Mesiotelus mediterraneus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, 2024

Zamani, Alireza, Fomichev, Alexander A., Naumova, Maria, Kaya, Rahşen S. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2024, New taxonomic and faunistic data on Liocranidae (Arachnida: Araneae) of West Palaearctic), with nine new species of Mesiotelus Simon, 1897, Zootaxa 5519 (2), pp. 190-214 : 202

Mesiotelus mediterraneus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik , sp. nov.

Figs 10 , 55‒57

Material. Holotype ♀ ( ZMMU), TÜRKIYE: Mersin Prov.: Sertavul Pass , 36°53'50"N, 33°16'09"E, 1504 m, juniper forest on steep slope, under stones, 19–20.IX.2010 (leg. Y.M. Marusik).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the distribution of the species in the Mediterranean region.

Diagnosis. The female of this species differs from those of the congeners by having a very wide anterior hood (Ah) 1.5 times wider than receptacles (vs. thinner or subequal), and receptacle longer than wide and oriented longitudinally (vs. globular, wider than long, or subtriangular).

Description. Female (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 10 . Total length 5.30. Carapace 2.35 long, 1.90 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.10, ALE: 0.15, PME: 0.13, PLE: 0.13. Carapace, chelicerae, maxillae, labium and sternum light yellowish brown. Legs slightly lighter than carapace, without annulations. Abdomen light beige, without any patterns. Spinnerets uniformly light beige. Paired ventral tibial spines: I, II: 2p; III, IV: 3p. Measurements of legs: I: 8.49 (2.17, 1.20, 2.33, 1.76, 1.03), II: 7.96 (2.23, 1.14, 2.03, 1.65, 0.91), III: 7.47 (2.12, 0.92, 1.70, 1.82, 0.91), IV: 10.90 (2.79, 1.16, 2.70, 3.07, 1.18).

Epigyne as in Figs 55‒57 ; epigynal plate 1.2 times longer than wide; fovea as long as wide; hood (Ah) very wide, about half of fovea’s width and 1.5 times wider than receptacle; lateral margins: posterior part subparallel, anterior part diverging (forming about right angle); copulatory ducts very short, as long as wide; receptacles longitudinal suboval, almost 2 times longer than wide.

Male. Unknown.

Comments. Mesiotelus mersinensis Demircan Aksan, 2023 was described based on a single male from Mersin ( Demircan Aksan 2023). This nomen is, however, unavailable, as the paper was published in an electronic journal without registration in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank); see Article 8.5.3 of the Code ( ICZN 1999) and ICZN (2012). It is possible that the male described and illustrated by Demircan Aksan (2023) is conspecific with either M. mediterraneus sp. nov. or M. alanyensis sp. nov., both of which are distributed in the same region.

Distribution. Known only from Mersin Province, southern Türkiye ( Fig. 75 ).

Figures

FIGURE 75. Collection localities of the studied liocranid species. 1—Agroeca angirasu; 2—A. cuprea; 3—A. inopina; 4—A. proxima; 5—Mesiotelus alanyensis sp. nov. (in part, specimens from Antalya); 6—M. bosmansi sp. nov.; 7—M. confusus sp. nov.; 8—M. cyprius; 9—M. damavandicus sp. nov.; 10—M. scopensis; 11—M. kravetsi sp. nov.; 12—M. mediterraneus sp. nov. and M. alanyensis sp. nov. (in part, specimens from Mersin); 13—M. patricki; 14—M. sistanus sp. nov.; 15—M. tadzhikus sp. nov.; 16—M. turanicus sp. nov.; 17—M. kulczynskii; 18—Scotina celans; 19—Sestakovaia annulipes. Some symbols could refer to more than one closely situated locality.

FIGURES 7–12. Dorsal habitus of Mesiotelus cyprius (7), M. damavandicus sp. nov. (8), M. kravetsi sp. nov. (9), M. mediterraneus sp. nov. (10), M. patricki (11) and M. sistanus sp. nov. (12). 7–8, 10–12—female; 9—male. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURES 52–60. Epigyne (52–53, 55–60) and receptacles (54) of Mesiotelus kulczynskii (52–54), M. mediterraneus sp. nov. (55–57) and M. patricki (58–60). 55, 58—intact, ventral; 52, 56, 59—macerated, ventral; 53–54, 57, 60—macerated, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: Ah—anterior hood, Hl—lateral margin of anterior hood.