New data on the spider fauna of West Kazakhstan region (Arachnida: Araneae)

Regular arachno-faunistic studies of West Kazakhstan Region started only in the 90s of the 20th century. To date, over 65 arachnological papers on this region have been published, of which the majority are taxonomic revisions or reviews of various spider groups. Faunistic studies on spiders of this region are scarce. First, it is worth mentioning a series of works on the fauna of the Dzhanybek field station [Михайлов, 1985; Peterkina, 2009; Питеркина, Михайлов, 2009]. A checklist of spiders of this station accounts for 200 species, of which 9 have been described as new: Devade kazakhstanica Esyunin et Efimik, 2000; Improphantes contus Tanasevitch et Piterkina, 2007; Silometopus crassipedis Tanasevitch et Piterkina, 2007; Talanites mikhailovi Platnick et Ov-tsharenko, 1991; Thanatus mikhailovi Logunov, 1996; Tibiaster djanybekensis Tanasevitch, 1987; Trichoncoides striganovae Tanasevitch et Piterkina, 2012; Trichoncus villius Tanasevitch et Piterkina, 2007; Walckenaeria stepposa Tanasevitch et Piterkina, 2007. Two other relatively well-studied sites are Taipak (Kalmykovo before 1993) and Zhanakazan (Novaya Kazanka before 1993) Villages, from which 40 species have been recorded and four described as new: Alopecosa sciophila Ponomarev, 2008; Micaria charitonovi Mikhailov et Ponomarev, 2008; Thanatus jaikensis Ponomarev, 2007; Zodariellum volgouralensis (Ponomarev, 2007) [Пономарев, 2022]. Yet, the spider fauna of West Kazakhstan Region remains incompletely studied. A total number of the spider species reported from West Kazakhstan Region to date is 252 [Пономарев, 2022]. Compared to arachnofaunas of neighboring Astrakhan’, Volgograd, Rostov or Orenburg Regions [Пономарев, 2022; Esyunin, unpublished data], this number of species seems rather low. Thus, it is hardly surprising that relatively short field trips to West Kazakhstan Region by the second author have yielded 22 additional species (see below).

The purpose of this short faunistic note is to provide a list of the species collected during the 2021 and 2022 field trips to west Kazakhstan, with several poorly known species being illustrated and/or commented on.

Material and methods

The spiders reported herein were collected by the second author (AK) during his field trips to West Kazakhstan Region in the 2021 and 2022 summers. Details of all the localities visited are given below.

Localities (Fig. 1):

• 1.    Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, 48°46'26"N, 47°26'02"E, IV.2021, VI-VIII.2022.

• 2.    Bokey Orda District, Menay, 48°41'46"N 47°36'22"E, 9.V.2021.

• 3.    Kaztal District, Sakryl Lake, 49°34'52"N 49°21'34"E, IV.2021, VIII.2022.

• 4.    Zhanakala District, Aydin Lake near Zhanakazan Village, 48°56'35"N 49°35'22"E, IV and VI.2021, VI and VIII.2022.

• 5.    Kaztal District, Saryshaganak Lake, 49°27'56"N 49°51'32"E, VI.2021, IV.2022.

• 6.    Zhanakala District, Pyatimar Village, 49°28'32"N 50°31'51"E, VIII.2022.

• 7.    Zhanakala District, Edil’sor Lake, 49°12'33"N 50°44'01"E, IV.2021, IV.2022.

• 8.    Akzhaik District, Zhantemir Village, 49°05'02"N, 51°24'49"E, VIII.2021.

• 9.    Akzhaik District, Bagyrlay River near Makat, 49°03'05"N, 51°41'18"E, VIII.2021.

• 10.    Akzhaik District, Zhanama Lake near Tompak Village, 48°53'44"N, 51°52'32"E, VI.2021, VI.2022.

• 11.    Akzhaik District, Glubinnoe Lake, 50°20'45"N, 51°03'45"E, VI.2021, V and VIII.2022.

• 12.    Terekti District, Bobrovoe Lake near Shagatai Village, 50°26'20"N 51°08'189"E, VI.2022.

• 13.    Terekti District, Shalkar Lake, 50°28'53"N 51°42'53"E, VI.2022.

• 14.    Zhanakala District, Krugloozernoe Village near Uralsk Town, 51°04'31"N 51°16'24"E, VI.2022.

• 15.    Terekti District, Podstepnoe Village, 51°08'17"N 51°29'20"E, V.2022.

• 16.    Bayterek District, Brusyanoe Lake near Ozernoe Village, 51°21'22"N 51°50'53"E, VI.2021, V and VI.2022.

• 17.    Karatobe District, 20 km E Karatobe Village, 49°41'27"N, 53°38'56"E, VI.2021.

• 18.    Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 15 km NE Akshat Village, 50°29'13"N 54°17'15"E, V and VIII.2022.

Species distribution is discussed according to the World Spider Catalog [WSC, 2022]. In order to recognize new records of studied taxa, all records were checked against the recently published monograph [Пономарев,

2022]. In the following text, the species recorded from West Kazakhstan Region for the first time are marked with asterisks (*).

Fig. 1. Collecting localities of spiders in West Kazakhstan Region

[Точки сбора пауков в Западно-Казахстанской области]

Stacks of colour images were manually generated using an Olympus OMD EM-10 digital camera, with a Panasonic Lumix H-H025 25 mm f/1.7 lens mounted on a Zeiss microscope. Digital images were prepared using Photoshop CS6 image stacking software. Studied specimens are shared between the Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia (curator: K.G. Mikhailov) and the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia (curator: D.V. Logunov).

New records and new regional indication

Agelenidae

Tegenaria domestica (Clerck, 1758)*

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : East Kazakhstan Region [Савельева, 1970, 1976]. Range : cosmopolitan synanthropic.

Araneidae

Gibbaranea ullrichi (Hahn, 1835)

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, weeds on the sands, 3.IV.2021, АК.

Larinioides folium (Schranck, 1803)

Larinioides ixobolus (Thorell, 1873)

Mangora acalypha (Walckenaer, 1802)

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Neoscona adianta (Walckenaer, 1802)

Neoscona spasskyi (Brignoli, 1983)*

Material. 1♂, 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Distribution. Previously known from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Iran [Zamani, Marusik, Šestáko-vá, 2020]. New to Kazakhstan, with the current record representing the northernmost limit of the species range.

Dictynidae

Brigittea latens (Fabricius, 1775)

Material. 1♂, 3♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Gnaphosidae

Callilepis nocturna (Linnaeus, 1758)

Civizelotes caucasius (L. Koch, 1866)

Gnaphosa cumensis Ponomarev, 1981

Gnaphosa dolosa O. Herman, 1879

Material. 2♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Gnaphosa licenti Schenkel, 1953

Material. 1♂, Bayterek District, Brusyanoe Lake, 20.V.2022, АК.

Gnaphosa mongolica Simon, 1895

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Gnaphosa saurica Ovtsharenko, Platnick et Song, 1992

Gnaphosa taurica Thorell, 1875

Marinarozelotes jaxartensis (Kroneberg, 1875)*

Material. 1♂, Zhanakala District, Edil’sor Lake, 13. IV.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Пономарев, Цветков, 2004; Пономарев, Шматко, 2020], Mangystau [Zyuzin, Tarabaev, 1993] and Kostanay Regions [Пономарев, Брагина, 2014]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. The main part of the species range lies in the west-central-ancient Mediterranean; introduced in Hawaii, Central and South America, India, China and Japan.

Micaria gulliae Tuneva et Esyunin, 2003*

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Пономарев, Цветков, 2006] and Kostanay Regions [Пономарев, Брагина, 2014]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Outside Kazakhstan, the species is known from Astrakhan and Orenburg Regions of Russia [Tuneva, Esyunin, 2002; Пономарев, Алексеев, 2018].

Micaria rossica Thorell, 1875

Nomisia aussereri (L. Koch, 1872)

Zelotes mundus (Kulczyński, 1897)*

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Пономарев, 2022], Kostanay [Пономарев, Брагина, Шматко, 2017] and East Kazakhstan Regions [Eskov, Marusik, 1995]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: west-central Palearctic semiarid.

Linyphiidae

Mecynargus minutipalpis Gnelitsa, 2011* (Fig. 2B)

Distribution. New to Kazakhstan. Earlier known from southern regions of Russian Plain [Gnelitsa, 2011; Ta-nasevitch, 2013; Пономарев, Абдурахманов, 2014; Пономарев, Шаповалов, Ивлиев, 2014; Пономарев, Брагина, Шматко, 2017; Polchaninova, Prokopenko, 2017; Пономарев, Алексеев, 2018]. Range: Eastern European semidesert [Kovblyuk, Kastrygina, 2015].

Microlinyphia impigra (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871)*

Records in Kazakhstan : East Kazakhstan Region [Eskov, Marusik, 1995]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: circumholarctic temperate.

Microlinyphia pusilla (Sundevall, 1830)

Lycosidae

Allohogna singoriensis (Laxmann, 1770)

Material. 1♀, Akzhaik District, Bagyrlay River, summer 2021, АК.

Alopecosa sciophila Ponomarev, 2008

Alopecosa taeniopus (Kulczynski, 1895)

Bogdocosa kronebergi (Andreeva, 1976)

Evippa sjostedti Schenkel, 1936* (Fig. 2A)

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau Region [Пономарев, Цветков, 2004]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: central-ancient Mediterranean (= Central Asian) semiarid.

Fig. 2. Epigynes of Evippa sjostedti Schenkel, 1936 (A), Mecynargus minutipalpis Gnelitsa, 2011 (B), Rhysodromus hierosolymitanus (Levy, 1977) (D) and Attulus zimmermanni (Simon, 1877) (C)

[Эпигины Evippa sjostedti Schenkel, 1936 (A), Mecynargus minutipalpis Gnelitsa, 2011 (B), Rhysodromus hi-erosolymitanus (Levy, 1977) (D) и Attulus zimmermanni (Simon, 1877) (C)]

Evippa turkmenica Sternbergs, 1979*

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, summer 2021, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Цветков, Пономарев, Ханов, 2006] and Mangystau Regions [Пономарев, Абдурахманов, 2014]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: central-ancient Mediterranean (= Central Asian) arid.

Lycosa praegrandis C.L. Koch, 1836

Pardosa agrestis (Westring, 1861)

• 1♂, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК; 1♂ 2♀♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake,

  • 15.VIII.2022, АК.

Pardosa italica Tongiorgi, 1966*

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Пономарев, Цветков, 2004], Kostanay [Пономарев, Брагина, 2014], Akmola [Триликаускас, Любечанский, 2020], East Kazakhstan Region [Fomichev, Marusik, 2013] and Mangystau Regions [Zyuzin, Tarabaev, 1993]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: trans-ancient Mediterranean sub-boreal-semiarid.

Pardosa jaikensis Ponomarev, 2007

Material. 1♀, Kaztal District, Saryshaganak Lake, 5.VIII.2021, АК; 1♀, Akzhaik District, Glubinnoe Lake, 18.V.2022, АК.

Pardosa luctinosa Simon, 1876*

Records in Kazakhstan : Kostanay [Пономарев, Брагина, 2014], Atyrau [Пономарев, Абдурахманов, 2014] and Zhetysu Regions [Спасский, Шнитников, 1937]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: trans-ancient Mediterranean subboreal-semiarid.

Pardosa mikhailovi Ballarin, Marusik, Omelko et Koponen, 2012*

Material. 1♂, Bokey Orda District, Menay, 9.V.2021, АК.

Notes. Previously known only from the type locality in Almaty Region [Ballarin et al., 2012]. New to West Kazakhstan Region, with the current material representing the westernmost record of the species.

Pardosa nebulosa (Thorell, 1872)

Pardosa plumipes (Thorell, 1875)

Material. 1♂, Zhanakala District, Krugloozernoe Village, 01-10.VI.2022, АК; 1♂, 2♀♀, Akzhaik District, Glubinnoe Lake, 18.V.2022, АК; 1♀, Akzhaik District, Glubinnoe Lake, 19.VIII.2022, АК; 2♀♀, Bayterek District, Brusyanoe Lake, 20.V.2022, АК; 1♂, 2♀♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Xerolycosa miniata (C.L. Koch, 1834)

Oxyopidae

Oxyopes heterophthalmus (Latreille, 1804)

Oxyopes lineatus Latreille, 1806

Oxyopes maracandensis Charitonov, 1946

Philodromidae

Philodromus poecilus (Thorell, 1872)*

Records in Kazakhstan : Almaty [Спасский, Шнитников, 1937] and East Kazakhstan Regions [Савельева, 1970]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: trans-Palearctic temperate.

Rhysodromus hierosolymitanus (Levy, 1977)* (Fig. 2D)

Distribution. Earlier known from Iran, Israel and the United Arab Emirates [Torabi, Moradmand, Muster, 2019].

New to Kazakhstan, with the current record representing the northernmost limit of the species range.

Rhysodromus histrio (Latreille, 1819)

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Rhysodromus timidus (Szita et Logunov, 2008)*

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau and Almaty Regions [Szita, Logunov, 2008]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Outside of Kazakhstan, it is known from Dagestan of Russia [Ponomarev, Dvadnenko, 2013] and Pakistan [Logunov, Ballarin, Marusik, 2011].

Thanatus atratus Simon, 1875

Material. 2♂♂, 4♀♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК; 1♂, Zhanakala District, Edil’sor Lake, 13. IV.2022, АК; 1♂, 1♀, Akzhaik District, Zhanama Lake, 23.VI.2021, АК; 1♀, Karatobe District, 20 km E Karatobe Village, 28.VI.2021, АК; 1♀, Akzhaik District, Glubinnoe Lake, 18.V.2022, АК.

Thanatus formicinus (Clerck, 1758 )*

Material. 1♀, Bayterek District, Brusyanoe Lake, 20.V.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan: Kostanay [Пономарев, Брагина, Шматко, 2017], Pavlodar, Almaty [Lyakhov, 1999] and East-Kazakhstan Regions [Савельева, 1970; Fomichev, Marusik, 2013]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: circum-Holarctic polysonal.

Thanatus jaikensis Ponomarev, 2007

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Thanatus mikhailovi Logunov, 1996

Material. 2♂, 3♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Thanatus mongolicus (Schenkel, 1936)

Thanatus oblongiusculus (Lucas, 1846)

Material. 1♂, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Thanatus vulgaris Simon, 1870

Tibellus oblongus (Walckenaer, 1802)

Pisauridae

Pisaura mirabilis (Clerck, 1758)

Salticidae

Aelurillus m-nigrum Kulczyński, 1891

Material. 2♀♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, shores, 15. IV.2021, АК.

Aelurillus v-insignitus (Clerck, 1758)

Material. 1♂, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Attulus zimmermanni (Simon, 1877) (Fig. 2C)

Material. 1♀, Bayterek District, Brusyanoe Lake, 20.V.2022, АК.

Heliophanus potanini Schenkel, 1963*

Material. 2♀♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, weeds on the sands, 3. IV.2021, АК; 2♂♂, 1♀, same locality, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Пономарев, 2022], Zhetysu, Turkistan, Almaty, East Kazakhstan [Logunov, Marusik, 2000] and Mangystau Regions [Zyuzin, Tarabaev, 1993]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: central-ancient Mediterranean (= Central Asian) semiarid.

Mendoza canestrinii (Ninni, 1868)*

Records in Kazakhstan : Akmola and Turkistan Regions [Logunov, Rakov, 1998]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: trans-Palearctic subboreal-subtropic.

Pellenes allegrii Caporiacco, 1935*

Material. 1♂, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : Kostanay Region [Пономарев, Брагина, Шматко, 2017]. New to West Kazakhstan

Region. Range: central-ancient Mediterranean (= Central Asian) semiarid.

Pseudicius encarpatus (Walckenaer, 1802)

Salticus tricinctus (C.L. Koch, 1846)*

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Пономарев, 2022], Turkistan, Almaty [Logunov, Rakov, 1998] and Mangystau Regions [Пономарев, Абдурахманов, 2014]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: east-central-ancient Mediterranean semiarid.

Theridiidae

Asagena phalerata (Panzer, 1801)

Material. 1♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Enoplognatha mordax (Thorell, 1875)

Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (P. Rossi, 1790)

Steatoda albomaculata (DeGeer, 1778)

Steatoda bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)*

Material. 1♀, Akzhaik District, Glubinnoe Lake, 18.V.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : Almaty Region [Спасский, Шнитников, 1937]. New to West Kazakhstan Region.

Range: trans-Palearctic polyzonal; introduced in Canada and south America.

Steatoda grossa (C. L. Koch, 1838)*

Material. 1♂, 1♀, Kaztal District, Saryshaganak Lake, 14. IV.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : East Kazakhstan [Савельева, 1970, 1976] and Almaty Regions [Темрешев и др., 2016]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range : cosmopolitan synanthropic.

Theridion innocuum Thorell, 1875

Material. 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Thomisidae

Bassaniodes robustus (Hahn, 1832)

Ebrechtella tricuspidate (Fabricius, 1775)

Psammitis ninnii fusciventris (Crome, 1965)

Synema plorator (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)*

Material. 1♀, Shyngyrlau District, Sulukol’ Lake, 17.V.2022, АК.

Records in Kazakhstan : Atyrau [Пономарев, 2022], Mangystau [Zyuzin, Tarabaev, 1993] and Almaty Regions [Спасский, Шнитников, 1937; Marusik, Logunov, 1990]. New to West Kazakhstan Region. Range: eastcentral-ancient Mediterranean semiarid.

Thomisus onustus Walckenaer, 1805

Titanoecidae

Nurscia albosignata (Simon, 1874)

Material. 1♂, 1♀, Bokey Orda District, Khan Ordasy Village, VI-VIII.2022, АК.

Uloboridae

Uloborus walckenaerius Latreille, 1806

Conclusion

The present species list consists of 77 species belonging to 14 families, of which one genus ( Mecynargus Kulczyński, 1894; Linyphiidae) and three species - M. minutipalpis , N. spasskyi , R. hierosolymitanus - are new to the spider fauna of Kazakhstan, and 19 species are newly found in West Kazakhstan Region. Besides, 86 new district records were provided for 55 species.

Of the studied material, two species records ( N. spasskyi, R. hierosolymitanus ) represent the northernmost limits of the corresponding species’ ranges, those of specie M. minutipalpis - the easternmost range limit, and that P. mikhailovi - the south-westernmost limit.

Prior to this study 252 spider species were known from West Kazakhstan Region [Пономарев, 2022]. Baseed on the present results, a total number of spider species recorded from West Kazakhstan Region has raised to 274 species in 130 genera and 23 families.