188 Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society (2011) 15 (6), 188–192 First records of Latrodectus dahli Levi, 1959 from Morocco, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates Peter Jäger Senckenberg Research Institute, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany email: Peter.Jaeger@senckenberg.de Alexander V. Gromov Institute of Zoology, Al-Farabi 93, Akademgorodok, 050060 Almaty, Kazakhstan email: alexander_gromov@yahoo.com Summary Latrodectus dahli Levi, 1959 is recorded from Morocco, Turkey, 7XUNPHQLVWDQ DQG WKH 8QLWHG $UDE (PLUDWHV IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH New records are given from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The morphology of the female copulatory organ is illustrated. The single female from Morocco represents the westernmost record of this species and is 3700 km distant from the previously known distribution range (Middle East to Central Asia). A map including all known records is provided. Introduction Black widow spiders (Theridiidae: Latrodectus) have ORQJ EHHQ D PDWWHU RI VFLHQWL¿F LQWHUHVW RZLQJ WR WKHLU SRWHQ- tial medical impact on humans (e.g. Powell 1871; Bücherl 1965; Thorp & Woodson 1976; Tarabaev 1993). Taxonomic revisions and precise distribution data are necessary to iden- tify specimens and to provide information helpful for taking reasonable precautions. Since the taxonomic revision of Levi (1959) and his later corrections (Levi 1983), only a few comprehensive revisions have been published, all of which are restricted to certain geographic regions. One of them, E\ .QRÀDFK YDQ +DUWHQ SURYLGHG DQ H[FHOOHQW compilation on the taxonomy, distribution and biology of the genus in Yemen and neighbouring countries. In the same publication the authors synonymized L. tadzhicus Marusik & Tarabaev, 1995 with L. dahli Levi, 1959. Garb et al. (2004) did not include L. dahli in their molecular approach. In a recent survey a single female of Latrodectus was FROOHFWHG LQ 0RURFFR DQG WKH PDWHULDO ZDV VHQW WR WKH ¿UVW DXWKRU IRU LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ ,W SURYHG WR EHORQJ WR L. dahli and represents the westernmost record of this species. As distribution records are scattered over different papers and a map of the currently known distribution was not available, a compilation of currently known records including material previously unpublished is provided here. Material & methods A Leica MZ16A stereomicroscope with a camera lucida attachment was used for examining and illustrating the specimen from Morocco. This specimen was collected in 96% ethanol. All four right legs were removed and sent to Jessica Garb (Lowell, Massachusetts, USA) for molecular studies. The spider is now kept in 70% denatured ethanol and is deposited in the Senckenberg Research Institute (SMF). For illustrating the internal duct system of the female, lactic acid was not used because of the presence of membranous parts, which may shift after treatment with this or similar FKHPLFDO DJHQWV 6OLW VHQVH RUJDQV DQG WKH HSLJ\QDO ¿HOG DUH included in the illustration as they are considered useful as descriptive characters by Jäger (2007, 2009). The geographical coordinates of material collected by Alexander V. Gromov were obtained from the GPS receivers: Magellan Map330, Garmin eTrex Vista and Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. All labels were revised (or recognised) using the computer programs Google Earth 5.2.1.1588, Microsoft Encarta 2003, as well as Russian Military Maps (scales 1:100000 and 1:200000) and other paper maps. The map of distribution was made using the computer programs *360DS(GLW 0LFURVRIW 2I¿FH ([FHO 7KH Geographic Calculator 6.3 2007.516 and ArcGIS 9.3.1. Abbreviations: AGC = Alexander V. Gromov private collection (Almaty, Kazakhstan); AMC = Antonio Melic private collection (Zaragoza, Spain); CTH = Konrad Thaler collection (Innsbruck, Austria); HUJ = Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Jerusalem, Israel); IZA = Institute of Zoology (Almaty, Kazakhstan); IZT = Institute of Zoology (Tashkent, Uzbekistan); MCZ = Museum of Comparative Zoology (Harvard, USA); MHNG = Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle (Genève, Switzerland); MNHN = Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France); MRAC = Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale (Tervuren, Belgium); NHM = British Museum of Natural History (London, United Kingdom); NHMB = Naturhistorisches Museum Basel (Basel, Swit- zerland); NHRS = Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet (Stockholm, Sweden); NHMW = Naturhistorisches Museum (Vienna, Austria); RRC = Repetek Reserve Collection (Repetek, Turkmenistan); SMF = Senckenberg Research Institute (Frankfurt am Main, Germany); ZISP = Zoological Insti- tute of the Russian Academy of Science (St Petersburg, Russia); ZMF = Zoology Museum, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (Mashhad, Iran); ZMMU = Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia). Latrodectus dahli Levi, 1959 Latrodectus dahli /HYL ¿JV ± PDS GHVFU Ƃ 7\VFKFKHQNR (UJDVKHY ¿JV ± GHVFU ƃ (UJDVKHY /HY\ $PLWDL ¿JV ± 7\VFKFKHQNR (UJDVKHY ¿JV ± Ergashev et al (UJDVKHY ¿JV ± 9; Tarabaev et al ¿J =\X]LQ et al. (1994): 0DUXVLN 7DUDEDHY ¿JV ± 0LNKDLORY /HY\ ¿JV ± .QRÀDFK ¿J D .QRÀDFK YDQ +DUWHQ ¿JV ± $]LPRY PDS .QRÀDFK ¿J E 0LUVKDPVL .DNKNL ¿JV $±( Latrodectus tadzhicus 0DUXVLN 7DUDEDHY ¿JV ± GHVFU ƃƂ .QRÀDFK YDQ +DUWHQ V\QRQ\PL- zation with L. dahli). Material examined: MOROCCO 0HNQHV7D¿ODOHW Region, Errachidia (= Er Rachidia, Ksar es Souk) Province: Ƃ 60) 6DKDUD 'HVHUW (UJ &KHEEL HQYLURQV