Rhysodromus medes, Zamani & Marusik, 2021

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2021, A new genus and ten new species of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) from Iran, ZooKeys 1054, pp. 95-126 : 95

Rhysodromus medes sp. nov.

Figures 18B , 19C, D , 21A, B

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (NHMW), Iran: Hormozgan Province: 26 km S of Minab, 7.1974 (G. Pretzmann).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition, referring to an ancient Iranian people who spoke the Median language and inhabited an area known as Media between western and northern Iran.

Diagnosis.

The new species differs from all congeners (as well as all other members of Philodromus sensu lato) by having 2 parallel, unspaced tibial apophyses of the same length (vs apophyses either absent, or 1 or 2 spaced and not of equal length) and sperm duct thick at proximal-prolateral part, as thick as retrolaterally (vs prolateral part gradually tapering and thinner than retrolateral part).

Description.

Male. Habitus as in Figure 18B . Total length 4.07. Carapace 1.87 long, 1.60 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.11, ALE: 0.07, PME: 0.10, PLE: 0.11. Carapace, labium, chelicera, maxilla and sternum yellowish-brown. Legs pale, without annulations. Abdomen pale, with scattered thick dark setae. Spinnerets pale, unicolourous. Measurements of legs: I: 8.97 (2.52, 0.96, 2.41, 2.06, 1.02), II: 11.58 (3.20, 1.19, 3.10, 2.78, 1.31), III: 4.97 (1.52, 0.52, 1.07, 1.18, 0.68), IV: 8.54 (2.65, 0.75, 1.95, 2.23, 0.96).

Palp as in Figures 19C, D , 21A, B ; tibia ca 1.3 times longer than wide, with two apophyses, not spaced and equal in length, about ½ of tibia’s length, ventral one membranous and transparent, retrolateral one well sclerotized; cymbium 1.7 times longer than wide, with tip equal in length to tibial apophyses; tegulum oval, ca 1.8 times longer than wide; sperm duct thick, only 2.5 times thinner than tibia’s diameter, proximal-prolateral part as thick as retrolateral part, sharply tapering in distal half of tegulum; tegular apophysis (Ta) small, claw-like, located antero-retrolaterally; embolus large, about 0.63 of tegulum’s length, base as wide as ½ of tegulum, gradually tapering.

Female. Unknown.

Comments.

This species is tentatively placed in Rhysodromus , as it has a different pattern and a very thick sperm duct which is unknown in other members of the genus. The generic placement is due to the presence of tegular apophysis and two closely placed tibial apophyses, similar to R. mysticus (Dondale & Redner, 1975).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Hormozgan Province, southern Iran.

Figures

Figure 18. Male dorsal habitus of Rhysodromus genoensis sp. nov. (A) and Rhysodromus medes sp. nov. (B).

Figure 19. Male palps of Rhysodromus genoensis sp. nov. (A, B) and Rhysodromus medes sp. nov. (C, D) A, C ventral B, D retrolateral. Abbreviation: Ta - tegular apophysis. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 21. SEM images of the male palp of Rhysodromus medes sp. nov. A ventral B retroventral. Abbreviation: Ta - tegular apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.