Misumenops male? - Diaea livens

Specimen -

KRS-2009-23

… Ken Schneider, 22 June, 2013 - 5:10pm

Link to another article that

Link to another article that includes illustrations of European D. livens specimens:

http://arachnology.cz/cas/app_contents/downloads/bibliography/ARA148.pdf

(The two ventral palp images are still somewhat confusing.)

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 25 March, 2012 - 2:16pm

Thanks for the link -

if you let me know which palp image is best, I can delete the other ones if they're confusing.

… Ken Schneider, 25 March, 2012 - 2:39pm

No, no, I wouldn't do that --

No, no, I wouldn't do that -- that would be even more confusing now. :-)

… Kevin Pfeiffer, 25 March, 2012 - 3:01pm

Moved

Moved from Crab Spiders. ID confirmed by Darrell Ubick, who was kind enough to look at the specimen. My apologies to Rod if the palp photos are difficult to interpret. Although I really think they are all from this specimen, I'll check again when I get the specimen back...

… Ken Schneider, 20 May, 2010 - 5:08pm

Great

I'm glad it finally found a home.

… Lynette Elliott, 20 May, 2010 - 5:33pm

From Rod Crawford

"I'm pretty sure it's Diaea pictilis, but a side view of the palp
(outer side) would confirm. The book I used ought to be in your
publications list: The Crab Spiders of California (Araneida,
Thomisidae) by Robert X. Schick. Bulletin of the American Museum of
Natural History 129(1): 1-180, 1965. Schick was much sounder on crab
spider biology and classification than Dondale, though the latter
isn't bad. As you probably know, you can download all AMNH
publications free by going to their web site and clicking on
'library'."

… Lynette Elliott, 2 March, 2009 - 8:56am

Wow -

thanks Rod and Lynette - looks like it might be our first for that genus? I will add a side view of the palp tonight, if possible. I do have a copy of the Schick paper, although I must admit that I find it a bit hard to use...

… Ken Schneider, 2 March, 2009 - 9:57am

Added -

two more views of left palp. One is a lateral view, second is another ventral view.

… Ken Schneider, 2 March, 2009 - 9:23pm

From Rod

"I'm stuck. Putting together evidence from all the photos, it seems
that it's not a Diaea after all, though resembling one in many ways.
There are also ways in which it resembles a Misumenops - especially
the eyes. Assuming all the palp pictures are indeed the same species
(which is a bit hard to believe when comparing these 2:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/255790
http://bugguide.net/node/view/256267
Look at the big spines on the palp tibia in 255790, for example -
where are they in 256267?) then I can't make it match any N.American
thomisid.
Could it be a foreign introduction? But more likely it's
something that a California arachnologist would know on sight but just
doens't ring any bells with someone who hasn't worked in California."

… Lynette Elliott, 3 March, 2009 - 8:55am

Thanks -

for trying! I'm pretty sure the images are all of the same specimen - some of the spines/hairs have been breaking off during manipulation of the specimen, and the second ventral palp image was clipped off the main specimen rather than photographed in situ - but I'll double-check tonight. I'll work on it some more and perhaps try emailing D. Ubick to see if he has time to look at it...

… Ken Schneider, 3 March, 2009 - 9:42am

Added -

photo clearly showing two prolateral spines on basitarsus I - I think this rules out Misumenops and supports Diaea - just as Rod thought. I'm not sure why the palp doesn't look quite right, but I strongly suspect that this may be D. pictilis.

Edit: Perhaps Rod would be willing to ID this one if I sent it to him? :)

… Ken Schneider, 16 March, 2009 - 11:55pm

From Rod:

Sure, I'd look at it if sent to me. No new ideas from the photos. NB,
spiders sent to me must have *complete data* as described in my
curation document here

… Lynette Elliott, 18 March, 2009 - 9:07am