Notes on Mediterranean Theridiidae (Araneae) – II
Author
Knoflach, Barbara
University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck ,, Austria
Author
Rollard, Christine
Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris ,, France
Author
Thaler, Konrad
Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck ,, France
text
ZooKeys
2009
2009-07-29
16
16
227
264
journal article
10.3897/zookeys.16.237
6183f557-d88b-466e-81ea-549149b529cb
1313–2970
576484
Theridion hemerobium
Simon, 1914
Figs 57-58
Material
examined.
Greece
:
Peloponnesos
,
Nafplio
,
Argos
, brookside, 1 ♂ (
CTh
),
22.6.2000
, leg.
J. Buchar.
Description
, identification.
Differentiation from the closely related, larger
T. pictum
see
Levi (1957a
, sub
T. berkeleyi
),
Blick et al. (1993)
,
Bosmans et al. (1994)
,
Roberts (1995)
,
Nentwig et al. (2003)
,
Almquist (2005)
. For additional citations and synonyms see
Platnick (2008)
.
Male
palp
(
Figs 57-58
). Palp less elongated and considerably smaller than in
T. pictum
, length of tibia and tarsus ca.
0.4 mm
(versus ca.
0.7 in
T. pictum
). Tibia rather broad at base as compared with distal rim, about 0.7 of distal width in ventral view, thus little constricted. Shape of conductor and median apophysis diagnostic. Prolateral tip of median apophysis closer to tip of conductor than in
T. pictum
. Embolus short, distal part
0.12 mm
long (
T. pictum
0.3 mm
, see
Knoflach 1998
).
Distribution
.
Theridion hemerobium
is widespread in North America (
Levi 1957a
) and Europe (
Bosmans et al. 1994
;
Anthes 2000
). From
Greece
it was hitherto not known (
Bosmans et al. 1994
;
Anthes 2000
;
Bosmans and Chatzaki 2005
). The present finding bridges a distribution gap in southeast Europe, though its occurrence is not surprising. A further record comes from
Bulgaria
(
Deltshev 1992
); the easternmost one from
Israel
(
Levy 1998
). Interestingly, the species has so far not been mentioned from
Russia
(
Mikhailov 1997
,
1998
).
T. hemerobium
occurs stenotopically on the vegetation in wetlands and on banks of lakes, ponds and running water (
Anthes 2000
) and also colonises human-made structures in these habitats, e.g. bridges and fences (
Jones 1994
;
Daws 2003
).