Gnaphosa mataica, Fomichev, 2019

Fomichev, Alexander A., 2019, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 10. Three new Gnaphosa species from the Dzhungarian Alatau Mountains (Eastern Kazakhstan), Zootaxa 4706 (4), pp. 569-579 : 572-578

Gnaphosa mataica sp. n.

Figs 2, 5 , 8, 11 , 14, 17, 20 , 23–25 .

Types. Holotype ♂ ( ISEA) KAZAKHSTAN, Almaty Region, Matai Mountains , 44°11’N, 78°34’E, mountain stony steppe with bushes, 1300 m, 25‒ 26.06.2016 (A.A. Fomichev) . Paratypes: 3♀ ( ISEA) together with the holotype ; 1♂ ( ZMMU) Verkhnyaya Taldy River valley (Usek River tributary), 44°25’52”N, 79°51’24”E, stony loess cliff, 1320 m, 28.06.2016 (A.A. Fomichev) ; 2♀ ( ZMMU) watershed of the Verkhnyaya Taldy and Nizhnyaya Taldy rivers, 44°25’N, 79°51’E, mountain stony steppe, 1300 m, 26– 28.06.2016 (A.A. Fomichev) .

Etymology. The specific name derived from the Matai Mountains (the type locality).

Diagnosis. This species is most close to G. aksuensis sp. n., G. khovdensis , G. prashkevichi sp. n., and G. rasnitsyni ( Table 1 ). Males of the new species differ from those of species, except for G. aksuensis sp. n., in that the embolic spine is directed prolaterally (vs directed anteriorly, ventrally, or retrolaterally). The male of new species differs from G. aksuensis sp. n. in having the tibial apophysis half as short as the tibia (vs length equal to tibia) and the wide lamina at the middle part of prolateral edge of the embolus (vs narrow lamina). It differs from G. khovdensis and G. rasnitsyni in that the embolus has a strongly curved apex (vs straight apex). Also, from G. prashkevichi sp. n. it can be distinguished in that the base of embolus starts at posterior 1/3 of the bulbus (vs at posterior 1/5 of bulbus). The females of G. mataica sp. n. and G. aksuensis sp. n. can be separated by the lateral margins of the fovea having widened pockets and by the stems of the receptacle head touching each other in the former species (lateral margins with narrowed pockets and stems of receptacle heads not touching each other in G. aksuensis sp. n.). From G. prashkevichi sp. n. the female of G. mataica sp. n. is separated in having the epigynal fovea almost as long as wide (vs epigynal fovea 1.5 times longer than wide) and by presence of well-developed bulges. The new species differs from G. rasnitsyni and G. serzonsteini in having the scape with a triangular posterior margin, which is concave in the similar species. Additionally, G. mataica sp. n. can be distinguished from G. rasnitsyni in having the glands of the receptacles directed anteriorly (posteriorly in similar species), and from G. serzonsteini in that the bulges touch the scape.

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 9.3. Carapace: 4.5 long, 3.45 wide. Carapace and sternum light brown. Chelicerae dark brown. Maxillae and labium brown. Palps and legs yellow. Abdomen dirty yellow with light-brown dorsal scutum. Spinnerets pale yellow.

Leg measurements:

Palp as in Figs 2, 5 , 8, 11 , 14 ; tibial apophysis relatively short (shorter than tibia), with parallel margins and tip bent posteriorly; tegular apophysis bent prolaterally; embolus straight with strongly curved apex; prolateral edge of embolus serrated bearings lamina with several rows of fine spines; base of embolus extended, starts at posterior 1/3 of bulbus; anterior part of embolic base bears spine directed prolaterally.

Female. Total length 9.7. Carapace: 4.9 long, 3.55 wide. Prosoma as in male. Palps: Fe–Pt yellow, Ti–Ta brown. Legs yellow. Legs I–II with light-brown Mt–Ta. Abdomen dirty yellow. Spinnerets pale yellow.

Leg measurements:

Epigyne as in Figs 17, 20 ; fovea almost as wide as long, with pair of clearly delineated bulges; scape longer than wide, with triangular posterior margin; lateral margins of the fovea with short and wide pockets, at an angle of about 55° to epigastral fold; heads of receptacles directed upward.

Size variations. Males vary from 8.3 to 9.3 in the body length, carapace 4.1–4.5 long and 3.1–3.45 wide (n = 2). Females vary from 9.6 to 12.1 in the body length, carapace 4.2–5.6 long and 3.1–4.1 wide (n = 5).

Distribution. Known from the type locality only.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Male palps of Gnaphosa aksuensis sp. n. (1, 4), G. mataica sp. n. (2, 5) and G. prashkevichi sp. n. (3, 6). 1–3 ventral, 4–6 retrolateral. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 7–12. Bulbus of Gnaphosa aksuensis sp. n. (7, 10), G. mataica sp. n. (8, 11) and G. prashkevichi sp. n. (9, 12). 7–9 ventral, 10–12 prolateral. Scale bars = 0.2 mm. Eb base of embolus, El embolic lamina, Es embolic spine, Ma median apophysis.

FIGURES 13–21. Bulbus and epigyne of Gnaphosa aksuensis sp. n. (13, 16, 19), G. mataica sp. n. (14, 17, 20) and G. prashkevichi sp. n. (15, 18, 21). 13–15 bulbus, apical; 16–18 epigyne, ventral; 19–21 macerated epigyne, dorsal. Scale bars = 0.2 mm. Es embolic spine, Fb foveal bulges, Lp pockets of lateral margins of the fovea, Rs stems of the receptacle head, Sc scape.

FIGURES 22–25. Habitus of Gnaphosa prashkevichi sp. n. (22) and collecting localities of species of Gnaphosa rasnitsyni- group (23–25). G. aksuensis sp. n., square, G. esyunini, pentagon, G. khovdensis, star, G. mataica sp. n., triangle, G. prashkevichi sp. n., circle, G. rasnitsyni, inverted triangle, G. serzonsteini, diamond. Frame on Fig. 23 refers to Fig. 24.