Harpactea popovi, Dimitrov & Deltshev & Lazarov, 2019

Dimitrov, Dragomir, Deltshev, Christo & Lazarov, Stoian, 2019, Description of Harpactea popovi sp. n. from Bulgaria with further taxonomic notes on related species (Araneae, Dysderidae), Zootaxa 4568 (3), pp. 593-596 : 594

Harpactea popovi sp. n.

Figs 1– 9 , 24.

Type material: Holotype: 1 ♂, Bulgaria, Strandzha mountain , Kachul place, 0 4.08.1999, leg. V. Popov. Paratype: 1 ♂, Strandzha Mts , Gramatikovo village, 0 4.08.1999, leg. V. Popov.

Etymology: Named after the Bulgarian mammalogist Vasil Popov who collected the material.

Diagnosis: Similar to H. ice and H. sturanyi from which it is distinguished by the lack of male palp accessory apophysis, larger and wider conductor, embolus wider at its base, with a distal projection bent almost 90 degrees at its middle part, which is narrower and curved in the other 2 species. ( Figs 1 –18).

Description: Male (holotype): Measurements: Total length 6.00; carapace, length 2.78, width 2.03; sternum length 1.65, width 1.13; chelicerae, length 1.13, width 0.53; abdomen, length 3.23. Coloration: Carapace and chelicerae red-brown ( Figs 1, 3 ). Sternum red-brown, a little lighter than carapace. Abdomen grey to light grey. Legs of the same color as sternum. Chelicerae of the same color as carapace. Eyes ( Fig. 2 ): AE separated by 1 ½ of their diameter. PME closer to each other, almost touching. Chelicerae: The whole dorsal surface covered with small black seta-bearing tubercles. Anterior margin with 2 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth. Proximal tooth on retromargin opposite the space between the teeth on promargin. Leg chaetotaxy and measurements given in Tables 1 and 2.

Palp ( Figs 4–9 ): Bulb long and narrow, of irregular shape. Its apical part ends with an extension bearing the embolus and conductor. Conductor with rectangular shape. Embolus bent in a right angle at the middle.

Female unknown.

Distribution: As the species is known only from the type locality, it is tentatively considered a Bulgarian endemic. However, the locality is situated near the Turkish border and it is probable that it could be found in Turkey too ( Fig 24).

Comments: Somatic (presence of spines on coxae IV and patellae III) and genital characters (shape of the male palps) suggest that Harpactea popovi sp. n. belongs to the rubicunda species-group, as defined by Deeleman- Reinhold (1993). The group is abundant in the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor, rather heterogeneous and probably includes several phyletic lines ( Deeleman-Reinhold 1993). Out of the 51 Harpactea species reported from the Balkan Peninsula, 33 species can be assigned to the rubicunda group. A complete review of the biogeographic patterns and phylogeny of Balkan Harpactea is beyond the scope of this paper, but the Balkan Peninsula has probably played a key role in the diversification of the genus and especially the rubicunda group.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Harpactea popovi sp. n., male holotype. 1. Habitus, dorsal view; 2. Eyes; 3. Habitus, ventral view; 4, 5, 7, 8. Male palp, left, prolateral and retrolateral view; 6, 9. Detail of tip anterior. Scale lines: 1.2 –1, 3; 0.8–2; 0.2–4–9.