Tegenaria alamto, Zamani & Marusik & Malek-Hosseini, 2018

Zamani, Alireza, Marusik, Yuri M. & Malek-Hosseini, Mohammad Javad, 2018, A new species of Tegenaria Latreille, 1804 (Araneae: Agelenidae) from western Iran, Zootaxa 4444 (1), pp. 95-97 : 95-97

Tegenaria alamto sp. n. ( Figs 1‒11 )

Type Material: Holotype ♂ and paratype ♀ ( MMUE: G7619.1), IRAN: Ilam Province: 45 km of Ilam-Darreh Shahr road, Barreh Zard Cave, 33°34ʹ01ʺN, 46°45ʹ08ʺE, 2270 m, July 2015 (A. Zamani).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the ancient name of Ilam in epigraphs left from Sumerian history, meaning “the high lands where the sun rises”.

Diagnosis. Males of the new species are most similar to T. domestica (Clerck, 1757) (Cosmopolitan, synanthropic species) and T. vankeerorum Bolzern et al., 2013 ( Greece and Turkey) due to the short embolus originating at 9 o’clock position, and the conductor with undeveloped prolateral arm. The species differs from T. domestica by a thinner embolus, and ventrolateral apophysis longer than the prolateral one vs. apophyses subequal in length. Tegenaria alamto sp. n. differs from T. vankeerorum by the anterior position of retrolateral tibial apophysis stretching anteriorly vs. mesal position of apophysis stretching anterio-retrolateraly (cf. Fig. 1 and figs 3a‒g in Özkütük et al. (2017)). Females of T. alamto sp. n. are similar to T. domestica due to the epigyne bearing teeth (fig. 88 in Guseinov et al. 2005) but lack the distinct median plate. They also have elongated and closely spaced receptacula vs. round receptacula that are spaced by more than one diameter.

Description. Male (abdomen and most of the legs missing). Carapace 3.15 long, 2.35 wide. Light colored. Carapace almost uniformly light brown with two fade darker longitudinal bands, and slightly darker cephalic part. Sternum with indistinct pattern: wide light median band, surrounded by round faded light lateral spots. Legs without annulations. Leg I

length: 21.4 (5.6, 1.3, 5.9, 6.2, 2.4). Femur I/carapace ratio: 1.77. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.17, PME 0.15, PLE 0.18, PME-PME 0.12.

otherwise indicated. Abbreviations: Co conductor, Em embolus, Et epigynal tooth, Oc copulatory opening, Ra retrolateral tibial apophysis, Ta tegular apophysis, Ƒa retroventral tibial apophysis.

Palp as in Figs 1, 6‒8 ; 4.13 long (1.65, 0.55, 0.68, 1.25). Femur longer than patella+tibia; cymbium almost 2 times longer than tibia. Tibia with 2 apophyses: large flat retroventral one (Va) and conical retrolateral apophysis (Ra) bifid on the tip; retrolateral apophysis shorter than ventrolateral; cymbium twice longer than wide; bulb as long as wide, with long, horizontally stretched tegular (=median) apophysis (Ta); conductor (Co) originated from central part of tegulum, with only one, retrolateral arm; terminal part with one pointed tip, at about 2.30 o’clock position, prolateral margin of conductor straight, parallel to palp axis; embolus (Em) short, originated at 9 o’clock position and terminating at about 1 o’clock position.

Female. Total length 7.3. Carapace 3.25 long, 2.6 wide. Coloration as in male, only slightly lighter, without darkening in pars cephalica and less distinct sternal pattern. Abdomen light greyish with scattered dark grey patches dorsally. Legs without annulations. Leg I measurements: 4.75, 1.3, 4.35, 4.8, tarsus missing. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE 0.17, PME 0.14, PLE 0.17, PME-PME 0.15.

Epigyne as in Figs 4‒5 , 9‒11 ; plate about 2 times wider than long with 2 weakly sclerotized and poorly visible teeth (Et); median plate absent, copulatory openings (Oc) located close to the center of plate, separated by about one diameter; copulatory ducts absent, openings lead to elongate receptacles (Re), receptacles 2 times longer than wide.

Natural history. The new species was discovered in the entrance of the Barreh Zard Cave, located in the western Zagros Mountains of western Iran. Barreh Zard is a natural limestone cave with a length of more than 200 meters, a mean temperature of 12-14° C, and mean humidity of 60-70%.

Distribution. Known only from Barreh Zard Cave in Ilam Province, western Iran.

Figures

FIGURES 1‒8. Copulatory organs and habitus of Tegenaria alamto sp. n. 1 male palp, ventral; 2 male prosoma, dorsal; 3 female, dorsal; 4 intact epigyne, ventral; 5 macerated epigyne, ventral; 6‒8 male palp, retrolateral, dorsal and prolateral. Scale = 0.2 mm if not

FIGURES 9‒11. Epigyne of Tegenaria alamto sp. n. 9 anterior view; 10 ventral view; 11 dorsal view. Scale = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Et epigynal tooth, Oc copulatory opening, Re receptaculum.