Tegenaria hoeferi sp. nov.

Figs 23 A – D, 24 A – C, 25 A – C

Type material.

Holotype • ♂ (ZMUT), Armenia: Kotayk Prov.: env. Aghveran, 40°29'54"N, 44°35'24"E, 7–8.05.2021 (Y. M. Marusik) . Paratypes: • 1 ♂ 3 ♀ (ZMUT, ZMMU), same data as for the holotype .

Diagnosis.

The new species belongs to the abchasica species-group and is most similar to T. chumachenkoi . The male of the new species differs from that of T. chumachenkoi by the shape of the median apophysis, bulging proximally and widely pointed retrolaterally (vs straight proximally and sharply pointed retrolaterally in T. chumachenkoi; cf. Figs 23 A, 15 A). The female of the new species differs from that of T. chumachenkoi by having an oval median plate that is ~ 2 × as wide as it is long (vs the median plate is not oval and is approximately as long as it is wide; cf. Fig. 25 A and Ponomarev and Shmatko 2022: fig. 10).

Description.

Male. Habitus as in Fig. 24 B. Total length 8.40. Carapace 4.10 long, 3.20 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.20, ALE: 0.21, PME: 0.17, PLE: 0.19. Carapace, chelicerae, labium, and maxillae pale brown; carapace with black submedian and marginal bands; sternum greyish brown, with yellow median lobulated band and six spots. Legs pale brown, with distinct annulations. Abdomen dark greyish, with numerous beige dots, patches, and stripes. Anterior spinnerets greyish basally and pale beige apically, posterior ones uniformly pale beige. Measurements of legs: I: 17.48 (4.56, 1.62, 4.06, 4.91, 2.33), II: 17.14 (4.40, 1.63, 4.07, 4.71, 2.33), III: 15.86 (4.29, 1.47, 3.57, 4.48, 2.05), IV: 19.60 (5.16, 1.52, 4.58, 6.08, 2.26).

Palp as in Figs 23 A – D, 24 C; femur roundly bent, ~ 4 × longer than wide; patella swollen, approximately as wide as long with long dorsal seta almost as long as tibia; tibia ~ 1 / 2 as long as femur (not counting apophyses) (Fig. 24 C); retrodorsal apophysis (Rd) approximately as long as tibia wide distally, with strong spine directed proximoventrally (Fig. 23 B); retroventral apophysis (Rv) small (Fig. 23 C, D); cymbium 1.8 × longer than wide, tip ~ 1 / 3 of cymbial length, lacking distinct spine, with basal process (Cp); bulb as long as wide; median apophysis (Ma) large (Fig. 23 A), bent prolaterally; conductor with long and thin distal arm not reaching prolateral 1 / 2 of cymbium; embolus with large base, free part originating at 9 o’clock position, thin, roundly bent.

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 24 A. Total length 10.28. Carapace 4.00 long, 3.00 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.18, ALE: 0.20, PME: 0.16, PLE: 0.18. Coloration as in male. Measurements of legs: I: 16.95 (4.33, 1.69, 4.18, 4.55, 2.20), II: 15.92 (4.20, 1.63, 3.65, 4.15, 2.29), III: 14.43 (3.94, 1.43, 3.23, 4.00, 1.83), IV: 17.89 (4.74, 1.58, 4.21, 5.29, 2.07).

Epigyne as in Fig. 25 A – C; plate 2 × wider than long, median plate oval, wider than long (Fig. 25 A, B); copulatory ducts and receptacles lacking distinct limits, contiguous (Fig. 25 C).

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Kotayk Province, central Armenia.

Etymology.

This species is named after Hubert Höfer (Karlsruhe, Germany), a German arachnologist. He is the Curator of Invertebrates and head of Biosciences at the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe. He has made significant contributions to the study of spiders in both South America and Germany, leading numerous projects and helping to compile the largest dataset on distributions of spiders in Germany.