Bosselaerius, Zamani & Marusik, 2020

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2020, A survey of Phrurolithidae (Arachnida: Araneae) in southern Caucasus, Iran and Central Asia, Zootaxa 4758 (2), pp. 311-329 : 322

Genus Bosselaerius gen. n.

Type species. Bosselaerius hyrcanicus sp. n.

Etymology. The new genus is named after our colleague Jan Bosselaers (Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium), in recognition of his contributions to arachnology, particularly to the systematics of Liocranidae sensu lato. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis. The new genus differs from other Phrurolithidae by lacking retrolateral tibial apophyses, the poorlydeveloped palpal femoral extension (Fe), and the lack of terminal and subterminal apophyses of the bulb ( Figs 10 C–E, 11A–C) (vs. palpal tibia with at least one retrolateral apophysis, well-developed femoral extension [ Figs 2 A–C, 4A, E–F] and presence of apophyses on the tegulum). At least the female of the type species has a dorsal abdominal scutum (vs. absent in females of other genera and in Bosselaerius tajikistanicus sp. n.), and a pair of distinct epigynal hoods (vs. absent in other genera).

Description. Small, body length 2–3.5 mm. Each chelicera with strong frontal spine. Tibia I with 5 pairs of ventral spines in males and 7 pairs in females. Female of the type species with small dorsal scutum; absent or unknown in other species.

Male palp: femur with small ventral extension; tibia without retrolateral apophyses, but with only one small, almost indistinct, dorso-prolateral, spine-like apophysis; tibia distally with dense setae hiding apophysis; bulb lacking apophyses; sperm duct long, reaching middle part of the tegulum, not narrowed in the base of embolus (Be); base of embolus massive, embolus small, spine-like, directed antero-retrolaterally, embolus accompanied with teeth (Te) subequal in size to embolus. Epigyne with a pair of distinct anterior hoods (Ah); secondary (membranous) receptacles small or lacking.

Composition. Bosselaerius hyrcanicus sp. n. ( Azerbaijan, Iran), B. tajikistanicus sp. n. ( Tajikistan) and B. daoxianensis ( Yin, Peng, Gong & Kim, 1997) comb. n. ( China). The two latter species are tentatively placed in this genus.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Copulatory organs of Phrurolithus azarkinae sp. n. A–C male palp, prolateral, ventral and retrolateral; D epigyne intact, ventral; E macerated epigyne, dorsal; F dissected epigyne, ventral. Scale=0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Co—copulatory opening, Em—embolus, Fd—fertilization duct, Fe—femoral extension, Gr—receptacular gland, Pr—primary receptacle, Ra—retrolateral apophysis, Sd—sperm duct, Sr—secondary receptacle, Va—retroventral apophysis.

FIGURE 10. Male palp (A–E) and leg I (F) of Bosselaerius hyrcanicus sp. n. A prolateral; B dorsal; C ventroprolateral; D ventral; E–F retrolateral. Scale=0.2 mm.Abbreviations: Dp—dorsoprolateral apophysis, Em—embolus, Fe—femoral extension, Sd—sperm duct.