Dysdera elamana Zamani & Marusik, 2023

Zamani, Alireza, Darvishnia, Hamid & Marusik, Yuri M., 2023, New data on cave spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Iran, with new species and records, Zootaxa 5361 (3), pp. 345-366 : 351

Dysdera elamana Zamani & Marusik , sp. n.

Figs 4A , 5A–C

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( ZMUT), IRAN: Ilam Province: Pakal Vil., 45 km of Ilam-Darreh Shahr road, Barreh Zard Cave (= Kona Tarikah ), 33°29'N, 46°42'E, 2268 m, 14.VII.2014 (H. Darvishnia).

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective, referring to Elam, an ancient civilization centered in the western and southwestern parts of modern-day Iran.

Diagnosis. The new species is most similar to D. iranica Zamani, Marusik & Szűts, 2023 (see Zamani et al. 2023: fig. 8) in the shape of the median crest (Mc) and broad ventral sclerite (Vs), but can be distinguished from it by the relatively longer tegulum (i.e., longer than wide, vs. as long as wide) and the distinct anterior crest (Ac).

Description. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 4A . Total length 6.47. Carapace 3.10 long, 2.45 wide. Eye sizes: AME 0.18, PME 0.17, PLE 0.16. Carapace, chelicerae, sternum, labium and maxillae reddish. Chelicerae with 4 teeth in one row. Legs yellowish orange. Abdomen beige, without any pattern. Spinnerets uniformly light beige. Measurements of legs: I: 10.30 (2.84, 1.78, 2.46, 2.60, 0.62), II: 9.27 (2.60, 1.52, 2.20, 2.40, 0.55), III: 6.91 (2.00, 1.10, 1.30, 1.97, 0.54), IV: 8.88 (2.55, 1.30, 1.91, 2.44, 0.68). Spination: Palp: Fm: 1pl. Legs: I: Fm: 3pl. II: Fm: 3pl. III: Fm: 3pl, 1rl; Ti: 3pl, 2rl, 6v; Mt: 3pl, 2rl, 5v. IV: Fm: 6d, 1pl, 1rl; Ti: 2pl, 2rl, 8v; Mt: 2pl, 2rl, 6v.

Palp as in Fig. 5A–C ; bulb ca. 1.5 times longer than cymbium; psembolus 1.33 times longer than tegulum, 1.4 times wider; median crest (Mc) highest proximally, lacking spines, C-shaped in dorsal view, screw-like forming anterior crest (Ac) in retrolateral view.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Barreh Zard Cave ( Fig. 15A ), Ilam Province, western Iran ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Habitus of Dysdera elamana sp. n. (A) and Harpactea zagros sp. n. (B), males, dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Male palp of Dysdera elamana sp. n. A retrolateral view; B dorsal view; C ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviation: Ac—anterior crest, Mc—median crest, Vc—ventral crest.

FIGURE 15. Some of the collection localities of the material reported in this study.A Barreh Zard; B Chehel Sotoon; C Gakal; D Kabootarlan; E Khoffash; F Malek. Photos by Mohammad Javad Malek-Hosseini.

FIGURE 17. Partial map of Iran, showing the collection localities of the material reported in this study. 1 Ali Sheikh Cave; 2 Barreh Zard Cave; 3 Chehel Sotoon Cave; 4 Darreh-ye Ashkaft Cave; 5 Dengezlu Cave; 6 Gakal Cave; 7 Gelim Goosh Cave; 8 Hamzeh Zendan Cave; 9 Jabiglu Cave; 10 Kabootarlan Cave; 11 Kahman Cave; 12 Kerend Cave; 13 Khoffash Cave, Mar Kelga Cave; 14 Malek Cave, Markhareil Cave; 15 Mir Melas Cave; 16 Mooly Cave; 17 Pir Morad Cave; 18 Raad-e Gharbi Cave; 19 Tang-e Kaboutari; 20 Tang-e-Lor Cave; 21 Tang-e Zendan Cave; 22 Tashan Cave; 23 Torang Cave; 24 Var-e-Zamin Cave; 25 Yaran Cave.