Mesiotelus turanicus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik, 2024

Zamani, Alireza, Fomichev, Alexander A., Naumova, Maria, Kaya, Rahşen S. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2024, New taxonomic and faunistic data on Liocranidae (Arachnida: Araneae) of West Palaearctic), with nine new species of Mesiotelus Simon, 1897, Zootaxa 5519 (2), pp. 190-214 : 207

Mesiotelus turanicus Zamani, Fomichev & Marusik , sp. nov.

Figs 14 , 67–69

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( ZMMU), TAJIKISTAN: Khatlon Region: Hissar Mt. Range, nr. Ramit Reserve , Sardai-Miyona River gorge, ca. 12 km NW of Ramit, clay cliff, 38°45'N, 69°18'E, 1400 m, 2.V.2015 (leg. Y.M. Marusik).

Paratypes: 1♀ ( ZMMU), same data as for the holotype ; 1♀ ( ZMMU), Varzob District: Hissar Mt. Range, 48 km of Varzob Hwy , 38°55'31.9"N, 68°48'17.5"E, 1530 m, 7.V.2015 (leg. Y.M. Marusik & M. Saidov) .

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Turan, a historical region in Central Asia.

Diagnosis. The epigyne of the new species is somewhat similar to that of M. kulczynskii in the epigynal plate longer than wide, a wide anterior hood ( Ah), and relatively short lateral margins of the fovea. However, the new species can be distinguished by its relatively wider hood and subparallel lateral margins of the fovea ( vs. inclining) (cf. Figs 67 and 52 ).

Description. Female ( holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 14 . Total length 6.54. Carapace 2.30 long, 1.88 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.10, ALE: 0.13, PME: 0.09, PLE: 0.14. Carapace, chelicerae, maxillae, labium and sternum light yellowish brown. Carapace with faint marginal and lateral bands. Legs slightly lighter than carapace, without annulations. Abdomen light beige, without any patterns. Spinnerets uniformly light yellowish-brown. Paired ventral tibial spines: I: 2p; II, III, IV: 3p. Measurements of legs: I: 8.25 (2.34, 1.21, 2.14, 1.54, 1.02), II: 7.46 (2.03, 1.01, 1.81, 1.61, 1.00), III: 6.81 (1.90, 0.92, 1.47, 1.75, 0.77), IV: 10.13 (2.55, 1.15, 2.46, 2.83, 1.14).

Epigyne as in Figs 67–69 ; epigynal plate 1.4 times longer than wide; anterior hood ( Ah) wide, as wide as receptacle; fovea 1.6 times longer than wide; transversal part of lateral margins almost straight, making posterior part of fovea square-shaped; copulatory duct about as long as receptacle wide, fused with receptacle; receptacles oval, as wide as anterior hood.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the listed localities in Khatlon and Varzob, southwestern and western Tajikistan ( Fig. 75 ).

Figures

FIGURE 75. Collection localities of the studied liocranid species. 1—Agroeca angirasu; 2—A. cuprea; 3—A. inopina; 4—A. proxima; 5—Mesiotelus alanyensis sp. nov. (in part, specimens from Antalya); 6—M. bosmansi sp. nov.; 7—M. confusus sp. nov.; 8—M. cyprius; 9—M. damavandicus sp. nov.; 10—M. scopensis; 11—M. kravetsi sp. nov.; 12—M. mediterraneus sp. nov. and M. alanyensis sp. nov. (in part, specimens from Mersin); 13—M. patricki; 14—M. sistanus sp. nov.; 15—M. tadzhikus sp. nov.; 16—M. turanicus sp. nov.; 17—M. kulczynskii; 18—Scotina celans; 19—Sestakovaia annulipes. Some symbols could refer to more than one closely situated locality.

FIGURES 13–16. Dorsal habitus of Mesiotelus tadzhikus sp. nov. (13), M. turanicus sp. nov. (14), Scotina celans (15) and Sestakovaia annulipes (16). 13–14, 16—female; 15—male. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURES 61–69. Epigyne of Mesiotelus sistanus sp. nov. (61–63), M. tadzhikus sp. nov. (64–66) and M. turanicus sp. nov. (67–69). 61, 64, 67—intact, ventral; 62, 65, 68—macerated, ventral; 63, 66, 69—macerated, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: Ah—anterior hood, Cd—copulatory duct, Lm—lateral margin, Re—receptacle.

FIGURES 52–60. Epigyne (52–53, 55–60) and receptacles (54) of Mesiotelus kulczynskii (52–54), M. mediterraneus sp. nov. (55–57) and M. patricki (58–60). 55, 58—intact, ventral; 52, 56, 59—macerated, ventral; 53–54, 57, 60—macerated, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: Ah—anterior hood, Hl—lateral margin of anterior hood.