Zodarion nesiotes Denis, 1965

Shafaie, Sepideh, Pekár, Stano & Ortiz, David, 2025, Zodarion spiders (Araneae: Zodariidae): morphology, molecular characterisation and reassessment of the elegans, italicum, and pusio groups from Iberia and the Canary Islands, Journal of Natural History 59 (25 - 28), pp. 1825-1875 : 1857-1861

Zodarion nesiotes Denis

( Figures 18 , 24J–K )

Zodarion nesiotes Denis, 1965: 781 ; fig. 1 (♀).

Zodarion nesiotes – Wunderlich 1987: 236, figs 630–634 (♂ ♀). – Wunderlich 1992: 469, fig. 729 (♂).

Zodarion canariense – Wunderlich 1980: 229; figs 1–5 (♂ ♀).

Examined type material

Holotype (♀): CANARY ISLANDS: Tenerife (Att.); MNHN-AR9949, 22556.

Other material examined

CANARY ISLANDS: 2 ♂ (only palps available); Igueste de San Andrés, Tenerife ; March 2020; GEEI leg .; CMU.

Diagnosis

Zodarion nesiotes resembles Z. italicum ; however, the males can be distinguished by their tibial apophysis, which is distinctly narrower with a slightly curved backward tip (vs tibial apophysis stouter with a tip more or less straight or weakly curved forward; compare Figures 24K–L and Figures 24E–F ); the tip of the median apophysis directed laterally (vs folded inwardly; compare Figure 24K and Figure 24E ), and the embolus terminally straight (vs curved; compare Figure 24K herein and fig. 60 in Bosmans 1997). Females of Z. nesiotes can be distinguished by the presence of voluminous atria (vs absent; compare Figure 26O and Figure 26M ).

Comment

Since Z. nesiotes has only been described in German and French languages, we provide its characterisation in English. However, our redescription of the male specimens is limited to the copulatory organ, as the rest of the bodies were not available.

Description

Male (Tenerife). Palp. ( Figures 24J–L ) Palp segments pale; cymbium with strong apical bristles on one side. Tibial apophysis stout at the base, narrowing gradually, ending in a ralatively curved backward tip. Median apophysis small, relatively stout at the base, distally ending in a beak-shaped structure. Embolus simple, gradually narrowing.

Female (holotype, MNHN). Total length 4.35, carapace 2.0 long, 1.34 wide. Prosoma. ( Figures 18A–B ) Carapace bicolour, with a light brown cephalic region and a yellow thoracic region; clypeus, chelicerae, sternum yellow; mouthparts yellow, with pale apical part. Eyes. AME 0.17, ALE 0.11, PME 0.1, PLE 0.09, AME–AME 0.09, ALE–ALE 0.42, PME–PME 0.36, PLE–PLE 0.24. Abdomen.( Figures 18A–B ) Abdomen dorsum dark, abdomen venter and spinnerets yellow to pale. Legs. All segments uniformly yellow. Epigyne. ( Figures 25O , 26O ) Epigynal plate domed W-structure, medially broadened and antero-laterally connected to divereging sclerotised sides. Spermathecae small and attached to large, globular atria; the diameter of the atria twice that of the spermathecae, with the atria separated by a distance of 0.24 times their diameter. Copulatory openings not well visible.

Molecular data

COI mitochondrial barcodes (GenBank accession): PQ119993, PQ119994.

Maximum intraspecific COI divergence (2): 0%. Minimum interspecific divergence (to Z. extraneum ): 10.1%. Consensus COI distance to the closest species ( Z. extraneum ): 5.4%.

Distribution

Canary Islands.

The pusio group in Iberia

Diagnosis: The single member of this group has the following characters: tibial apophysis elongated, terminally ventrally curved, with a tooth at the base. Median apophysis inverted, angular U-shaped, with an elongated tapering tip. Embolus straight, without subterminal tooth. Epigynal plate anteriorly and laterally bordered by chitinous sutures, epigynal plate convex, with a pair of lateral pits.

Species included Z. cesari Pekár, 2011 .

Figures

Figure 18. Habitus of Z. nesiotes Denis, 1965. A–B, holotype, female (MNHN-AR9949, 22556). A, dorsal view. B, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

Figure 24. Comparison of palp shape among males belonging to the italicum and pusio groups. A–O, italicum group members. A–C, Z. isabellinum (MNHN-AR1522). D–F, Z. italicum (MNHN-AR2866). G–I, Z. modestum (MNHN-AR1519). J–L, Z. nesiotes (CMU). M–O, pusio group member, Z. cesari (CMU). 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 bar = 0.2 mm. Abbreviation: B = base of embolus. Arrow indicates the tooth at the base of the tibial apophysis.

Figure 25. Comparison of epigyne shape among females of the elegans, italicum, and pusio groups in ventral view. A–K elegans group members. A, Z. affine (MNHN-AR1523). B, Z. valentii (CMU). C, Z. marginiceps (MNHN-AR9900, 22549). D, Z. mallorca (CJFM-4583, G7572.2929). E, Z. pseudoelegans (MNHN-AR9910). F, Z. beticum (MNHN-AR9950). G, Z. diatretum (MNHN-AR1513). H, Z. maculatum (MNHN-AR1512). I, Z. murphyorum (CJFM-18452, G7572.14697). J, Z. vanimpei (CJFM-18557, G7572.15251). K, Z. elegans (MNHN-AR2853). L–O italicum group members. L, Z. isabellinum (MNHN- AR1522). M, Z. italicum (MNHN-AR2866). N, Z. modestum (CMU). O, Z. nesiotes (MNHN-AR9949, 22556). P, pusio group member, Z. cesari (CMU). Scale bar = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Ep = Epigynal plate; Ms = median septum.

Figure 26. Comparison of endogyne shape among females of the elegans, italicum, and pusio groups in ventral view. A–K elegans group members. A, Z. affine (MNHN-AR1523). B, Z. valentii (CMU). C, Z. marginiceps (MNHN-AR9900, 22549). D, Z. mallorca (CJFM-4583, G7572.2929). E, Z. pseudoelegans (MNHN-AR9910). F, Z. beticum (MNHN-AR9950). G, Z. diatretum (MNHN-AR1513). H, Z. maculatum (MNHN-AR1512). I, Z. murphyorum (CJFM-18452, G7572.14697). J, Z. vanimpei (CJFM-18557, G7572.15251). K, Z. elegans (MNHN-AR2853). L–O italicum group members. L, Z. isabellinum (MNHN- AR1522). M, Z. italicum (MNHN-AR2866). N, Z. modestum (CMU). O, Z. nesiotes (MNHN-AR9949, 22556). P, pusio group member, Z. cesari (CMU). Scale bar = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: A = atrium; Sp = spermatheca.