Raveniola mikhailovi, Zonstein, 2021

Zonstein, Sergei, 2021, A new species of Raveniola (Araneae, Nemesiidae) from Western Tien-Shan, Zootaxa 5006 (1), pp. 208-212 : 209-212

Raveniola mikhailovi sp. n.

Figs 1–2, 5–6 , 9–10 , 13–15 , 19–20

Brachythele virgata: Zonstein 1985: 159 (part).

Raveniola virgata: Zonstein 1987: 1018 (part).

Types. KYRGYZSTAN: Jalal-Abad Region : holotype ♂ (SMNH) and paratypes 3♀ (SMNH), Chatkal Mt. Ridge (southern slope), Khodzha-Ata Canyon, Karangitun Gorge , 41°46′N, 71°56′E, 1200–1400 m, 2.05.1983 (S. Zonstein) ; 12♂, 2♀ (SMNH), Tumanyak Gorge , 41°49′N, 71°56′E, 1800 m, 5.07.2000 (S. Zonstein) ; 5♀, 1♀ subad. (SMNH), Kokkolot Gorge , 41°47′N, 71°57′E, 1600 m, 16.05.1982 (S.V. Ovchinnikov) ; 4♀ (ZMMU), Kichkil Gorge , 41°50′N, 71°57′E, 1400 m, 9.07.1983 (K.G. Mikhailov) ; 5♂, 1♀ (SMNH), vicinity of Sary-Chelek Lake , 41°52′N, 71°58′E, 1900–2000 m, 28.05.1992, (S. Zonstein) ; 1♂, 9♀ (ZMMU), Aflatun Canyon, Oyalma (= Uyalma ) Gorge , 41°52′N, 71°51′E, 1800 m, 29.07.1983 (K.G. Mikhailov) .

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of my friend and colleague Kirill Mikhailov (Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, Russia) to celebrate his jubilee and to note his great personal contribution in arachnology (once again should be mentioned that a considerable part of the above listed paratypes has been collected by him).

Diagnosis. In possessing a very similar habitus and alike somatic characters, this new species resembles R. virgata Simon ( Figs 1, 2 cf. Figs 3, 4 ); it differs from the latter species in having a somewhat more compact eye group ( Figs 5, 6 cf. Figs 7, 8 ), combined with a narrower tegulum and a relatively longer embolus ( Figs 9, 10 cf. Figs 11, 12 ), and noticeably longer inner stalks of the spermathecae ( Figs 13–15 cf. Figs 16–18 ).

Description. Male (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Total body length including chelicerae 12.30. Color in alcohol: carapace, palps and legs medium yellowish orange; leg I slightly darker than legs II–IV; eye tubercle blackish brown; chelicerae light cherry red; sternum, labium and maxillae light yellowish orange; abdomen greyish brown, with darker brown dorsal chevron-like pattern and a few small brown marks on ventral side; book-lungs and spinnerets pale yellowish brown.

Carapace 4.56 long, 4.12 wide. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 4 . Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.15(0.22), ALE 0.27, PLE 0.20, PME 0.18, AME–AME 0.12(0.05), ALE–AME 0.06(0.03), ALE–PLE 0.05, PLE– PME 0.02, PME–PME 0.29. Anterior cheliceral edge with unmodified setae; rastellum not developed. Each cheliceral furrow with 9–10 promarginal teeth and 2 mesobasal denticles. Labium 0.39 long, 0.81 wide; sternum 2.33 long, 2.16 wide. Maxillae with 11–15 cuspules each.

Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire on tarsus I; narrowly divided by setae on tarsus II; sparse and very widely divided on tarsi III–IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–9 each on tibiae, 12–14 on metatarsi, 11–12 on tarsi, 8 on cymbium. Paired claws on tarsi I–II, and III–IV with 8–10 and 9–11 teeth on each margin, respectively.

Spination. Palp: femur d3, pd2, rd2; patella pd1; tibia d2, p3, r1, v6; cymbium d10(12). Leg I: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p1; tibia p2, pv1, r2, rv2 + 2 megaspines; metatarsus v1. Leg II: femur d4, pd3; patella p1; tibia p4(3), v7; metatarsus p2(1), v4(3). Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd2; patella p3(2), r1; tibia d3, p3, r3, v8; metatarsus p3, r3, v8. Leg IV: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p1, r1; tibia d3, p3, r3, v9; metatarsus d3, p4, r4, v8. Tarsi I–IV aspinose.

Copulatory organs ( Figs 9, 10 ). Embolus long tapering and slightly curved subapically.

PMS: length 0.23, diameter 0.12. PLS: maximal diameter 0.42; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.68, 0.47, 0.38; total length 1.53; apical segment triangular.

Leg measurements ♂ (♀).

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 2 . Total body length including chelicerae 18.10. Colour in general as in male, except uniformly coloured legs I–IV.

Carapace: 6.56 long, 5.54 wide. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 6 . Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.13(0.19), ALE 0.28, PLE 0.20, PME 0.14, AME–AME 0.14(0.08), ALE–AME 0.12(0.09), ALE–PLE 0.07, PLE– PME 0.06, PME–PME 0.40. Cheliceral rastellum absent. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 3 mesobasal denticles. Labium 0.58 long, 1.13 wide; sternum 3.35 long, 2.84 wide. Maxillae with 12–16 cuspules each.

Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire on palpal tarsus and tarsus I; narrowly divided by setae on tarsus II; sparse and widely divided on tarsus III; rudimentary on tarsus IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 9–11 each on tibiae, 15–16 on metatarsi; 14–15 on tarsi; 10 on palpal tarsus. Palpal claw with 4 long promarginal teeth. PTC I–II and III–IV with 6–7 and 7–9 teeth on each margin, respectively.

Spination. Femora with 1–2 basodorsal spines and 2–3 dorsal stout setae alongside mid-line; palpal patella, patella I, and tarsi I–IV aspinose. Palp: femur pd1; tibia v7; tarsus v4. Leg I: femur pd1; patella p1; tibia p2, v7; metatarsus v6. Leg II: femur pd1; patella p1; tibia p2, v7; metatarsus v6. Leg III: femur pd3, rd2; patella p2, r1; tibia d1, p2, r2, v7; metatarsus d1, p4, r3, v8(7). Leg IV: femur pd1, rd1; patella p1, r1; tibia d1, p3(2), r3, v7; metatarsus d1, p4, r4, v12(10).

Copulatory organs ( Figs 13–15 , including different variants in female paratypes). Each of paired spermathecae Y-shaped with relatively short trunk base carrying two diverging moderately long branches.

PMS: length 0.38, diameter 0.18. PLS: maximal diameter 0.62; length of basal, medial and apical segments 1.08, 0.55, 0.48, respectively; total length 2.11; apical segment triangular.

Ecology. The spiders were generally found in cavities under stones in broad-leaved, mixed, and coniferous montane forest biotopes (dominated by Juglans regia L. and Picea schrenkiana Fisch. & C.A. Mey. , respectively). See Figs. 19, 20 .

Distribution. Known from Western Tien-Shan ( Kyrgyzstan: Chatkal Mt. Ridge, the territory and environs of the Sary-Chelek Reserve).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Raveniola mikhailovi sp. n., holotype male (1, 5) and paratype female (2, 6), and R. virgata Simon, male (3, 7) and female (4, 8). 1–4 Habitus, dorsal; 5–8 Clypeus and eye group, dorsal. Scale bars: 1–4 = 5mm, 5–8 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 9–12. Raveniola mikhailovi sp. n., holotype male (9, 10), and R. virgata Simon, male (11, 12). Palpal organ, retrolateral (9, 11) and ventral (10, 12). Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 13–18. Raveniola spp., vulva, dorsal (inside). 13–15 R. mikhailovi sp. n., paratype females. 16–18 R. virgata Simon, females. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 19–20. Western Tien-shan, the mid-altitude woodland zone of Chatkal Mt. Ridge. 19 Karangitun Godge; 20 Tumanyak Godge, the western part of the Khodzha–Ata River Canyon.