Iranotricha Zamani & Marusik

Zamani, Alireza, Seiedy, Marjan, Saboori, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2018, The spider genus Pterotricha in Iran, with the description of a new genus (Araneae, Gnaphosidae), ZooKeys 777, pp. 17-41 : 17

Iranotricha Zamani & Marusik gen. n.

Type species.

Iranotricha lutensis Zamani & Marusik, sp. n.

Etymology.

A combination of Iran, the type locality of the species, and “tricha”, referring to the similarity with the genus Pterotricha. The gender is feminine.

Diagnosis.

The genus differs from all Gnaphosinae by lacking a cheliceral keel. It is most similar to Pterotricha by having long anterior lateral spinnerets and the embolus similar to that of P. cambridgei (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) and P. levantina Levy, 1995 by having a modified anterior part with an invagination. Iranotricha gen. n. differs from Pterotricha by lacking a cheliceral keel, having the two prolateral teeth greatly reduced and separated from each other (vs. well developed and fused at the bases in Pterotricha ), having modified setae (long terminal setae (Ts), long setae (Ls), barbed setae (Bs), with longer plumage (Ss) on chelicera which are lacking in Pterotricha (cf. Figs 11a, b, 12 a–c and 12 d–f), an embolus with a spine (Es) (lacking in Pterotricha ), a small conductor (smaller and thinner than the embolus vs. larger and wider than the embolus) and an elongate tegular apophysis lacking a large base (vs. tegular apophysis with wide base, much wider than tip).

Description.

Same as for the species.

Comments.

Long spinnerets and the presence of a sclerotized (non-membranous) conductor behind the embolus indicate that new genus is most probably related to Pterotricha . Iranotricha gen. n. is also similar to Scotognapha Dalmas, 1920, a genus restricted to the Canary Islands ( WSC 2018). Scotognapha has a greatly reduced, vestigial keel (the new genus lacks a keel) but has plumose “hairs” as in Pterotricha and Iranotricha gen. n.

Composition.

Only the type species.