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Research Article
New data on Gnaphosidae (Arachnida, Araneae) of Iraq
expand article infoAlireza Zamani‡, Ghassan A. Ali Al-Yacoub§, Shurooq Abdullah Najim|
‡ University of Turku, Turku, Finland
§ University of Thi-Qar, Thi-Qar, Iraq
| University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq

Corresponding author: Alireza Zamani ( zamani.alireza5@gmail.com )

Academic editor: Danilo Harms
© 2022 Alireza Zamani, Ghassan A. Ali Al-Yacoub, Shurooq Abdullah Najim.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Zamani A, Al-Yacoub GAA, Abdullah Najim S (2022) New data on Gnaphosidae (Arachnida, Araneae) of Iraq. Evolutionary Systematics 6(2): 143-150. https://doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.6.87158
ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F5A5F50E-C380-414F-838D-A60AD251B2C6
Open Access

Abstract

New faunistic data are provided on the ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) of Iraq. Three genera (Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922; Minosiella Dalmas, 1921; Odontodrassus Jézéquel, 1965) and six species (Haplodrassus dalmatensis (L. Koch, 1866); Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958; Odontodrassus aravaensis Levy, 1999; Odontodrassus mundulus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872); Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929; Zelotes fagei Denis, 1955) are reported in Iraq for the first time, and the previously unknown female of Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018 is described. In addition, a list of all gnaphosids reported from Iraq (16 spp.) is provided.

Key Words

Faunistics, ground spiders, Middle East, new record, taxonomy

Introduction

Gnaphosidae Banks, 1892, with more than 2400 extant species in 144 genera, is a very large family of spiders occurring worldwide (WSC 2022). Most members of the family are free-living, ground-dwelling spiders typically found on the surface or within crevices (Jocqué and Dippenaar-Schoeman 2006). Despite the rather high diversity of this group in warm and arid regions, it remains very poorly studied in Iraq. No species of Gnaphosidae was known from Iraq until the publication of Fomichev et al. (2018), which described a new species of Pterotricha Kulczyński, 1903 and recorded Nomisia conigera (Spassky, 1941) from northern parts of the country. Since then, nine more species have been added to the list of Iraqi spiders, including one described as new to science (Al-Khazali 2020). Recently, we had the opportunity to examine a series of old and freshly collected gnaphosid material from five localities in southern Iraq. In this material, six new species records for the country and the previously unknown female of Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018 were detected, which are reported, illustrated, and in the case of the latter, described herein. In addition, an updated list of gnaphosids currently known from Iraq is presented.

Materials and methods

Specimens were photographed using a Canon EOS 7D camera attached to an Olympus SZX16 stereomicroscope at the Zoological Museum of the University of Turku, or a Sony Alpha 7R II camera attached to an Amscope stereomicroscope at the Department of Ecology of the University of Basrah. Digital images were montaged using CombineZP. Information regarding the distribution ranges are modified after WSC (2022). Geographic coordinates of collection localities, if georeferenced using Google Earth, are given in square brackets. The map was prepared using SimpleMappr (Shorthouse 2010). Lengths of leg segments were measured on the dorsal side and listed as: total length (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus).

Abbreviations

ALE anterior lateral eye;

AME anterior median eye;

PLE posterior lateral eye;

PME posterior median eye.

Depositories

BNHM Basrah Natural History Museum, University of Basrah, Iraq (Adil Kassim Jasim).

MMBC Moravian Museum Brno Collection, Brno, Czech Republic (Petr Baňař).

Results

Family Gnaphosidae Banks, 1892

Genus Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804

Gnaphosa dolosa Herman, 1879

Identification

Ovtsharenko et al. (1992)

Material

IRAQ: Thi Qar Province: 1♀ (BNHM), Al Azraq vil., 31°09'00.0"N, 46°15'59.0"E, agricultural land, 4.3.2022 (G. A. A. Al-Yacoub); Basrah Province: 2♂1♀ (BNHM), Qarmat Ali, 30°33'38.9952"N, 47°45'04.4064"E, agricultural land, 19.6.2021 (S. A. Najim).

Distribution

West Palaearctic.

Comment

In Iraq, G. dolosa was previously reported from Al-Qadisiyah Province (Al-Khazali and Hussein 2019).

Genus Haplodrassus Chamberlin, 1922

Haplodrassus dalmatensis (L. Koch, 1866)

Fig. 4A

Identification

Bosmans et al. (2018)

Material

IRAQ: Najaf Province: 1♀ (MMBC), Ash Shabakah camp, 150 km SW of Najaf, [30°48'N, 43°39'E], 260 m, stone desert (O. Jakeš).

Distribution

West Palaearctic.

Comment

This is the first record of the genus Haplodrassus in Iraq.

Genus Marinarozelotes Ponomarev, 2020

Marinarozelotes jaxartensis (Kroneberg, 1875)

Figs 1C, 4C

Identification

Platnick and Song (1986), Levy (1998)

Material

IRAQ: Thi Qar Province: 2♀ (BNHM), Ur district, 31°01'42.5"N, 46°18'07.1"E, agricultural land, 31.3.2022 (G. A. A. Al-Yacoub).

Distribution

North Africa to the Caucasus, Iran, Russia (Europe) to Central Asia. Introduced to Hawaii, USA, Mexico, South Africa, India, China, Japan.

Comment

In Iraq, it was previously reported from Baghdad Province (Baker and Ali 2020).

Minosiella Dalmas, 1921

Comments

A small genus, with seven known species known from Greece, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia (WSC 2022). This is the first record of this genus in Iraq.

Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958

Figs 1A, B, 2A, 3D, 4B

Identification

Marusik and Kovblyuk (2009), El-Gendy (2022)

Material

IRAQ: Thi Qar Province: 2♀ (BNHM), Ur district, 31°01'42.5"N, 46°18'07.1"E, agricultural land, 31.3.2022 (G. A. A. Al-Yacoub); Basrah Province: 3♂4♀ (BNHM), Aboskhair (Hour Al-dabbab), 30°42.139'N, 047°25.373'E, wetland, 19.6.2021 (S. A. Najim).

Distribution

Egypt to Afghanistan.

Comment

New record for Iraq. For discussions regarding the possible synonymy of this species with Minosiella pallida (L. Koch, 1875) see Marusik and Kovblyuk (2009) and El-Gendy (2022).

Odontodrassus Jézéquel, 1965

Comments

A small genus, with eight known species displaying a disjunct distribution: four species have been reported from West and North Africa and the Middle East, while others are known from the Oriental realm, Eastern Palaearctic and a few South Pacific islands (WSC 2022). This is the first record of the genus in Iraq.

Odontodrassus aravaensis Levy, 1999

Figs 1D, 2B, 3A

Identification

Levy (1999).

Material

IRAQ: Thi Qar Province: 2♂ (BNHM), Ur district, 31°01'42.5"N, 46°18'07.1"E, agricultural land, 16.7.2021 (G. A. A. Al-Yacoub).

Distribution

Previously known from Egypt and Israel.

Comment

New record for Iraq, with the current material representing the easternmost record of the species across its known range.

Odontodrassus mundulus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)

Figs 2C, 3B

Identification

Levy (1999).

Material

IRAQ: Najaf Province: 1♂ (MMBC), Ash Shabakah camp, 150 km SW of Najaf, [30°48'N, 43°39'E], 260 m, stone desert, 15.6.1978 (O. Jakeš).

Figure 1.

Habitus of male (A, D, E) and female (B, C, F) gnaphosids, dorsal view. A, B. Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958; C. Marinarozelotes jaxartensis (Kroneberg, 1875); D. Odontodrassus aravaensis Levy, 1999; E. Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929; F. Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018.

Distribution

Previously known from North Africa to the Levant.

Figure 2.

Male palps of gnaphosids, ventral view. A. Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958; B. Odontodrassus aravaensis Levy, 1999; C. Odontodrassus mundulus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872); D. Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929.

Comment

New record for Iraq, with the current material representing the easternmost record of the species across its known range.

Genus Pterotricha Kulczyński, 1903

Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929

Figs 1E, 2D, 3C, 5A–C

Identification

Zamani (2018).

Material

IRAQ: Najaf Province: 3♂ (MMBC), Ash Shabakah camp, 150 km SW of Najaf, [30°48'N, 43°39'E], 260 m, stone desert (O. Jakeš); 7♂1♀ (MMBC), same locality, 16.10.1972 (O. Jakeš).

Figure 3.

Male palps of gnaphosids, retrolateral view. A. Odontodrassus aravaensis Levy, 1999; B. Odontodrassus mundulus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872); C. Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929; D. Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958.

Distribution

North Africa and the Middle East.

Comment

New record for Iraq. Previously, this species was only provisionally recorded from Iran based on a single female specimen (Zamani et al. 2018), and specimens of both sexes from United Arab Emirates were only tentatively matched (Zamani 2018); the finding of the two sexes in the same locality reinforces the correct matching of this female with the male of P. dalmasi.

The females of this species were described for the first time by Levy (1995), who provided figures of two “forms” of the epigyne (Levy 1995: figs 74–75). In our opinion and based on material from Iraq, Iran and UAE, only the form illustrated on fig. 75 is correctly matched with the male of P. dalmasi, and the one illustrated on fig. 74 belongs to another (perhaps undescribed) species.

Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018

Figs 1F, 5D–F

Identification

Zamani et al. (2018), Zamani (2018).

Material

IRAQ: Najaf Province: 14♂1♀ (MMBC), Ash Shabakah camp, 150 km SW of Najaf, [30°48'N, 43°39'E], 260 m, stone desert, 18.1.1979 (O. Jakeš); 19♂2♀ (MMBC), same locality, 11.2.1978 (O. Jakeš); 5♂ (MMBC), same locality, 16.10.1972 (O. Jakeš).

Emended diagnosis

The female of P. kovblyuki differs from that of P. dalmasi by the round anterior hood (Ah) (vs. subdivided by a median pointed protrusion; Fig. 5E cf. Fig. 5B). Epigyne of P. kovblyuki is most similar to that of P. algerica Dalmas, 1921 and P. egens Denis, 1966 by having round anterior hood (Fig. 5E cf. Denis 1966: fig. 8 and Dalmas 1921: fig. 29), but can be distinguished from them by diverging lateral margins (Lm) of the fovea (vs. almost parallel), and anterior hood narrower than posterior part of fovea (vs. equal in width). For the male, see Zamani et al. (2018).

Description

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 1F. Total length 8.75. Carapace 2.90 long, 2.30 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.21, ALE: 0.21, PLE: 0.20, PME: 0.22. Carapace, chelicerae, sternum, maxillae and labium light brown. Chelicerae with a promarginal tooth and a retromarginal bifurcate serrated keel. Abdomen light beige, with 3 pairs of sigilla and, in some individuals, slightly darker cardiac mark. Spinnerets light yellowish brown, uniform in color. Legs colored as carapace, without annulations. Measurements of legs: I: 9.81 (2.75, 1.19, 2.16, 2.05, 1.66), II: 9.66 (2.56, 1.25, 2.00, 2.12, 1.73), III: 9.78 (2.35, 1.21, 1.88, 2.46, 1.88), IV: 12.53 (3.12, 1.35, 2.66, 3.23, 2.17).

Epigyne as in Fig. 5D–F; plate almost as long as wide; anterior hood with round margin and large lateral diverticula (Ld); lateral margin of fovea diverging; posterior part of fovea wider than anterior hood; receptacles (Re) and accessorial glands (Ag) diverging anteriorly.

Male. See Zamani et al. (2018).

Distribution

Iraq, Iran and United Arab Emirates.

Comment

In Iraq, it was previously reported from Thi Qar Province (Al-Yacoub et al. 2021b). The current material represents the westernmost record of the species across its known range.

Genus Zelotes Gistel, 1848

Zelotes fagei Denis, 1955

Fig. 4D, E

Identification

Levy (1998), FitzPatrick (2007).

Material

IRAQ: Najaf Province: 1♀ (MMBC), Ash Shabakah camp, 150 km SW of Najaf, [30°48'N, 43°39'E], 260 m, stone desert, 20.12.1972 (O. Jakeš).

Figure 4.

Ventral view of epigynes (B, C, D) and dorsal view of vulvae (A, E) of gnaphosids. A. Haplodrassus dalmatensis (L. Koch, 1866); B. Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958; C. Marinarozelotes jaxartensis (Kroneberg, 1875); D, E. Zelotes fagei Denis, 1955.

Distribution

Previously known from Niger, Egypt and Israel.

Comment

New record for Iraq, with the current material representing the easternmost record of the species across its known range.

Figure 5.

Epigynes of Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929 (A–C) and Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018 (D–F). A, D. intact epigyne, ventral view; B, E. macerated epigyne, ventral view; C, F. vulva, dorsal view. Abbreviations: Ag – accessorial gland; Ah – anterior hood; Ld – lateral duct; Lm – lateral margin; Re – receptacle.

Discussion

As a result of this paper, three genera and six species of Gnaphosidae were reported in Iraq for the first time, and the previously unknown female of Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018 was described. Of the studied material, the records of three species (Odontodrassus aravaensis, Odontodrassus mundulus, Zelotes fagei) represent the easternmost limits in the distribution of the corresponding species, and that of P. kovblyuki represents the westernmost limit within its known range.

Table 1.
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List of gnaphosid species currently known from Iraq.

Species Records in Iraq Distribution
1 Berlandina mesopotamica Al-Khazali, 2020 Thi Qar (Al-Khazali 2020; Al-Khazali and Fomichev 2021) Iraq, Iran
2 Gnaphosa dolosa Herman, 1879 Al-Qadisiyah, Basrah, Thi Qar (Al-Khazali and Hussein 2019, present study) West Palaearctic
3 Haplodrassus dalmatensis (L. Koch, 1866) Najaf (present study) West Palaearctic
4 Marinarozelotes jaxartensis (Kroneberg, 1875) Baghdad, Thi Qar (Baker and Ali 2020, present study) North Africa to the Caucasus, Iran, Russia (Europe) to Central Asia
5 Micaria sp. Karbala (Baker and Ali 2020) –
6 Minosiella intermedia Denis, 1958 Basrah, Thi Qar (present study) Egypt to Afghanistan
7 Nomisia conigera (Spassky, 1941) Dohuk (Fomichev et al. 2018) Middle East to Tajikistan
8 Odontodrassus aravaensis Levy, 1999 Thi Qar (present study) Egypt, Israel, Iraq
9 Odontodrassus mundulus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) Najaf (present study) North Africa to the Levant, Iraq
10 Pterotricha arzhantsevi Fomichev, Marusik & Koponen, 2018 Dohuk (Fomichev et al. 2018) Iraq
11 Pterotricha dalmasi Fage, 1929 Najaf (present study) North Africa, the Middle East
12 Pterotricha esyunini Zamani, 2018 Thi Qar (Al-Yacoub et al. 2021a) UAE, Iraq
13 Pterotricha kovblyuki Zamani & Marusik, 2018 Thi Qar, Najaf (Al-Yacoub et al. 2021b, present study) UAE, Iraq, Iran
14 Zelotes fagei Denis, 1955 Najaf (present study) Niger, Egypt, Israel, Iraq
15 Zelotes subterraneus (C.L. Koch, 1833) Thi Qar (Al-Yacoub and Al-Abbad 2022) West Palaearctic
16 Zelotes sp. Baghdad, Karbala (Baker and Ali 2020) –

Currently, there are 16 species of 10 genera of Gnaphosidae known from Iraq, two of them identified only at the genus-level (Table 1). Despite the high diversity of this family in arid and semi-arid regions, the first documented record of Iraqi gnaphosids was provided only very recently (Fomichev et al. 2018). The family is better studied in the neighboring Turkey (159 species) and Iran (134 species), but remains poorly studied in Syria (14 species), Saudi Arabia (10 species) and Jordan (6 species), with no species reported from Kuwait so far (El-Hennawy 2014; Amr 2021; Shakhatreh et al. 2021; Zamani et al. 2021; Danışman et al. 2022; Zamani et al. 2022; WSC 2022). All gnaphosid species reported from Iraq to date are seemingly identified with accuracy; the only exception is the recent record of Zelotes subterraneus (C.L. Koch, 1833) (Al-Yacoub and Al-Abbad 2022: figs 4–5 cf. Kovblyuk et al. 2013: figs 15–16), which seems to belong to an undescribed species of the subterraneus group.

Figure 6.

Map of collection localities in Iraq: Basrah, Aboskhair (orange star); Basrah, Qarmat Ali (yellow star); Najaf, Ash Shabakah (green square); Thi Qar, Al Azraq (red circle); Thi Qar, Ur (purple circle).

Almost all species records of Gnaphosidae from Iraq are based on singleton hand-collected specimens, published in scattered papers often recording only one species from the country. As evident from the amount of new data obtained only from five localities in southern Iraq (Fig. 6) and considering the relatively high number of species reported from Iran, Turkey and the considerably smaller Israel (more than 126 species; Zonstein and Marusik 2013), a high diversity of gnaphosids is expected to occur in Iraq as well; this diversity can only be better and more quickly studied once larger and more focused collecting efforts are carried out in different areas of the country, desirably using various collecting methods, especially pitfall traps.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Petr Baňař (MMBC) for providing us with a loan of material, Yuri M. Marusik (Magadan, Russia) for commenting on an earlier draft of the manuscript, and the subject editor Danilo Harms (University of Hamburg) and the reviewers Seppo Koponen (University of Turku) and Maria Chatzaki (Democritus University of Thrace). We also acknowledge the support of the Centrum für Naturkunde (CeNak) - Center of Natural History - University of Hamburg for publication of this article.

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