New data on zodariid spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean Author Shafaie, Sepideh Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic. sepideh.shafaie87@gmail.com Author Stano PEKÁR Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic. pekar@sci.muni.cz Author Osman SEYYAR Department of Biology, Faculty of Art & Sciences, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, TR- 51240 Niğde, Turkey oseyyar@ohu.edu.tr text European Journal of Taxonomy 2025 2025-09-18 1016 1 139 https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/3063/13687 journal article 312568 10.5852/ejt.2025.1016.3063 aa1f865e-3066-437c-a9fb-5d4dc5ab00b8 2118-9773 17245005 971686D8-3C1F-4F8F-9AA1-FBB8BC97E175 Zodarion levyi Shafaie & Pekár sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F5D64ED9-3627-4905-A456-134F362A4231 Figs 67–69 , 106 Diagnosis This new species is most similar to Z. beroni by the small body size and asymmetrically bi-concave embolar tip ( Fig. 68G vs Fig. 37F ) but can be distinguished by the following characters: (1) a more extended prolateral process of median apophysis (vs elongated, cf. Fig. 68B, E and Fig. 37B ); and (2) slightly convergent embolar arms (vs divergent arms, cf. Fig. 68G and Fig. 37F ). Females of Z. levyi sp. nov. can be recognized from the other members of the thoni -group by an extended median septum ( Fig. 69A–B ), whereas it is less extended in Z. beroni ( Fig. 37D ), Z. granulatum ( Fig. 53D ), Z. namrun ( Fig. 82A–B ), Z. reticulatum ( Fig. 90D ), Z. rhodiense ( Fig. 92D ), and Z. thoni ( Fig. 96D ). Etymology This species is named after the late Gershom Levy, an Israeli arachnologist. Type material Holotype ISRAEL • ♂ ; Odem Forest , Golan Heights ; 1 May 1996 ; J. Levy leg.; HUJINV-Ar 21303 . Paratype ISRAEL • 1 ♀ ; same collection data as for holotype; HUJINV-Ar 21304 . Other material examined ISRAEL • 1 ♀ ; same collection data as for holotype; CMU • 3 ♀♀ ; Odem Forest ; 33.206° N , 35.736° E ; 29 Mar. 2023 ; S. Pekár and V. Opatová leg.; CMU • 1 ♀ ; same collection data as for preceding; 4 May 2023 ; M. Řezáč leg.; CMU • 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ ; Har Hermon ; 33.288° N , 35.764° E ; 5 May 2023 ; M. Řezáč leg.; CMU . SYRIA • 1 ♂ ; W Homs , Al-Zarah ; 28 Mar. 2001 ; O. Řezáč leg.; CMU . Description Male ( holotype HUJINV-Ar 21303) HABITUS ( Fig. 67A–B ). Carapace and chelicerae light brown; mouthparts basally light brown and apically pale; sternum yellow. All legs yellow. Palpal segments yellow. Abdomen dorsally black, with a shiny, black scutum, venter of abdomen and spinnerets slightly dirty yellow; PVS present. Fig. 67. Habitus of Zodarion levyi Shafaie & Pekár sp. nov. A–B . Holotype, ♂ (HUJINV-Ar 21303). C–D . Paratype, ♀ (HUJINV-Ar 21304). A . Dorsal view. B . Ventral view. C . Dorsal view. D . Ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm. MEASUREMENTS . Total length 2.44; carapace 1.25 long, 0.89 wide. Clypeus 0.14 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.13, ALE=PME 0.09, PLE 0.08, AME–AME 0.05, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.29, AME–PME 0.05, PME–PME 0.33, PME–PLE 0.05, PLE–PLE 0.26, ALE–PLE 0.1. Legs: I 3.55 (0.99, 0.39, 0.72, 0.89, 0.56), II 2.97 (0.82, 0.36, 0.52, 0.75, 0.52), III 2.89 (0.79, 0.33, 0.56, 0.75, 0.46), IV 4.31 (1.15, 0.36, 0.92, 1.22, 0.66). Palp: 0.89 (0.29, 0.13, 0.05, 0.42). PALP ( Fig. 68A–G ). RTA broad, with a claw-shaped extension. Median apophysis broad, rectangular, with an oval leaf-shaped PMA. Embolus short, with a bifurcated tip including two convergent arms. Female ( paratype HUJINV-Ar 21304) Fig. 68. Male palp of Zodarion levyi Shafaie & Pekár sp. nov. , holotype (HUJINV-Ar 21303). A . Prolateral view. B . Ventral view. C . Retrolateral view. D . Prolateral view. E . Ventral view. F . Retrolateral view. G . Embolar tip, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. HABITUS ( Fig. 67C–D ). Carapace, chelicerae and palp yellow; mouthparts, sternum, spinnerets, legs and abdomen ventrally pale. Abdomen dorsum brownish without scutum; PVS present. MEASUREMENTS . Total length 2.9; carapace 1.25 long, 0.89 wide. Clypeus 0.14 high. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.12, ALE= PME 0.1, PLE 0.09, AME–AME 0.09, AME–ALE 0.03, ALE–ALE 0.36, AME–PME 0.09, PME–PME 0.39, PME–PLE 0.09, PLE–PLE 0.23, ALE–PLE 0.15. Legs: I 3.25 (0.89, 0.36, 0.62, 0.79, 0.59), II 2.85 (0.75, 0.29, 0.59, 0.66, 0.56), III 2.98 (0.79, 0.39, 0.52, 0.79, 0.49), IV 4.28 (1.32, 0.46, 0.66, 1.25, 0.59). Palp: 0.98 (0.31, 0.14, 0.07, 0.46). EPIGYNE ( Fig. 69A–D ). Epigyne comprising a clearly distinctive, transverse brace-shaped median septum, with deep copulatory openings, anteriorly covered by a hooded, emarginated arch and laterally surrounded by coiled spermathecae running divergently, visible by transparency. Vulva comprises divergent spermathecal ducts terminally expanded inward. Size variation Total body length 2.44–3.06, carapace length/width 1.25–1.53/ 0.89–1.06 in males (N =2). Total body length 2.8–2.9, carapace length/width 1.25–1.33/ 0.86–0.89 in females (N=2). Distribution Israel and Syria .