Nomisia palaestina (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872 )

Fomichev, Alexander A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2021, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 11. New data on Gnaphosidae (Araneae) from Tajikistan, Zootaxa 4966 (4), pp. 443-457 : 446-448

Nomisia palaestina (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872)

Figs 9–21 , 65–66 .

Gnaphosa palaestina O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872: 231 , pl. 15, fig. 8 (♂).

Pythonissa palaestina: Simon 1878: 205 .

Nomisia soror Dalmas, 1921: 290 , figs 92–93 (♂).

Nomisia palaestina: Levy 1995: 938 , figs 48–52 (♂ ♀) — Chatzaki et al. 2002: 611, figs 19–20 (♀); Chatzaki 2010: 12 , figs 30–33 (♂ ♀).

Material examined. TAJIKISTAN, Khatlon Region: 3♀ ( ZMMU), Khuroson Distr., Gandzhina , 37°57.701’N, 68°33.717’E, 716 m, cliff, dry slopes, under stones, 21.04.2015 (Y.M. Marusik) ; 1♂ 1♀ ( ZMMU), Dangara Distr., SW slope of Sanglogh (= Sanglok ) Mt. Range , 38°13.091’N, 69°14.282’E, 1362 m, 30.04.2015 (Y.M. Marusik) ; 1♀ ( ZMMU), Pyandzh Karatau Mt. Ridge, foothills of Astana Mt. , 37°23.202’N, 69°14.810’E, 1674 m, 4.05.2015 (S.L. Zonstein) ; 1♂ ( ISEA, 001.8557), Shurobdarya River valley, Bal’dzhuvon Village , 38°18.835’N, 69°41.011’E, stony clay hills covered with meadow vegetation, 900–1000 m, 15.04.2019 (A.A. Fomichev) ; 2♀ ( ISEA, 001.8558), Tabakchi Mt. Range, 3 km ENE from Kalininabad Town , 37°52.918’N, 68°58.719’E, dry stony shiblyak shrubland, 1030–1280 m, 18.04.2019 (A.A. Fomichev) ; 1♂ 1♀ ( ISEA, 001.8559), Aruktau Mt. Range, 7 km SW from Sambuli Village, 37°45.602’N, 68°32.741’E, dry stony shiblyak shrubland with rocks, 660–980 m, 09.04.2019 (A.A. Fomichev); Districts of Republican Subordination : 1♂ 1♀ ( ZMMU), 38th km of Varzob Hwy, Takob Gorge, env. of Dehmalik Vil. , 38°50.829’N, 68°54.637’E, 805 m, 8.05.2015 (Y.M. Marusik) ; 4♂ 3♀ ( ZMMU), 48th km of Varzob Hwy , 38°55.531’N, 68°48.292’E, 1530 m, S exposed slope with Juglans litter & under stones, 7.05.2015 (Y.M. Marusik & M. Saidov) ; 4♂ 4♀ ( ZMMU), Hissar Mt. Range, Ramit Res., Darai Holmon (Kholmon) creek gorge, 38°45.364’N, 69°18.286’E, 1370 m, 2.05.2015 (Y.M. Marusik) ; 6♀ ( ZMMU), Hissar Mts., Romit Res., Surkhob Gorge , 1.5 km W Soni Vil., 38°50’N, 69°26’E, 1750 m, 5.07.2019 (S.L. Zonstein) ; 1♂ ( ISEA, 001.8560), right side of the Pandema River valley (left tributary of Kafirnigan River), Poyonob Village , 38°42.302’N, 69°18.283’E, humid stony shiblyak shrubland with rocks, 1300–1370 m, 22.04.2019 (A.A. Fomichev) ; 1♂ 1♀ ( ISEA, 001.8561), right side of the Kafirnigan River valley, Romit Village , 38°43.225’N, 69°18.387’E, humid stony shiblyak shrubland with rocks, 1200–1850 m, 21– 22.04.2019 (A.A. Fomichev) .

Diagnosis. The males of N. palaestina can be easily separated from all congeners by the large S-shaped embolus (Em). The females differ from others Central Asian species in having triangular epigynal fovea (Fo).

Description. See Levy (1995).

Distribution. Previously this species was reported from Greece, Turkey, Syria, Israel and Iran ( Chatzaki 2010; Zamani et al. 2020). New records from Tajikistan represent the easternmost localities of this species.

Comments. Recorded from Tajikistan for the first time; apparently, N. palaestina is common and widespread in south-western regions of the country (Khatlon Region) ( Figs 65–66 ).

Genus Poecilochroa Westring, 1874

Type species: Pythonissa variana C.L. Koch, 1839 from Germany.

Comments. This genus comprises 38 species and has almost worldwide distribution, being absent in North America, Northern Asia and Australia (WSC 2021). Only two species has been recorded from Central Asia.

Figures

FIGURES 6–13. Bulb of Drassodex tajikistanicus sp. n. (6–8), dorsal habitus (9–10) and male palp (11–13) of Nomisia palaestina. 6–8 prolateral, ventral and retrolateral; 9 male; 10 female; 11–13 ventral, retrolateral and dorsal. Scale bars: 6–8 = 0.2 mm, 9–10 = 2 mm, 11–12 = 0.2 mm. Abbreviation: Em—embolus.

FIGURES 14–21. Bulb (14–17) and epigyne (18–21) of Nomisia palaestina. 14–17 prolateral, ventral, retrolateral and apical; 18–19 ventral, intact; 20 ventral, macerated; 21 dorsal, macerated. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Em embolus, Fo fovea.

FIGURES 65–66. Distribution records of studied species in Tajikistan. Drassodex tajikistanicus sp. n.—diamond; Nomisia palaestina—triangle; Poecilochroa hamipalpis—circle; Z. khatlonicus sp. n.—star; Zelotes anatolyi sp. n.—square. One single symbol may refer to more than one closely located records. Frame on Fig. 66 refers to Fig. 65.