A contribution to the knowledge of spiders in wheat fields of Khorasan-e-Razavi Province, Iran

Turk J Zool (2014) 38: 437-443 © TÜBİTAK doi:10.3906/zoo-1307-16 Turkish Journal of Zoology http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ Research Article A contribution to the knowledge of spiders in wheat fields of Khorasan-e-Razavi Province, Iran 1 2 2 1, Mojtaba HOSSEINI , Omid MIRSHAMSI , Roya KASHEFI , Lida FEKRAT * Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran 2 Department of Biology, College of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran 1 Received: 11.07.2013 Accepted: 10.01.2014 Published Online: 20.05.2014 Printed: 19.06.2014 Abstract: The spider fauna of Iran is poorly known, particularly in the eastern parts of Iran, where there are still several areas that are not well known. As a result of the study of spider fauna in organic and conventional wheat fields of Khorasan-e-Razavi Province during 2011–2012, a total of 10 families, 18 genera, and 19 species were recorded. Among the specimens, Gnaphosa lucifuga (Walckenaer, 1802) and Uroctea limbata (C.L. Koch, 1843) were new for the Iranian spider fauna. Key words: Araneae, spider fauna, wheat fields, Khorasan-e-Razavi 1. Introduction Spiders, as biological control agents of insects, have a wide host range, and in terms of diversity rank seventh after 5 insect orders and Acarina (Coddington and Levi, 1991). The world spider fauna comprises more than 44,000 described species that are classified into 112 families (Platnick, 2013). Because of various zoogeographical elements, a wide diversity of spiders is to be expected in different parts of Iran and therefore, in previous years, many faunistic studies have been conducted by many researchers. Most of these studies were restricted to special groups or specific regions of Iran (Roewer, 1955, 1959; Levi, 1959; Brignoli, 1970, 1972, 1980, 1981; Senglet, 1974; Levy and Amitai, 1982; Kraus and Kraus, 1989; Wunderlich, 1995; Saaristo et al., 1996; Logunov, 1999, 2001, 2004; Logunov et al., 1999, 2002; Mozaffarian et al., 2000; Ghahari and Marusik, 2009). In 2001, Mozaffarian and Marusik revised a checklist and reported 141 species belonging to 25 families from Iran. Later, a checklist of Iranian spiders was updated by Ghavami (2006), who reported 244 species from 33 families. To date, the total number of species of Araneae recorded from Iran is almost 394 species in 126 genera and 36 families (Ghavami et al., 2007a, 2007b; Moradmand and Jäger, 2011). The aim of this study was to contribute to the knowledge of the spider fauna of organic and conventional wheat fields of Khorasan-e-Razavi, in northeastern Iran. * Correspondence: 2. Materials and methods The specimens were collected in different wheat fields in Khorasan-e-Razavi Province in 2011 and 2012 (Figure 1). Various sampling methods such as hand catching, pitfall trapping, or sweeping were used. Specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and transferred to the laboratory. The identification of spider specimens was made according to Levi and Levi (1962), Levi (1959), Kaston (1970), Levy and Amitai (1982), Roberts (1985), and Davies (1989). The material was deposited in the Zoological Museum of the Biology Department at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (ZMFUM). 3. Results Family Gnaphosidae Pocock, 1898 Genus Drassodes Chamberlin, 1922 Drassodes lapidosus (Walckenaer, 1802) Material examined: 3♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasan-e-Razavi Prov., Shirvan (37°23′48″N, 57°55′46″E), 15.VI.2011, M. Hosseini; 2♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasan-e-Razavi Prov., Mashhad (36°18′N, 59°36′E), 5.VI.2012, M. Hosseini. Distribution in Iran: Guilan, East and West Azerbaijan, Kerman (Roewer, 1955). General distribution: Palearctic (Platnick, 2013). Diagnosis: Carapace yellowish-brown, eye region darker; chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 2 retromarginal denticles; palpal femur with 3 (males) and 3–4 (females) dorsodistal and 1 dorsomedial spines. This species can be distinguished from 2 similar species, i.e. D. chybyndensis 437 HOSSEINI et al. / Turk J Zool Turkmenistan Afghanistan Figure 1. Map of sampling locations in Khorasan-e-Razavi Province. and D. natali, by longer and non-dented tibial apophysis (males) and shape of the epyginum (females) (Esyunin et al., 2001). Genus Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804 Gnaphosa lucifuga* (Walckenaer, 1802) (Figures 2–4) Material examined; 9♂, 1♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasan-eRazavi Prov., Mashhad (36°18′N, 59°36′E), 10.V.2011, M. Hosseini. General distribution: Palearctic (Platnick, 2013). Diagnosis: Body length 10–15 mm in males and 12–19 mm in females; body color dark brown to almost black, the femora of the legs are a little brighter, male palps lighter than body color, prosoma dark red-brown to blackbrown, eye region darker, chelicerae darker than prosoma, opisthosoma dark red-brown to black-brown; embolus robust; epigyne with broad scapus that touches protrusions of lateral epigynal margins (Ovtsharenko et al., 1992). Genus Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922 Haplodrassus dalmatensis (L. Koch, 1866) Material examined: 2♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasan-e-Razavi Prov., Fariman (35°42′N, 59°50′E), 10.V.2012, M. Hosseini; 1♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasan-e-Razavi Prov., Gochan (37°06′22″N, 58°30′34″E), 15.IV.2012, M. Hosseini. General distribution: West and Central Palaearctic: North Africa, Europe, South Urals, Caucasus, Anatolia, Near East, Kazakhstan, Western Turkmenistan, South Siberia (Mikhailov, 2000; Tuneva and Esyunin, 2003; Levy, 2004; Helsdingen, 2010; Platnick, 2013). 438 Diagnosis: Males: the terminal apophysis with 2 teethlike apical processes, the embolus with strong tooth; metatarsus I without ventral spines. Females: the epigynal fovea wider than spermathecae and with a peculiar medial septum; metatarsus IV with 3 spines (Kovblyuk et al., 2012). Genus Nomisia Dalmas, 1921 Nomisia ripariensis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) Material examined: 1♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasan-eRazavi Prov., Mashhad (36°18′N, 59°36′E), 10.V.2011, M. Hosseini. Distribution in Iran: Mazandaran, Kerman (Ghavami, 2006; Kashefi et al., 2013). General distribution: Bulgaria, Greece to Azerbaijan (Platnick, 2013). Diagnosis: Body length 4–8 mm in males and 5.5–9 mm in females; embolus broad with a transparent membrane; ventral tibial apophysis vestigial or completely reduced massive retrolateral apophysis with pointed lateral process (Nentwig et al., 2013). Genus Zelotes Gistel, 1848 Zelotes sp. Material examined: 2♂, 1♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasane-Razavi Prov., Mashhad (36°18′N, 59°36′E), 10.V.2011, M. Hosseini; 1♀ (ZMFUM), Khorasan-e-Razavi Prov., Neishabour (36.2133°N, 58.7958°E), 15.V.2011, M. Hosseini. General distribution: Palearctic (Platnick, 2013). Diagnosis: Tarsi of legs III and IV with a dense cluster of hairs on distal part; distance between posterior median eyes almost as long as their diameter. HOSSEINI et al. / Turk J Zool 4 1mm 1mm 2mm 2 3 Figures 2–4. Gnaphosa lucifuga. 2) Dorsal habitus of male; 3) Ventral view of epigynum; 4) Ventral view of male palp Family Lycosidae Sundevall, 1833 Genus Arctosa (...truncated)