Javalbia (Javalbiopsis) persica, Pešić & Smit & Saboori, 2012

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Saboori, Alireza, 2012, 3330, Zootaxa 3330, pp. 1-67 : 41-45

Javalbia (Javalbiopsis) persica sp. nov.

( Figs. 30A – F, 31A – F)

Material examined. Holotype male, dissected and slide mounted, Iran, Hormozgan Province, IR21-2011, Rudan city N of Bandar Abbass, 5 km N of Rudan, Rudan stream, lotic part, 27º 28.226 N, 57º 15.153 E, 200 m asl, 21.vii.2011 ( RMNH) . Paratypes: 5/28/0 (1/1/0 mounted), same data as holotype; 0/2/0 (0/1/0 mounted), same data as holotype, lentic part; 5/4/0, same data as holotype, interstitial dig; IR22-2011, Rudan city, 5 km N of Rudan, Rudan stream, upstream (lotic), 27º 28.748 N, 57º 15.648E, 210 m asl, 21.vii.2011 5/4/0 (all RMNH) .

Further records. Iran, Hormozgan Province, IR18-2011, Taleguerdoo village N of Bandar Abbass, Poshtekeno spring, upper part of stream, 27º48.783 N 56º24.459 E, 836 m asl, 18.vii.2011 0/1/0; IR20-2011, Bandar Khamir to Bandar Lengeh road, ca 80 km from Bandar Abbass , saline stream near Dezhgas , 26º 52.873 N, 55º 16.354 E, 20 m asl, 20.vii.2011 1/0/0.

Diagnosis. Dorsal furrow on each side with three short glandular platelets and three slit organs, slit organs free in integument; extreme posterior end of dorsal shield bearing the excretory pore and a pair of glandularia; IV-L showing sexual dimorphism. Male: IV-L-5 curved (dorsal margin convex, ventral margin slightly concave) and anteriorly slightly enlarged. Female: acetabular plates separated from postgenital sclerite; excretory pore fused with postgenital sclerite; a pair of glandularia platelets located immediately lateral to the anterior end of acetabular plates.

Description. Male (holotype, in parentheses paratype, n = 1) — Dorsal shield ( Fig. 30A) L/W 359 (349)/236 (224); extreme posterior end of dorsal shield bearing the excretory pore and a pair of glandularia; dorsal furrow on each side, from anterior to posterior, bearing: one slit organ, three short glandularium platelets, two slit organs. Ventral shield ( Fig. 30B) (including genital field) L/W 366 (344)/298 (297); gnathosomal bay L 68 (65); anterior coxae not extending to anterior end of ventral shield; Cx-III W 194 (193). Genital field fused into the ventral shield; distance between the most lateral pair of Ac 75 (75); gonopore L 32 (29); genital field with three pairs of Ac, not flanked posteriorly by glandularia platelets; ejaculatory complex ( Fig. 30D) L 84 (80). Palp ( Fig. 30C) total L 153 (147), dL: P-1, 22 (20); P-2, 35 (36); P-3, 26 (26); P-4, 51 (46); P-5, 19 (19); L P-2/P-4 ratio, 0.69 (0.78); gnathosoma vL 66; chelicera total L 100. Legs: dL of I-L-4-6 ( Fig. 30E): 50, 54 (52), 43 (39); dL of IV-L: 77 (79), 48 (48), 70 (66), 77 (72), 95 (85), 77 (72); III-L-5 and IV-L-5 each with one swimming seta; IV-L-5 curved (dorsal margin convex, ventral margin slightly concave) and anteriorly slightly enlarged ( Fig. 30F).

Female (paratypes, n = 2) — Similar to male except for the shape of ventral shield, genital field and IV-L-5. Dorsal shield ( Fig. 31A) L/W 390 – 409/256 – 264. Ventral shield ( Fig. 31B) L/W 348 – 362/325. Gnathosomal bay L 68; Cx-III W 228 – 239. Genital field not fused with the ventral shield, with three pairs of Ac, arranged in an arc; acetabular plates L 44 – 45; distance between outer margins of acetabular plates 159; acetabular plates separated from postgenital sclerite. Excretory pore fused with postgenital sclerite. A pair of glandularia platelets located immediately lateral to the anterior end of acetabular plates ( Fig. 31C). Palp ( Fig. 31D) total L 156 – 162, dL: P-1, 21–22; P-2, 39–40; P-3, 26–28; P-4, 49–50; P-5, 20–23; L P-2/P-4 ratio, 0.78 – 0.82; palp as in male. Gnathosoma vL 66 – 74; chelicera total L 128. Legs: dL of I-L ( Fig. 31F): 34, 26, 37 – 40, 47 – 49, 52 – 54, 41 – 42; dL of IV-L ( Fig. 31G): 75 – 78, 46, 62 – 63, 70, 81 – 85, 68 – 76; IV-L-5 not curved, distally not enlarged.

Etymology. Named for its occurrence in Iran ( Persia)

Remarks. The subgenus Javalbiopsis Cook, 1967 , includes only one species, Javalbia africana Cook, 1966 , taken from streams in West Africa ( Liberia, Cook 1966). This subgenus is characterized by the excretory pore being fused with the dorsal shield in both sexes, and a postgenital sclerite fused with dorsal shield in the female ( Cook 1974). Javalbia africana can be distinguished from the new species by the glandularia platelets in the dorsal furrow being greatly enlarged, the glandularia platelets associated with the genital field are fused with the anterior end of the acetabular plates, the shape of the palp (P-4 more stout, ventral setae similar in length and closer to each other, P-5 longer, see Fig. 626, Cook 1966), the shape of IV-L (all segments much shorter and stockier, see Cook 1966: Fig. 623) and I-L-6 (distally strongly tapering, see Cook 1966: Fig. 633).

Habitat. Most specimens were collected in the lotic part, a few specimens in the lentic part of sandy/bouldery streams with strong exposure to sunlight ( Fig. 44D).

Distribution. Iran (Hormozgan Province).