Mesiotelus bosmansi 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 : 196

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

Figs 4 , 43–45

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( ZMUT), TÜRKIYE: Artvin Prov.: Şavşat Dist., Meydancık Town, Erikli Vil. , 41°27'13.1"N, 42°13'23.8"E, 1141 m, 12.VI.2009 (leg. Y.M. Marusik).

Etymology. This species is named after the eminent Belgian arachnologist Robert Bosmans, in recognition of his contributions to the taxonomy of the Mediterranean spiders, and in particular, the genus Mesiotelus .

Diagnosis. The epigyne of the new species is similar to that of M. tenuissimus (L. Koch, 1866) , in having a fovea wider than long. It can be distinguished by the following characteristics: the posterior margins are subparallel (vs. transversal), the anterior hood (Ah) is wider than long (vs. as long as wide), and the receptacles are closely spaced, almost touching (vs. well separated) (cf. Fig. 43 and Bosmans 2023: fig. 10D).

Description. Female (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 4 . Total length 6.54. Carapace 2.44 long, 1.97 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.11, ALE: 0.13, PME: 0.10, 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: 9.20 (2.44, 1.34, 2.38, 1.90, 1.14), II: 8.31 (2.30, 1.20, 2.00, 1.75, 1.06), III: 7.75 (2.09, 0.98, 1.71, 1.99, 0.98), IV: 11.12 (2.86, 1.20, 2.71, 3.14, 1.21).

Epigyne as in Figs 43–45 ; epigynal plate almost as long as wide; fovea 1.25 times wider than long, anterior hood wider than long; posterior margins forming W-shaped figure, posterior parts roundly bent, then slightly diverging, lateral parts almost parallel, length of lateral parts ca. 2/3 of fovea’s length; copulatory ducts indistinct; receptacles (Re) large, subtriangular, contiguous.

Male. Unknown.

Comments. It is possible that the female described here as M. bosmansi sp. nov. is conspecific with the male described as M. kravetsi sp. nov., which was collected approximately 400 km away in Dagestan. To confirm the distinct status of these two species, collecting material of both sexes from the same locality is necessary.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Artvin Province, northeastern 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 1–6. Dorsal habitus of Agroeca angirasu (1), A. cuprea (2), Mesiotelus alanyensis sp. nov. (3), M. bosmansi sp. nov. (4) and M. confusus sp. nov. (5–6). 1–4, 6—female; 5—male. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURES 43–51. Epigyne of Mesiotelus bosmansi sp. nov. (43–45), M. confusus sp. nov. (46–48) and M. damavandicus sp. nov. (49–51). 43, 46, 49—intact, ventral; 44, 47, 50—macerated, ventral; 45, 48, 51—macerated, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: Ah—anterior hood, Lm—lateral margin, Re—receptacle.