Zaitunia arabica, Marusik & Zonstein & Ras, 2023

Marusik, Yuri M., Zonstein, Sergei & Ras, Feb, 2023, A new and the southernmost species of Zaitunia Lehtinen, 1967 (Araneae: Filistatidae) from the United Arab Emirates, Israel Journal of Entomology 52 (17), pp. 29-33 : 30-32

Zaitunia arabica n. sp.

( Figs 1–9)

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:68FE89D9-BE14-473D-9E8A-FD5E8514174C .

Types: Holotype ♀ and paratype ♀ [or subadult] ( ZMMU), United Arab Emirates, Rub ‘Al Khali Desert, ca 4 km NW of Maleha, W foothills of Jebel Maliha Mt. Ridge , ca. 175 m, 25 ° 09'50"N 55 ° 50'07"E, sands, 31.03.2003 (A.V. Gromov).

Etymology: The species name refers to the country and the region, where the specimens were collected, the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Peninsula.

Diagnosis: AccordinG to the characters proVided by Zonstein and Marusik (2016), this species falls to the persica species-group, which is characterized by one pair of the receptacles. Within this group, the new species is most similar to Z. medica Brignoli, 1982 in having solid receptacles (which are wider than long) without stalks. Zaitunia arabica differs from Z. medica in the visible absence of leg annulation, much smaller size (carapace length ca. 1.5 vs. 3.0) and by the shape of the receptacles (low flattened oval vs. raised mound-like) ( Figs 8–11) and the distance between them (3 widths vs. less than 1 width).

Description: Female (holotype). Habitus as in Figs 1 and 4. Total length ca. 3.18, carapace 1.53 long, 1.00 wide (possibly deformed); abdomen ca. 1.65.

Colour: Overall coloration pale yellowish. Carapace with dark lateral patches near lateral eyes and two poorly developed areas of darker brownish reticulate pattern adjoining clypeus laterally. Legs and abdomen lacking pattern ( Figs 1–4).

Prosoma: Eye sizes and interdistances: ALE ca. 0.14, ALE–ALE 0.13, PME 0.09, PME–PME 0.11. Clypeus 0.23. Sternum nearly trapezoidal, widest between coxae II and III.

Legs and palps: Coxae IV not spaced. Metatarsi of all legs with pair of ventral distal spines. Calamistrum as in Figs 5–7. Legs and palp length as follows:

Palp I II III IV

Femur 0.75 2.00 1.50 1.18 1.70

Patella 0.50 0.63 0.58 0.50 0.63

Tibia 0.50 2.00 1.13 0.88 1.50

Metatarsus – 1.80 0.95 0.88 1.38

Tarsus 0.55 1.05 0.65 0.68 0.70

Total 2.30 7.48 4.81 4.12 5.91

Endogyne ( Figs 8, 9): ca. 0.15 wide, receptacle oval, lacking distinct stalk, anterior half covered with dense pore glands; receptacles each ca. 0.030 wide and 0.013 high, spaced by 3 widths.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution: Only the type locality.