Hydrachna cf. vaillanti K. Viets, 1951

Pešić, Vladimir, Smit, Harry & Saboori, Alireza, 2012, 3330, Zootaxa 3330, pp. 1-67 : 6

Hydrachna cf. vaillanti K. Viets, 1951

( Figs. 2A – B, 3A – E)

Material examined. Iran, Sistan va Baluchestan Province, IR5-2011, Gerdoig village N of Chabahar, 5 km of Koch village , pool, 25º 46.084 N, 60º 54.968 E, 13.vii.2011 5/11/5 (1/2/1 mounted) .

Morphology. Male — Idiosoma L/W 2260/2060; integument papillose; postocularia particularly distant from preocularia, together with the lateral eyes forming the edges of a longitudinally rectangular field ( Fig. 2B); coxal field: L 866, W 1700, medial margin of Cx-III+IV concave, Cx-IV bearing one seta, posteromedial corner of Cx- IV extended with cleaver-shaped posterolaterally directed secondary sclerotization; genital field L/W 441/413, posteriorly extending beyond posterior margin of Cx-IV, deeply indented anteriorly, extending over the anterior third of the plate, gonopore long, extending over the posterior third of the plate ( Fig. 2A); Ac small and numerous; ejaculatory complex L 375. Gnathosoma L 881, rostrum L 500, relatively long and curved ( Fig. 3C); chelicera L 1100; palp ( Fig. 3D): total L 773; dL: P-1, 206; P-2, 181; P-3, 238; P-4, 93; P-5, 55; palp stout, P-1 bearing one dorsodistal seta, P-2 ventral margin slightly concave or straight. Legs: dL of I-L-2-6: 194, 138, 178, 194, 222; dL of IV-L: 246, 281, 222, 503, 441, 231.

Female (n = 2) — Idiosoma L/W 1810/1625; coxal field: L 770 – 825, W 1590 – 1720; genital field ( Fig. 3A) L/ W 256 – 269/334 – 373, deeply indented anteriorly extending anterior half of the plate, the “modified acetabulum” not anterior to but between posterior setal fields; gnathosoma ( Fig. 3F) L 640 – 680, rostrum L 330 – 370; chelicera L 1000; palp ( Fig. 3E): total L 704 – 707; dL: P-1, 184 – 194; P-2, 150; P-3, 219 – 225; P-4, 91 – 95; P-5, 47 – 56; palp stout, P-4 more slender than in male (age dependant?). Legs: dL of I-L-2-6: 181, 113, 141, 156, 185; dL of IV-L: 231 – 234, 256 – 281, 200 – 223, 419 – 422, 350 – 363, 209 – 225.

Deutonymph (collected together with adults of Hydrachna cf. vaillanti at IR5-2011 and suspected to represent this species). — Idiosoma L/W 1450/1280; coxal field: L 556, W 1025; individual provisional genital plate L/W 206 – 212/113 – 119; gnathosoma L 570, rostrum L 300; chelicera L 750; palp: total L 534; dL: P-1, 141; P-2, 128; P- 3, 153; P-4, 71; P-5, 41. Legs: dL of I-L-2-6: 131, 94, 125, 136, 162; dL of IV-L: 163, 169, 153, 300, 288, 188.

Remarks. The population from Sistan va Baluchestan belongs to the Hydrachna processifera group of species which includes H. processifera Koenike, 1903 and several little documented species (e.g. H. danubialis Láska, 1964 , H. vaillanti and H. sepasgozariani Bader, 1981 ). Due to the similar shape of the male genital field (minor in dimensions, anterior margin more elongated, extending over 1/3 of the genital field) the specimens from Sistan va Baluchestan most resemble Hydrachna vaillanti , a species known from a single male from Algeria (central Sahara, K. Viets 1951). However, as mentioned by Davids et al. (2005), these features in the type specimen of H. vaillanti might be an individual aberration. The morphological homogenity of specimens from Sistan va Baluchestan suggests that they represent a distinct taxon. Without information on the population variability of H. vaillanti , and in view of the large geographical distance of our records, this assignment is based mainly on non-identity with alternative species.

Habitat. Standing water ( Fig. 8A).