Poecilochroa hamipalpis ( Kroneberg, 1875 ) 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 : 448

Poecilochroa hamipalpis ( Kroneberg, 1875) comb. n.

Figs 22–29 , 65–66 .

Melanophora hamipalpis Kroneberg, 1875: 24 , pl. 2, fig 3 (♂).

Leptodrassus hamipalpis: Simon 1893: 363 .

Echemus hamipalpis: Dalmas 1919: 250 .

Material examined. TAJIKISTAN, Khatlon Region: 1♂ ( ZMMU), Dangara Distr, SW slope of Sanglogh (= Sanglok) Mt. Range , 38°13.091’N, 69°14.282’E, 1362 m, 30.04.2015 (Y.M. Marusik) .

Diagnosis. The species is similar to the European species P. furcata Simon, 1914 , from which it can be separated by the ventral branch of the tibial apophysis (Vb) directed forward (vs. directed downward), short prolateral fold (Pf) of conductor (Cn) and by having a projection (Pb) on the base of embolus (Eb) (cf. Figs 22–23, 26 and figs 3–4 in Di Franco (2001)).

Comment. This species was treated in three taxonomic publications and previously known from original figures only.

Description. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 29 . Total length 6.2. Carapace: 2.8 long, 2.05 wide. Coloration. Carapace, sternum, labium, maxillae and chelicerae brown. Legs and palps brown, legs III and IV lighter. Abdomen beigegray with brown scutum. Spinnerets gray. Leg spination: I: Fe: d1-1-1, p0-0-1; Ti v0-0-2; Mt v2-0-0. II: Fe d1-1-1, p0-1-1; Ti v0-0-2; Mt v2-0-0. III: Fe d1-1-1, p0-1-1, r0-0-1; Pt r1; Ti d1-0-0, p1-1-1, r1-0-1, v1-1-2; Mt d0-1-0, p0-1-0, r1-0-0, v0-2-0; IV: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1, r0-0-2; Ti p2-0-1, r0-0-1, v3-1-2; Mt d0-2-0, p2-1-0, r2-1-0, v3-2-0. Leg measurements. I: 6.41 (1.95, 1.15, 1.4, 1.18, 0.73); II: 6.31 (1.9, 1.1, 1.38, 1.2, 0.73); III: 5.54 (1.8, 0.93, 0.71, 1.35, 0.75); IV: 7.59 (2.1, 1.05, 1.63, 1.98, 0.83).

Palp as in Figs 22–27 , 28 . Tibial apophysis splits into short, triangular dorsal branch (Db) and long, digitiform and straight ventral branch; tegulum ovate, with an indistinct constriction in the middle part; sperm duct (Sd) forming one loop; petal-shaped, membranous conductor (Cn) envelopes embolus prolaterally; embolus sharply pointed, with a wide square base (Eb).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Uzbekistan and southwestern Tajikistan (new record).

Comments. The new combination is proposed based on the large retrolateral tibial apophysis divided into branches and short apical embolus partly entwined by membranous conductor, which is similar to those known in Poecilochroa Westring, 1874 .

Figures

FIGURES 22–27. Male palp (22–24) and bulb (25–27) of Poecilochroa hamipalpis. 22, 26 ventral; 23, 27 retrolateral; 24 dorsal; 25 prolateral. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Cn—conductor, Db—dorsal branch of tibial apophysis, Eb—base of the embolus, Pb—projection on the base of the embolus, Pf—prolateral fold of the conductor, Sd—sperm duct, Vb—ventral branch of tibial apophysis.

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 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.