Chaetopelma persianum, Zamani & West, 2023

Zamani, Alireza & West, Rick C., 2023, A new species of Chaetopelma Ausserer, 1871 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from Iran, ZooKeys 1174, pp. 75-84 : 75

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1174.109135
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF5D680C-D9E9-456D-8700-FD031E6EFB72
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2B8D36E7-CAC9-407E-B99D-1F637BB03A9C
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:2B8D36E7-CAC9-407E-B99D-1F637BB03A9C
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Chaetopelma persianum
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Chaetopelma persianum View in CoL sp. nov.

Figs 1A-E View Figure 1 , 2A, B View Figure 2 , 3A-C View Figure 3

Type material.

Holotype ♀ (ZMUT), Iran: West Azerbaijan Province: surroundings of Mahabad, 2065 m, 26.08.2022 (A.H. Aghaei, M. Gavahyan).

Etymology.

The specific epithet of the new species refers to its type locality in Iran, which was historically known as Persia.

Common name.

We propose "Persian Gold Tarantula" (in Persian: Tārāntulā-ye Talā-ye Pārsi; تارانتولای طلای پارسی) as a common name.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be readily distinguished from Ch. concolor , Ch. karlamani , and Ch. turkesi by the bilobed apical portion of its receptacles (vs apical portion with a single lobe; cf. Fig. 2A View Figure 2 with Chatzaki and Komnenov 2019: fig. 4C-F and Topçu and Demircan 2014: fig. 2K), in addition to being considerably larger in total body length (36.6 vs 20.5-23.5). It differs from Ch. altugkadirorum , Ch. lymberakisi , and Ch. olivaceum by having tubular, more elongated receptacular lobes (vs either globular, or noticeably shorter; cf. Fig. 2A View Figure 2 with Chatzaki and Komnenov 2019: figs 4A, B, 5A-D). It can be further diagnosed from the widely distributed Ch. olivaceum by having shorter and less divergent receptacles (vs longer and strongly diverging posteriorly).

Description.

Female. Habitus as in Figs 1A-D View Figure 1 , 3A-C View Figure 3 . Total length 36.6. Carapace 13.75 long, 13.15 wide. Eye tubercle as in Fig. 1E View Figure 1 . Eye diameters and interdistances: ALE: 0.42, AME: 0.25 (0.41), PLE: 0.41, PME: 0.38, AME-AME: 0.45 (0.35), PME-PME: 0.81. Each cheliceral furrow with 14 promarginal teeth and 12 mesobasal denticles. Labium with 73 cuspules; 1.98 long, 2.78 wide. Sternum 6.43 long, 6.30 wide. Each maxilla with ca 140 cuspules; 4.60 long, 3.05 wide; with distinct anterior lobe.

Colour in life (Fig. 3A-C View Figure 3 ): overall body and legs covered in dark brown pubescent pile setae, darker ventrally; carapace with woolly, silvery, golden pubescence; chelicerae with pale golden pile setae; labium and maxillae reddish brown; prolateral setal fringe of maxillae and along cheliceral furrows reddish; legs and abdomen covered with long scattered pale golden guard setae; book lungs light brown; spinnerets uniformly dark brown; scopulae with metallic blue-green iridescence caused by refracted light.

Colour in alcohol (Fig. 1A-C View Figure 1 ): overall as in live specimen, except for: darker and more prominent background color of body and legs; sternum, labium and maxillae more reddish; patellae with reddish brown stripes; book lungs yellowish brown.

Measurements of palp and legs: palp: 22.9 (8.0, 5.1, 5.5, -, 4.3), I: 36.35 (10.9, 7.0, 7.8, 6.4, 4.25), II: 33.5 (9.95, 6.05, 6.7, 5.95, 4.85), III: 31.0 (8.7, 5.8, 5.2, 6.85, 4.45), IV: 39.1 (10.75, 6.4, 7.95, 8.5, 5.5). Spination: palp: Ti: 1pl, 3v. I: Ti: 2v; Mt: 1v. II: Ti: 2v. III: Ti: 4v; Mt: 1pl, 1rl, 4v. IV: Ti: 4v; Mt: 1pl, 2rl, 6v. Scopulae: on metatarsi I and II very dense and covering ca 4/5, less dense on III and IV and covering distal 1/3 and 1/4, respectively; on tarsus I entire, on II-IV divided by longitudinal row of thick setae.

Spinnerets: PLS: basal article: 2.95 long, median article: 2.12 long, apical article: 2.82 long, digitiform. PMS: 1.80 long.

Endogyne as in Fig. 2A, B View Figure 2 ; receptacles paired, long, slightly diverging, and basally jointed; receptacles narrowing noticeably towards apex, each bearing two long tubular apical lobes; pore glands present all over receptacles, denser on lobes.

Male. Unknown.

Ecology.

An obligate burrowing species that inhabits high elevations in well-vegetated mountainous regions of the northern Zagros Mountains (Fig. 4A View Figure 4 ). The holotype was collected in a self-made ground burrow constructed on sloped rocky ground, amidst sparse low vegetation and grasses. The burrow entrance comprised a low silk collar mixed with surrounding soil and debris (Fig. 4B, C View Figure 4 ). Specifics regarding the burrow’s interior are lacking due to the use of water to extract the specimen. The rainy season spans from October to late May, with surface temperatures ranging from -8 to 14 °C. The dry season extends from June to late September, with surface temperatures ranging from 6 to 31 °C. A male was observed in the type locality in May, suggesting that the breeding season occurs towards the end of the rainy season.

Distribution.

Currently, this species is confidently known only from the type locality, which extends the known range of the genus approximately 350 km eastwards (Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ). Two males of Chaetopelma have been photographed in localities very close to the type locality of the new species (Fig. 5 View Figure 5 ): one male in Sardasht, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran (Fig. 3D View Figure 3 ), and the other in the surroundings of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq (Fig. 3E View Figure 3 ). It is highly likely that both males belong to Ch. persianum sp. nov., although further study of collected material from both sexes is necessary to verify this.