Raveniola caudata Zonstein, 2009
Figs 1, 82, 136, 202, 256–257, 349, 379–380, 555, 619–621, 748–749
Raveniola caudata Zonstein, 2009: 368, figs 1, 3, 5–6, 8 (♂).
Raveniola caudata – Mikhailov 2013: 12. — Zonstein et al. 2018: fig. 167 (♂).
Diagnosis
The species differs from Raveniola inopinata sp. nov. by having a considerably paler colour of ginger orange carapace and legs (which are dark sepia brown in the latter species; see Figs 1 and 2). Raveniola caudata can be distinguished from R. redikorzevi by its almost indistinct dorsal abdominal pattern. Males of R. caudata differ from males of the two other species of the group in having shorter laterodistal hair tufts on tarsi I–IV (Fig. 257 cf. Figs 259, 324) and by the shorter and less tapering proximal part of the embolus (Figs 379–380 cf. Figs 381–384).
Material examined
Holotype
TAJIKISTAN • ♂; Panj Karatau Mts, western slope of Mt Astana, 2.8 km WSW of summit; 37°22.8′ N, 69°12.8′ E; 1020 m a.s.l.; 24 Apr. 1991; S.V. Ovchinnikov leg.; SMNH.
Additional material (1 ♂, 1 juv.)
TAJIKISTAN • 1 juv.; Aruktau Mts, surroundings of Ganjina; 37°58′ N, 68°34′ E; 700–800 m a.s.l.; 16 Apr. 1968; V.F. Bahvalov leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂ (with both palps lost prior to collection); Vahsh Karatau Mts, 3 km NW of Mt Hojamaston; 38°01.4′ N, 68°56.8′ E; 940 m a.s.l.; 21 Apr. 1989; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH .
Description
Male (holotype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 1.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 19.30, CL 7.13, CW 6.27, LL 0.57, LW 1.26, SL 3.52, SW 3.21.
COLOUR. Carapace, palps and legs ginger orange; eye tubercle with central and two symmetrical lateral brownish-black spots surrounding AME and lateral eyes respectively; chelicerae cherry red; sternum, labium and maxillae light yellowish orange; metatarsi and tarsi gradually lighten toward apices; entire abdomen light yellowish grey, dorsally with almost indistinct darker pattern represented by few very weakly developed pairs of posteriorly-inclined greyish fasciae; spinnerets uniformly light yellowish grey.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 82. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 136. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.16(0.22), ALE 0.28, PLE 0.16, PME 0.12; AME–AME 0.16(0.10), ALE–AME 0.07(0.04), ALE–PLE 0.06, PLE–PME 0.04, PME–PME 0.43. Each cheliceral furrow with 10 promarginal teeth and 5 mesobasal denticles. MIT indiscernible. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 202. Maxillae with 52–57 cuspules each.
LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus I as in Fig. 256. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 9–12 each on tibiae, 13–15 on metatarsi, 15–18 on tarsi, 9–10 on cymbium. Scopula: distal ⅓ on metatarsi I–II, entire on tarsi I–II, widely divided by setae on tarsus III, absent on tarsus IV. Tarsi I–IV apically with very moderately dense lateral tufts of relatively short setae (Fig 257). Paired claws on tarsi I–IV with 8–11 teeth on each margin.
LEG MEASUREMENTS.
| Femur | Patella | Tibia | Metatarsus | Tarsus | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palp | 4.23 | 2.27 | 3.46 | – | 1.35 | 11.31 |
| Leg I | 6.32 | 3.65 | 5.03 | 5.27 | 3.10 | 23.37 |
| Leg II | 6.22 | 3.23 | 4.98 | 5.02 | 3.03 | 22.48 |
| Leg III | 5.55 | 2.88 | 4.10 | 5.87 | 3.27 | 21.67 |
| Leg IV | 6.97 | 3.25 | 5.53 | 7.70 | 3.73 | 27.18 |
SPINATION. Palp: femur d4, pd3, rd2; patella p2; tibia d4, p3, r2, v4; cymbium d6(5). Leg I: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p2; tibia p3(1), pv2(1), r2+2M; metatarsus v1a. Leg II: femur d4, pd3; patella p2; tibia p3, v8(6); metatarsus p1; v6. Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p2, r1; tibia d2, p2, r2, v7(5); metatarsus d2, p3, r2, v10(9). Leg IV: femur d4, pd4(3), rd3; patella p2, r1; tibia d3(2), p3, r3(2), v7; metatarsus d3, p3, r3, v10(9). Tarsi I–IV aspinose.
PALP. Tibia, cymbium and copulatory bulb as shown in Fig. 349. Broadly tipped embolus with noticeably shortened basal part and with pronounced subapical keel (Figs 379–380).
SPINNERETS. See Fig. 555. PMS: length 0.75; diameter 0.28. PLS: maximal diameter 0.65; length of basal, medial and apical segments 1.22, 0.85, 1.23; total length 3.30; apical segment elongate.
Female
Unknown.
Ecology
The species inhabits open shrubland and low forest biotopes with co-dominating Pistacia vera L., Cercis griffithii Boiss., Acer spp. and Prunus spp. (see Figs 619–620). Males were found under rocks; the only juvenile specimen was found, according to the original label data, inside a gerbil’s burrow. The microbiotope situated directly in the type locality (shown in Fig. 621) is a pile of stones in the foreground, from where the holotype was collected in 1991. The corresponding photograph was taken in 2015.
Distribution
South Tajikistan, as shown in Figs 748–749. In the original description, the distance between the ridge summit and the type locality was indicated incorrectly (see Zonstein 2009).