Dictyna Sundevall, 1833

Montana, Katherine O., Cala-Riquelme, Franklyn, Crews, Sarah C., Gorneau, Jacob A., Al-Jamal, Amin M., Alequín, Luigie D., Spagna, Joseph C., Ballarin, Francesco & Esposito, Lauren A., 2025, Tailor’s drawer no more: a reappraisal of the spider family Dictynidae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871 sensu lato, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 204 (2) : -

Genus Dictyna Sundevall, 1833 s.s.

Type species: Aranea benigna Walckenaer, 1802 , currently Dictyna arundinacea (Linnaeus, 1758) .

Material examined: Dictyna abundans : USA, California, Lassen Co., 2 mi N Doyle , 12.vii., Coll. C. Griswold (1 female, CASENT9118636 ) . Mexico, Baja California, 20 km E Parador Punta Prieta , 29°03.86'N 114°02.61'W, Elev. 470 m, malaise, 26–29.iii.2014, Coll. M.E. Irwin, M.J. Sharkey (1 male, CASENT9058905 ) . Dictyna agressa : USA, California, Los Angeles Co., 15 mi west of Santa Monica , 20.iii.1941, Coll. W. Ivie (Paratype, 1 male, 1 female, MNHN-AR-AR688) . Mexico, Baja California, 1 km S Cataviña, Rio La Bocana , 29°43.57'N 114°42.82'W, Elev. 500 m, sandy wash near water, 26–30.iii.2014, Coll. M.E. Irwin, M.J. Sharkey (1 female, CASENT9118646 ) . USA, California, Marin Co., San Rafael , 8 mi Park Ridge Road, 38°1.1′N 122°33.2'W, border of suburb and open space, grasses/oaks, 9.v.2015, Coll. J. Schweikert (1 female, CASENT9068332 ) . Dictyna alyceae : Panama, Chiriqui Province, Boquete , vii.1939, Coll. Arthur M. Chickering (Allotype, 1 male, 1 female, 1 imm., MCZ-IZ43946 ) . Panama, Chiriqui Province, Boquete , vii.1939, Coll. Arthur M. Chickering (Holotype, 1 male, MCZ-IZ20244 ) . Dictyna apacheca : (Paratype, 1 male, 1 female, MNHN-AR-AR671) [note: there is no collecting information given with this specimen. In Chamberlin and Ivie (1935), a holotype and allotype are mentioned, but they did not name a paratype]. Dictyna arundinacea : USA, Colorado, Electra Lake , 1.vii.1919, Coll. F.E. Lutz (1 male, AMNH) . Dictyna bostoniensis : USA, Washington, Wawawai , pre-1919 publication date (Holotype, 1 female, MCZ-IZ15971 ) . USA, Massachusetts, Boston, fence of Public Garden , 23.v.1873, Coll. James H. Emerton (Syntype, 3 male 3 female, MCZ-IZ20564 ) . Dictyna brevitarsus : USA, Massachusetts, Danvers (no verbatim date data), Coll. James H. Emerton, Henry W. Winkley (Syntype, 1 male, 1 female, MCZ-IZ20588 ) . Dictyna cavata : Bermuda, Grasmere , 11.vii.–4.viii.1921, Coll. E.B. Bryant (Allotype, 1 female, MCZ-IZ24758 ) . Bermuda, Grasmere , 11.vii.–4.viii.1921, Coll. E.B. Bryant (Holotype, 1 male, MCZ-IZ20740 ) . Bermuda, Grasmere , 11.vii.–4.viii.1921, Coll. E.B. Bryant (Paratype, 1 female, MCZ-IZ24759 ) . Bermuda, Grasmere , 11.vii.–4.viii.1921, Coll. E.B. Bryant (Paratype, 1 male, MCZ-IZ24760 ) . Dictyna cholla : Mexico, Baja California Sur, 1 mi N Ejido Guillermo Prieto , 27°48′32′′N 113°18′31′′W, Elev. 150 m, ethylene glycol pitfall traps, 14.iii–19.vii.1999, Coll. R. Aalbu et al. (1 male, 1 female, CASENT9062560 ) . USA, New Mexico, Socorro Co., Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge, 34°28'27.48"N 113°27'33.66"W, Elev. 1450 m, malaise, sandy basin of Rio Grande River , 19–24. vi.2013, Coll. M.E. Irwin (1 female, CASENT9118657 ) . Mexico, Baja California, Cañon de Guadalupe, 32°9.77'0"N 115°46.91'0"W, Elev. 300 m, malaise, damp wash near palms, 23–31.iii.2014, Coll. M.E. Irwin, M.J. Sharkey (1 female, CASENT9118658 ) . Dictyna denisi : Nigeria, Massif de l’Aïr, Monts Baguezan , 1–4. ix.1947, Coll. L. Chopard & A. Villiers (Syntypes, 1 male, 1 female, MNHN-AR-AR683). Dictyna donaldi : Panama, Chiriqui Province, Boquete , vii.1939, Coll. Arthur M. Chickering (Allotype, 1 female, MCZ-IZ44000 ) . Panama, Chiriqui Province, Boquete , vii.1939, Coll. Arthur M. Chickering (Holotype, 1 male, MCZ-IZ21112 ) . Panama, Chiriqui Province, Boquete , vii.1939, Coll. Arthur M.Chickering (Paratype, 1 male, MCZ-IZ24320 ) . Panama, Chiriqui Province, Boquete , vii.1939, Coll. Arthur M. Chickering (Paratype, 1 male, MCZ-IZ24318 ) . Panama, Chiriqui Province, Boquete , vii.1939, Coll. Arthur M. Chickering (Paratype, 1 female, MCZ-IZ24319 ) . Dictyna formidolosa : USA, North Carolina, Black Mt., N. fork Swannanoa River . 18–30.v.1903 –1910 (based on information in introduction of publication), Coll. Nathan Banks (Syntype, 1 male MCZ-IZ20351 ) . Dictyna jacalana : Mexico, Morelos, Cuernavaca, Salto San Anton , 18–19.ix.1976, Coll. C. Griswold, R. Jackson (1 male, CASENT9118784 ) . Mexico, Nayarit, Nayarit, 18–19.ix.1976, Coll. S.C. Williams, K. Blair, C. Mullinex (1 male, CASENT9118822 ) . Dictyna kosiorowiczi : France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Bouchesdu-Rhône , Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, 1–30.vi.1913, Coll. J. and L. Berland (1 male, 1 female MNHN-AR-AR536). Dictyna segregata : USA, Texas, Clear Creek Woods, 9.iv.1942, Coll. Sarah E. Jones (Holotype, 1 male, MCZ-IZ22549 ) .

Diagnosis: The males of Dictyna s.s. ( Figs 30A–F, 31A–F, 63AF) can be distinguished from other Dictynidae s.s. genera by the palp with a simple, thin embolus without distal modifications, coiled no more than 225°, originating prolateral distal from the bulb ( Figs 31E, 57B, 63E; Chamberlin and Gertsch 1958: pl. 22, figs 5, 10, Marusik et al. 2015: fig. 26) (embolus thick and distally modified in Emblyna s.s., Nopalityna gen. n.); the dictynid process usually shorter to slightly developed, but never as long or longer than the tibia length ( Fig. 30E, F; Chamberlin and Gertsch 1958: pl. 22, fig. 7, Marusik et al. 2015: fig. 26) (dictynid process absent ( Figs. 25C, 26F, 27E, 47C–F) in Ajmonia , Califorenigma gen. n., Dictynomorpha , Mallos , Mexitlia , Nigma , Thallumetus and Tivyna ); the conductor upper arm longer than the conductor lower arm, coiled no more than 110° ( Fig. 31E; 57B; 63E; Chamberlin and Gertsch 1958: pl. 22, figs. 5, 10, Marusik et al. 2015: fig. 26); the conductor lower arm coiled more than 360°, with the tip directed prolateral proximal, the paraconductor process inconspicuous or absent, and with the conductor locking mechanism shorter than conductor tip. Additionally, it can be distinguished by lacking a patellar apophysis and/or other modifications (present in Califorenigma gen. n.), and a cymbial process ( Figs 30A–D, 31A, B, D, F, 63E, F) (present in Ajmonia , Dictynomorpha , and Califorenigma gen. n.). Females can be distinguished by having the first section of the copulatory duct modified and connected to a typically enlarged membranous sac; copulatory duct longer than primary spermathecae width, forming loops near the primary spermathecae; primary spermathecae reduced, as wide as or slightly wider than the widest section of the copulatory duct.

Remarks: Westring (1861) considered Dictyna s.l. a senior synonymof Ergatis Blackwall,1841 and Operaria Blackwall, 1841 . Chamberlin (1948) described the genus Tosyna Chamberlin 1948 (= Dictyna see: Chamberlin and Gertsch 1958) based on the morphological characteristics of Dictyna apacheca . Several species have been described as Dictyna s.l., and several have been transferred to Emblyna s.l.. Dictyna s.s., together with Emblyna s.s., continue to be tailor’s drawer genera, and greater attention to morphology and molecular phylogenetics should be given in future studies. Previous phylogenetic studies have shown Dictyna s.l. and Emblyna s.l. to be polyphyletic (see: Wheeler et al. 2017, Crews et al. 2020, Gorneau et al. 2023a, Kulkarni et al. 2023). Traits such as the morphology of the embolus, conductor, cymbium, tibial apophysis, patellar apophysis, membranous sac, copulatory duct, and primary spermathecae appear to be putative synapomorphies that support the delimitation of genera.

List of included species: Dictyna abundans Chamberlin and Ivie, 1941 , D. alaskae Chamberlin and Ivie, 1947 , D. albicoma Simon, 1893 , D. albovittata Keyserling, 1881 , D. alyceae Chickering, 1950 , D. apacheca Chamberlin and Ivie, 1935 , D. arundinacea (Linnaeus, 1758) , D. bostoniensis Emerton, 1888 , D. brevitarsus Emerton, 1915 , D. cafayate Mello-Leitão, 1941 , D. chandrai Tikader, 1966 , D. cofete Wunderlich, 2022 , D. columbiana Becker, 1886 , D. cronebergi Simon, 1889 , D. crosbyi Gertsch and Mulaik, 1940 , D. dauna Chamberlin and Gertsch, 1958 , D. ectrapela (Keyserling, 1886) , D. fluminensis Mello-Leitão, 1924 , D. guineensis Denis, 1955 , D. hamifera Thorell, 1872 , D. kosiorowiczi Simon, 1873 , D. laeviceps Simon, 1911 , D. linzhiensis Hu, 2001 , D. livida (Mello-Leitão, 1941) , D. marilina Chamberlin, 1948 , D. moctezuma Gertsch and Davis, 1942 , D. namulinensis Hu, 2001 , D. navajoa Gertsch and Davis, 1942 , D. pictella Chamberlin and Gertsch, 1958 , D. pusilla Thorell, 1856 , D. quadrispinosa Emerton, 1919 , D. ranchograndei Caporiacco, 1955 , D. saepei Chamberlin and Ivie, 1941 , D. similis Keyserling, 1878 , D. simoni Petrunkevitch, 1911 , D. sinaloa Gertsch and Davis, 1942 , D. siniloanensis Barrion and Litsinger, 1995 , D. tarda Schmidt, 1971 , D. togata Simon, 1904 , D. tristis Spassky, 1952 , D. trivirgata Mello-Leitão, 1943 , D. tullgreni Caporiacco, 1949 , D. turbida Simon, 1905 , D. uncinata Thorell, 1856 , D. uvs Marusik and Koponen, 1998 , D. vittata Keyserling, 1883 , D. vultuosa Keyserling, 1881 , and D. yongshun Yin, Bao and Kim, 2001 .