Duninia rheimsae, Marusik & Fet, 2009

Marusik, Yuri & Fet, Victor, 2009, A survey of East Palaearctic Hersiliola Thorell, 1870 (Araneae, Hersiliidae), with a description of three new genera, ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 75-114 : 98

Duninia rheimsae sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1B60CF32-E7DF-483D-9575-9EF514922FDE

Figs 8 .7, 11 .5-7

Type material: Holotype subadult ♀ with a well-developed epigyne and paratypes 3 juvenile specimens: IRAN [25], Tehran Province, ca. 80 km E of Tehran, Damavand District, Aroo Village , 52°27’E 35°40’N, 15.06.2000, Yu.M. Marusik coll. ( ZMMU).

Etymology. The species name is a patronym honoring our colleague Cristina A. Rheims (São Paulo, Brazil), for her contributions to in-depth modern studies of Hersiliidae .

Description. Male unknown. Female: Total length 5.0. Carapace 1.75 long, 1.85 wide, femur 2.15 long, femur I/carapace length ratio 1.23. Epigyne as in Figs 8.7, 11.5-7, with a sort of septum on the median plate, spermathecae converging and almost touching each other, epigynal pockets subparallel, with hemispherical terminal part. Lateral pockets long, appear longer than their depth.

Diagnosis. D. rheimsae sp. n. can be distinguished from the sibling species D. baehrae sp. n. by its smaller body and epigyne size, converging spermathecae, and less slanting epigynal pockets bearing large, clearly visible hemispheres.

Comments. Judging from the conformation of the male palp and epigyne in its sibling D. baehrae sp. n. and conformation of the epigyne in D. rheimsae sp. n., it is reasonable to suggest that male of this species should have a smaller embolus (matching a small, deep pocket of D. rheimsae sp. n.) and a larger tegular apophysis.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in northern Iran.

Figures

Figure 8. Epigynes, ventral view, of Hersiliola afghanica (1), H. sternbergsi sp. n. (2), H. lindbergi sp. n. (3), H. esyunini sp. n. (4), H. foordi sp. n (5), Duninia baehrae sp. n. (6), and D. rheimsae sp. n. (7).

Figure 11. Epigynes of Duninia baehrae sp. n. (1-4), and D. rheimsae sp. n. (5-7). 1-2, 5 ventral 3 dorsal 4, 6-7 caudal. Scale = 0.5 mm.