Acantholycosa sterneri ( Marusik, 1993 )

Zhang, Xiang-Yun, Zhang, Zhi-Sheng & Wang, Lu-Yu, 2025, Review of the wolf spider genus Acantholycosa Dahl, 1908 from China (Araneae, Lycosidae), ZooKeys 1240, pp. 239-256 : 239-256

Acantholycosa sterneri ( Marusik, 1993)

Figs 5 , 6 , 13

Pardosa sterneri Marusik, 1993: 77, figs 1–3 (♂).

Acantholycosa sterneri : Kronestedt and Marusik 2002: 67, figs 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15–18, 21, 25–27 (♂ ♀); Marusik et al. 2004: 113, figs 66–72 (♂ ♀); Marusik and Omelko 2017: 599, fig. 12 (♂).

Material examined.

China: • 1 ♂, Inner Mongolia, Chifeng City, Balinyou Co., Saihanwula National Nature Reserve, top of Hanshan Mt. , 44°10'27"N, 118°44'2"E, elev. 1828 m, 27. 06. 2015, Z. S. Zhang and L. Y. Wang leg. • 1 ♀, Saihanwula National Nature Reserve , 44°18'96"N, 118°75'31"E, elev. 1941 m, 15. 08. 2023, S. T. Shi et al. leg . • 1 ♂, Balinyou Co., Wulanba Mt , 44°26'33"N, 118°42'8"E, elev. 1846 m, 11.07. 2023, K. Yu et al. leg .

Diagnosis.

Acantholycosa sterneri is similar to A. solituda (Levi & Levi, 1951) ( Kronestedt and Marusik 2002, figs 1, 3–6, 9–11, 14, 19, 20, 22–24) in having a similar conformation of the copulatory organs (Figs 5 A – D , 6 C – H ), but it can be differentiated by the median apophysis with a reduced apical arm (Figs 5 A , 6 C, E ) (vs. without apical arm); embolus basal part wider than apical part (Figs 5 A , 6 C, E ) (vs. embolus basal part as wide as apical part); embolus with pointed tip ventrally (Figs 5 A , 6 C, E ) (vs. blunt). Females can be distinguished by the septal width measuring 1.3 times its length (Figs 5 C , 6 G ) (vs. 2.3 times its length), and spermathecae separated (Figs 5 D , 6 H ) (vs. spermathecae close together).

Description.

See Kronestedt and Marusik (2002). Habitus as shown in Figs 6 A, B , male palp as in Figs 5 A, B , 6 C – F , epigyne as in Figs 5 C, D , 6 G, H .

Distribution.

China (Inner Mongolia), Russia (South Siberia), Mongolia.

Comment.

This species belongs to the A. solituda - group.

Figures

Figure 5. Acantholycosa sterneri (Marusik, 1993), male (A, B) and female (C, D) A left male palp, ventral view B same, retrolateral view C epigyne, ventral view D same, dorsal view.

Figure 6. Acantholycosa sterneri (Marusik, 1993), male (A, C – F) and female (B, G, H) A male habitus, dorsal view B female habitus, dorsal view C left male palp, ventral view D same, retrolateral view E palp bulb, ventral view F same, retrolateral view G epigyne, ventral view H same, dorsal view.

Figure 13. Distribution of Acantholycosa species in China.