Archaeodictyna longichela Zamani & Marusik, 2025

Zamani, Alireza, Enayatnia, Masoumeh, Mirshekar, Ali, Mayvan, Mahmood Mehrafrooz, Kováč, Ľubomír & Marusik, Yuri M., 2025, New data on the spider fauna of Iran (Arachnida: Araneae), Part XII, Zootaxa 5601 (1), pp. 1-45 : 11-14

Archaeodictyna longichela Zamani & Marusik , sp. nov.

Figs 8A‒F , 9A‒B

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( ZMUT) and paratype 1♀ ( ZMUT), IRAN: Sistan & Baluchistan Prov.: Zabol, 31°02'12"N 61°32'14"E, 480 m, 25.07.2020 (M. Enayatnia).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the extremely long chelicerae of the male.

Diagnosis. The new species is most similar to the generotype, A. anguiniceps (Simon, 1899) . The male of A. longichela sp. nov. differs from that of A. anguiniceps in having relatively shorter chelicerae (carapace/chelicera length ratio of 1.67 vs. 1.4) (cf. Fig. 8C and Mertens & Jocqué 1982: fig. 3), a significantly longer palpal tibia, and in the tip of the conductor bent and directed retrolaterally (vs. abrupt). Additionally, the conductor has a spine-like outgrowth (Cs) on the dorsal side of the posterior arm (vs. absent) (cf. Fig. 9A‒B and Mertens & Jocqué 1982: fig. 4). The females of both species exhibit no distinct differences, at least in the shape of the epigyne.

Description. Male (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 8A‒C . Total length 2.80. Carapace 1.40 long, 0.43 wide at pars cephalica, 0.80 at pars thoracica. Eye sizes: AME: 0.06, ALE: 0.06, PME: 0.07, PLE: 0.06. Carapace and chelicerae dark reddish brown; sternum, labium and maxillae light brown, sternum with median and marginal grey stripes. Chelicerae extremely long, basal segment 0.98, with 2–3 promarginal teeth. Palps and legs yellow, cymbium light brown, legs with a few dark ventral spots. Abdomen pale beige with white guanine patches, dorsally with black Xshaped pattern anteriorly and 6 irregular patches posteriorly, ventrally with paired greyish and black stripes medially and at sides of epigastric region. Spinnerets pale beige. Measurements of legs: I: 3.56 (1.15, 0.32, 0.93, 0.70, 0.46), II: 2.93 (0.92, 0.29, 0.71, 0.63, 0.38), III: 2.25 (0.75, 0.26, 0.45, 0.48, 0.31), IV: 2.52 (0.80, 0.25, 0.60, 0.56, 0.31).

Palp as in Fig. 9A‒B ; tibia 2x longer than wide in lateral view, with distinct retrolateral tibial apophysis (Ra) and pair of dorsal ctenidia (Dc); cymbium 1.7x longer than wide, with short tip; conductor with 2 arms, anterior arm terminates at ~ 1:00 o’clock position, posterior arm with tip (Ct) bent retrolaterally and with dorsal spine-like process (Cs); embolus with large base, embolus proper originates at ~ 7:30 o’clock position, broad, tip unmodified.

Female (paratype). Habitus as in Fig. 8D . Total length 2.60. Carapace 0.80 long, 0.65 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.06, ALE: 0.06, PME: 0.06, PLE: 0.06. Pars cephalica light brown with long white setae, pars thoracica dark brown; chelicerae, sternum, labium and maxillae light brown, sternum with median and marginal grey stripes. Chelicerae with 2–3 promarginal teeth. Palps and legs yellow, legs with a few dark ventral spots; calamistrum uniseriate. Abdomen dark grey with white patches. Spinnerets beige; cribellum entire ( Fig. 8F ). Measurements of legs: I: 2.29 (0.63, 0.21, 0.55, 0.53, 0.37), II: 1.98 (0.63, 0.21, 0.49, 0.39, 0.26), III: 1.62 (0.53, 0.20, 0.30, 0.36, 0.23), IV: 2.10 (0.70, 0.24, 0.47, 0.44, 0.25).

Epigyne as in Fig. 8E ; weakly sclerotized, with distinct transversal ridges (Tr) and mesal margins of copulatory openings (Co); copulatory openings spaced by almost 1/2 of transversal ridges length.

Comments. Unfortunately, the epigyne was damaged during the clearing process, and as a result, the shape of the structures of the endogyne remains unknown.

The type species, A. anguiniceps , and the new species described here, are considerably different from all other species currently placed within the genus. Both species have very long chelicerae and a distinctively elongate cephalic region, whereas all other species in the genus possess short chelicerae and cephalic region, resembling those found in Dictyna Sundevall, 1833 .

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Sistan & Baluchistan, southeastern Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Archaeodictyna longichela sp. nov., male (A‒C) and female (D‒F). A, D—habitus, dorsal view; B, C—habitus, frontal and lateral views; E—intact epigyne, ventral view; F—spinnerets and cribellum, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm, unless otherwise indicated. Abbreviations: Co—copulatory opening; Tr—transversal ridge.

FIGURE 9. Male palp of Archaeodictyna longichela sp. nov. A—ventral view; B—retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Cs—spine-like outgrowth of the conductor; Dc—dorsal ctenidia; Ra—retrolateral tibial apophysis.