Mesiotelus tadzhikus 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 : 207

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

Figs 13 , 64–66

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( ZMMU), TAJIKISTAN: Khatlon Region: Dangara Dist., SW slope of Sanglogh Mt. Range , 38°13'05.5"N, 69°14'16.9"E, 1362 m, 30.IV.2015 (leg. Y.M. Marusik).

Paratypes: 1♀ ( ZMMU), same data as for the holotype ; 2♀ ( ZMUT), Vaksh Karatau Mt. Range , Khodzhamaston Mt., 38°00'14.9"N, 68°58'26.5"E, 1595 m, 24.IV.2015 (leg. Y.M. Marusik) .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the type locality of the new species.

Diagnosis. The epigyne of the new species is similar to that of M. zonsteini Mikhailov, 1986 , a species known from southeastern Kazakhstan, in the shape of the anterior hood and the weakly sclerotized, transversely stretched posterior margin of the fovea. However, the new species can be distinguished by its relatively shorter anterior hood (Ah), which is as wide as the radius of the receptacle (vs. almost as wide as the receptacle). Additionally, the fovea of the new species is 1.25 times wider than long (vs. 1.5 times) (cf. Figs 64–66 and Mikhailov 1986: fig. 2C, D).

Description. Female (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 13 . Total length 5.80. Carapace 1.68 long, 1.37 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.08, ALE: 0.10, PME: 0.09, PLE: 0.10. Carapace, chelicerae, maxillae, labium and sternum light yellowish-brown. Carapace with faint marginal and lateral bands. 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: 6.30 (1.71, 0.93, 1.58, 1.25, 0.83), II: 5.72 (1.61, 0.80, 1.36, 1.16, 0.79), III: 4.91 (1.33, 0.65, 1.07, 1.16, 0.70), IV: 7.47 (1.94, 0.82, 1.81, 2.00, 0.90).

Epigyne as in Figs 64–66 ; epigynal plate ca. 1.2 times longer than wide; anterior hood (Ah) ca. 2 times wider than long; fovea wider than long; posterior margins of fovea almost transversal, weakly sclerotized; copulatory ducts (Cd) thin, about as long as anterior hood wide; receptacles almost globular, slightly wider than long.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the listed localities in Khatlon Region, southwestern Tajikistan ( 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 13–16. Dorsal habitus of Mesiotelus tadzhikus sp. nov. (13), M. turanicus sp. nov. (14), Scotina celans (15) and Sestakovaia annulipes (16). 13–14, 16—female; 15—male. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURES 61–69. Epigyne of Mesiotelus sistanus sp. nov. (61–63), M. tadzhikus sp. nov. (64–66) and M. turanicus sp. nov. (67–69). 61, 64, 67—intact, ventral; 62, 65, 68—macerated, ventral; 63, 66, 69—macerated, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: Ah—anterior hood, Cd—copulatory duct, Lm—lateral margin, Re—receptacle.