Turanobius Zamani, Marusik & Fomichev, 2024

Zamani, Alireza, Marusik, Yuri M. & Fomichev, Alexander A., 2024, A new genus of Oecobiinae (Araneae: Oecobiidae) from Iran and Central Asia, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 58 (21 - 24), pp. 737-749 : 738-739

Genus Turanobius Zamani, Marusik & Fomichev gen. n.

Type species. Oecobius tadzhikus Andreeva and Tyshchenko, 1969 .

Etymology. A combination of Turan ‒ a historical region in Central Asia ‒ and Oecobius ; gender masculine.

Diagnosis. The males of the new genus differ from those of Oecobius sensu stricto by having two anterior loops and one prolateral loop of spermophor (vs one anteroprolateral and no prolateral loop), and bifurcate radix (vs non-bifurcate). The females of the new genus differ from those of Oecobius sensu stricto by having a kind of scape, under which the copulatory openings are located (vs no scape).

Description. Total length 2.18‒2.88 in males, 2.15‒3.08 in females. Male palp: bulb longer than wide; spermophor forms two semiround loops in the anterior part: pro- (Pl) and retrolateral (Rl), and one deep posteroprolateral (Pp); radix (Ra) with bifurcate tip; terminal apophysis (Ta) large and broad; basoprolateral part of tegulum with extension (Te) bearing extra loop and anteroprolateral part of radix with extension (Re) directed over tegular extension. Epigyne: epigynal plate slightly wider than long, weakly sclerotised; anterior half with rounded curved wrinkles; posterior part with kind of scape (Sc), well sclerotised, with copulatory openings located under it; insemination ducts (Id) long, almost parallel, well visible through integument; receptacles composed of three parts: oval chamber (Or), wide tubular part (Tr) and weakly sclerotised sac part (Sr); fertilisation chamber (Fc) transverse, longer than wide, with thinning in median part, foot-like in posterior view.

Composition. Four species: T. ferdowsii (Mirshamsi, Zamani and Marusik, 2017) comb. n., T. hissaricus sp. n., T. leptonychus sp. n., and T. tadzhikus ( Andreeva and Tyshchenko, 1969) comb. n.

Distribution. North-eastern Iran, south-western and southern Kazakhstan, south-western and western Tajikistan; most likely also present in Turkmenistan (see ‘Comments’ under T. tadzhikus ) ( Figures 35, 36 ).

Figures

Figures 35–36. Distribution records of the species of Turanobius gen. n. Square – T. tadzhikus comb. n.; diamond – T. ferdowsii comb. n.; inverted triangle – T. leptonychus sp. n.; triangle – T. hissaricus sp. n;? – doubtful records. The square box in Figure 35 encloses the area of Figure 36.