Zodarion bacelarae Pekár, 2003

Shafaie, Sepideh, Pekár, Stano & Ortiz, David, 2025, Integrative taxonomy of the Iberian Zodarion species of the rubidum and styliferum groups (Araneae: Zodariidae), Zootaxa 5624 (1), pp. 1-69 : 31-33

Zodarion bacelarae Pekár, 2003

Figs 20 , 34D–F , 38C , 39C , 41B

Zodarion bacelarae Pekár , in Pekár et al. 2003: 388, figs 20, 28 (♀).

Zodarion duriense Cardoso , in Pekár et al., 2003: 389, figs 9–10, 21, 29 (♂ ♀). Syn. nov.

Type material examined. Holotype ( Zodarion duriense ) PORTUGAL: ♂, Barca d’Alva ( Parque Natural do Douro Internacional ), Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, P. Cardoso leg., MNHN-14332 . Paratype ( Zodarion duriense ) 1♀, same collection data as for holotype .

Other material examined. PORTUGAL: 2♂, Barros , Braga, 41.518°N, 8.417°W, 220 m a.s.l., 3.VI.2018, D. Ortiz & S. Pekár leg., CMU ; 5♀, Capela de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte e Cruzeiro, Alijó , 41.371°N, 7.488°W, 710 m a.s.l., 3.VI.2018, D. Ortiz leg., CMU .

Diagnosis: Zodarion bacelarae can be distinguished from its closely related species Z. algarvense by the shape of the tibial apophysis, which is medially narrowed and slightly curved in the ventral view (vs. straight, with parallel edges; cf. Fig. 34E and Fig. 34B ), and by the epigynal plate, which is elongated oval-shaped, posteriorly narrowed, and has a single, distinct copulatory opening (vs. bell-shaped with a shallow copulatory opening; cf. Figs 38C , 41B and Figs 38B , 41A ).

Description: For a detailed description of the habitus and male palp, see Pekár et al. (2003). Epigyne ( Fig. 41B ): Epigynal plate elongated oval-shaped, posteriorly narrowed with sub-parallel edges. Epigynal plate with a single, antero-median copulatory opening, which linked to a pair of small, baso-lateral pits by connecting grooves.

Molecular data:

COI mitochondrial barcodes (Genbank accession): MT370086, MW760705, MW760709 , PP373360.

Maximum intraspecific COI divergence (n=4): 1.8 %. Minimum interspecific divergence (to Z. extraneum ): 8.1%. Consensus COI distance to the closest species (to Z. styliferum ): 3.6%.

Comment: Similar somatic and copulatory organ morphology, as well as a mere 1.8% COI genetic distance between Z. duriense and Z. bacelarae , revealed that they are conspecific, and therefore, synonymous. Although they both were described in the same article ( Pekár et al. 2003), Z. bacelarae was described on a previous page (p. 388 vs. 389) and thus has the priority according to article 24 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1999).

Distribution: Portugal.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Habitus of Z. bacelarae. A–B. holotype of Z. duriense, male. C–D. paratype of Z. duriense, female. A, C. dorsal view. B, D. ventral view. Scale = 0.4 mm.

FIGURE 34. Palp shape comparison among males of styliferum group. A–C. Z. algarvense. D–F. Z. bacelarae, holotype of Z. duriense. G–I. Z. bosmansi. J–L. Z. gregua, holotype. M–O. Z. lusitanicum, holotype. P–R. Z. segurense. A, D, G, J, M, P. prolateral view. B, E, H, K, N, Q. ventral view. C, F, I, L, O, R. retrolateral view. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 38. Epigyne shape comparison among females of styliferum group in ventral view.A. Z. alentejanum. B. Z. algarvense, paratype. C. Z. bacelarae, paratype of Z. duriense. D. Z. bosmansi. E. Z. gregua, paratype. F. Z. guadianense, holotype, reproduced with permission of the publisher. G. Z. lusitanicum. H. Z. merlijni. I. Z. segurense. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 39. Vulva shape comparison among females of styliferum group in ventral view. A. Z. alentejanum. B. Z. algarvense, paratype. C. Z. bacelarae, paratype of Z. duriense. D. Z. bosmansi. E. Z. gregua, paratype. F. Z. guadianense, holotype, reproduced with permission of the publisher. G. Z. lusitanicum. H. Z. merlijni. I. Z. segurense. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 41. SEM images of epigyne among females of styliferum group in ventral view. A. Z. algarvense. B. Z. bacelarae. C. Z. bosmansi. D. Z. extraneum. E. Z. gregua. F. Z. jozefienae. G. Z. rudyi. H. Z. segurense. I. Z. styliferum. Scale = 40 µm.