Atractides (Atractides) biscutatus Cook, 1967

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Saboori, Alireza, 2012, 3330, Zootaxa 3330, pp. 1-67 : 33-36

Atractides (Atractides) biscutatus Cook, 1967

( Fig. 24A – E)

Material examined. Iran, Sistan va Baluchestan Province, Chabahar, IR 9-2011, Pools Shirgovaz River , 25° 46.618 N, 61° 27.632 E, 45 m asl, 14.vii.2011 1/0/0 (mounted) .

Morphology. Male — Muscle attachment insertions sclerotized; dorsal and ventral shield present; dorsal shield divided into anterior and posterior plate ( Fig. 24A), L/W 466/349, anterior plate 128/263, posterior plate 341/349; coxal field: ventral surface covered by an extended shield ( Fig. 24E), L/W 450/434, including coxae, Vgl- 3/4 and genital field; genital field with 4 pairs of Ac, distance between most lateral pair of Ac 113, gonopore L 52; ejaculatory complex L 112; excretory pore sclerotized, Vgl-1 fused to Vgl-2.

Palp ( Fig. 24C): palp total L 235, dL: P-1, 26; P-2, 49; P-3, 48; P-4, 89; P-5, 23; L P-2/P-4 ratio, 0.55; gnathosoma vL 105; chelicera total L 165.

I-L ( Fig. 24D): I-L-5 S-1 and -2 slender, close to each other, with obtuse tips, I-L-6 stout, narrowed in the centre, claws with ventral and dorsal clawlets; I-L-5 dL 114, vL 85, dL/vL 1.35, HB 34, dL/HB 3.36, S-1 L 48, L/W 8.8, S-2 L 55, L/W 8.9, S-1-2 distance 7, L ratio S-1/2 0.86; I-L-6 L 86, HB 20, L/HB 4.3; L I-L-5/6 1.33.

Remarks. The single male examined from the Sistan va Baluchestan Province fits well the description of Atractides biscutatus Cook, 1967 , a species known only from India (Maharashtra and Kerala States — Cook 1967, Gujarat — Pešić & Ranga Reddy 2009) and Sri Lanka ( Gledhill & Wiles 1997).

Habitat. Sandy/muddy stream, with strong exposure to sunlight.

Distribution. India, Sri Lanka, Iran (present study).