Torrenticola (Torrenticola) saboorii sp. nov.

(Figs. 1­6)

Material examined: Holotype male, dissected and slide mounted in Hoyer's fluid; Iran, Kerman area, the Bidkhan stream, Bidkhan (area of Bardsir city

near Kerman), 0 6.08.2002, leg. Asadi.

Diagnosis: Idiosoma longish (L/W dorsal shield 1.57); ventral plate extended almost to the posterior margin of the ventral shield, medial suture lines of Cx­2+3 considerably elongated (L>190, ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 median L 1.56).

Description

Male: Idiosoma (Fig. 2) L 785.0, W 561.5, dorsal shield (Fig. 1) L 677.0, W 430.7, L/ W ratio 1.57; dorsal plate L 646.0; shoulder plate L 227.0, W 65.4, L/W ratio 3.47, frontal plate L 123.0, W 57.7, L/W ratio 2.13, shoulder/frontal plate L ratio 1.84; gnathosomal bay L 131.5, W 75.0; ventral plate extending almost to the posterior margin of the ventral shield; Cx­1 total L 300.0, median L 169.2, Cx­2+3 median L 192.3; ratio Cx­1 total L/ Cx­2+3 median L 1.56, Cx­1 median L/Cx­2+3 median L 0.88; genital field (Fig. 3) L 142.3, W 111.5, L/W ratio 1.27, rectangular in shape; ejaculatory complex (Fig. 6) L 221.1, W 92.3; distance genital field–excretory pore 120.4, distance genital field–caudal body margin 161.5; gnathosoma ventral L 305.8; chelicera L 334.6; palp (Figs. 4­5) total L 324.1, dorsal length and relative length (in parentheses % of total length) of palp segments: P­1 34.6 (10.6), P­2 102 (31.5), P­3 61.5 (19.0), P­4 102 (31.5), P­5 24 (7.4); P­2/ P­4 ratio 1.0.

Female: unknown.

Discussion: T. saboorii sp. nov. is differing from all other Palaearctic species of the subgenus Torrenticola, in the considerably extended ventral plate (almost to the posterior margin of the ventral shield, like in T.rhamphopsis Wiles, 1997, from Malaysia). Due to the relatively long medial suture line of Cx/2+3 and medium sized genital field in males, T. saboorii sp. nov. is similar to T. lativalvata sensu Angelier, T. microphallus Lundblad, 1965 and T. crenobia Di Sabatino & Cicolani, 1992 . From all these species, T. saboorii sp. nov., is differing in the remarkably longer medial suture line of Cx­2+3 (L>190, ratio Cx­1 L/Cx­2+3 median L 1.56) and in the relatively longer shoulder plates (L ratio shoulder/ frontal plate 1.84).

Etymology: The species is named after Dr. Alireza Saboori. Habitat: Rhithral.

Distribution: Iran, only known from the locus typicus in the Kerman area.