Harpactea abasgiana, Zamani & Marusik, 2024

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2024, New data on Dysdera Latreille, 1804 and Harpactea Bristowe, 1939 (Araneae: Dysderidae) of the Caucasus, with new species and records, Zootaxa 5397 (2), pp. 195-217 : 206-210

Harpactea abasgiana sp. n.

Figs 14A, B , 15A–C , 16

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( ZMMU), GEORGIA: Republic of Abkhazia: env. of Pitsunda , Ldzaa Vil., 43°10'N 40°22'E, 16.10.2004 (Y.M. Marusik) . Paratypes: 5♂ 9♀2j. ( ZMMU), same data as for the holotype ; 9♂ 10♀ ( ZMMU), Sukhumi, University campus , 42°58.4'N 41°04.04'E, 09– 10.10.2004 (Y.M. Marusik) .

Comparative material. Harpactea caucasia ( Kulczyński, 1895) : Holotype ♂ ( MIZP), GEORGIA: Imereti Region: Gelati , 28.05.1893 (G. Horvath). ( Fig. 14D, E , 15D–F, H, I ) [examined]

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Kingdom of Abkhazia, which was also known as Abasgia or Egrisi-Abkhazia. It was a medieval feudal state established in the Caucasus in the 780s.

Diagnosis. The new species is most similar to the species that has been identified and illustrated as H. caucasia by Dunin (1992b) in the shape of the copulatory organs. The male can be distinguished by thinner bulb (ca. 1.3 times longer than wide, vs. about as long as wide), shape of embolus base (presence of a kind of a heel (EH), vs. absent), and shorter and heavily sclerotized ‘conductor’ (Co) directed posteriorly (vs. membranous ‘conductor’ directed laterally) (cf. Fig. 15A 15J ). The female differs by the widened and abrupt tip of receptacle (vs. rounded and slightly tapering), and by the claw-like lateral margins (LMA) of anterior arch (vs. rounded) (cf. Fig. 16 and Dunin 1992b: fig. 14г). From the holotype of H. caucasia , the new species differs by having an embolic base heel (vs. absent) and shorter proximal outgrowth of the conductor (cf. Fig. 15A, B and D, E, H, I ). The two species also differ by the relative length of legs (leg I/carapace length ratio: 2.5 vs. 3.53).

Description. Male (Holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 14A . Total length 5.20. Carapace 2.50 long, 2.00 wide. Eye sizes: AE 0.11, PME 0.10, PLE 0.11. Carapace, chelicerae, sternum, labium and maxillae light brown; carapace slightly lighter posteriorly. Legs yellowish brown. Abdomen greyish, without any pattern. Spinnerets uniformly light greyish. Measurements of legs: I: 6.36 (1.85, 1.04, 1.55, 1.45, 0.47), II: 5.68 (1.58, 0.97, 1.41, 1.24, 0.48), III: 4.49 (1.25, 0.66, 0.94, 1.25, 0.39), IV: 6.32 (1.78, 0.86, 1.47, 1.74, 0.47). Spination: I: Fe: 2pl. II: Fe: 2pl. III: Fe: 1d, 2pl; Pa: 1pl; Ti: 1d, 3pl, 2rl, 5v; Mt: 3pl, 2rl, 4v. IV: Fe: 4d, 1rl; Ti: 1d, 3pl, 3rl, 5v; Mt: 2d, 4pl, 3rl, 5v.

Bulb as in Fig. 15A–C ; ca. 1.3 times longer than wide, ‘conductor’ (Co) with subtriangular membranous base and well sclerotized digitiform extension directed anteriorly; embolus bent at base at ca. right angle, terminal part bent on acute angle, proximal part of embolus with kind of heel (EH).

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 14B . Total length 4.20. Carapace 1.83 long, 1.45 wide. Eye sizes: AE 0.10, PME 0.09, PLE 0.10. Coloration as in male. Measurements of legs: I: 4.94 (1.36, 0.94, 1.15, 1.06, 0.43), II: 4.54 (1.21, 0.80, 1.11, 1.00, 0.42), III: 3.85 (1.04, 0.57, 0.81, 1.00, 0.43), IV: 5.60 (1.57, 0.80, 1.30, 1.45, 0.48). Spination: I: Fe: 2pl. II: Fe: 2pl. III: Fe: 1d, 2pl; Pa: 1pl; Ti: 1d, 3pl, 2rl, 4v; Mt: 3pl, 2rl, 2v. IV: Fe: 3d; Ti: 1d, 3pl, 3rl, 5v; Mt: 2d, 3pl, 3rl, 3v.

Endogyne as in Fig. 16 ; with long receptacle (Re) slightly longer than anterior arch (AA), tip slightly widened and abrupt at the top edge, lacking bulbous widening; anterior arch with claw-like lateral margins (LMA) directed meso-anteriorly.

Comments. We had the opportunity to examine photographs of the holotype male of H. caucasia and compare them with our new species. Although Brignoli (1980) mentioned that he had studied this material, his figures of the male palp are similar to those in Dunin (1992b) and yet different from the holotype (cf. Fig. 15J and D, H, I ). It is not clear what specimens were erroneously illustrated as H. caucasia by these authors, but they seem to represent an undescribed species. Most likely, all records of H. caucasia from Abkhazia and probably Northern Caucasus are based on misidentified specimens of H. abasgiana sp. n.

Distribution. Known only from the listed localities in the Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Habitus of Harpactea abasgiana sp. n. (A, B), H. dunini sp. n. (C) and H. caucasia (D, E). A–C, E dorsal; D lateral. A, C, D–R male B female.

FIGURE 15. Males of Harpactea abasgiana sp. n. (A–C) and H. caucasia (D–J), left bulbs. A, D, H–J prolateral; B, E retrolateral, C, F, G ventral. D, H–I different aspects illustrating how the point of view affects the perception of the shape of the embolus and conductor. D–I lectotype, G from Kulczyński (1895), J from Dunin (1992b, most likely misidentified). Abbreviations: Co—‘conductor’, EH—embolic heel, T—tegulum.

FIGURE 16. Female of Harpactea abasgiana sp. n., endogyne, dorsal. Scale bar = 0.2 mm. Abbreviation: AA—anterior arch, LMA—lateral margins of the anterior arch, Re—receptacle.

FIGURE 19. Distribution records of Dysdera atabekia sp. n. (circles), Harpactea abasgiana sp. n. (squares), and H. dunini sp. n. (triangle). Type localities are marked with red.