Neumania maharashtris Cook, 1967

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Saboori, Alireza, 2012, 3330, Zootaxa 3330, pp. 1-67 : 40-41

Neumania maharashtris Cook, 1967

( Figs. 28A – B, 29A – B)

Material. Iran, Hormozgan Province, IR21-2011, Rudan city N of Bandar Abbass, 5 km N of Rudan, Rudan stream, lentic part, 27º 28.226 N, 57º 15.153 E, 200 m asl, 21.vii.2011 1/2/0 (0/1/0 mounted) . Sistan va Baluchestan Province, IR9-2011, pools Shirgovaz River , 25° 46.618 N, 61° 27.632 E, 45 m asl, 14.vii.2011 0/2/0 .

Morphology. Female (from IR21-2011) — Idiosoma L/W 731/622; L between anterior end of Cx-I and posterior end of Cx-IV 478, Cx-III W 464; apodemes of Cx-I long, extending posteriorly beyond the suture line between Cx-III and –IV. Fig. 28A shows the coxal area. Genital field W 242; acetabular plate L/W 85/63, 10-11 acetabula on each side; egg maximum diameter 111. Palp: total L 306, dL: P-1, 29; P-2, 94; P-3, 57; P-4, 94; P-5, 32; P-2/P-4 ratio, 1.0; P-4 with a short anteroventral tubercle ( Fig. 28B). Chelicera total L 121; dL of I-L-2-6: 125, 147, 184, 178, 161; dL of IV-L: 81, 106, 122, 169, 195, 193; first ( Fig. 29A) and second leg with long fluted or grooved setae. Swimming setae numbers: II-L-4 one, II-L-5 one, III-L-3 one, III-L-4 five, III-L-5 three, IV-L-3 one to two, IV-L-4 three and IV-L-5 three.

Remarks. Neumania maharashtris most closely resembles N. falcipes africana K. Viets, 1925 , from which it can be distinguished by the pronounced concavity near the distal end of the ventral side of IV-L-5, and proportionally much longer and less curved IV-L-6 ( Cook 1967). Neumania maharashtris was originally described from India (Maharashtra State), and recently reported from southern Iran ( Pešić et al. 2011). The male specimens from Iran agree well with specimens from India, and the only differences are found in the presence of pinnate setae on IV-L- 5 in the specimen from Iran versus smooth setae in Cook’s drawings of the specimen from India. Checking the holotype of N. maharashtris is necessary before we can assess the taxonomic status of the population from Iran. Unfortunately, this was not possible at the time of preparing this paper. Thus far, only male specimens of this species were known, and this is the first description of the female.

Habitat. Lentic part of a sandy/bouldery stream, with strong exposure to sunlight.

Distribution. India; Iran (Kerman Province — Pešić et al. 2011; Hormozgan and Sistan va Baluchestan provinces — present study).