A review of spiders of the genus Zelotes Gistel, 1848 of the subterraneus-group (Aranei: Gnaphosidae) from the Caucasus and Ciscaucasia

Abstract

Nine species of the genus Zelotes of the subterraneus-species group are recorded for the Caucasus and Ciscaucasia: Z. aurantiacus Miller, 1967, Z. azsheganovae Esyunin et Efimik, 1992, Z. egregius Simon, 1914, Z. electus (C.L. Koch, 1830), Z. fuscus (Thorell, 1875), Z. gallicus (Thorell, 1875), Z. pseudogallicus Ponomarev, 2007, Z. subterraneus (C.L. Koch, 1833) and Z. dagestanus Ponomarev, sp. n. Three species of them, Z. egregis, Z. subterraneus, Z. gallicus, were not found on plains of Cis-Caucasia; Z. pseudogallicus inhabits steppe and semidesert plain landscapes of the region; Z. aurantiacus, Z. electus, Z. fuscus, Z. dagestanus Ponomarev, sp. n. occur in the Caucasus and Ciscaucasia. Northern slopes of Sunzhensky Ridge limits distribution of local population of Z. azsheganovae from Ciscaucasia to the Caucasus. Limits of ranges of Z. fuscus and Z. subterraneus in the Caucasus are placed on the northern macroslope of the Great Caucasus at 800–1000 m. Zelotes egregius is recorded for the fauna of Russia for the first time. Zelotes dagestanus Ponomarev, sp. n. is described from lowlands of Dagestan. The new species is similar to Z. subterraneus from which it differs by the long and fine embolus, smaller spermathecae, form of median epigynal ducts

Keywords

• Aranei
• Zelotes
• subterraneus-group
• Caucasus
• Ciscaucasia
• new species