The Spider Genera Singa and Hypsosinga (Araneae, Araneidae) in Israel

Israeli spiders of the orb-weaver genera Singa and Hypsosinga (Araneidae) have been revised. New and updated information on the little known Mediterranean spider fauna, pertaining to European species as well, is presented. Some of the species have never been adequately described or illustrated. All the species previously described from the Middle East and adjacent countries were re-examined. Aranea neta is newly placed in Singa and the following new synonyms are defined: Lithyphantes sepfemguffafus Simon, 1873, along with Araneus decorus (Simon, 1891) and Lithyphantes pollocki Denis, 1956 = Singa neta (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872); Singa afjinis O. P.-Cambridge, 1876 along with Singa attica Simon, 1884 = Hypsosinga albovittata (Westring, 1851). The presence of three species formerly reported from Israel, including one erroneously determined, has been confirmed, and the occurrence of another three species previously unknown from this country has been proved. All are newly described. Keys, detailed illustrations of diagnostic characters and records of -distribution are provided for each species.     

The family of huntsman spiders in Israel with annotations on species of the Middle East (Araneae: Sparassidae)

The spiders of the family Sparassidae in Israel have been described and species of the Middle East and from adjacent faunae have been revised. They are amongst the main predatory spiders of the Old World deserts although some also occur in less arid environments. Systematic and ecological information is presented and patterns of their zoogeographic distribution are discussed. Type and non-type material pertinent to the faunae investigated, deposited in a great number of European collections, has been re-examined. Nearly all species have never been adequately described or illustrated. The genus Cerbalus , species of which have never before been recorded in Asia, is revised. Nonianus is likewise a new Asiatic record while Olios and Heteropoda are reported for the first time from Israel. The African Micrommata longipes Bösenberg & Lenz, 1895 is transferred to Pseudomicrommata, Cerbalus concolor Denis,1947 is newly placed in Cerbalopsis , and a new synonymy of the genus Marmarica Caporiacco,1928 with Cerbalus Simon, 1897 has been proved. The following new synonyms are defined: Heteropoda civilis (Reuss, 1834) together with Sparassus tersus (C. L. Koch, 1838), S. validus Thorell, 1875, S. cognatus O.P.-Cambridge, 1876, 5. fontanieri Simon, 1880, and Eusparassus kronebergi Denis,1958 = Sparassus walckenaeri (Audouin, 1827); Cerbalus angustifrons Denis,1960, and C. sahariensis Jézéquel & Junqua,1966 = Cerbalus pulcherrimus (Simon, 1880); Olios impediens Denis,1947 = Olios suavis (O.P.Cambridge, 1876), new combination; Cebrennus sparassoides Caporiacco, 1921 = Cebrennus castaneitarsis Simon, 1880. Two new species are described: Cerbalus psammodes and C. negebensis. Key to the genera and detailed illustrations of diagnostic characters are provided for each species, and are readily applicable to species of adjacent countries.     

A new combination involving Lithyphantes lepidus Cambridge 1897 and a new name for Teutana lepida Cambridge 1903 (Araneae,Theridiidae)

Abstract

O.P. Cambridge described a New Zealand theridiid as Lithyphantes lepidus (1897, Proceedings of the Zoological Society London: 681–703) and a South African theridiid from CapeTown as Teutana lepida (1903, Annals of the South African Museum 3 (5): 143–166). Since then Levi (1957, Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard 117: 367–424) has recognised both Lithyphantes Simon 1881 and Teutana Thorell 1869 as junior synonyms of Steatoda Sundevall 1883. Following this the earlier described L. lepidus becomes Steatoda lepida new combination. As the name S. lepida is thus unavailable T. lepida requires a new name. I hereby provide the name Steatoda capensis nomen novum to replace Teutana lepida Cambridge. This name recognises the origin of the spider, that is Cape Town, South Africa.     

Species delimitation in the Acomys cahirinus–dimidiatus complex (Rodentia, Muridae) inferred from chromosomal and morphological analyses

Our earlier chromosome banding studies of Acomys cahirinus and Acomys dimidiatus (the latter long considered to be a subspecies of the former) revealed that, despite very close diploid numbers (36 vs. 38), these taxa possess sharply different karyotypes and undoubtedly belong to different species. In this context, the taxonomic status and the relationship between the two chromosomal forms in Sinai (2 n  = 36) and Israel (2 n  = 38), chromosomally homozygous across a vast range except for a very narrow hybrid zone, remain poorly documented. Neither of these forms have previously been studied by chromosome banding; thus, the exact nature of chromosomal differences as well as the species to which these forms should be assigned remain unknown. Here, we present the data on comparative G-banding analysis and morphometrics of Acomys from Israel, Sinai, and Saudi Arabia, and a hybrid obtained in laboratory crosses between latter two. The analysis revealed that karyotype of Acomys from Israel is identical to that of Acomys from Saudi Arabia and both are different from that of Acomys from Sinai by one Robertsonian fusion. Therefore, karyotypically, all three are very different from A. cahirinus . It follows from the study that Sinai and probably Arabian peninsula and Minor Asia must be excluded from geographical distribution of A. cahirinus , which is limited from West Sahara to Egypt along Nile river (except Sinai). Furthermore, the synthesis of chromosomal and recent molecular data suggests a phylogeographical scenario explaining the modern distribution of Acomys in the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas and permits the update of the taxonomic status of these populations.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 91 , 203–214.     

Argentophilic structures of the miracidia and cercariae of Philophthalmus distomatosa n. comb. from Israel

The morphology and patterns of distribution of the argentophilic structures of miracidia and cercariae of Philophthalmus distomatosa n. comb. are described. The epidermal plate arrangement of the vast majority (94.2%) of miracidia studied conformed to the formula 6:8:4:2 = 20. The rest (5.8%) displayed the following patterns of arrangement of epidermal plates: 6:7:4:2 = 19; 6:6:4:2 = 18; and 6:4:4:2 = 16. Twenty papillalike structures were observed on the terebratorium. They were arranged along 1 axis, in 3 groups. Most commonly, 16 papillae were present on the body, located between epidermal plates of the first and second rows. The eye spots were located dorsally, near interepidermal space S1. The numbers, arrangements, and locations of the excretory pores varied. Patterns of distribution of the tegumentary papillae of P. distomatosa n. comb. cercariae are given, including those of the cephalic regions, periacetabular region, and tail. Argentophilic structures of the mentioned larval stages and of other parameters clearly distinguishing between the presently described species and those of P. lucipetus from Israel are summarized. On the basis of comparison of the presently described larval stages and those of other Melanoides tuberculata-associated larval stages of Philophthalmus in Israel and Jordan, the possibility exists that a third species occurs in Israel.     

Odonata fauna of Khuzestan province (Iran) with a note on an Oriental species Trithemis aurora (Burmeister, 1839) as a new record for the south-west of Iran

This paper presents a survey of spider species that have not been previously recorded for Israel. Twenty species, twelve genera and two families (Mysmenidae and Phyxelididae) are recorded for the first time in Israel. Nine species, Agroeca parva Bosmans, 2011, Aulonia kratochvili Dunin et al., 1986, Ero flammeola Simon, 1881, Hogna ferox (Lucas, 1838), Maculoncus parvipalpus Wunderlich, 1995, Neon rayi (Simon, 1875), Pardosa aenigmatica Tongiorgi, 1966 and Phyxelida anatolica Griswold, 1990, are illustrated. Tarentula jaffa Strand, 1913, syn. n. is synonymised with Hogna ferox (Lucas, 1838), and Hahnia carmelita Levy, 2007, syn. n. is synonymised with Hahnia nava (Westring, 1851). A possible synonymy of the widespread Prodidomus rufus Hentz, 1847 with P. hispanicus Dalmas, 1919 known from the Iberian Peninsula is discussed. An original combination is restored for Trochosa urbana O.P.-Cambridge, 1876.     

中国隙蛛属一新种及平静隙蛛的再描述(蜘蛛目:暗蛛科)

记述了暗蛛科隙蛛属1新种：光先隙蛛Coelotes guangxiansp．nov．,并对平静隙蛛Coelotes modestus Simon,1880重新进行了描述,同时确认喙状隙蛛C．gypsarpageus Zhu et Wang,1991应为平静隙蛛C．modestus Simon,1880的异名。     

Systematics of the spider genus Metabus O. P.-Cambridge, 1899 (Araneoidea: Tetragnathidae) with additions to the tetragnathid fauna of Chile and comments on the phylogeny of Tetragnathidae

The spider genus Metabus (Tetragnathidae) previously included nine species: the type M. gravidus O. P.-Cambridge, 1899 – junior synonym of Leucauge ocellata (Keyserling) – from Central America and eight species from Chile. In this paper, the classification of the Metabus species-complex is revised, and two new genera, with three new species and five new combinations, are described. Allende gen. nov. is created for four Chilean species not congeneric with the type of Metabus : the type A. puyehuensis sp. nov. , A. patagiatus (Simon) comb. nov. , A. nigrohumeralis (F. O. P.-Cambridge) comb. nov. and A. longipes (Nicolet) comb. nov. Further additions to the Chilean fauna are under the new genus Mollemeta gen. nov. – created for M. edwardsi (Simon) comb. nov. – and three new species of Chrysometa : C. acinosa sp. nov. , C. levii sp. nov. and C. maitae sp. nov. Metabus now includes four species: M. ocellatus (Keyserling) comb. nov. , M. debilis (O. P.-Cambridge) comb. nov. , M. ebanoverde sp. nov. and M. conacyt sp. nov. All of these species were included in a phylogenetic analysis of 38 tetragnathid and 12 orbicularian outgroup terminals scored for 105 morphological and behavioural characters. The results suggest that Metabus as previously circumscribed is polyphyletic. The phylogenetic relationships within tetragnathids are briefly discussed. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 151 , 285–335.     

The agelenid funnel-weaver family and the spider genus Cedicus in Israel (Araneae, Agelenidae and Cybaeidae)

The funnel-weaver spiders of the family Agelenidae in Israel are revised along with spiders of the excluded genus Cedicus , here placed in the Cybaeidae. Although the webs are conspicuous and abundant only very few members of these families have been reported thus far from the East Mediterranean fauna. Altogether 19 species of agelenids are described with detailed diagnostic illustrations, including eight new records and six species new to science. With the biological and zoogeographical information revised and all type and non-type material pertinent to the fauna reexamined, the occurrence of Lycosoides and Maimuna in the Middle East has been verified while Textrix is absent. Agelena is represented only by a single species. Two Mediterranean species are newly placed in Benoitia , and a new genus Agelescape has been erected to accommodate three species. Tegenaria proves to be the largest indigenous genus and includes some of the long-legged spiders in Israel. The relationships of Cedicus and its two species in Israel are addressed. The new species described are: Agelescape gideoni, Maimuna carmelica, M. meronis, Tegenaria mediterranea, T. epacris, T. angustipalpis and Cedicus israeliensis .     

The Comb-footed spider genera Theridion, Achaearanea and Anelosimus of Israel (Araneae: Theridiidae)

Israeli thendiid spiders of the genera Theridion, Achaearanea and Anelosimus have been revised. A relative richness in species is presented providing thereby updated information on the little known Mediterranean spider fauna. All type and non-type material previously described from the Middle East, deposited in several European collections has been re-examined, along with species from adjacent regions considered pertinent to the study undertaken. Altogether 21 species are recognized. Systematic, ecologic and all available zoogeographic information on taxa treated are discussed along with recent, pertaining literature. The presence of seven species formerly reported from Israel has been confirmed and the occurrence of another four species unknown hitherto from this region, has been proved. Some of these have never been adequately described or illustrated.
Ten new species are described: Theridion ochreolus, T. agaricographus, T hierwhonticus, T. jordanensis, T. negebensis, T. gekkonicus, T. dafnensis, T. vallisalinarum, T. pustiliferus and Anelosimus giladensis. The male of Theridion melanostictum is described for the first time. Keys, illustrations of diagnostic characters and records of distribution are provided for each species, all readily applicable also in adjacent countries. These may provide clues for better understanding of zoogeographic patterns of the Palearctic fauna, including those of the Old World Desert belt extending south and east of the Mediterranean region.     

The spider genus Enoplognatha (Araneae: Theridiidae) in Israel

Israeli theridiid spiders of the genus Enoplognatha are revised. Five species, four of them new, each represented by the two sexes, are recognized, and their affinities with similar species from adjacent regions are discussed. All species previously described from this region have been re-examined. The occurrence of E. mandibularis , formerly reported from Israel, has been confirmed, while the record of E. ovata has proved erroneous. A key to the species is provided.     

Advances in the Taxonomy of Spiders in Miocene Amber from the Dominican Republic (Arthropoda: Araneae)

Trachelas poinari sp. nov. (Corinnidae), Miagrammopes sp. indet. (Uloboridae) and the first indisputable fossil Lycosidae (gen. et sp. indet.) are newly identified and described in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic. The following are junior synonyms: Nops segmentatus Wunderlich, 1988 of N. lobatus Wunderlich, 1988 (Caponiidae); Azilia muellenmeisteri Wunderlich, 1988 of A. hispaniolensis Wunderlich, 1988 (Tetragnathidae); and Lyssomanes galianoae Reiskind, 1989 of L. pristinus Wunderlich, 1986 (Salticidae). The specimens described as Nops sp. (Caponiidae), Selenops beynai Schawaller, 1984, S. sp. 1, and S. sp. 2 (Selenopidae) by Wunderlich (1988) are unrecognizable as distinct species. The following new combinations are presented: gen. indet. clypeatus (Wunderlich, 1988) (= Anelosimus clypeatus ) (Theridiidae); Meioneta bigibber (Wunderlich, 1988) (= Agyneta bigibber ), M. fastigata (Wunderlich, 1988) (= Agyneta fastigata ), M. separata (Wunderlich, 1988) (= Agyneta separata ) (Linyphiidae); Enacrosoma verrucosa (Wunderlich, 1988) (= Cyclosa verrucosa ) (Araneidae); Pseudosparianthis pfeiferi (Wunderlich, 1988) (= Tentabunda pfeiferi ) (Sparassidae). Theridion wunderlichi nom. nov. is proposed as a replacement name for T. ovale Wunderlich, 1988 (nom. preocc.). The previously unknown male of Styposis pholcoides Wunderlich, 1988 (Theridiidae) is described. Additional features of Argyrodes crassipatellaris Wunderlich, 1988 (Theridiidae) are described; this species is transferred from the trigonum to the cancellatus species group. Nine specimens belonging to six previously described species, and six juvenile Selenops sp. (including one exuvium) are newly identified. These are the first fossil records of Trachelas, Enacrosoma and Pseudosparianthis, giving them stratigraphic ranges of 15–20 my; the genera Anelosimus, Cyclosa and Agyneta are unknown in the fossil record.     

A phylogenetic analysis of the nursery-web spider family Pisauridae, with emphasis on the genera Architis and Staberius (Araneae: Lycosoidea)

This study presents a general cladistic analysis of pisaurid genera, with emphasis on the Neotropical genera Architis Simon and Staberius Simon. The analysis was based on a matrix with 21 terminal taxa: eight species of Architis , Staberius spinipes (Taczanowski), seven exemplars of other pisaurid genera and five outgroup taxa. These terminals were scored for 59 morphological and three behavioural characters. An analysis with all characters equally weighted resulted in two most parsimonious trees, differing only in the position of Architis colombo Santos. In both trees Pisauridae arouse as a monophyletic group, and the exemplars of Architis composed a clade with S. spinipes . Contrary to hypotheses from the literature, Thalassius Simon emerged as sister-group of all remaining pisaurids, not as a close relative of Dolomedes Latreille. The genera Tinus F.O.P. -Cambridge and Thaumasia Perty appeared in the trees as the closest relatives of Architis and Staberius Simon. The analysis strongly supported S. spinipes as the sister-group of A. helveola (Simon), indicating that Architis as currently delimited is paraphyletic. Based on these results, Staberius is considered a subjective junior synonym of Architis . Additionally, the genus Mimicosa Petrunkevitch, originally described in Tetragnathidae, is transferred to Pisauridae and considered a junior synonym of Architis . Two species are proposed as junior synonyms of A. spinipes comb.n. Mimicosa spinosa Petrunkevitch and Staberius lemoulti Caporiacco.     

Detection of Helicobacter species DNA by quantitative PCR in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy individuals and of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

In many animal species different intestinal Helicobacter species have been described and a few species are associated with intestinal infection. In humans, the only member of the Helicobacter family which is well described in literature is Helicobacter pylori. No other Helicobacter-associated diseases have definitely been shown in humans. We developed a sensitive quantitative PCR to investigate whether Helicobacter species DNA can be detected in the human gastrointestinal tract. We tested gastric biopsies (including biopsies from H. pylori positive persons), intestinal mucosal biopsies and fecal samples from healthy persons, and intestinal mucosal biopsies from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for the presence of Helicobacter species. All gastric biopsies, positive for H. pylori by culture, were also positive in our newly developed PCR. No Helicobacter species were found in the mucosal biopsies from patients with IBD (n = 50) nor from healthy controls (n = 25). All fecal samples were negative. Our study suggests that Helicobacter species, other than H. pylori, are not present in the normal human gastrointestinal flora and our results do not support a role of Helicobacter species in IBD.     

中国跳蛛科4新纪录种记述(蜘蛛目:跳蛛科)

记述中国跳蛛科4新纪录种：Dendryphantes biankii Proszynski, 1979;Evarcha michailovi Logunov,1992 ; Pellenes sibiricus Logunov ; Marusik, 1994 ; Yllenus flavociliatus Simon, 1895 。     

中国脊额细蜂属分类研究(膜翅目,细蜂科)(英文)

记述了我国脊额细蜂属6种,其中2新种:卜氏脊额细蜂P.buisp.nov.和黑胫脊额细蜂P.nigritibialis sp.nov.;2新纪录种:冠脊额细蜂P.cristatus Townes et Townes和点柄脊额细蜂P.punctibasis Townes et Townes;新种和新纪录种均附有详细特征图,并编制了我国脊额细蜂属分种检索表。模式标本保存于浙江大学膜翅目寄生蜂标本馆(ZJUH)。     

New species and host records of New World,mostly Neotropical,opiine Braconidae (Hymenoptera) reared from flower-infesting,stem-galling,and stem-mining Tephritidae (Diptera)

New host records (all members of the family Tephritidae) are presented for 14 newly described species of opiine Braconidae from the neotropics and two previously described species, one from the neotropics and one from the Nearctic Region. Doryctobracon anneae Wharton, Opius baderae Wharton, O. baeblus Wharton, O. cablus Wharton, O. dablus Wharton, O. danielsae Wharton, O. gabriellae Wharton, O. godfrayi Wharton, O. marshi Wharton, O. nablus Wharton, O. pipitae Wharton, O. stecki Wharton, O. taramegillae Wharton, and O. yoderi Wharton are newly described. Hosts are newly recorded for the previously described species Opius nympha Fischer and O. peleus Fischer. A key is presented to Opiinae that have been reared from flower, stem, and leaf feeding tephritids in the New World. Host and host plant associations are discussed; a few of the tephritid host plant records are also new. Opius cosa (Fischer), is a comb. n.     

A synopsis of East-Mediterranean Synaphris Simon, 1894 (Araneae, Synaphridae) with a description of a new species from Israel

Three species of Synaphris occurring in the East Mediterranean - Synaphris orientalis Marusik & Lehtinen, 2003, Synaphris lehtineni Marusik, Gnelitsa & Kovblyuk, 2005 and Synaphris letourneuxi (Simon, 1884) - are surveyed; and a new species - Synaphris wunderlichisp. n. - is described from southern Israel on the basis of males. The new species differs from other East- Mediterranean congeners by its smaller size, a smaller lamella with fewer ridges, and a thick palpal femur. Comparative figures are provided for all species from the East Mediterranean.