Caviphantes dobrogicus ( Dumitrescu & Miller, 1962 )

Caviphantes dobrogicus ( Dumitrescu & Miller, 1962) View in CoL

Figs 1 C View Figure 1 , 10 View Figure 10

Caviphantes dobrogicus ( Dumitrescu & Miller, 1962): Turbanov et al. 2021: 180–181, 183–184, figs 2, 3. View in CoL

Material examined.

• 5 ♀♀ ( TNU -10234 ), Crimea, Belogorsk Distr., nr Zuya Vil., Tavrida Cave , 29. IX. 2018, I. S. Turbanov leg.

Distribution.

West and Central Palaearctic nemoral-subtropical: Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, the southern part of European Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan ( Nentwig et al. 2024).

Records from the Crimean caves.

Map (Fig. 17 B View Figure 17 – green circle). Tavrida Cave nr Zuya Vil. ( Turbanov et al. 2021).

Ecology.

The species has been considered a troglophile ( Mammola et al. 2018: table S 1). In addition to caves, it inhabits sandy steppes, sea coasts and agrocenoses ( Polchaninova and Prokopenko 2013). Since this species is a eurybiont that can enter caves, Turbanov et al. (2021) characterised it as a subtroglophile. Despite the Crimean araneofauna is well studied, C. dobrogicus has never been reported from epigeic biotopes. Based on the fact that in Crimea, the species is likely to be permanently associated with caves, it could be considered an eutroglophile.

Remarks.

Only a few line drawings and digital photos of important diagnostic features of this tiny spider have been published (see WSC 2024). We present SEM micrographs of the vulva, which add to the understanding of the structure of its membranous parts (Fig. 10 B – D View Figure 10 ). It is somewhat different from what can be seen under light microscope ( Turbanov et al. 2021) and was provided by the original description ( Dumitrescu and Miller 1962). The structures termed as the copulatory ducts are poorly sclerotised and in fact wide, but not like a twisted system of narrow ducts.