Artoria berenice (L. Koch, 1877)

Female of Artoria berenice [as illustrated in Koch (1877a)]. Cephalothorax length 3 mm.

Male and female of Pardosa versicolor (= junior synonym of A. berenice)[as illustrated in Koch (1877a)]. However, the male constitutes a different species (see below)! Cephalothorax length male 2 mm, female 3 mm.

Female of Lycosa naeva (= junior synonym of A. berenice)[as illustrated in Koch (1878a)]. Cephalothorax length 3.0 mm.

N.B. Koch (1877a) described both sexes of Pardosa versicolor. Recent collections in dry sclerophyll forests of Victoria provided females clearly conspecific with Koch's (1877a) syntypes. However, the males from Victoria are very different to what Koch (1877a) illustrated and of which the original specimens are not located yet. His male is not P. versicolor. Koch's (1877a) himself mentioned differences between males and females (from German, p. 967: "The male is similarly coloured as the female, only the white patches of hair near the black patches in the posterior half of the abdomen are missing"). Males found with females of A. versicolor in Victoria display these white patches and have exactly the same abdomen pattern as females. The female retains the original species name, as its description was earlier (1 page!) than the male description.

Systematics and Taxonomy

Lycosa berenice L. Koch, 1877a: 937-938, plate 81, figs 3, 3a.

Pardosa versicolor L. Koch.- L. Koch, 1877a: 966-968, plate 85, Figs 4, 4A, 5, 5A (new synonymy in Framenau, 2005a).

Lycosa naevia L. Koch, 1878a: 978-79, plate 85, Figs 5, 5A (preoccupied by L. Koch, 1875b)(new synonymy in Framenau, 2005a).
Lycosa berenice (?) L. Koch.- Hogg, 1900: 77.
Lycosa ambrymiana Berland.- Berland, 1938: 184-185, figs 153-156. (new synonymy in Framenau, 2005a).
Lycosa berenice L. Koch.- Rainbow, 1911: 265.
Lycosa naevia L. Koch.- Rainbow, 1911: 270.
Pardosa versicolor L. Koch.- Rainbow, 1911: 276.
Tarentula naeviella Roewer, 1951: 442 (replacement name).
Pardosa versicolor L. Koch.- Roewer, 1955c: 185.
Avicosa berenice (L. Koch).- Roewer, 1955c: 236.
Hogna naeviella (Roewer).- Roewer, 1955c: 253.
Lycosa ambrymiana Berland.- Roewer, 1955c: 271.
Lycosa ambrymiana Berland, 1932.- Bonnet, 1957: 2633 (date misquoted).
Hogna naeviella (Roewer).- Rack, 1961: 38.
Pardosa versicolor L. Koch.- McKay, 1973: 378.
Lycosa naeviella (Roewer).- McKay, 1973: 379.
Schizocosa berenice (L. Koch).- McKay, 1973: 381.
Lycosa berenice L. Koch.- McKay, 1985b: 75.
Lycosa naeviella (Roewer).- McKay, 1985b: 80.

Pardosa versicolor L. Koch.- McKay, 1985b: 85.
Artoria versicolor (L. Koch).- Framenau, 2002: 230-231, 27A-F, 28
Artoria berenice (L. Koch).- Framenau, 2005a: 272-273, figs 3-4.

Types

Holotype of Lycosa berenice:

Female, locality unknown. Koch (1877a) only cites 'Mr. Bradleys Collection' (considered lost (Framenau 2005a)).

Syntypes of Pardosa versicolor:

Male and female, Sydney [33°53’S, 151°13’E, New South Wales], Bradley Collection (considered lost (Framenau 2005a)).

Holotype of Lycosa naevia:

Female, Sydney [33°53’S, 151°13’E, New South Wales] Museum Godeffroy No. 14560 (Zoologisches Staatsinstitut und Zoologisches Museum, Universität Hamburg, Rack (1961)-catalogue 469).

Holotype of Lycosa ambrymiana:

Female, Mont Marum, Ambrym, Vanuatu [16°15’S, 168°07’E], 9 January 1936, Aubert de la Rue, 900m (Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) (not examined).

Identification

Male (MV K7706) and female (MV K7707) of Artoria berenice (L. Koch) [as illustrated in Framenau (2002) as A. versicolor]. A, male, habitus; B, C, left male pedipalp, ventral and retrolateral view; D, left male pedipalp, apical part of bulbus (MV K7718); E, F, female epigyne and vulva. Scale bar: A 1.96 mm; B, C 0.63 mm; D 0.54 mm; E, F 0.65 mm.

Distribution

Victoria, New South Wales [map as illustrated in Framenau (2002)].

Biological Reference

Forest species, found from dry sclerophyll to rainforests (Framenau, 2002).

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Latest changes: 27 October 2005.