Spariolenus lindbergi ( Roewer, 1962 ) Moradmand & Wesal & Kulkarni, 2023

Moradmand, Majid, Wesal, Mohammad Wasil & Kulkarni, Siddharth, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the troglophile Spariolenus spiders (Araneae: Sparassidae) in South and West Asia, Zootaxa 5380 (1), pp. 77-95 : 87-88

Spariolenus lindbergi ( Roewer, 1962) comb. nov.

Figs 7A–C , 8A–D , 9B

Heteropoda lindbergi Roewer, 1962: 8 , figs 87, 88 [description of female (label: Afghanistan, Sorkhab (Logar), 19.VII 1957, Loc. 424, Type No. 209:1), holotype (MZLU) examined].

Material examined. Afghanistan: Maidan Wardak Province: 1♂, 2♀♀ , Kochoghu , 34.00 N, 68.52 E, 2554 m., July 2022, M. W. Wesal leg. (1♂ & 1♀ SMF, 1♀ ZMUI) .

Diagnosis. The species can be distinguished from other congeners by simple and not bifurcated ET (similar to S. iranomaximus , S. tigris and S. buxa ) but differ from them by a stout and robust embolus ( Figs 7A–C ), and shape of dRTA which is rounded in its distal end ( Figs 7A, B ). Female vulva is similar to S. manesht Moradmand & Jäger, 2011 by continuous and merged lateral margins of FC and SC with EP but differs from it by elongated and extended SC and lack of glandular pores on TC ( Figs 8B, C ).

Male: Measurements. TL 18.7, PL 9.1, PW 8.6, AW 3.8, OL 9.6, OW 6.2. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 5 to 6 retromarginal teeth, cheliceral furrow with 20 intermarginal denticles. Eyes. AME 0.35, ALE 0.76, PME 0.50, PLE 0.81, eye inter distances: AME-AME 0.24, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.37, PME-PLE 0.70, AME-PME 0.47, ALE-PLE 0.63, clypeus-AME 0.65, clypeus-ALE 0.36. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 13.2 [4.5, 1.8, 2.7, 4.2], I 51.4 [14.7, 5.5, 15.5, 17.2, 3.5], II 65.4 [17.4, 5.7, 18.8, 19.8, 3.5], III 48.5 [13.4, 4.9, 13.3, 14.1, 2.8], IV 49.0 [13.3, 4.7, 13.3, 14.2, 3.5]. Leg formula: II I IV III. Spination. Palp 131, 101, 2121; Legs: Femur I–III 323(2), IV 321; Patella I–IV 101; Tibia I 131(10), II 232(10), III 1218, IV 2226; Metatarsus I–II 1014, III 2024, IV 3036.

Palp. As in diagnosis, with cymbium slightly longer than tibia, BRB present, both dRTA and vRTA rounded in retrolateral view, but vRTA with an additional notch in ventral view. Conductor hyaline and extending beyond ET ( Figs 7A–C ).

Female (Kochoghu): Measurements. TL 18.1, PL 8.5, PW 7.6, AW 4.2, OL 9.6, OW 6.6. Eyes. AME 0.37, ALE 0.76, PME 0.47, PLE 0.80, eye inter distances: AME-AME 0.22, AME-ALE 0.04, PME-PME 0.38, PME-PLE 0.73, AME-PME 0.67, ALE-PLE 0.70. clypeus-AME 0.45, clypeus-ALE 0.22. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 11.6 [3.6, 1.8, 2.5, 3.7], I 37.5 [10.2, 4.7, 10.1, 9.8, 2.7], II 41.6 [11.6, 4.6, 11.5, 11.1, 2.8], III 34.9 [10.1, 4.0, 9.1, 9.2, 2.5], IV 36.0 [10.6, 3.8, 9.1, 9.8, 2.7]. Spination. Palp 131, 101, 2221, 1014; Legs: Femur I–III 323/223, IV 321; Patella I–IV 101; Tibia I 101(10), II 121(10), III 1218, IV 2226; Metatarsus I–II 1014, III 2024, IV 2024 /3036. Cheliceral furrow with 3 promarginal and 5 to 6 retromarginal teeth, cheliceral furrow with more than 20 intermarginal denticles.

Female copulatory organ. As in diagnosis, with EF wider than long, AB absent, epigyne with two ridges anterior to each CO, MEP sclerotized medially and extended laterally beyond CO ( Fig. 8A ); vulva with SC extended laterally and dorsally beyond FC and TC, transition of hyaline and membranous part between SC and TC ( Figs 8B, C ).

Colouration (preserved specimens in ethanol). Yellowish brown with darker bands on legs ( Fig. 9B ).

Distribution and habitat preferences. Known from the type locality in Logar and newly recorded circa 100 km west of the type locality ( Fig. 13 ); the specimens were collected on rocks and boulders in a Mountain steppe ( Fig. 11E ).

Remarks. The characteristic of the spirally coiled CO and widened EP structure in the epigyne of the holotype provides no doubt that the species belongs to the genus Spariolenus . Roewer (1962) described two species in the genus Heteropoda , one correctly placed as H. afghana Roewer, 1962 but Heteropoda lindbergi misplaced. There are elongated and erectile setae on metatarsi I and II in males of Spariolenus lindbergi comb. nov. A similar character state is recorded for Heteropoda species (e.g., H. tetrica Thorell, 1897 , H. maxima Jäger, 2001 ) but restricted to leg II. According to the hypothesis of air paddle (Peter Jäger, personal communication), males of the two species were observed using them as waving mating signals to the females.

Figures

FIGURES 7A–C. Spariolenus lindbergi (Roewer, 1962) comb. nov., male, Afghanistan (SMF). A–B left palp (A prolateral, B ventral); C embolus tip, ventral.

FIGURES 8A–D. Spariolenus lindbergi (Roewer, 1962) comb. nov., female, Afghanistan (SMF). A epigyne, ventral; B vulva, dorsal; C right vulva, lateral; D right chelicerae, ventral.

FIGURES 9A–G. Spariolenus spp. A–D, G frontal view of prosoma; E chelicerae and labium, ventral; F cheliceral dentition, ventral. A Spariolenus omidvarbrothers sp. n., male holotype; B Spariolenus lindbergi (Roewer, 1962) comb. nov., male; C Spariolenus baluchistanicus sp. n., female holotype; D–F Spariolenus bakasura sp. n., female paratype; G Spariolenus kabandha sp. n.

FIGURES 11A–E. A–C Spariolenus omidvarbrothers sp. n. (A habitus of male, B female, C type locality and habitat, Bidan Oasis close to Barashk in Sistan & Baluchistan Province, Iran); D Spariolenus mansourii Moradmand, 2017 preying on a cicada; E habitat of Spariolenus lindbergi (Roewer, 1962) comb. nov. in Afghanistan. Arrows shows the observation location of the specimens.

FIGURE 13. The distribution records map of all known Spariolenus species (studied here and revised to date) in South and West Asia. Localities for all new species described in this study are marked with a star.