 1.60–2.10 wide, 1.00-1.80 high at PLE. Ocular area 0.95–1.10 long, 1.25–1.60 wide anteriorly and 1.20–1.55 wide posteriorly. Diameter of AME 0.30–0.40. Abdomen 1.90–2.50 long, 1.70–2.10 wide. Cheliceral length 0.65–1.00. Clypeal height 0.25–0.30. Length of leg segments: I 1.3+0.9+0.8+0.5+0.6; II 1.4+0.9+0.8+0.6+0.5; III 2.0+0.9+1.0+1.0+0.8; IV 1.9+0.9+1.2+1.5+0.8. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1–1–5; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1–1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. II: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr 1–1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. III: Fm d 1–3–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr and rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. IV: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 2–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–1–2, rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. Coloration. Carapace dark brown, with black eye field, covered with dark brown to black adpressed scales. Carapace with two thick white stripes dorsally (Fig. 2) and covered with white hairs laterally. Clypeus with short dense white adpressed hairs (Figs 5, 14). Chelicerae dark brown. Abdomen yellow-gray, dorsum black, with an indistinct white longitudinal stripe (Fig. 2) and 5–6 pairs of white indistinct spots in the posterior part of abdomen. Legs yellow-brown. Femur I and II with two yellowish dorsal stripes. Femur I covered prolaterally with dense yellow hairs. Legs III and IV brown. Patella and tibia I and II yellow, covered with short and thin long hairs. Metatarsi and tarsi I and II dark brown (Fig. 15). Palpal femur brown, with a ventral knob, covered dorsally with long white dense hairs. Palpal patella and tibia yellow, with white hairs. Cymbium brown, covered with dark brown hairs. Palpal structure as in Figs 3–4, 7–10.

Female (from Çankırı Prov.): Carapace 2.30 long, 1.30 wide, 1.20 high at PLE. Ocular area 1.00 long, 1.35 wide anteriorly and 1.30 wide posteriorly. Diameter of AME 0.40. Abdomen 2.20 long, 1.40 wide. Cheliceral length 0.70. Clypeal height 0.30. Length of leg segments: I 1.0+0.7+0.7+0.5+0.5; II 1.0+0.7+0.7+0.5+0.45; III 1.7+0.9+0.9+1.0+0.65; IV 1.55+0.7+0.85+1.2+0.7. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1–1–4; Tb pr 1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. II: Fm d 1–2–4; Tb pr 1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. III: Fm d 1–2–4; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–0–2, rt 1–1–2, v 1–1–2 ap. IV: Fm d 1–1–2; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1, v 2–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–1–2, rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. Coloration. Carapace dark brown with black ocular area, covered with white scales. Sternum dark brown covered with white hairs. Clypeus dark brown covered with white hairs, cheeks dark brown with two strips formatted by dense white hairs. Abdomen grayish-yellow, dorsum dark brown with mixed yellowish-white hair pattern. Book-lungs are grayish-yellow, spinnerets are yellowish-grey. All legs and palps are yellow. Legs with dark brown patches and semi-rings. Structure of spigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 11–13.

Distribution.

Turkey (Fig. 1).

Comments.

First author re-examined Aelurillus material from Danişman et al. 2012 and Coşar et al. 2014 (except Aelurillus luctuosus) kindly provided by Tarık Danişman in 2013 (Aelurillus material is the same in both papers). All Aelurillus gershomi belongs to new species, Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n.

Aelurillus cretensis

Azarkina, 2002

Figs 1 , 32–34

Figures 29–34.

Figures 29–34.

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Male of Aelurillus leipoldae (holotype of Aelurillus steliosi) and female of Aelurillus cretensis (allotype of Aelurillus steliosi): 29 left palp, ventral view 30 ditto, retrolateral view 31 embolic division, dorsal view 32 diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts 33 epigyne, ventral view 34 spermathecae, dorsal view. Scale bars - 0.1 mm (29–31, 33–34).

Type material.

Allotype of Aelurillus steliosi: 1 ♀ (MNHN #AR 13335) “GREECE, Crete, Psiloreitis, Kouroutes (Prefectura Irakleio), near Agios Titos church, 1180 m a.s.l., 35°20'N, 25°08'E, 12 June 2001, coll. S. Simaiakis”. Holotype of Aelurillus cretensis: ♂ (NHMC) GREECE, Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 1650 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 8 June 1991, coll. P. Lymperakis. Paratypes: GREECE: 1 ♂ (NHMC), 1 ♂ (MMUM) Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 1650-2100 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 16-17 October 1990, coll. P. Lymperakis; 7 ♂ 2 ♀ (ISEA 000.516), 1 ♀ (ISEA 000.517), 2 ♂ 2 ♀ (NHMC), 1 ♀ (MMUM) Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 1650 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 8 June-6 October 1991, coll. P. Lymperakis; 1 ♀ (ISEA 000.711) Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 2000 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 6 August 1992, coll. P. Lymperakis.

Other material.

1 ♀ (SNHM) Greece, Crete, Lasithi, mountains S of Sitia, stony, moist beds of stream, under stones and on ground, 35°10'N, 26°06'E, 22 March 1958, coll. H. Kahmann.

Distribution.

Only known from Crete, Greece (Fig. 1; Azarkina 2002: fig. 8).

Comments.

The male holotype and the female allotype of Aelurillus steliosi belong to two different species, Aelurillus cretensis (female) and Aelurillus leipoldae (male).

Bosmans et al. 2013 erroneously (R. Bosmans, pers. comm.) mentioned Aelurillus blandus in reference to Aelurillus cretensis (WSC 2015) therefore we excluded this reference from the list.

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/32281E16-6FEA-4D40-84B9-562CD08673D5

Figs 1 , 16–17 , 20–28

Figures 20–28.

Figures 20–28.

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Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n.: 20 male, body pattern 21 left palp, ventral view 22 ditto, retrolateral view 23 palpal femur, prolateral view 24 embolic division, ventral view 25 ditto, prolateral view 26 ditto, retrolateral view 27 embolic division, ventral view 28 male face;. Scale bars - 0.1 mm (21–22, 24–27), 0.5 mm (23); 1 mm (20).

Type material.

Holotype: ♂ (IZSB) BULGARIA, Blagoevgrad Province, Strouma Valley, 2 km S of Kamenitsa, 170-240 m a.s.l., 41°38'N, 23°09'E, soil traps, 28 September – 2 February 2002, coll. M. Langourov & S. P. Lazarov. Paratypes: MACEDONIA: 1 ♂ (ISEA 000.472) Skopje, Radišani [=Radishani], 42°04'N, 21°27'E, 3 September 1995, coll. M. Komnenov. BULGARIA: 4 ♂ (IZSB) Blagoevgrad Province, Strouma Valley, FM 71, 2 km S of Kamenitsa, 170-240 m a.s.l., 41°37'N, 23°09'E, soil traps, 28 September – 2 February 2002, coll. M. Langourov & S. Lazarov. AZERBAIJAN: 1 ♂ (MMUM) 60 km SW of Baku [=Bakı], Gobustan [=Qobustan], Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, 40°05'N, 49°24'E, 7.05.1989, coll. P. M. Dunin.

Diagnosis.

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. belongs to Aelurillus v-insignitus-group and is closely related to Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n., Aelurillus guecki, Aelurillus steinmetzi and Aelurillus v-insignitus; it also shares the same colour pattern on the eye field (Fig. 20) with Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. (Fig. 2) and Aelurillus guecki (Metzner 1999: fig. 40 a), but differs from other species of this group which have “V” shape (or its modification) on eye field; the clypeal pattern (a narrow stripe of white hairs under anterior median eyes, Fig. 28), difference in size and shape of the lateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 22, cf. Prószyński 1971: see fig. 18 for Aelurillus v-insignitus), and in the structure of the embolic division where the embolus and TA are more curved pro- and retro-laterally, and the apical part of TA is simple, without lateral expansions (Figs 24–27), whereas the apical part of TA of Aelurillus v-insignitus is more complicated and laterally expanded, (Metzner 1999: see fig. 43 f), apical part of TA of Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. with small tooth (Fig. 8), apical part of TA of Aelurillus guecki and Aelurillus steinmetzi are pointed apically (Metzner 1999: figs. 43 h-i) while apical part of TA of Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. pointed perpendicular to embolus (Fig. 25).

Etymology.

This species is named after Prof. Christo Deltshev, the well-known Bulgarian arachnologist.

Description.

Male (Paratype, from Bulgaria): Carapace 2.8 long, 2.0 wide, 1.6 high at PLE. Ocular area 1.1 long, 1.55 wide anteriorly and 1.55 wide posteriorly. Diameter of AME 0.45. Abdomen 1.3 long, 1.2 wide. Cheliceral length 1.0. Clypeal height 0.3. Length of leg segments: I 1.4+0.7+0.9+0.65+0.55; II 1.5+0.9+0.9+0.6+0.6; III 1.9+0.9+1.4+1.3+0.65; IV 1.9+0.8+1.3+1.5+0.8. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1–1–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb pr 1–2, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. II: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb pr 1–1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. III: Fm d 1–3–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr and rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. IV: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–1–2, rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. Coloration: Carapace dark brown, with black eye field, covered with adpressed white scales, more densely on its sides. Carapace with two dorsal longitudinal white stripes. Eye field covered with black shining scales, with no colour pattern (Fig. 20). Clypeus, cheeks and chelicerae brown to dark brown (Fig. 16). Clypeus and cheeks densely covered with white hairs (especially beneath anterior median eyes) (Fig. 28). Hairs around eyes laterally and ventrally white, dorsally black. Abdomen yellow-gray, dorsum dark brown, with thin white hairs. Legs brownish yellow. Metatarsus and tarsus I yellow-brown (Fig. 17). Palps yellow, covered with white hairs, cymbium brown-yellow, covered with brown hairs. Palpal femur with a ventral knob (Fig. 23). Palpal structure as in Figs 21–22, 24–27.

Remarks.

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. was hitherto identified as Aelurillus v-insignitus. There are two subspecies of Aelurillus v-insignitus, Aelurillus v-insignitus morulus (Simon, 1937) from France, and Aelurillus v-insignitus obsoletus (Kulczyński in Chyzer and Kulczyński 1891) from Hungary. Simon (1937: p. 1267) commented that in southern France Aelurillus v-insignitus morulus would occur together with Aelurillus v-insignitus. This species is a local form and can be distinguished from Aelurillus v-insignitus by the abdomen and femur coloration (see p. 1227). Kulczyński (1891: p. 30) stated that Aelurillus v-insignitus and Aelurillus v-insignitus obsoletus were similar in the body colouration, but that of the eye field in Aelurillus v-insignitus obsoletus was not adequately visible (“areae huius pictura parum definita”). One of us (GA) tried to find the holotypes of both Simon’s and Kulczyński’s species but failed. It is most likely that they were lost. Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n., described here, has the black eye field, without a “V” pattern. According to Kulczyński’s picture (1891: plate 1, figs 4 a–b), the tibial apophysis is typical of Aelurillus v-insignitus. The TA in Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. is different as the dorso-lateral branch of the TA in these species is not higher than in Aelurillus v-insignitus, and the ventro-lateral branch of the TA is less curved (Figs 24–27). Prószyński (1971) described two forms of Aelurillus v-insignitus, “black” and “grey”. Both these forms have visible “V” pattern on the eye field (Prószyński 1971: figs 8-10) and a high dorso-lateral tibial apophysis (Prószyński 1971: figs 13, 16, 18–21). The terminal apophyses of the “black” and “grey” forms are also different from those of Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. (Żabka 1997: figs 30–31, 41–42). However, all of them can easily be separated from Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. by the carapace and clypeal colouration, also by the structure of the embolic division and the shape of the tibial apophysis.

Distribution.

Macedonia, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan (Fig. 1).

Comments.

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. occurs in Macedonia and Bulgaria at the elevations below 500 m a.s.l., while Aelurillus v-insignitus has been recorded from the elevations above 500 m a.s.l..

Aelurillus leipoldae

(Metzner, 1999)

Figs 1 , 29–31

Type material.

Holotype of Aelurillus steliosi: ♂ (MNHN #AR 13334) “GREECE, Crete, Skalani (Pref. Irakleio), 230 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 25°11'E, 21 May 2001, coll. S. Simaiakis”. Holotype of Asianellus leipoldae ♂ (SMNK, 2177) “GREECE, Kreta, Paleohóra, Küstengebirge” [=Crete, Palaiochora, Coastal Ranges, 35°13'N, 23°40'E], 9.01.1993 (D. Leiopold). Paratype of Asianellus leipoldae 1 ♂ (PCHM) “Kreta [=Crete], Chania, 35°18'N, 23°48'E, 4.09.1974 (A. Senglet).

Other material.

GREECE: 10 ♂ 2 ♀ (ISEA 001.4045, 001.4047, 001.4058) Crete, Chania, Lefka Ori Mts., 800 and 1650 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 23 November 1990, 6 July–6 November 1991, coll. P. Lymperakis; 2 ♀ (ISEA 001.4057) Gavdos Island, Chania, Lavrakas sand-dunes, Juniperus forest, 34°52'N, 24°04'E, 24 July–8 November 1997, coll. K. Paragamian; 1 ♂ (LM) Crete, September 2002, coll. S.L. Felton; 1 ♀ (SNHM) Crete, Chania, N of Lake Curna [=Kournas], N slope, 100 m from the coast, Luminacea, Salvia, 0-15 m a.s.l., 35°20'N, 24°16'E, 16 April 1958, coll. H. Kahmann; 1 ♀ (SNHM) Crete, Heraklion, 2 km SE of Zaros, NE slope, flat hill, sandy, Phrygana, Cirsium, Cystus, under stones, 35°07'N, 24°55'E, 7 April 1958, coll. H. Kahmann.

Remarks.

The holotype of Aelurillus steliosi is conspecific with that of Aelurillus leipoldae. Both specimens examined (the male holotypes of Aelurillus leipoldae and Aelurillus steliosi) have the same body coloration and structure of the palpus and the embolic division (Figs 29–31 and see Azarkina 2002: figs 31–38, 41; Dobroruka 2002: figs 6–10). Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the name Aelurillus steliosi Dobroruka, 2002 is a junior synonym of Aelurillus leipoldae (Metzner, 1999), contrary to Bosmans et al. (2013) (see also comment under Aelurillus cretensis) who synonymized Aelurillus steliosi with Aelurillus cretensis Azarkina, 2002.

Distribution.

Only known from Crete, Greece (Fig. 1; Metzner 1999: map 29; Azarkina 2002: fig. 43).

Supplementary Material

XML Treatment for Aelurillus alboclypeus
zookeys.516.9439-treatment1.xml (23.9KB, xml)
XML Treatment for Aelurillus cretensis
zookeys.516.9439-treatment2.xml (12.4KB, xml)
XML Treatment for Aelurillus deltshevi
zookeys.516.9439-treatment3.xml (24.5KB, xml)
XML Treatment for Aelurillus leipoldae
zookeys.516.9439-treatment4.xml (16.2KB, xml)

Acknowledgments

We wish to express our warmest thanks to all curators for the loans of specimens. T. Danişman (Kırıkkale, Turkey) is thanked for providing us material from his papers. Also many thanks to colleagues who helped us during preparation of this paper: R. Bosmans (Ghent, Belgium), K. Boğaç Kunt (Ankara, Turkey), M. Chatzaki (Alexandroupoli, Greece), V. Hula (Brno, Czech Republic), D.V. Logunov (Manchester, UK), Yu.M. Marusik (Magadan, Russia), A. Russell-Smith (Sittingbourn, UK), I. Stathi (Heraklion, Greece). D.V. Logunov and W. Wesołowska are thanked for their critical comments that helped us to improve the manuscript. This work was partly supported (GA) by the Russian Federal Fundamental Scientific Research Programme for 2013–2020 (#VI.51.1.7).

Appendix

Aelurillus v-insignitus (Clerck, 1757)

Material (the studied material was partly published by Komnenov 2002, 2003, 2006 and Logunov 2015). MACEDONIA: 1 ♂ (PCMK) Šar Planina [=Shar] Mt., 1320 m a.s.l., 41°48.455'N, 20°47.862'E, pitfall traps, 19 July 1998 (M. Komnenov); 3 ♀ (PCMK) Pelister [=Baba] Mt., 1200-1500 m a.s.l., 41°01.760'N, 21°13.369'E, July 2001 (M. Komnenov); 2 ♂ 1 ♀ (PCMK) Demir Kapija, 550 m a.s.l., 41°20.843'N, 22°18.334'E, 21 May 2005 (M. Komnenov); 1 ♂ (PCMK) Jakupica Mt., 2000 m a.s.l, 41°40.670'N, 21°24.245'E, 11 July 1999 (M. Komnenov); 1 ♂ (PCMK) Plačkovica [=Plachkovica] Mt., 1700 m a.s.l, 41°45'N, 22°28'E, 8-20 July 2002 (M. Komnenov); 1 ♂ (PCMK) Vodno Mt., Skopje, 41°57'N, 21°23'E, 26 April 2003 (M. Komnenov); 1 ♂ (PCMK) Vodno Mt., Skopje, 41°57.972'N, 21°23.890'E, 5 May 2002 (M. Komnenov); 1 ♂ (PCMK) Ogražden [=Ograzhden] Mt., 41°33.719'N, 22°49.440'E, 14 July 2000 (M. Komnenov). BULGARIA: 1 ♂ (IZWP) Zelenigrad near Tran, 42°50'N, 22°33'E, 2 May 1966 (V. Beškov, W. Staręga); 1 ♂ 2 ♀ (IZSB) FM 71, Soil traps, Pirin N.P., Struma [=Strouma] River valley (South), 2 km S of Kamenica [=Kamenitsa], 1700-2400 m a.s.l., 41°37'N, 23°09'E, 5 April – 9 May 2002 (M. Langourov & S. P. Lazarov); 1 ♂ (IZSB) Săštinska Sredna Gora [=Sredna Gora] Mt. Range, Strelča [=Strelcha], 700 m a.s.l., 42°30'N, 24°19'E, 9 May 1998 (S. P. Lazarov). TURKEY: 1 ♂ (ISEA) Artvın Province, Hopa, 41°23'N, 41°25'E, 17 May 1997 (V. Bryja).

Citation

Azarkina GN, Komnenov M (2015) Description of two new species of Aelurillus Simon, 1884 (Araneae, Salticidae) from the Mediterranean, with synonymization of A. steliosi Dobroruka, 2002. ZooKeys 516: 109–122. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.516.9439

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

XML Treatment for Aelurillus alboclypeus
zookeys.516.9439-treatment1.xml (23.9KB, xml)
XML Treatment for Aelurillus cretensis
zookeys.516.9439-treatment2.xml (12.4KB, xml)
XML Treatment for Aelurillus deltshevi
zookeys.516.9439-treatment3.xml (24.5KB, xml)
XML Treatment for Aelurillus leipoldae
zookeys.516.9439-treatment4.xml (16.2KB, xml)

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