Mongolicosa azarkinae, Fomichev & Marusik, 2018

Fomichev, Alexander A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2018, Five new species of the Acantholycosa - complex (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Mongolia, Zootaxa 4497 (2), pp. 271-284 : 278-279

Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n.

Figs 1e‒g , 3g ‒i , 4g ‒h , 7a‒i , 8a‒c , 9c , 10

Types. Holotype ♂ ( ZMMU) MONGOLIA, Khovd Aimag, Sutai-Uul Mt. Range, Zamlin-Bogd Mt. (46°39'15"N, 93°42'12"E), stony bed of stream among screes, 3340-3460 m, 11.07.2017 (A.A. Fomichev) . Paratypes: 3♂ (ISEA), 3♂ 2♀ (ZMMU) together with the holotype; 1♀ ( ISEA) same locality (46°39'26"N, 93°42'26"E), scree, 3400 m, 11.07.2017 (A.A. Fomichev).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honor of our friend and colleague, Galina Azarkina (Novosibirsk, Russia), a well-known arachnologist who has made an important contribution to the study of the Acantholycosa -complex.

Diagnosis. Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. is most similar to M. mongolensis Marusik, Azarkina & Koponen, 2004 , a species known from Bayankhongor Aimag in Mongolia. The male of M. azarkinae sp. n. can be separated from sibling species by the narrower embolus (cf. Figs 3h‒i , 4h , 7b, h‒i and fig. 192 in Marusik et al. 2004) and the presence of a large embolic spine (absent in M. mongolensis ). Females of these two species can be distinguished by the conformation of epigyne: subparallel receptacles, with the widened basal parts, and the septal base wider than the anterior part of septal stem in M. azarkinae sp. n. vs. converging receptacles, with their anterior parts wider than basal ones, and the posterior part of the septum thinner than the stem (cf. Fig. 8a‒c and figs 215‒217 in Marusik et al. 2004).

Description. Male (holotype). General appearance as in Fig. 1e . Total length 7.5. Carapace 4.0 long, 3.1 wide. Coloration: carapace, chelicerae and labium black. Sternum and endites dark gray. Palp: Ti and cymbium black, Fe and Pt yellow-gray. Legs: Fe yellow-black, Pt‒Ta yellow-gray. Leg IV darker than others. Abdomen black. Spination of leg I: Fe d1-1-1 p0-1-2 r1-0-1; Pt p1 r1; Ti d1-0-1 p1-0-0 r1-0-0 v2-2 -2-2; Mt p1-1-0 r1-1-0 v2-2.

Palp as in Figs 1f‒g , 3g ‒i , 4g ‒h , 7a‒i . Tibia long, over 2.5 times longer than wide. Cymbium 1.33 times longer than tibia. Tegular apophysis with 2 well-developed arms, the anterior arm as long as the posterior one. Embolus broad, longer than wide, with a long, sharply pointed spine. Terminal apophysis claw-like. Palea with a weakly developed apophysis.

Female. Total length 9.8. Carapace 4.0 long, 3.15 wide. Carapace black. Sternum and labium dark gray. Endites yellow-gray. Chelicerae and palps dark brown. Legs dark brown, with almost black Fe. Leg IV darker than others. Abdomen black. Spination of Leg I: Fe d1-1-1 p0-0-2 r1-0-1; Ti p1-0-0 r1-0-0 v2-2 -2-2; Mt p1-1-0 r0-1-0 v2-2.

Epigyne as in Fig. 8a‒c . Fovea large, pear-shaped. Septum gradually widening toward posterior end; posterior part as wide as anterior pocket and lateral arms (La); anterior part of fovea as long as wide. Receptacles (Re) well distinguishable from copulatory ducts (Cd), parallel to each other.

Size variation. Males vary from 6.7 to 7.5 in body length, carapace 3.6‒4.0 long, 2.8‒3.1 wide (n=3). Females vary from 7.3 to 9.8 in body length, carapace 3.7‒4.0 long, 2.9‒3.15 wide (n=3).

Habitat. The bulk of specimens were collected along a stream running across screes at 3340‒3460 m of elevation ( Fig. 9c ).

Distribution. Known from the type locality only. Sutai-Uul Mt. Range is a part of Mongolian Altai ( Fig. 10 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus and male palp of Acantholycosa vahterae sp. n. (a–d) and Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. (e–g). a, e male habitus, dorsal; b female habitus, dorsal; c, g palp, retrolateral; d, f palp, ventral. Scale: a–b, e = 2 mm; c–d, f–g = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Bulb of Acantholycosa vahterae sp. n. (a–c), A. kronestedti sp. n. (d–f) and Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. (g–i, embolic spine broken). a, d, g ventral; b, e, h retrolateral; c, f, i anterior. Scale = 0.1 mm (if indicated). Abbreviations: Em embolus, Es basal spine of embolus, Sp spine-like process of terminal apophysis, Ss small spine in mid part of embolus, Tp triangle outgrowth of paleal apophysis.

FIGURE 4. Embolic division of Acantholycosa vahterae sp. n. (a–c), A. kronestedti sp. n. (d–f) and Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. (g–h, embolic spine broken). a, d, g ventral; b, e, h anterior; c, f posterior. Scale = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Male palp of Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. a–c bulb, ventral, anterior and retrolateral; e–f tegulum, anterior and ventral; g–i embolic division, ventral, anterior and posterior. Scale = 0.2 mm. Embolic spine on a, c–d, g–h is broken, and shown as line drawing.

FIGURE 8. Epigyne of Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. (a–c), M. ozkutuki sp. n. (d–f) and M. cherepanovi sp. n. (g–i). a, d, g intact, ventral; b, e, h macerated, ventral; c, f, i macerated, dorsal. Scale = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Af anterior part of fovea, Cd copulatory ducts, La lateral arms of septum, Re receptacle.

FIGURE 9. Habitats of Acantholycosa vahterae sp. n. (a), A. kronestedti sp. n. (b), Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. (c), M. ozkutuki sp. n. (d) and M. cherepanovi sp. n. (e–f).

FIGURE 10. Collecting localities of Acantholycosa vahterae sp. n. (5), A. kronestedti sp. n. (4), Mongolicosa azarkinae sp. n. (3), M. cherepanovi sp. n. (1) and M. ozkutuki sp. n. (2).