Phrurolithus luppovae Spassky, 1941

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2020, A survey of Phrurolithidae (Arachnida: Araneae) in southern Caucasus, Iran and Central Asia, Zootaxa 4758 (2), pp. 311-329 : 319-322

Phrurolithus luppovae Spassky, 1941

Figs 7 A–H, 8A–F

Phrurolithus luppovae Spassky, 1941: 24 , fig. 13 (♂).

Phrurolithus luppovae Spassky & Luppova, 1945: 49 (♂).

Material examined. TAJIKISTAN: Khatlon Region: 1♂ ( ZMMU), Dangara Distr., Sanglok Mt. Range, above Shar–Shar Pass , 38°17’N, 69°13’E, 1700–2050 m, 29.IV.2015, leg. Y.M. Marusik ; 1♀ ( ZMMU), Khovaling Distr., Darai-Mukhtor env. of “Vose Museum”, 38°23’N, 69°57’E, 1579 m, 28.IV.2015, leg. Y.M. Marusik.

Comments. This species was described twice, in two different publications.Apparently, the original manuscript was sent to the publisher in Riga prior to World War II, and Spassky was unaware that his paper was published during the war (in 1941) and resubmitted the manuscript again, in coauthorship with E.P. Luppova to the Soviet journal Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie, which appeared in 1945, although without any figures.

Diagnosis. Males differ from most of its congeners by the sharply-pointed retroventral tibial apophysis. Only two other species have a similar apophysis, P. claripes (Dönitz & Strand, 1906) and P. sinicus Zhu & Mei, 1982 . It differs from P. sinicus by its shorter apophysis (1.3 times longer than tibia vs. 2.5), and by the absence of a proventral tibial apophysis. Phrurolithus claripes has a subtriangular terminal apophysis (vs. square-shaped in P. luppovae ). The only known female differs from other female congeners by the diverging elongate subconical secondary receptacles spaced by more than 2 diameters, and the primary receptacles with a posterior outgrowth (vs. secondary receptacles oval, parallel or converging, spaced by less than one diameter).

Description. Male. Habitus as in Figs 7B, E, F . Total length 2.02. Carapace 0.91 long, 0.80 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME: 0.05, ALE: 0.06, PME: 0.05, PLE: 0.06, AME–AME: 0.04, PME–PME: 0.05. Carapace, sternum, labium, chelicerae and maxillae light reddish-brown; carapace with dark radiating patterns. Legs yellowishbrown, with darker annulation on femora. Abdomen dark, without any pattern, covered with entire dorsal scutum. Spinnerets uniformly pale yellow. Leg I measurements: 3.42 (0.90, 0.34, 0.96, 0.82, 0.40). Spination: I: Fe 1pl, Ti 12v, Mt 8v; II: Ti 10v, Mt 6v.

Palp as in Figs 8 A–F; tibia with sharply pointed retroventral apophysis and retrolateral one also distinct, retro- ventral apophysis slightly longer than tibia; cymbium elongate, more than twice (ca. 2.25 times) as long as wide; sperm duct relatively thin; terminal apophysis wide, as wide as long; subterminal apophysis straight, finger-shaped; embolus with broad base, appears like thick spine, directed anteriorly.

Female. Habitus as in Figs 7A, C, D . Total length 2.31. Carapace 0.83 long, 0.80 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME: 0.05, ALE: 0.07, PME: 0.07, PLE: 0.06, AME–AME: 0.03, PME–PME: 0.03. Colouration of carapace generally as in male, but with more intense scattered dark patches, light reddish-brown; abdomen with pair of large white spots on dorsum and postgastral light spot; spinnerets pale yellowish. Leg I measurements: 3.09 (0.88, 0.29, 0.80, 0.66, 0.46). Spination: I: Fe 1pl, Ti 10v, Mt 8v; II: Ti 10v, Mt 6v.

Epigyne as in Figs 7 G–H; fovea weakly developed, copulatory openings widely separated (by about 10 diam- eters); primary receptacles visible through integument and located over copulatory openings; copulatory opening leads to elongate weakly sclerotized secondary receptacles, their anterior parts separated by about 2 diameters; primary receptacles globular, touching each other, each receptacle with anterior and posterior tuberculate outgrowth (Ro); fertilization ducts originate from anterior edge of receptacle, diverging.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Obigarm, and the new collection localities in Khatlon region, central-western and southwestern Tajikistan ( Fig. 14 ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. General appearance and epigyne of Phrurolithus luppovae. A, C–D female habitus, dorsal, lateral and ventral; B, E male habitus, dorsal and ventral; F male prosoma, frontal; G macerated epigyne, dorsal; H intact epigyne, ventral. Scale=0.2 mm, if not otherwise indicated. Abbreviations: Co—copulatory opening, Fd—fertilization duct, Gr—receptacular gland, Pr— primary receptacle, Ro—receptacular outgrowth, Sr—secondary receptacle.

FIGURE 8. Male palp of Phrurolithus luppovae. A ventral; B retrolateral; C dorso-retrolateral; D prolateral; E ventro-retrolateral; F dorsal. Scale=0.2 mm.Abbreviations: Em—embolus, Fe—femoral extension, Ra—retrolateral apophysis, Sa—subterminal apophysis, Sd—sperm duct, Ta—terminal apophysis, Va—retroventral apophysis.

FIGURE 14. Distribution records of Phrurolithus spp. and Bosselaerius spp. in Azerbaijan, Iran and Tajikistan: Red circles—P. festivus, Pink stars—P. azarkinae sp. n., Blue squares—P. pullatus, Yellow crosses—P. luppovae, Cyan triangles—B. hyrcanicus sp. n., Black asterisk—B. tajikistanicus sp. n.