Turkozelotes attavirus Chatzaki, 2019

Seropian, Armen, Bulbulashvili, Natalia, Makharadze, Giorgi & Baznikin, Andrei, 2024, New and interesting spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) from Vashlovani National Park and Chachuna Managed Reserve (Georgia), Caucasiana 3, pp. 183-213 : 183-213

** Turkozelotes attavirus Chatzaki, 2019

Figs 16–18

Turkozelotes attavirus : Chatzaki and Van Keer 2019: 451 , figs 50–51, 56–57 (♂ ♀).

Comments.

Since, in our opinion, the female description by Chatzaki and Van Keer (2019) lacks several notable features, we decided to describe the females from Georgia.

Material examined.

GEORGIA • 2 ♀♀; Kakheti, Vashlovani NP; Mijniskure ; N 41.1245 °, E 46.6456 °; semidesert, under rocks; leg. A. Seropian; 22 May 2024; CaBOL-IDs 1038314, 1038315 .

Description.

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 18 . Total length 3.56. Carapace 1.51 long, 1.17 wide, scarlet, strongly wrinkled; pars cephalica with patch of white setae, pars thoracica with irregular white setae. Sternum 1.41 long, 1.08 wide, orange, with dark margins. Abdomen 2.07 long, 1.37 wide. Chelicerae scarlet, with 2 pro- and 1 retromarginal teeth. Labium and maxillae yellow-orange, maxillae apically lightened. Palps yellow-grey, with two-toothed claws. Legs: I – Fe, Pt – dark brown, Ti – orange, darkened basally, Mt, Ta – yellow; II – Fe – dark brown, Pt – brown, darkened basally, Ti, Mt, Ta – yellow; III, IV – Fe – brown, Pt – yellow, darkened basally, Ti, Mt, Ta - yellow. Coxae light brown, II – IV – yellow. Abdomen black, in the middle with two lateral overlapping white subcircular patches and an oval transverse white patch at the posterior end; pattern velvet ant-like: not preserved in the specimens from Rhodes, also, several white setae can still be seen on the posterior and lateral grey abdominal markings of the holotype male specimen ( Chatzaki and Van Keer 2019: 451, fig. 50): Spinnerets grey. Legs spineless. Leg measurements [total length (Fe + Pa + Ti + Mt + Ta)]: I 2.85 (0.89 + 0.38 + 0.62 + 0.47 + 0.49), II 2.38 (0.78 + 0.32 + 0.53 + 0.31 + 0.44), III 2.15 (0.64 + 0.29 + 0.44 + 0.37 + 0.41), IV 3.05 (0.84 + 0.36 + 0.67 + 0.65 + 0.53). Mt III – IV with strong preening comb. Ta with two-toothed claws, without claw tufts or tenent hair. Eyes round, PE row straight. PME and AME almost touching, PME separated by 1.3 of their diameter. Ocular area behind AE black. Eyes: AME 0.051, ALE 0.049, PME 0.045, PLE 0.049.

Epigyne and endogyne as in Figs 16–17 . Epigyne 1.1 times longer than wide; fovea (Fo) kite-shaped, almost twice as long as wide, with thin median furrow and S-shaped posterior lateral depressions; anterior hood (Ah) ≈ 7 times thinner than fovea; spermathecae (Sp) large, oval, touching each other, with anterior glands; insemination ducts (Id) forming 3 loops, forming anterior pouches, slightly extending beyond lateral margins (Lm).

Habitat.

Two females were individually collected under rocks at the base of hills in the semidesert of Mijniskure, Vashlovani NP (Figs 51–52 ).

Distribution.

Previously known from the type locality (Rhodes) only ( WSC 2024). It is the first record of Turkozelotes and this remarkable velvet ant-like species from the Caucasus. Additionally, Marusik et al. (2004) depict two unidentified specimens ( Gnaphosidae gen. sp. 1) from Azerbaijan with “ ... very peculiar coloration resembling that of velvet ants ( Mutillidae ). ” (138, figs 7–8), which presumably belong to the same species as the females from Mijniskure.

Notes.

Several spider species have been known to mimic the velvet ants, from which at least two gnaphosids, namely Zelotes albobivittatus (Strand, 1906) and Titus lugens O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901 , are known to be mimics (although the first one is nomen dubium) ( Nentwig 1985). Unfortunately, the striking velvet ant-like pattern of T. attavirus was not preserved in the specimens from Rhodes, also, several white setae can still be seen on the posterior and lateral grey abdominal markings of the holotype male specimen ( Chatzaki and Van Keer 2019: 451, fig. 50). We should also mention the abundance and diversity of the potential models (velvet ants) observed at the type locality during the day.

Figures

Figures 16–18. Turkozelotes attavirus, female (16: epigyne, ventral view; 17: endogyne, dorsal view; 18: habitus of live female). Abbreviations: Ah – anterior hood, Fo – fovea, Id – insemination duct, Lm – lateral margin, Sp – spermathecae. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figures 49–52. Sampling localities; 49: Chachuna MR, Osiaskheoba; 50: ditto, microhabitat depicting muddy hills; 51: Vashlovani NP, Mijniskure; 52: ditto, specific sampled microhabitat.