Anemesia andreevae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 984606B5-193A-4B6B-A393-539D17EC850C

Figs 5, 18, 52, 66, 80, 94, 107, 121, 163–164, 177, 197–198, 233–234, 273–274, 310–311, 330, 370

Diagnosis

Anemesia andreevae sp. nov. is largely similar in habitus to A. pallida sp. nov. and especially to A. sogdiana sp. nov., but differs from them by the long cylindrical palpal tibia and a shorter embolus in males (Figs 177, 197–198; cf. Figs 179, 182, 203–205, 211–212) as well as by the unique branched receptacles in females (Figs 233–234; cf. Figs 235–240, 250).

Etymology

The specific name is a matronym in honour of the late Central Asian and Polish arachnologist Dr Ekaterina Andreeva (Dr Katarzyna Andrejeva-Prószyńska; 1941–2008), who made a very significant contribution to the study of the spider fauna of Tajikistan; in the course of her numerous taxonomic

studies she described many regional spider taxa, including Brachythele karatauvi Andreeva, 1968 assigned later to Anemesia .

Material examined

Holotype

UZBEKISTAN: Ƌ, Babatag Mts, north-eastern slope of Mt Zarkassa, 1.5 km NNE of the summit, 2100 m, 38°01′02′′ N, 68°10′53′′ E, 5 May 1990, S. Zonstein leg. (SMNH).

Paratypes (17 ♀♀)

UZBEKISTAN: 2 ♀♀, same collection data as for the holotype (SMNH).

TAJIKISTAN: 4 ♀♀, foothills of Hissar Mts, 8 km N of Dushanbe, Varzob canyon, 1100 m, 38°40′ N, 68°47′ E, 18 Oct. 1987, S. Zonstein leg. (SMNH); 10 ♀♀, same collection data as for preceding but 13 Apr. 1988 (SMNH); 1 ♀, same collection data as for preceding but 22 Apr. 1990 (SMNH).

Description

Male (holotype)

HABITUS. See Fig. 5.

MEASUREMENTS. TBL 8.26, CL 4.03, CW 3.05, LL 0.35, LW 0.63, SL 2.27, CW 1.56.

COLOUR. Carapace light yellowish brown with anterior edge darker and thoracic part lighter; chelicerae, most part of palps and legs light yellowish brown; sternum, labium, maxillae and leg tarsi paler; eye tubercle blackened; abdomen dorsally pale yellowish brown with brown pattern consisting of moderately wide median lanceolate spot and few paired transverse and slightly inclined short stripes, ventral part of abdomen pale yellowish grey, spinnerets pale brownish yellow.

PROSOMA. Clypeus and eye tubercle as shown in Fig. 52. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.14, ALE 0.17, PLE 0.13, PME 0.07, AME–AME 0.14, ALE–AME 0.05, ALE–PLE 0.09, PLE–PME 0.02, PME–PME 0.35. Cheliceral rastellum composed of 15–20 spikes located in front of fang base. Each cheliceral furrow only with 6 promarginal teeth. Sternum labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 94. Sternal sigilla small and weakly developed. Maxillae with 2 cuspules each.

LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus I as shown in Fig. 121. Scopula: distal 0.4 on metatarsus I, entire on tarsus I, narrowly divided on tarsus II, elsewhere absent. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 6–7 each on tibiae, 10–12 on metatarsi, 9–12 on tarsi, 6 on cymbium. PTC: outer and inner margins with 6–7 teeth each on tarsi I–II, 5–6 and 4 on tarsus III, 5 and 2–3 on tarsus IV, respectively.

SPINATION. Palp: femur pd1. Leg I: femur d5, pd1; tibia p2, v4+m; metatarsus p1–2, v2. Leg II: femur d5, pd1; tibia p2, v5; metatarsus p2, v1–2. Leg III: femur d5, rd1; patella p1, r1; tibia d1, p2, r3, v5; metatarsus d2, pd2, p3, r3, v5. Leg IV: femur d5, rd1; tibia p3, r2, v7; metatarsus p2, r3, v7. Palpal femur with 5 dorsal bristles instead of true spines; palpal patella, tibia and cymbium, patellae I, II and IV, and tarsi I–IV aspinose.

PALP. Tibia, cymbium and palpal organ as in Figs 177, 197–198. Palpal tibia long and slender (Fig. 177). Embolus relatively short, curved, and bent, with very thin distal part (Figs 197–198).

SPINNERETS. See Fig. 273. PMS: length 0.23, diameter 0.10. PLS: maximal diameter 0.30; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.43, 0.37, 0.35; total length 1.15; apical segment shortly digitiform.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. Ƌ(♀)

Female (paratype from Babatag Mts)

HABITUS. As in Fig. 18.

MEASUREMENTS. TBL 20.10, CL 5.65, CW 4.32, LL 0.85, LW 1.63, SL 3.05, CW 2.52.

COLOUR. Darker than that in male: carapace and legs dorsally ferruginous yellow; carapace with caput slightly darker and anterior edge including clypeus mid-brown; eye tubercle with blackish brown spots around AMEs and lateral eyes widely spaced; chelicerae reddish brown; sternum, legs ventrally, genital area and spinnerets light brownish yellow; labium, maxillae and palps with similar but slightly darker colouration; abdomen light ferruginous grey, dorsally with diffuse brownish pattern consisting of rather narrow median stripe and five pairs of lateral chevrons.

PROSOMA. Clypeus and low though distinct eye tubercle as shown in Fig. 66. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.15(0.24), ALE 0.24, PLE 0.14, PME 0.12, AME–AME 0.21(0.13), ALE–AME 0.18(0.14), ALE–PLE 0.23, PLE–PME 0.06, PME–PME 0.55. Cheliceral rastellum composed of 25– 30 spikes located in front of fang base and on low mound. Each cheliceral furrow with 6 uniform large promarginal teeth and 2–5 smaller retromarginal teeth. Sternum labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 107. Maxillae broad, with 9–11 cuspules each.

LEGS. Scopula: distal on metatarsi I–II, entire on palpal tarsus and tarsi I–II, elsewhere absent. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 7–9 each on tibiae, 12–14 on metatarsi, 17–18 on tarsi I and II, 12–14 on tarsi III and IV, 9–10 on papal tarsus. Trichobothrial bases and tarsal organ of leg I as shown in Figs 163 and 164, respectively. Palpal claw with 4 promarginal teeth. PTC I–II: outer and inner margins with 5–6 teeth. PTC III with 3 teeth on outer, 1 tooth on inner margins. PTC IV with 3 teeth on outer, 0(1) teeth on inner margins.

SPINATION. Palp: femur pd1, patella p1, tibia p5, v8–9; tarsus v2. Leg I: tibia p1–2, v5; metatarsus v5–6. Leg II: tibia p1–2, v5; metatarsus p1, v6–7. Leg III: patella p2–3; tibia d1, p1, r2, v3–4; metatarsus d2, p3, r2, v7. Leg IV: tibia r1, v6–7; metatarsus r1, v7–8. All femora with dorsal row of 5–7 long and thick bristles and with 1–3 lesser developed setae pro- and retrodorsally; patellae I, II and IV, and tarsi I–IV aspinose.

SPERMATHECAE. Three-branched with thin stalks and well-sclerotised receptacles (Fig. 233).

SPINNERETS. See Fig. 274. PMS: length 0.49, diameter 0.20. PLS: maximal diameter 0.70; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.93, 0.48, 0.45; total length 1.86; apical segment triangular.

Variation

The length of the carapace varies from 4.30 to 5.53 in females and the number of maxillary cuspules ranges from 8 to 19. In females from Tajikistan (Varzob Canyon), the number of promarginal and retromarginal teeth may reach 8 and 6, respectively (see Fig. 80). The structure of the spermathecae appears to be almost the same in females collected from the different localities (Figs 233–234).

Habitat

The species occurs in the foothills covered with deciduous shrub with Prunus spp. and Pistacia vera L. (Fig. 310), and in the middle mountain belt. In the latter case the spiders were found inhabiting open forest biotopes dominated by Juniperus seravschanica Kom. and Acer spp. (Fig. 311).

Distribution

Southeastern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan (Fig. 370).