Rhysodromus tikhmenevi Zamani & Marusik, 2025

Zamani, Alireza, Enayatnia, Masoumeh, Mirshekar, Ali, Mayvan, Mahmood Mehrafrooz, Kováč, Ľubomír & Marusik, Yuri M., 2025, New data on the spider fauna of Iran (Arachnida: Araneae), Part XII, Zootaxa 5601 (1), pp. 1-45 : 34-37

Rhysodromus tikhmenevi Zamani & Marusik , sp. nov.

Figs 20C , 22A‒B

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( ZMUT), IRAN: Sistan & Baluchistan Prov.: Zabol, 31°02'12"N 61°32'14"E, 480 m, 6.04.2020 (M. Enayatnia).

Etymology. This species is named after Pavel E. Tikhmenev (Magadan. Russia), a friend of YMM.

Diagnosis. The male palp of the new species resembles those of R. halophilus ( Levy, 1977) , R. timidus ( Szita & Logunov, 2008) and R. xinjiangensis . It differs from R. halophilus by having a nearly indistinct, tiny tegular apophysis (Tg) and a conductor (Cd) that is as wide as it is long (vs. distinct tegular apophysis and a conductor that is longer than it is wide) (cf. Fig. 22A and Levy 1977: fig. 32). It differs from R. timidus by the tip of the retrolateral tibial apophysis (Ra), which is bent backward (vs. not bent), a meandering sperm duct within the embolus (vs. straight), and a tip of the embolus that is not sharply pointed (vs. pointed) (cf. Fig. 22A‒B and Szita & Logunov 2008: figs 33, 34). The male palp of R. tikhmenevi sp. nov. differs from that of R. xinjiangensis by having a thinner embolus, a shorter anterior loop (Al) of the sperm duct, and a bent tip of the tibial apophysis (vs. unbent) (cf. Fig. 22A‒B and Szita & Logunov 2008: figs 36, 37).

Description. Male (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 20C . Total length 3.50. Carapace 1.60 long, 1.47 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.08, ALE: 0.08, PME: 0.06, PLE: 0.07. Carapace medially and marginally pale beige, laterally light brown, mottled and with paired white patches; chelicerae, sternum, labium and maxillae yellowish brown; sternum laterally and posteriorly mottled. Palps and legs yellowish brown, cymbium brown, legs mottled and with faint brown markings. Abdomen pale beige, dorsum with dark grey foliate pattern anteriorly and 2 converging dentate grey bands posteriorly. Spinnerets yellowish brown. Measurements of legs: I: 9.14 (2.51, 0.83, 2.34, 2.12, 1.34), II: 12.27 (3.23, 1.01, 3.24, 2.96, 1.83), III: 6.89 (2.04, 0.71, 1.71, 1.54, 0.89), IV: 7.53 (2.27, 0.71, 1.94, 1.72, 0.89).

Palp as in Fig. 22A‒B ; tibia 1.25x longer than wide, retrolateral tibial apophysis (Ra) small, as long as wide, with pointed tip directed dorsally; cymbium elongate, ~ 2.3x longer than wide, tip long, ~ 1/3 of cymbial length, with 1 spine anteriorly from bulb and another prolaterally; bulb oval, ~ 1.8x longer than wide; sperm duct forming 3 distinct loops, posterior, anterior (Al) and prolateral; tegular apophysis (Tg) very small, almost indistinct, conductor located dorsal to embolus, with rounded tip, almost as wide as long; embolus with large base, tip slightly bent, not sharply pointed.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Sistan & Baluchistan, southeastern Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Habitus of Philodromus parvulus sp. nov. (A), Thanatus sepiacolor (B), Rhysodromus tikhmenevi sp. nov. (C), Rhysodromus pictus (D), and Rhysodromus medes (E), dorsal view. B, C—males; A, D, E—females.

FIGURE 22. Male palps of Rhysodromus tikhmenevi sp. nov. (A, B) and Thanatus sepiacolor (C, D). A, D—ventral view; B, C—retrolateral view. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.Abbreviations: Al—anterior loop of the sperm duct; Cd—conductor; Ra—retrolateral tibial apophysis; Tg—tegular apophysis.