Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2021, Revision of the spider family Zodariidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Iran and Turkmenistan, with seventeen new species, ZooKeys 1035, pp. 145-193 : 145

Genus Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826

Type species.

Enyo nitida Audouin, 1826 from Egypt.

Comments.

With 177 named species, this is the largest genus within Zodariinae ( WSC 2021). Based on the copulatory organs of the species currently considered in this genus, Zodarion does not appear to be monophyletic. There are only two species that are morphologically similar to the generotype: Z. luctuosum (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) and Z. lutipes (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872), from the eastern Mediterranean (east of Tunisia to Iran).

Comparative material.

Zodarion expers (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876), 1♂ from Israel (Figs 19D-F , 25D-F ) and Zodarion nitidum (Audouin, 1826): 1♂ from Israel (Fig. 28A-C )

Comments.

Until recently, Z. expers was placed in Ranops Jocqué, 1991, but now it is placed in Zodarion . It differs from the generotype of Ranops , but the copulatory organs are also very different from those of Z. nitidum , and most likely it represents a separate genus. Although it is absent in Iran or Turkmenistan, we have provided figures of this species to illustrate the differences with the generotype of Zodarion . Furthermore, although Z. nitidum has not been recorded in the current study area, because it is the type species of the genus, we have provided illustartions for this species as well, to demonstrate its differences with other Zodariinae genera in Iran and Turkmenistan, as well as with other species currently placed in Zodarion .

Figures

Figure 19. Male habitus and palps of Acanthinozodium parmida sp. nov. (A-C) and Zodarion expers (D-F) A, D habitus, dorsal B, E palp, ventral C, F palp, retrolateral. Scale bar: 0.2 mm (A).

Figure 25. SEM images of the male palps of Acanthinozodium parmida sp. nov. (A-C) and Zodarion expers (D-F) A, B, D ventral C, E retrolateral F dorsoretrolateral. Abbreviations: Cg - cymbial groove, Co - conductor, Em - embolus, Er - embolar ridge, Ma - median apophysis, Ra - retrolateral tibial apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 28. SEM images of the male palps of Zodarion nitidum (A-C) and Z. bactrianum (D-F) A, D ventral B, E retrolateral C dorsal F retrodorsal. Abbreviations: Co - conductor, Eb - embolar base, Em - embolus, Ma - median apophysis, Mc - claw of median apophysis, Ra - retrolateral tibial apophysis, Tp - tegular process, Tu - tutaculum, Va - ventral apophysis. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.