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Atypus karschi Dönitz, 1887 (Araneae: Atypidae): an Asian purse-web spider established in Pennsylvania, USA

Milan Řezáč, View ORCID ProfileSteven Tessler, Petr Heneberg, Ivalú Macarena Ávila Herrera, Nela Gloríková, Martin Forman, Veronika Řezáčová, Jiří Král
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.09.471987
Milan Řezáč
1Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, CZ-161 06 Prague 6 – Ruzyně, Czech Republic; ,
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  • For correspondence: pavouk.milan@seznam.cz rezac@vurv.cz strver@seznam.cz
Steven Tessler
2Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Road, Media PA 19063, USA;
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  • For correspondence: tylerspiderwatch@gmail.com
Petr Heneberg
3Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, CZ-100 00 Prague, Czech Republic;
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  • For correspondence: petr.heneberg@Lf3.cuni.cz
Ivalú Macarena Ávila Herrera
4Laboratory of Arachnid Cytogenetics, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 5, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic; , ,
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  • For correspondence: avilai@natur.cuni.cz spider@natur.cuni.cz formivelkejpan@seznam.cz
Nela Gloríková
1Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, CZ-161 06 Prague 6 – Ruzyně, Czech Republic; ,
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  • For correspondence: rezac@vurv.cz strver@seznam.cz
Martin Forman
4Laboratory of Arachnid Cytogenetics, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 5, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic; , ,
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  • For correspondence: avilai@natur.cuni.cz spider@natur.cuni.cz formivelkejpan@seznam.cz
Veronika Řezáčová
1Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, CZ-161 06 Prague 6 – Ruzyně, Czech Republic; ,
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  • For correspondence: rezac@vurv.cz strver@seznam.cz
Jiří Král
4Laboratory of Arachnid Cytogenetics, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 5, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic; , ,
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  • For correspondence: avilai@natur.cuni.cz spider@natur.cuni.cz formivelkejpan@seznam.cz
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Abstract

The Mygalomorph spiders of the family Atypidae are among the most archaic spiders. The genus Atypus Latreille, 1804 occurs in Eurasia and northern Africa, with a single enigmatic species, Atypus snetsingeri Sarno, 1973, restricted to a small area in southeastern Pennsylvania in Eastern USA. This study was undertaken to learn more about genetics of that species, its habitat requirements and natural history. A close relationship to European species could be assumed based on A. snetsingeri’s occurrence on the eastern coast of the USA, however molecular markers (CO1 sequences) confirmed that A. snetsingeri is identical with Atypus karschi Dönitz, 1887 native to East Asia; it is an introduced species. The specific epithet snetsingeri is therefore relegated to a junior synonym of A. karschi. The karyotype of A. karschi has 42 chromosomes in females and 41 in males (X0 sex chromosome system). Chromosomes were metacentric except for one pair, which exhibited submetacentric morphology. In Pennsylvania the above-ground webs are usually vertical and attached to the base of bushes, trees, or walls, although some webs are oriented horizontally near the ground. It was found in a variety of habitats from forests to suburban shrubbery, and over a wide range of soil humidity and physical parameters. Prey include millipedes, snails, woodlice, carabid beetles and earthworms. The number of juveniles in excavated female webs ranged from 70 to 201. Atypus karschi is the first known case of an introduced purse-web spider. It is rarely noticed but well-established within its range in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
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Atypus karschi Dönitz, 1887 (Araneae: Atypidae): an Asian purse-web spider established in Pennsylvania, USA
Milan Řezáč, Steven Tessler, Petr Heneberg, Ivalú Macarena Ávila Herrera, Nela Gloríková, Martin Forman, Veronika Řezáčová, Jiří Král
bioRxiv 2021.12.09.471987; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.09.471987
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Atypus karschi Dönitz, 1887 (Araneae: Atypidae): an Asian purse-web spider established in Pennsylvania, USA
Milan Řezáč, Steven Tessler, Petr Heneberg, Ivalú Macarena Ávila Herrera, Nela Gloríková, Martin Forman, Veronika Řezáčová, Jiří Král
bioRxiv 2021.12.09.471987; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.12.09.471987

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