Turanobius leptonychus Zamani, Marusik & Fomichev, 2024

Zamani, Alireza, Marusik, Yuri M. & Fomichev, Alexander A., 2024, A new genus of Oecobiinae (Araneae: Oecobiidae) from Iran and Central Asia, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 58 (21 - 24), pp. 737-749 : 743-745

Turanobius leptonychus Zamani, Marusik & Fomichev sp. n.

( Figures 5, 6 , 14, 15 , 20 , 29–34 )

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( ZMMU), TAJIKISTAN: Khatlon Region: env. of Khuruson , 38.179056°N, 68.661694°E, clay cliff, 724 m, 3 May 2015 (Y.M. Marusik) . Paratypes: 8♂ 1♀ ( ZMMU), same data as for the holotype; 1♂ ( MMUE), TAJIKISTAN: Khatlon Region: deep clay canyon on road from Pyandzh Town to Pyandzh Karatau Mt . ridge, 37.298611°N, 69.159194°E, 430 m, 4 May 2015 (Y.M. Marusik).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a combination of the Greek terms lepto - (meaning ‘thin’) and - onychus (meaning ‘clawed’), referring to the shape of the extension of terminal apophysis of the male palp.

Diagnosis. The male of this species differs from the congeners by having thin and sharply pointed radical arms which are equal in length (see Figures 9 , 15, 17, 19 ). The female of T. leptonychus sp. n. can be distinguished from that of T. tadzhikus by the length/width ratio of the area formed between the insemination ducts (ca. 5, vs 3; see Figures 29, 23 ).

Description. Male (holotype). Habitus as in Figure 5 . Total length 2.37. Carapace 0.95 long, 1.03 wide. AME 0.08, ALE 0.10, PME 0.11, PLE 0.06. Carapace, sternum, chelicerae, labium and maxillae light yellowish beige; carapace with dark markings medially; sternum with dark greyish marginal bands. Legs coloured as carapace, with distinct dark greyish annulations. Abdomen dorsally mottled with white guanine spots and dark brown median pattern and scattered patches, ventrally light beige with black markings medially and posteriorly. ALS and PLS dark greyish dorsally and pale beige ventrally, PMS uniformly pale beige. Measurements of legs: I: 3.49 (0.95, 0.34, 0.74, 0.78, 0.68), II: 3.49 (0.96, 0.35, 0.77, 0.79, 0.62), III: 3.60 (0.99, 0.37, 0.83, 0.86, 0.55), IV: 3.99 (1.08, 0.39, 0.89, 0.98, 0.65).

Palp as in Figures 14, 15 , 20 ; prolateral loop (Pl) short, ca. 1.5 times longer than wide; radical arms thin finger-like, several times longer than wide, subequal in length.

Female. Habitus as in Figure 6 . Total length 2.15. Carapace 0.85 long, 0.90 wide. AME 0.10, ALE 0.11, PME 0.08, PLE 0.06. Colouration as in male, dark markings more prominent. Measurements of legs: I: 3.02 (0.84, 0.38, 0.61, 0.67, 0.52), II: 3.23 (0.96, 0.33, 0.66, 0.66, 0.62), III: 3.18 (0.91, 0.33, 0.70, 0.74, 0.50), IV: 3.57 (1.06, 0.33, 0.77, 0.85, 0.56).

Epigyne as in Figures 29–34 ; epigynal plate ca. 1.25 times wider than long; anterior half with roundly curved transversal wrinkles; insemination ducts visible through integument, long, parallel; length/width ratio of rectangular area formed between insemination ducts ca. 5; ‘scape’ in macerated epigyne ( Figures 30–34 ) somewhat T-shaped; sac parts of receptacles large, rounded, and contiguous ( Figures 32, 33 ).

Distribution. Known only from the listed localities in Khatlon Region, south-western Tajikistan ( Figures 35, 36 ).

Figures

Figures 1–7. General appearance of Turanobius tadzhikus comb. n. (1, 2), T. ferdowsii comb. n. (3, 4), T. leptonychus sp. n. (5, 6) and T. hissaricus sp. n. (7). 2–5, 7 – male; 1, 6 – female. 1–3, 5–7 – dorsal; 4 – ventral. 1, 2 and 3, 4 reproduced from Marusik et al. (2015) and Fomichev (2022), respectively. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 14–19. Male palp of Turanobius leptonychus sp. n. (14, 15), T. hissaricus sp. n. (16, 17) and T. ferdowsii comb. n. (18, 19). 14, 16, 18 – retrolateral; 15, 17, 19 – ventral. 18, 19 reproduced from Fomichev (2022). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figures 20–22. Male palp of Turanobius leptonychus sp. n. (20), T. hissaricus sp. n. (21) and T. ferdowsii comb. n. (22), prolateral. 22 reproduced from Fomichev (2022). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figures 23–34. Epigyne of Turanobius tadzhikus comb. n. (23–28) and T. leptonychus sp. n. (29–34). 23, 29 – intact, ventral; 24 – intact, posterior;25, 28, 32,33 – macerated, dorsal;26, 30, 31 – macerated, ventral; 27, 34 – macerated, posterior. Abbreviations: Fc – fertilisation chamber, Fd – fertilisation duct, Id – insemination duct, Or – oval chamber of the receptacle, Sc – scape, Sr – sack-like chamber of the receptacle, Tr – tubular part of the receptacle. 23–28 reproduced from Marusik et al. (2015). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figures 8–13. Male palp of Turanobius tadzhikus comb. n. (8–10) and T. ferdowsii comb. n. (11–13). 8, 11 – retrolateral; 9, 12 – ventral; 10, 13 – prolateral. Abbreviations: Ma – mesal arm of the radix, Pa – prolateral arm of the radix, Pl – prolateral loop of the spermophor, Pp – posteroprolateral loop of the spermophor, Ra – radix, Re – extension of radix, Rl – retrolateral loop of the spermophor, St – subterminal apophysis, Ta – terminal apophysis, Te – extension of tegulum. 8–10 and 11–13 reproduced from Marusik et al. (2015) and Fomichev (2022), respectively. Scale bars: 8–10 = 0.2 mm; 11–13 = 0.15 mm.

Figures 35–36. Distribution records of the species of Turanobius gen. n. Square – T. tadzhikus comb. n.; diamond – T. ferdowsii comb. n.; inverted triangle – T. leptonychus sp. n.; triangle – T. hissaricus sp. n;? – doubtful records. The square box in Figure 35 encloses the area of Figure 36.