Raveniola zonsteini Zamani and Fomichev, 2025

Zamani, Alireza & Fomichev, Alexander A., 2025, Four new species of Mygalomorphae (Araneae) from Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Journal of Natural History 59 (13 - 16), pp. 775-793 : 788-791

Raveniola zonsteini Zamani and Fomichev sp. n.

( Figures 36–42 , 46–48 )

Type

♂ holotype ( ZMUT); AFGHANISTAN: Nuristan Province, south-east of Kamdesh , 35.3952°N, 71.3703°E, 2400–2700 m, 29 May to 1 June 2022, leg . C . Reuter.

Etymology

The specific epithet, a noun in the genitive case, is in honour of our colleague Sergei L. Zonstein, in recognition of his fundamental contributions to our knowledge of Central Asian Mygalomorphae .

Diagnosis

The new species belongs to the concolor group sensu Zonstein (2024). It closely resembles R. ornatula Zonstein, 2024 from Tajikistan in the shape of the palpal organ. In the new species, it differs from that of R. ornatula in the ectal margin of the bulbal part and the conical part of the embolus forming an almost straight continuous line in lateral view (in R. ornatula bulbal part with slightly bulging ectal margin in lateral view; Figure 42 , cf. Zonstein 2024, fig. 417), in the subapical part of the embolus being noticeably wider (in R. ornatula thinner), and in a shorter conical part of the embolus (in R. ornatula longer; Figure 42 , cf. Zonstein 2024, figs 415, 416).

Description

Male (holotype). Habitus as in Figures 36–37 . Total length 16.50. Carapace 6.80 long, 6.03 wide. Sternum 3.55 long, 2.85 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.21, ALE: 0.33, PME: 0.21, PLE: 0.19. Each chelicera with 9 promarginal teeth and 7 mesobasal denticles. Each maxilla with ca. 43 cuspules. Carapace reddish chestnut-brown; chelicerae dark chestnut-brown; sternum, labium, maxillae, palps, and legs yellowish brown. Abdomen pale beige, spinnerets slightly paler. Spination of palp and legs: palp: Fe d6, Pa d2, Ti p6 d4 r3 v4; leg I: Fe d10, Pa p1, Ti p2 r1 v6; leg II: Fe p4 d2, Pa p1, Ti p3 v8, Mt r1 v5; leg III: Fe d8, Pa p2 r1, Ti p3 d3 r3 6 v, Mt p6 d1 r3 v4; leg IV: Fe p3 d3 r3, Pa p2 r1, Ti p3 d2 r4 v8, Mt p3 d4 r4 v9. Measurements of palp and legs: palp: 10.12 (4.00, 2.15, 3.12, -, 0.85); leg I: 22.37 (6.25, 3.78, 4.70, 4.89, 2.75); leg II: 20.92 (5.89, 3.21, 4.48, 4.61, 2.73); leg III: 18.41 (4.96, 2.63, 3.72, 4.74, 2.36); leg IV: 23.40 (6.08, 3.04, 4.86, 6.39, 3.03).

Palp as in Figures 38–42 ; bulbal part of palpal organ semicircular in lateral view, globular in ventral view; conical part of embolus short, subapical and apical parts gently winding.

Female. Unknown.

Habitat

Pine forest ( Figure 46 ).

Comment

Recently, Zonstein (2024) described Raveniola afghana Zonstein, 2024 , which also belongs to the concolor group, from female specimens collected in Bamyan Province and Wardak Province of central Afghanistan. It is possible that the male specimen described here is conspecific with these females, although it is unlikely because there is approximately 400 km of aerial distance between their collection sites. Collecting additional material of both sexes at these localities is necessary to confirm that two distinct species are present.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality in Nuristan Province of eastern Afghanistan ( Figure 47 ) .

Figures

Figures 36–39. Habitus (36–37) and left palp (38–39) of male of Raveniola zonsteini sp. n.; 36 = dorsal view; 37 = ventral view; 38 = prolateral view; 39 = retrolateral view. Scale bars: 36–37 = 2 mm; 38–39 = 1 mm.

Figures 40–42. Distal part of left palp of male of Raveniola zonsteini sp. n.; 40 = prolateral view; 41 = ventral view; 42 = retrolateral view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figures 43–46. Living male of Ummidia dudkoi sp. n. (43), and habitat at type localities of Raveniola farkhor sp. n. and U. dudkoi sp. n. (44), of Anemesia gidzhovak sp. n. (45), and of Raveniola zonsteini sp. n. (46). Photographs: A.A. Fomichev (43–45) and C. Reuter (46).

Figures 47, 48. Type localities of the new mygalomorph species. Diamond = Anemesia gidzhovak sp. n.; triangle = Raveniola zonsteini sp. n.; square = Raveniola farkhor sp. n. and Ummidia dudkoi sp. n. Figure 47 corresponds to the inside of the frame in Figure 48. National borders are shown in black, rivers and lakes are shown in blue.