Spariolenus aratta, Moradmand, Majid & Jäger, Peter, 2011

Moradmand, Majid & Jäger, Peter, 2011, A review on the huntsman spider genus Spariolenus Simon, 1880 (Araneae: Sparassidae: Heteropodinae) in Iran with description of four new species, Zootaxa 2910, pp. 46-62 : 48-50

Spariolenus aratta spec. nov.

Figs 1–7 , 39–40

Type material. Holotype: female, IRAN: Kerman Province: Ab-e Garm village, Mohammad Abad (Jebal Barez), Maskun, North of Jiroft, Barez mountain as a part of Southern East Zagros mountain range, south central Iran, altitude 2225 m, N 28˚54'29.03", E 57˚54'29.4", in rock crevices near dry seasonal river bed, collected before sunrise, 19 May 2009, M. Moradmand leg. ( SMF).

Paratype: 1Ƥ, with same data as for holotype (spiderling hatched from egg-sac of holotype female and reared in captivity) ( SMF).

Additional material examined. 1 juv., with same data as for holotype

Etymology. The species name is derived from Aratta , the name of a mysterious civilisation mentioned in Sumerian literature. Recently discovered evidences in Jiroft and steps of the Barez Mountain chain, near to the type locality, uncovered this civilisation which flourished in central Iran between ancient Sumer in Mesopotamia and Harappa in the Indus River Valley more than 4000 years ago. Noun in opposition.

Diagnosis. This species is the only known Spariolenus species whose epigynal field is clearly wider than long and anterior bands of epigynal field are absent ( Fig. 1 ).

Description. Female (n=2) [holotype first, with measurements of paratype in parentheses]

Medium to large sized Sparassidae (body length c. 16 mm). Prosoma length 8.3 (7.7), prosoma width 7.4 (7.1), anterior width of prosoma 4.3 (4.2), opisthosoma length 7.8 (11.3), opisthosoma width 5.0 (8.0). Eye diameters: AME 0.39, ALE 0.93, PME 0.57, PLE 1.03, eye inter distances: AME-AME 0.24, AME-ALE 0.04, PME-PME 0.31, PME-PLE 0.90, AME-PME 0.62, ALE-PLE 0.82, clypeus height at AME 1.17, clypeus height at ALE 0.58.

Chelicerae with 3 anterior and 4 posterior teeth, cheliceral furrow with ca. 20 denticles ( Fig.7 ). Leg formula: 2143. Palp and legs measurements: palp 11.6 [3.6, 1.6, 2.6, –, 3.8], I unavailable, II 39.5 [11.6, 4.6, 11.1, 9.8, 2.4], III 33.3 [10.2, 3.9, 9.0, 8.3, 1.9], IV 34.8 [10.5, 3.7, 9.2, 9.1, 2.3]; palpal claw with six secondary teeth present ( Fig. 5 ).

Spination. Palp 131, 101, 2121, 1013; Legs: Femur I–III 323, IV 321; Patella I–III 0 0 1, IV 000; Tibia I–II 101(10), III 1018, IV 2026; Metatarsus I–II 1014, III 2014, IV 3036.

Epigyne/vulva. Epigyne as in diagnosis with epigynal pits wide, copulatory openings small. Epigyne without any ridge anteriorly; central epigynal rims extending slightly laterally beyond the copulatory openings, resembling a large circle, median slit short ( Fig. 1 ); vulva in comparison to other species more complex and twisty, the second coil of internal duct broader than first coil, second coil of vulva extending laterally beyond first coil, glandular pores present on parts of distal end of second coil but distinctly visible on hump-like structure on third coil; fertilisation duct relatively long and narrow ( Figs 2–3 ).

Colouration. Cream-brown with darker grey-brown markings on the prosoma and opisthosoma, legs paler with darker bands ( Figs 39–40 ).

Male. Unknown

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Life history and habitat preferences. A single adult female was observed early in the morning sitting on a rock near to a seasonally dry river bank facing downward. Around and below the rock were several smaller rocks and stones providing void systems in which spiders can hide and take shelter during the day. S. aratta spec. nov. was recorded in the high elevation (2225 m). The spider had been kept in captivity in a glass terrarium for three months. It mostly sat facing downward on the glass wall. It was fed with different kinds of insects including house flies, moths and cockroaches. On 13 June 2009, it started to construct an egg sac. It used the 4th legs to pull out the silk thread from the spinnerets and with using the palps, she attached the silk to the glass wall. Some Heteropodinae, i.e., Heteropoda Latreille, 1804 females, commonly carry their egg sac with palps and chelicerae ( Jäger 2004). The present observation revealed that Spariolenus females attach the egg sac to a surface and guard it by sitting above it, like Sinopoda Jäger, 1999 or Pandercetes L. Koch, 1875 (Jäger, unpublished). It stopped prey capture and feeding. After approximately 14 days the first spiderlings were observed inside the nest ( Fig. 40 ), on 2 July 2009. They stayed inside until completing two or three moulting stages. The mother kept guarding the egg-sac and starving until spiderlings hatched. One of the spiderlings was reared in the lab to get mature and is designated as paratype female.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Spariolenus aratta spec. nov., holotype female from Iran, Kerman Province, Jebal Barez. 1 Epigyne, ventral; 2 Vulva, lateral; 3 Vulva, dorsal; 4 Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal; 5 Left female palpal claw, prolateral; 6 Eye arrangement, dorsal; 7 Left chelicera, ventral. Abbreviations: CO—Copulatory opening; CR—Central rim; EF—Epigynal field; EP—Epigynal pit; FD—Fertilisation duct; HGD—Hump-like glandular part of internal duct system; LID—Lumen of internal duct system; MS—Median Slit; SS—Slit sensillum.

FIGURES 39 – 40. Habitus of Spariolenus aratta spec. nov. holotype from Jebal Barez, Kerman, Iran. 39 Dorsal view, colouration; 40 Female guarding her egg cocoon bearing newly hatched spiderlings (the first pair of legs autotomized, when the spider was sampled). 41 – 42. Habitus of Spariolenus iranomaximus spec. nov. from Khofash cave, Ilam, Iran. 41 Subadult female capturing a cockroach, one of the abundant insects inside the Khofash cave; 42 Colouration of the largest female paratype. Photos by M. Moradmand (39 – 40) and B. Fathinia (41 – 42).