Dasumia gasparoi, Kunt, Kadir Bogac, Oezkuetuek, Recep Sulhi & Elverici, Mert, 2011

Kunt, Kadir Bogac, Oezkuetuek, Recep Sulhi & Elverici, Mert, 2011, A survey of East Mediterranean Dasumia (Araneae, Dysderidae) with description of new species, ZooKeys 137, pp. 89-101 : 91-94

Dasumia gasparoi sp. n.

Material examined.

Holotype. ♂ (AUZM), TURKEY, Kahramanmaraş Province, Pazarcık District, c. 5 km S of Narlı Town [37°19'11.78"N; 37°10'16.19"E], 07.03.2008, under stones, leg. E.A. Yağmur. Paratypes: 1 ♀ (AUZM); 1 ♀ (SMF), together with holotype.

Derivatio nominis.

The new species is named in honour of the Italian geologist & arachnologist Dr. Fulvio Gasparo, who has made great contributions to the taxonomy of the family Dysderidae .

Diagnosis.

Dasumia gasparoi sp. n. can be readily identified by the unique structure of male and female copulatory organs. It is most similar to Dasumia crassipalpis from which it can be differentiated as follows:

1. In Dasumia gasparoi sp. n. the transition zone between the tegulum and the distal appendages is more notable than in Dasumia crassipalpis .

2. In Dasumia gasparoi sp. n.the tip of the falciform embolus is sharper and taller and the embolus extends beyond Apophysisb, whereas in Dasumia crassipalpis , the embolus only reaches the middle of Apophysisb.

3. Apophysisa and Apophysisb show explicit differences in structure between the two species.

4. In Dasumia gasparoi sp. n. the spermatheca are relatively wider. Distal crest of spermatheca is shorter and thicker in Dasumia gasparoi sp. n. than in Dasumia crassipalpis (see Alicata 1974).

Measurements.

(Holotype ♂ / Paratype n=2 ♀): AL 3.50 / 4.47-4.50; CL 3.20 / 3.25-3.50; CWmax 2.50 / 2.75-2.80; CWmin 1.25 / 1.59-1.44; AMEd 0.16 / 0.17-0.18; PLEd 0.15 / 0.14-0.15; PMEd 0.11 / 0.14-0.12; ChF 0.58 / 0.66-0.66; ChG 0.47 / 0.52-0.53; ChL 1.37 / 1.60-1.62. Leg measurements are given in Table 1.

Description.

Carapace dark brown anteriorly, yellowish brown posteriorly and blackish brown laterally. AME, PLE and PME in a circular arrangement. AME separated. PLE and PME clearly separated. Sternum, labium, gnathocoxae and chelicerae yellowish brown. Sternum blackish brown laterally (Figs 2-5). Cheliceral groove with two retromarginal and two promarginal teeth. Teeth on the promargin originate at the base of the groove and end in the middle. Retromarginal teeth originate in alignment with the point at which the promarginal teeth stop, and continue to the top of the cheliceral groove. Teeth on retromargin relatively smaller and more widely separated, when compared with those on the promargin (Figs 6, 7). Cheliceral groove long, top of the labium and gnathocoxae covered with short hairs. In males, joint of trochanter to gnathocoxa thicker and deeper (see Fig. 3). Abdomen greyish to light brown, with short, thin blackish hair over the entire surface. Females with a strongly developed linear postpedicelar and trapezoid epigastric scutum (Fig. 8). Males also have these structures, but they appear thinner and have less colour. Legs yellowish to light brown with sparse blackish setae. Periphery of articulation points dark brown.

Leg IV> Leg I> Leg II> Leg III. Tarsi with three claws. Bent claws and middle claws are well developed (Figs 9, 10, 11, 12).

Tarsi III and IV with fine scopulae (Figs 9-12). Legs III and IV with fine metatarsal scopulae along the ventral surface, covering slightly less than the distal half of the segment. Dorsal part of coxae III and IV with 1-4 spines. Details of leg spination are given in Table 2.

In males, palpal tibia almost double the size of the tarsus. Tarsus bullet-shaped in lateral view. Tegulum yellowish brown; approximately as long as wide, and with a spherical shape. Between the distal appendages and tegulum, there is a visible transition region, peripherally sclerotized in places (Figs 13, 14). Tip of embolus adjacent to Apophysisb (Figs 13, 15). Embolic base wide and triangular. Embolus falciform, tapering distally, blackish and well sclerotized along its length (Figs 15, 16). Apophysisa triangular, separated from embolus and Apophysisb (Fig. 13). Details of palp in ventral view: Apophysisa1 short and sharp, beak-shaped at the right corner; Apophysisa2 semicircular at the left corner; Apophysisa3 (which is stubbier than apophysesa1 and Apophysisa4)ear-shaped at the rear corner. All of these apophyses with well sclerotized margins (Fig. 15).

Vulva generally well sclerotized. Distal crest medium-sized and butt-ended. Distal expansion of the spermatheca wider than distal crest and visually hump-shaped. Rod-shaped part of the anterior spermatheca short and broader towards the base. Basal transverse part of the anterior spermatheca appears merged with the anterior basal arc. Both structures well sclerotized from centre to periphery. In dorsal view, anterior basal arc arc-shaped; basal transverse part of the anterior spermatheca forming a downward chevron shape. Transverse bar longer than the anterior basal arc. The surface area of the posterior spermatheca is wider than the anterior spermatheca. Transverse bar ends with one snake head-shaped structure at either side; and in contact with posterior diverticulum over complex membranous channel network (Figs 17, 18, 19).

Note.

In ventral view, and looking at an angle of 70° from the surface to the vulva, we observed symmetrically located, reniform structures consisting of helicoidal canals inside both sides of the vulva (Fig. 20). The origin and function of these structures is unknown.

Ecology.

Samples were collected during early spring from under stones (using a hand aspirator) in steppe habitat with scrubs of Quercus coccifera and with pine woods located close by. The collection locality was on low land at the middle of a mountainous region, which may enhance the probability of this species being an endemic.