Raveniola kopetdaghensis (Fet, 1984)

Figs 21–22, 103, 158, 222, 281, 305, 372, 443–444, 604, 719, 757

Brachythele kopetdaghensis Fet, 1984: 37, fig. 1–2 (♂).

Brachythele kopetdaghensis – Fet 1985a: 274; 1985b: 72. — Zonstein 1985: 159. — Kuznetsov & Fet 1986: 50.

Raveniola kopetdaghensis – Zonstein 1987: 1015. — Platnick 1989: 90. — Mikhailov & Fet 1994: 502. — Mikhailov 1996: 77; 1997: 20; 2013: 12.

Diagnosis

Raveniola kopetdaghensis is well distinguishable due to the full absence of PMS, which are present in all other species of the group (see Fig. 604 cf. Figs 597–603, 605–618). From members of the diluta group, also possessing only one pair of the spinnerets, R. kopetdaghensis differs in having a narrow awlshaped embolus (vs differently arranged types of the embolus; Figs 443–444 cf. Figs 429–438).

Material examined

Holotype

TURKMENISTAN • ♂; Kopetdag Mts, Aidere Canyon; 38°25′ N, 56°49′ E; 900 m a.s.l.; 20 Apr. 1980; V. Fet leg.; ZISP.

Paratypes (27 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ subad., 6 juvs; all collected with pitfall traps)

TURKMENISTAN • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; SMNH • 3 ♂♂; Kopetdag Mts, Aidere Canyon; 38°23′– 38°25′ N, 56°46′– 56°51′ E; 750–1200 m a.s.l.; 20–30 Mar. 1980; V. Fet leg.; ZISP • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 30 Mar.–1 Apr. 1980; V. Fet leg.; ZISP • 1 ♀ subad.; same collection data as for preceding; 30 Mar.–20 Apr. 1980; V. Fet leg.; ZISP • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 1–10 Apr. 1980; V. Fet leg.; ZISP • 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 10–20 Apr. 1980; V. Fet leg.; ZMMU • 5 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 20 Apr.–1 May 1980; V. Fet leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂, 6 juvs; Kopetdag Mts, Firyuza Canyon; 37°52′ N, 58°02′ E; 1200–1400 m a.s.l.; 7–16 Feb. 1979; G.T. Kuznetzov leg.; ZMMU • 5 ♂♂, 1 ♀ subad.; Kopetdag Mts, Karanki Gorge; 37°48′ N, 58°18′ E; 800–900 m a.s.l.; 8–15 Apr. 1980; G.T. Kuznetzov leg.; ZISP • 3 ♂♂; Kopetdag Mts, Kurtusu Gorge; 37°44′ N, 58°23′ E; 800–1000 m a.s.l.; 15–22 Mar. 1980; G.T. Kuznetzov leg.; SMNH .

Additional material (7 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ subad.)

TURKMENISTAN • 1 ♂; Kopetdag Mts, Aidere Canyon; 1–30 Jun. 1983; V. Fet leg.; SMNH • 2 ♀♀ subad.; Kopetdag Mts, Eldere Canyon; 38°31′ N, 56°23′ E; 800–1000 m a.s.l.; 5–9 Jul. 1982; N.S. Ustinova leg.; ZMMU • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 16–25 Apr. 1983; S. Zabelin leg.; ZMMU • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 28 Nov.–18 Dec. 1984; T. Sorokina leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂; Kopetdag Mts, near summit of Mt Syunt; 38°31′ N, 56°22′ E; 1560 m a.s.l.; 26 Mar. 1993; D.A. Milko leg.; SMNH .

Description

Male (holotype)

HABITUS. See Fig. 21.

MEASUREMENTS. TBL 11.40, CL 4.51, CW 4.17, LL 0.40, LW 0.86, SL 2.34, SW 2.08.

COLOUR. Carapace, sternum, labium, maxillae and leg coxae light yellowish orange; chelicerae and radial grooves of carapace medium reddish orange; eye tubercle blackish brown; palps, legs and spinnerets pale brownish yellow; abdomen light greyish brown, dorsally with darker and weakly contrasting brown chevron-like pattern.

CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 103. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 158. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.12(0.18), ALE 0.22, PLE 0.14, PME 0.13; AME–AME 0.15(0.09), ALE–AME 0.10(0.07), ALE–PLE 0.08, PLE–PME 0.04, PME–PME 0.37. Anterior cheliceral edge with unmodified setae; rastellum not developed. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 3–4 mesobasal denticles. MIT indiscernible (Fig. 200). Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 222. Maxillae with 9–10 cuspules each.

LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus I as in Figs 281, 305. Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire on tarsus I; narrowly divided by setae on tarsus II; sparse and very widely divided on tarsi III–IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–9 each on tibiae, 13–15 on metatarsi, 12–13 on tarsi, 8 on cymbium. PTC I–IV with 7–9 teeth on each margin.

SPINATION. Palp: femur d3, pd1; patella p1; tibia d2, p3, r2, v6(7); cymbium d6. Leg I: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p1; tibia p2, pv3, r3(2), rv2+2M; metatarsus v5(3). Leg II: femur d4, pd3; patella p1; tibia p2(3), v7; metatarsus d1, p2, v5. Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd2; patella p1, r1; tibia d3, p3, r3, v7; metatarsus d1, p3, r3, v7. Leg IV: femur d4, pd3, rd2; patella p1, r1; tibia d2, p3, r3, v7; metatarsus d3, p4, r4, v8. Tarsi I–IV aspinose.

PALP. Tibia, cymbium and copulatory bulb as shown in Fig. 372. Embolus long tapering and slightly curved subapically (Figs 443–444).

SPINNERETS. See Fig. 604. PMS: absent. PLS: maximal diameter 0.43; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.76, 0.63, 0.58; total length 1.97; apical segment shortly digitiform.

LEG MEASUREMENTS.

Female

Adult females are unknown. All the four examined female specimens (CL 4.0–4.2) lack developed spermathecae and thus they are recognised to represent subadult spiders. Although Fet (1984) used some female characters in the original description, he did not mention any feature related to the spermathecae. Until the description of conspecific adult females is published, the species should be considered as known only for males.

Variation

Carapace length in males (n= 12) varies from 4.21 to 4.87; a characteristic pale colouration, including a poorly developed chevron-like abdominal pattern, shows no significant variation throughout the specimens (as in Fig. 22).

Ecology

The species inhabits mountain forest biotopes at 700–1560 m a.s.l.; its distribution is mainly confined to sparse forest formation dominated by Acer turkomanicum Pojark. and Juniperus turkomanica B. Fedtshenko. See Fig. 719, showing the type locality. Wandering males were collected from late November till June, with a certain peak in April. Since almost all specimens (with only one exception) were collected exclusively using pitfall traps, no detailed information regarding the spider retreats is known.

Distribution

Turkmenistan: southwestern and central parts of the Kopetdag Mts. See Fig. 757.