Crossopriza ibnsinai, Huber, 2022

Huber, Bernhard A., 2022, Revisions of Holocnemus and Crossopriza: the spotted-leg clade of Smeringopinae (Araneae, Pholcidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 795 (1), pp. 1-241 : 139-144

Crossopriza ibnsinai sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7F98CE47-8276-444D-A2FC-E0B5BD965E1F

Figs 352 , 538–554

Holocnemus pluchei (misidentification) – Roewer 1960: 40 (all specimens except juvenile from Rig- Revan, which is a Pholcus ).

Diagnosis

Easily distinguished from geographically close species ( C. maculipes , C. srinagar sp. nov., C. surobi sp. nov.) by male chelicerae with single pair of apophyses in lateral position ( Fig. 543 ) and corresponding pockets on female epigynal plate far apart ( Figs 548 , 551 ); from some very similar species on the Arabian Peninsula (especially C. sahtan sp. nov., C. tiwi sp. nov.) by details of male palp ( Figs 542, 545 ; ventral sclerite at tip of procursus long, much longer than dorsal element; distal bulbal sclerite with distinctive prolateral ridge and single apophysis) and by medially light epigynal plate with distinct semicircular internal median structure ( Fig. 551 ).

Etymology

The name honors Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna; ~980–1037), a Persian polymath, physician, astronomer, and thinker.

Type material

Holotype UZBEKISTAN – Surkhandarya • ♂; Baison Distr. , E foothills of Dzhetymkalyas Mt Range , ca 4.5 km SE of Sarykamysh, Pul’khakim River valley, Karadara Boundary; 38.0750° N, 67.4425° E; 705 m a.s.l.; 3 May 2002; A.V. Gromov leg.; ZMMU.

Other material examined

UZBEKISTAN – Surkhandarya • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; ZMMU (together with holotype) • 1 ♀; Babatagh Mt Range, near Ak-Machit [Ak-Mechet’]; 38.032° N, 68.295° E; 12–20 Apr. 1994; O. Lyakhov leg.; ZMMU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Uzun Distr., E slope of Babatagh Mt Range , ~ 7 km W of Akmechet [Ak-Mechet’]; 38.05° N, 68.24° E; 1095 m a.s.l.; 1 May 2002; A.V. Gromov leg.; ZMMU . – Choresmien • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv.; Amudarya River middle flow, Kyzylkum Reserve , “cliff on tugai side”; 41.1° N, 61.9° E; 6 Apr. 1985; D.V. Logunov leg.; SZMN . – Navoyi • 2 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; Bukhara Area, ~ 70 km W of Uch-Kuduk, Mynbulak hollow, near Dzhyra-Kuduk ; 42.26° N, 62.86° E; 11 Sep. 1989; D.V. Logunov leg.; small cave in clayey cliff; SZMN .

TAJIKISTAN – Chatlon • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Gandzhino Vil. ; 37.965° N, 68.560° E; 20 Apr. 1991; S. Ovtchinnikov leg.; ZMMU • 2 ♀♀; same locality as for preceding (“near Gandzhino Vil. ”); 19 Apr. 1990; S.L. Zonstein leg.; ZMMU • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 13–15 Apr. 1986; S.L. Zonstein leg.; ZMMU • 2 ♀♀; same locality as for preceding; 7–12 Apr. 1987; S.L. Zonstein and A. Zor’kin leg.; ZMMU • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Pandzh, Karatau Mt Range, Astana ; 37.23° N, 69.11° E; 22 Apr. 1991; S. Ovtchinnikov leg.; ZMMU .

TURKMENISTAN – Mary • 2 ♀♀; Kushka Distr. , ~ 18 km S of Kyzyldzhar Kordon, ~ 1 km ESE of Eroilandaz; 35.661° N, 61.837° E; 375 m a.s.l.; 7 Apr. 2002; A.V. Gromov leg.; saline soil; ZMMU .

KAZAKHSTAN – Chimkent • 1 ♀; Kyzylkum Distr., Kyzylkum Desert, Karaktau mountain massif, Karamola Mt ; 43.5° N, 67.8° E; 8 Jun. 1989; A.A. Zyuzin leg.; ZMMU .

AFGHANISTAN • 1 ♀, 2 juvs; Sorkh-Kotal [Surkh Kotal], “bei Tehachmeh Cher”, “A361”; 36.006° N, 68.544° E; 10 Oct. 1957; K. Lindberg leg.; in pile of leaves; NHMG • 1 ♀, 1 juv.; Douchi [Doshi], “A465”; 35.61° N, 68.68° E; 11 Nov. 1957; K. Lindberg leg.; NHMG • 1 juv. (assigned tentatively); N of Pol-Khomri [ Pol-e-Khomri ], unnamed cave of “Tschachméh Cher”, “A195”; 35.980° N, 68.544° E; 10 Oct. 1957; K. Lindberg leg.; NHMG • 2 juvs (assigned tentatively); Salang valley , Djebel os-Siradj [Jabal-os-Saraj], “A532”; 35.12° N, 69.23° E; 26 Jul. 1957; K. Lindberg leg.; NHMG .

Description

Male (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 4.0, carapace width 1.6. Distance PME–PME 55 µm; diameter PME 100 × 130 µm; distance PME–ALE 30 µm; diameter AME 90 µm; distance AME–AME 30 µm. Leg 1: 35.8 (10.2 + 0.7 + 9.6 + 12.9 + 2.4), tibia 2: 6.8, tibia 3: 5.6, tibia 4: 6.4; tibia 1 L/d: 56; femora 1–4 diameters: 0.26, 0.22, 0.21, 0.22.

COLOR (in ethanol). Carapace ochre-yellow, anteriorly in median pit with distinct brown mark; sternum brown with dark brown radial marks; legs ochre-yellow, without darker rings, with small black lines on femora only; abdomen gray, with whitish internal marks, with few and indistinct dorsal marks; ventrally with broken dark band, with indistinct parallel longitudinal marks behind gonopore.

BODY. Habitus similar to C. sahtan sp. nov. (cf. Fig. 391 ). Ocular area slightly raised. Deep thoracic pit and pair of shallow furrows diverging from pit toward posterior margin. Clypeus unmodified, only rim more sclerotized than in female. Sternum wider than long (1.2/0.7), unmodified. Abdomen slightly elongated, dorso-posteriorly angular to conical.

CHELICERAE. As in Figs 543–544 (very similar to C. moqal sp. nov.), with pair of latero-distal apophyses provided with one large modified cone-shaped hair each; distance between tips of modified hairs: 430 µm; lateral stridulatory ridges clearly visible in dissecting microscope.

PALPS. As in Figs 538–540 ; coxa with rounded retrolateral hump; trochanter barely modified; femur distally strongly widened, with rounded ventral protrusion, proximally with prolateral stridulatory pick, with indistinct retrolateral transversal line, without retrolateral proximal process but retrolateral-ventral ridge with some slightly stronger hair-bases; femur-patella joints shifted toward prolateral side; tibiatarsus joints shifted toward retrolateral side; tarsus without macrotrichia; procursus ( Figs 541–542 ) straight, narrowing distally, with low prolateral hump proximally set with numerous long hairs, followed distally by thick ridge, long dorsal hairs mostly straight or weakly curved, procursus tip with long ventral sclerite and two distinctive prolateral sclerites; genital bulb ( Figs 545–547 ) with simple basal sclerite connected to distal (main) sclerite, sperm duct opening not seen; distal sclerite with retrolateral ridge, with distinctive prolateral transversal ridge and small apophysis on ventral semitransparent flap.

LEGS. Femur 1 with single row of ~20 ventral spines; without curved hairs; few vertical hairs; retrolateral trichobothrium of tibia 1 at 3%; prolateral trichobothrium absent on tibia 1, present on other leg tibiae; tarsal pseudosegments indistinct and irregular, only at distal tip ~3–4 regular pseudosegments.

Male (variation)

Tibia 1 in seven males (incl. holotype): 7.2–9.7 (mean 8.8). Some males with distinct dark and whitish marks on abdomen; dark lines sometimes also on leg tibiae.

Female

In general similar to male but without spines on legs, apparently without stridulatory files on chelicerae, and with stridulatory organ consisting of pair of weakly sclerotized but distinct processes posteriorly on carapace and pair of small but distinct light brown plates anteriorly on abdomen. Tibia 1 in 21 females: 6.3–10.3 (mean 8.6). Epigynum as in Figs 550–551 , main epigynal plate semicircular, barely protruding, medially posteriorly light, laterally heavily sclerotized with pair of large but narrow pockets (distance 560 µm); internal median structure visible in uncleared specimens; posterior plate light brown, short but wide. Internal genitalia ( Figs 548–549 , 552–554 ) with large elongate pore plates converging anteriorly, dorsal arc slender, ventral arc with median pouch-like modification.

Distribution

Widely distributed In Central Asia ( Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan) ( Fig. 352 ).

Figures

Fig. 352. Distribution of Crossopriza Simon, 1893; autochthonous species part 1 (cf. Fig. 353): species with main cheliceral apophyses in lateral position.

Figs 538–540. Crossopriza ibnsinai sp. nov.; male from Uzbekistan, near Dzhyra-Kuduk (SZMN); mirror images of right palp, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs 541–549. Crossopriza ibnsinai sp. nov.; male and female from Uzbekistan, near Dzhyra-Kuduk (SZMN). 541–542. Left procursus, prolateral and retrolateral views; arrows: distinctive prolateral sclerites. 543–544. Male chelicerae, frontal and lateral views. 545–547. Left genital bulb, prolateral, dorsal, and retrolateral views; arrow: retrolateral ridge. 548–549. Cleared female genitalia, ventral and dorsal views; arrows: pockets. Abbreviation: vs = ventral sclerite. Scale bars = 0.3 mm.

Figs 550–554. Crossopriza ibnsinai sp. nov.; female from Uzbekistan, near Dzhyra-Kuduk (SZMN). 550–551. Abdomen and epigynum, ventral views. 552–554. Female internal genitalia, dorsal view (with dorsal arc tilted backwards), ventral view, and regular dorsal view. Abbreviations: da = dorsal arc; va = ventral arc. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

Figs 391–398. Crossopriza Simon, 1893, live specimens. 391–392. C. sahtan sp. nov., male and female from Oman, Wadi Ghul. 393–395. C. tiwi sp. nov., males and female with egg-sac from Oman, Wadi Tiwi. 396–398. C. dhofar sp. nov., male and female from Oman, Ain Razad, and female from Oman, Wadi Nahiz.