Cithaeron persicus 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

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5601.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C4F63D07-6CE5-421E-9E7A-9698BEE10700
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14980381
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7F2E9F5D-FFA1-9C65-FF06-3E6D0184FAEC
treatment provided by	Plazi (2025-03-06 10:54:07, last updated 2025-03-13 16:08:33)
scientific name	Cithaeron persicus Zamani & Marusik
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cithaeron persicus Zamani & Marusik , sp. nov.

Figs 1B View FIGURE 1 , 2D‒F View FIGURE 2

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( ZMUT), IRAN: Sistan & Baluchistan Prov.: Zabol, 31°02'12"N 61°32'14"E, 480 m, 20.02.2022 (M. Enayatnia). GoogleMaps

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the historical region of the Middle East, located in eastern Mesopotamia, which is now Iran.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to the generotype, C. praedonius O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 , but differs in the insemination ducts not extending anteriorly from the anterior hood (Ah), and the hood smaller and wider than it is long (vs. subtriangular) (cf. Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 and Platnick 1991: fig. 12).

Description. Female (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 . Total length 4.53. Carapace 2.22 long, 1.83 wide. Eye sizes:AME: 0.17, ALE: 0.14, PME: 0.16, PLE: 0.14. Carapace and chelicerae dark reddish brown; sternum yellowish brown; labium and maxillae light brown. Chelicerae without teeth. Palps and legs yellowish brown. Abdomen dorsally black, at posterior half with greyish beige heart-shaped pattern, ventrally greyish beige. Spinnerets greyish beige. Measurements of legs: I: 10.31 (2.73, 0.94, 2.52, 2.22, 1.90), II: 9.96 (2.66, 0.94, 2.39, 2.17, 1.80), III: 8.23 (2.26, 0.72, 1.88, 2.00, 1.37), IV: 11.37 (3.12, 0.87, 2.63, 3.00, 1.75).

Epigyne as in Fig. 2D‒F View FIGURE 2 ; epigynal plate almost as long as wide; anterior hood (Ah) wider than long; fenestra (Fe) semiround, with well-sclerotized mesal part; insemination ducts visible through tegument, with thin sub transversal ducts (Td), and thick parts forming X-shaped figure.

Male. Unknown.

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

References

Platnick, N. I. (1991) A revision of the ground spider family Cithaeronidae (Araneae, Gnaphosoidea). American Museum Novitates, 3018, 1-13.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Brignoliolus charitonovi (A), Cithaeron persicus sp. nov. (B), and Steatoda pallens sp. nov. (C), females, dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Epigynes of Brignoliolus charitonovi (A‒C), Cithaeron persicus sp. nov. (D‒F), Cheiracanthium sistani sp. nov. (G‒H), and Cheiracanthium monstrum sp. nov. (I‒J). A, D—intact, ventral view; C, E, H, I—macerated, ventral view; B, F, G, J—endogyne, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Ah—anterior hood; Fe—fenestra; Id—insemination duct; Re—receptacle; Sc—sac-like structure; Td—transversal duct.