On the new record of the sheet-web spider Erigonoplus foveatus comb. nov. from Slovakia, with comments on Erigonoplus simplex (Araneae: Linyphiidae)

Abstract

Mecynargus foveatus (Dahl, 1912) was recorded in the territory of Slovakia for the first time. Within two years of spider research, a single adult male was collected by beating branches of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in the Borská nížina lowland. We also discovered that specimens of Erigonoplus simplex Millidge, 1979 from Bulgaria were misidentified as M. foveatus. Therefore, we suggest to consider E. simplex as a new record for Bulgaria and to exclude M. foveatus from the spider fauna of Bulgaria. A revised distribution of both species is presented and discussed. Based on the high similarity to Erigonoplus, M. foveatus is transferred to this genus as Erigonoplus foveatus (Dahl, 1912) comb. nov.

Keywords

• Erigoninae
• first records
• faunistics
• Scots pine
• Southern Bulgaria
• Western Slovakia