Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nemesiidae

Raveniola mazandaranica sp. n. Figs 12-18

Material .

Holotype ♂ (SMF), IRAN, Māzandarān Province, Abbās Abād, Salmān Shahr, around Dāniāl Cave (36°39'N, 51°10'E), April 2014 (P. Beyhaghi).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the type locality; adjective.

Diagnosis.

So far, only two Raveniola species are known to occur in Northern Iran: Raveniola niedermeyeri and Raveniola vonwicki . The new species can be distinguished from Raveniola niedermeyeri by its twisted embolus (gradually bent in Raveniola niedermeyeri, Fig. 21). Raveniola mazandaranica sp. n. differs from the similar Raveniola vonwicki by the shape of its embolic tip and by having a tibial prolateral apical spine (arrowed on Fig. 15), lacking in sibling species. All three Iranian species differ in the number of their prolateral apical tibial spines: none in Raveniola vonwicki, two in Raveniola niedermeyeri, and one in Raveniola mazandaranica sp. n.

Description.

Total length 11.3 with chelicerae and 9.7 without chelicerae. Carapace 5.25 long, 4.9 wide; sternum 2.55 long, 1.85 wide; eyefield 1.13 wide, 0.55 long. Habitus and pattern as in Figs 12-13. Eye sizes and interspaces: AME 0.15, ALE 0.3, PLE 0.2, PME 0.17, AME–AME 0.12. Maxillae with about 10 cuspules each. Palp: 2.75 + 1.55 + 2.25 + 0.9, bulb (including embolus) 0.83 long. Leg I: 4.0 + 2.3 + 3.35 + 3.25 + 1.8. Leg II: 3.85 + 2.0 + 2.75 + 2.75 + 1.8. Leg III: 3.37 + 1.7 + 3.25 + 3.3 + 1.75. Leg IV: 4.2 + 2.0 + 3.35 + 4.75 + 2.0. Metatarsus I modified, with thinner proximal half and thicker distal half (Fig. 14). Spination of palp: femur 2d, 1pa; patella 0; tibia 2d, 1ra, 3p, 3vp, 2vr, 1vm; cymbium 4. Leg I: femur d4, p21; tibia p2, v6. Leg II: femur d4, p3; patella p1; tibia p3, v7; metatarsus p1, v6. Leg III: femur d4, p3, r2; patella p1, r1; tibia d2, p3, r3, v7; metatarsus d2, p3, r3, v8. Leg IV: femur d4, p3, r2; patella p2, r1; tibia d2, p4, r4, v7; metatarsus d5, p4, r4, v10. Scopula: present on metatarsi I–II and tarsi I–II; absent on tarsi III–IV . Paired claws: inner and outer margins with 7-11 teeth each. Spinnerets: PMS 0.3 long; PLS 1.2 long, apical segment triangle.

Palp as in Figs 15-17, femur slightly longer than tibia and about 1.5 thicker; patella longer than cymbium and wider than tibia; tibia prolaterally with one apical spine; bulb 2.7 shorter than tibia, embolus bent 3 times.

Distribution.

The new species is known only from the type locality.