Eresus lavrosiae Mcheidze, 1997

Zamani, Alireza, Altin, Çağatay & Szűts, Tamás, 2020, A black sheep in Eresus (Araneae: Eresidae): taxonomic notes on the ladybird spiders of Iran and Turkey, with a new species, Zootaxa 4851 (3), pp. 559-572 : 564-566

Eresus lavrosiae Mcheidze, 1997

Figs 15–22 , 28–29 , 34

Eresus lavrosiae Mcheidze, 1997: 48 , fig. 29 (♂).

Material examined. 1 ♂ ( CZMB): TURKEY: Kars Province: Sarıkamış Allahuekber Dağları Milli Parkı , 6.X.2014 (Ç. Altın) .

Diagnosis. By habitus, the males of this species can be identified by the dorsal abdominal pattern of live specimens ( Fig. 34 ), which has a wide, encircling white stripe, filled with black and scattered reddish-brown patches. Preserved specimens are black with a frontally abrupt white circle ( Fig. 15 ). The characteristic black spots are visible on the living specimens, with a reddish pattern in their intermediate area ( Fig. 34 ). Carapace slightly wider in front than in the pars thoracica ( Fig. 15 ), thus giving a bulbous appearance to the pars cephalica ( Fig. 28 ), but different from that of E. moravicus ( Fig. 32 ). By the morphology of the copulatory organs, the males can be identified by the lamella having a slight slope after the “shoulder” (arrow on Fig. 19 ), the terminal tooth curved backwards ( Fig. 17, 19 , 20 ), thick retrolaterally ( Fig. 22 ) and needle-shaped ventrally ( Figs 18 , 21 ), similar to those of E. sandaliatus (Martini & Goeze, 1778) . Female is currently unknown.

Description. Male: Habitus as in Figs 15 , 34 . Total length: 10.1, carapace 4.9 long, 3.6 wide, 2.6 high. Carapace slightly wider at pars cephalica (3.9) than is in pars thoracica (3.6). Leg segments: I: 10.14 (3.21+1.52+1.89+2.0+ 1.52); II: 11.46 (2.89+2.73+1.88+2.29+1.67); III: 7.92 (2.75+1.50+1.72+1.28+0.92); IV: 9.46 (3.02+1.54+2.21 +1.60+1.09).

Live specimen ( Fig. 34 ) dark-colored, with a black carapace having short sparse white setae. Abdomen black with a conspicuous white circle dorsally, with small anterior discontinuity. Black spots around sigilla visible, encompassing area with large, dark reddish-brown pattern.

Preserved specimen ( Fig. 15 ) black, with reddish-colored abdomen, or spots around sigilla not visible, and the area inside the white band uniformly black. Carapace black, covered with black and white short setae. White setae limited to pars thoracica and posterior part of pars cephalica ( Figs 15 , 28 ). Pars cephalica covered with greyish setae ( Figs 15 , 28 ). Chelicerae robust, covered with black setae ( Fig. 28 ). Legs blackish, covered by fine greyish setae ( Fig. 16 ), with bands and stripes of white setae. All legs and palpal Fe with distal white ring. Mt, Ti and Pt I–II with white distal bands of joints. Ti II–IV with longitudinal white/light grey median stripe. Legs with ventral macrosetae on Mt, Ti I–IV ( Figs 15, 16 ).

Palp as in Figs 17–22 . Tegulum roundish ( Figs 20, 22 ); conductor medium in height, lamella relatively low ( Figs 17–19 ), with slight “shoulder” (arrow on Fig. 19 ), with well-developed, curved terminal tooth ( Fig. 19 ). Ventrally, terminal tooth thin, needle-shaped and straight (pointing towards 10 o’clock position, Fig. 18 )). Mesal margin slightly bent; conductor’s ectal margin smooth with even curvature ( Fig. 18 ), converging abruptly at base ( Figs 18 , 21 ). Lamellar groove deep and directed away from cymbium ( Fig. 22 ).

Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Currently known only from the type locality in Kodzhori, Georgia, and the newly recorded locality in Kars, eastern Turkey.

Figures

FIGURES 15–19. Eresus lavrosiae Mcheidze, 1997, male. 15–16. Habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 17–19. Conductor, prolateral, ventral and retrolateral views, with arrow pointing to the “shoulder”. Scale bars = 2.0 mm (15, 16) and 0.25 mm (17–19).

FIGURES 20–25. Male palps of Eresus lavrosiae Mcheidze, 1997 (20–22), Eresus kollari Rossi, 1846 (23), Eresus moravicus Řezáč, 2008 (24) and Eresus walckenaeri Brullé, 1832 (25). 20. prolateral view. 21. ventral view. 22–25. retrolateral views. Scale bar = 0.5 mm (20–22). Figs 23–25 are not to scale.

FIGURES 26–33. Lateral and frontal male habitus profiles of four Eresus species. 26, 27. Eresus adaleari sp. n. 28, 29. Eresus lavrosiae Mcheidze, 1997. 30, 31. Eresus kollari Rossi, 1846. 32, 33. Eresus moravicus Řezáč, 2008. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURE 34–35. Habitus of live Eresus specimens. 34. Eresus lavrosiae Mcheidze, 1997 (Photo: Çağatay Altın). 35. Eresus cf. kollari Rossi, 1846 (Photo: Oto Zimmerman).