Zelotes khatlonicus, Fomichev & Marusik, 2021

Fomichev, Alexander A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2021, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 11. New data on Gnaphosidae (Araneae) from Tajikistan, Zootaxa 4966 (4), pp. 443-457 : 451

Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n.

Figs 30–31 , 33–35 , 39–41 , 45, 47–49 , 65–66 .

Type. TAJIKISTAN, Khatlon Region: holotype ♂ ( ZMMU), Tigrovaya Balka Res., 37°10.459’N, 68°23.047’E, 316 m, tugai forest with thick litter, 6.07.2015 (Y.M. Marusik & M. Saidov) .

Additional material examined. TAJIKISTAN, Khatlon Region: ♀ ( ZMMU), Shaartuz Distr. , Khushody Vil., 37°09.132’N 68°04.195’E, 378 m, sandy desert, chiefly under shrubs, 19.04.2015 (Y.M. Marusik) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Khatlon Region.

Diagnosis. The male of the new species can be diagnosed from all other Central Asian species of puritanus group by large circular intercalary sclerite (Is) (vs. triangular, square, ovate or oblong) (cf. Figs 34–40 and 54, 57, 60, 63 ). The female of Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n. differs from those of Z. mikhailovi Marusik, 1995 by converging anterior parts of lateral margins (Lm) (vs. parallel or divergent). Also, from Z. potanini Schenkel, 1963 it can be distinguished by ()–shaped fovea (Fo) and lateral margins twice longer than receptacles (Re) (vs. bowl-shaped fovea and lateral margins as long as receptacles). From Z. puritanus Chamberlin, 1922 it can be distinguished by ()–shaped epigynal fovea and the anterior epigynal hood (Ah) being twice wider than receptacle (vs. bowl-shaped fovea and the anterior hood as wide as receptacle) (cf. Figs 47–48 and 50–53 ).

Description. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 31 . Total length 4.25. Carapace 2.1 long, 1.65 wide. Coloration. Carapace brown with dark gray edges. Chelicerae brown. Maxillae and labium yellow-brown. Sternum yellowish orange. Palps yellowish gray. Legs: I–III—Fe, Pt, Ti—gray with yellow spots, Mt, Ta—yellow; IV—Fe, Pt, Ti, Mt—gray, Ta—yellow. Coxae yellow. Abdomen dark gray, almost black dorsally, yellow-gray ventrally. Scutum brown-gray. Spinnerets dark gray, almost black. Leg spination: I: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1; II: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1; III: Fe d1-1-0, p0-1-1, r0-1-1; Pt r1; Ti p1-1-1, r0-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-1-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-0-0. IV: Fe d1-1-0, p0-1-1, r0-0-1; Ti p1-0-1, r1-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-2-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0. Leg measurements. I: 5.79 (1.6, 0.98, 1.25, 1.08, 0.88); II: 5.04 (1.38, 0.83, 1.05, 0.95, 0.83); III: 4.16 (1.18, 0.65, 0.78, 0.9, 0.65); IV: 6.34 (1.73, 0.93, 1.35, 1.5, 0.83).

Palp as in Figs 33–35 , 39–41 , 45 . Tibial apophysis straight, broad with blunt tip, as long as tibia, and as wide as ½ of tibia; bulb almost 2 times (1.8) longer than wide; intercalary sclerite (Is) circular; terminal apophysis (Ta) triangular, as wide as intercalary sclerite; embolar projection (Ep) pointed, as thick as terminal apophysis; median apophysis (Ma) tooth-like, directed upwards; embolus (Em) long, almost as longs as width of bulb, almost straight, with anteriorly bent tip.

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 30 . Total length 6.2. Carapace: 2.95 long, 2.3 wide. Carapace brown with dark gray edges. Chelicerae brown. Labium and maxillae light brown. Sternum yellow-orange. Palps yellow. Legs: I, II, IV—Fe, Pt, Ti—yellow-gray, Mt, Ta—yellow; III—Fe, Pt—yellow-gray, Ti, Mt, Ta—yellow. Coxae light yellow. Abdomen dark gray, almost black dorsally, yellow-gray ventrally. Spinnerets dark gray, almost black. Leg spination: I: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1. II: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1. III: Fe d1-1-0, p1-0-1, r0-1-1; Pt r1; Ti p2-0-1, r0-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-1-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0. IV: Fe d1-1-0, p1-0-1, r0-0-1; Ti p1-0-1, r2-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-2-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-0-2. Leg measurements. I: 6.97 (2.05, 1.28, 1.48, 1.18, 0.98); II: 6.25 (1.78, 1.13, 1.28, 1.13, 0.93); III: 5.51 (1.58, 0.88, 1.0, 1.2, 0.85); IV: 8.03 (2.25, 1.23, 1.65, 1.9, 1.0).

Epigyne as in Figs 47–49 . Epigyne twice longer than wide; fovea elongated oval, twice longer than wide; anterior hood 1.3 times wider than fovea; receptacles large (diameter equal to fovea’s width), closely spaced; copulatory ducts (Cd) thin (in ventral view), forming 3 loops and bear hemispherical glands (Gl) located on a halfway between hood and posterior edge of fovea.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Comments. The holotype male and the female were collected in different localities. Distance between Tigrovaya Balka Reserve and Khushody Village is about 30–40 km, which is relatively close. Moreover, both specimens belong to puritanus species group and have similar habitus. For these reasons, we considered them as conspecific; this hypothesis shall be confirmed or rejected in future when both sexes are collected together. Another species, Z. anatolyi sp. n., which also belongs to the puritanus group and represented by the holotype male has bright colouration, very different from those in Z. khatlonicus sp. n.

Figures

FIGURES 28–32. Bulb (28) and male habitus (29) of Poecilochroa hamipalpis, and habitus of Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n. (30–31) and Z. anatolyi sp. n. (32). 28–29 apical and dorsal; 30 female, dorsal; 31–32 male, dorsal. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURES 33–38. Male palps of Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n. (33–35) and Z. anatolyi sp. n. (36–38). 33, 36 retrolateral; 34, 37 ventral; 35, 38 dorsal. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Em embolus, Ma median apophysis.

FIGURES 39–44. Bulbs of Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n. (39–41) and Z. anatolyi sp. n. (42–44). 39, 42 prolateral; 40, 43 ventral; 41, 44 retrolateral. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Em embolus, Ep embolar projection, Is intercalary sclerite, Ma median apophysis, Ta terminal apophysis.

FIGURES 45–53. Bulbs of Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n. (45) and Z. anatolyi sp. n. (46), and epigynes of Z. khatlonicus sp. n. (47–49), Z. mikhailovi (50), Z. puritanus (51) and Z. potanini (52–53). 45–46 apical; 47, 50–53 intact, ventral; 48–49 macerated, ventral and dorsal. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Ah anterior hood, Cd copulatory ducts, Em embolus, Ep embolar projection, Fo fovea, Gl glands, Lm lateral margins, Ma median apophysis, Re receptacles, Ta terminal apophysis.

FIGURES 65–66. Distribution records of studied species in Tajikistan. Drassodex tajikistanicus sp. n.—diamond; Nomisia palaestina—triangle; Poecilochroa hamipalpis—circle; Z. khatlonicus sp. n.—star; Zelotes anatolyi sp. n.—square. One single symbol may refer to more than one closely located records. Frame on Fig. 66 refers to Fig. 65.

FIGURES 54–64. Male palps of Zelotes mikhailovi (54–56), Z. puritanus (57–59), Z. potanini (60–62) and Z. gussakovskyi (63–64). 54, 60, 63 ventral; 64 dorsal; 57 embolic division, ventral; 55, 58, 61 same, dorsal; 56, 59, 62 tibia, retrolateral.