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

Figs 8, 49‒51

Mesiotelus kulczynskii: Zamani et al. 2022: 556, fig. 2M‒N (♀).

Type material. Holotype ♀ (NMP), IRAN: Mazandaran Prov.: Alborz Mts, Damavand, 3000 m, 20.V.1976 (leg. J. Boháč).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the type locality of the new species near Mount Damavand, a dormant stratovolcano and the highest peak in Iran.

Diagnosis. The epigyne of the new species is somewhat similar to that of M. patricki by having a similar fovea, but differs by an anterior hood not as wide: ca. 3 times thinner than fovea wide (vs. 2 times thinner), proportions of fovea: 1.7 times longer than wide (vs. 2), and relatively larger receptacles (cf. Figs 49 and 58).

Description. Female (holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 8. Total length 4.40. Carapace 1.90 long, 1.50 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.08, ALE: 0.12, PME: 0.09, PLE: 0.13. Carapace, chelicerae, maxillae, labium and sternum light yellowish-brown. Carapace with faint lateral bands. Legs slightly lighter than carapace, without annulations. Abdomen dark grey, lighter ventrally, without patterns. Spinnerets uniformly light yellowish-brown. Ventral paired tibial spines: I, II: 2p, III, IV: 3p. Measurements of legs: I: 6.56 (1.75, 1.00, 1.63, 1.32, 0.86), II: 5.75 (1.47, 0.84, 1.50, 1.17, 0.77), III: 5.46 (1.48, 0.75, 1.20, 1.32, 0.71), IV: 7.96 (2.11, 0.90, 1.95, 2.10, 0.90).

Epigyne as in Figs 49‒51; epigynal plate almost as wide as long; fovea ca. 1.7 times longer than wide; anterior hood wider than long, 3 times thinner than fovea; lateral margins subparallel in posterior half and slightly diverging in anterior half; receptacles oval, large, longer than diverging parts of lateral margins, their axes diverging; copulatory ducts distinct, wide, subparallel, spaced by their width.

Male. Unknown.

Comments. This species was previously misidentified as Mesiotelus kulczynskii Charitonov, 1946 (Zamani et al. 2022). Mesiotelus kulczynskii was described based on material from eastern Uzbekistan (Charitonov 1946). Judging by the figures provided by Mikhailov & Fet (1986), its record from Turkmenistan seems to be also based on a misidentification.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Mazandaran, northern Iran (Fig. 75).