Studies on Norwegian Aphids - Norsk entomologisk forening

Micaria decorata Tullgren 1942 (Clubionidae, Araneae)
New to Norway
ODD H. JOHANNESSEN
Zoological Museum, University of Bergen
Abstract: JOHANNESEN, O. H. 1968. Micaria decorata Tullgren 1942 (Clubionidae, Aranae) New to
Norway. Norsk ent. Tidsskr. 15, 37-39.
Micaria decorata Tullgren is reported new to Norway. One single female was found 25 May 1965,
five kilometres south of Bergen. Measurements of legs and cephalothorax in the present specimen are
compared to previously published data.
On the 25th of May 1965 I found an adult
female spider, which was later identified as
Micaria decorata Tullgren. The identification
was confirmed by Prof. H. Kauri, Bergen Museum.
The animal was found near Gamlehaugen,
about 5 km south of Bergen, in an area
of hillocks covered with loose stones and
patches of heather and moss. Palmgren (1943)
stated that it occurred on stones and rock with
sparse vegetation near the coast of southern
Finland. Miller (1967) described similar biotopes
in Czechoslovakia ('... im sparlichen
Heidekraut unter lose liegende Steinen oder in
Cladonia- und Cetraria-Polstern .. .').
The species has previously been found in
Sweden, Finland and Czechoslovakia. The centre
of distribution seems to be in Scandinavia,
with several records from the southern parts
of Sweden and Finland.
The specimen which I found had the following
measurements: Total length 4.83 mm;
length of cephalothorax 1.76 mm; maximum
width of cephalothorax 1.23 mm; width of
cephalothorax at the eyes 0.62 mm. Measurements
of the legs are given in Table I. Comparison
of these measurements with those
from other specimens shows this to be the
largest Cl' yet recorded.
Among the arachnids the Cl' is usually larger
than the 6. In the case of Micaria decorata,
measurements of the length of cephalothorax,
as shown in Table Il, have been published. In
the case of the specimens obtained by Palmgren
and Miller, the 66 were thus generally
larger than the Cl'Cl', though overlapping did
occur.
Previously published records of the length
of legs in Cl'Cl', and measurements of the present
specimen, are given in Table Ill. The relative
lengths of the legs in the 66 are constant
in all the animals which have been measured,
the order of decreasing length being 4.1.2.3.
This order does not seem to be constant in the
66. According to Tullgren (1942), the relative
Table I. Measurements of the legs (in mm) of the present specimen of M. decorata
Femur Patella Tibia Metatarsus Tarsus Total
1 1.14 0.49 0.85 0.74 0.68 3.90
2 1.09 0.48 0.74 0.74 0.66 3.71
3 0.91 0.51 0.66 0.75 0.55 3.38
4 1.52 0.66 1.12 1.17 0.80 5.27