Zodariellum spasskyi ( Charitonov, 1946 )

Esyunin, Sergei L., Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2023, Redescriptions of two poorly known species of Zodariellum Andreeva & Tystshenko, 1968 (Araneae, Zodariidae) from Uzbekistan, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 9 (4), pp. 703-709 : 704

Zodariellum spasskyi ( Charitonov, 1946) ( Figs 1–2, 4–5)

Zodarion spasskyi Charitonov, 1946:22 , fig. 11 ( ♀).

Zodarion spasskyi : Charitonov, 1969:72.

Zodariellum spasskyi : Zamani & Marusik, 2022:175 .

Type material. Lectotype ♀ ( PSU, designated here), UZBEKISTAN: Samarqand Region : Urgut District, near 39°18'N 66°55'E, 1200‒1900 m; labelled as “ Zodarion spasskyi n.sp. D. Charitonov det., Aman-Kutap [mountain area], 40 km SE from Samarqand, 23.V.1942, D.M. Fedotov ” . Paralectotype: 1♀ ( PSU; epigyne mounted on a slide), collected with the lectotype .

Diagnosis. Zodariellum spasskyi differs from all its congeners by its unique abdominal pattern: light coloured with a wide dark median band spanning from the anterior to the posterior part ( vs. a longitudinal dark band absent in other species). The shape of its epigyne is very similar to that of Z. nenilini (Eskov, 1995) and is almost indistinguishable. Nevertheless, there are slight differences in the anterior hood (cf. Figs 4, 8).

Description. Female. Habitus as in Figs 1–2. Total length 4.85 (LT), 5.01 (PLT). Carapace length 2.25 (LT), 2.38 (PLT), width 1.05 (LT), 1.70 (PLT). Eye sizes (LT): ALE: 0.10, AME: 0.14, PLE: 0.10, PME: 0.08. Coloration ( sensu Charitonov, 1946, 1969): body light yellow; ocular region black; sternum with narrow reddish brown margin; abdomen dorsally with longitudinal dark brown band. Measurements of legs (LT): I: 7.08 (1.90, 0.68, 1.50, 1.93, 1.08), II: 7.18 (1.90, 0.75, 1.38, 2.05, 1.10), III: 7.23 (2.00, 0.75, 1.38, 2.13, 0.98), IV: 9.65 (2.63, 0.83, 2.25, 2.75, 1.20). Epigyne as in Figs 4–5; plate twice wider than long, with triangular anterior hood, its anterior margin forming angle of 120º; receptacles oval, spaced by ca. 4 times their width; copulatory ducts long, twisted 5 times around their axes, converging and forming angle of ca. 105º.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Confidently known only from the type locality in eastern Uzbekistan. Although Logunov & Gromov (2012) included this species in their list of spiders of Kazakhstan, the original record for Z. spasskyi in this country could not be located. According to Zamani & Marusik (2022), it is likely that this record belongs to a different species. Considering that the epigyne of Z. spasskyi is almost indistinguishable from that of Z. nenilini , it is possible that their record in fact refers to the latter species.