Alopecosa ayubaevorum, Fomichev, Alexander A. & Logunov, Dmitri V., 2015

Fomichev, Alexander A. & Logunov, Dmitri V., 2015, A new species of Alopecosa Simon, 1885 (Araneae, Lycosidae) from the Altai Mountains (South Siberia, Russia), Zootaxa 4013 (4), pp. 588-593 : 588-592

Alopecosa ayubaevorum sp. n.

Figs 1–12 .

Material. Holotype ♂ ( ISEA; 001.7793), RUSSIA, Altai Republic, Ulagan Distr., Aigulakskyi Mt. Range, nr. Aktash Village (50°19’N, 87°36’E), steppe slope with rocks and scree, 1400–1600 m, 16.04.2013 (A.A. Fomichev). Paratypes: 1♂ 1♀ ( MMUE; G7559.1), collected together with the holotype; 1♀ ( ISEA 001.7794), same locality, 0 2.05.2012 (A.A. Fomichev); 1♀ ( ISEA; 001.7795), Kosh-Agach Distr., c. 4 km ESE from Chagan-Uzun Village. (50°05’N, 88°25’E), mountain stony steppe, 2000–2100 m, 0 7.2012 (A.V. Volynkin).

Etymology. The species is dedicated to our friends, the brothers Eduard M. and Sergey M. Ayubaev (Aktash, Russia), who helped a lot in the organization of field trips to the Altai for collecting spiders and insects.

Diagnosis. A. ayubaevorum sp. n. belongs to the fabrilis species group (sensu Lugetti, Tongiorgi 1969), and is similar to A. fabrilis , A. kasakhstanica and A. psammophila Buchar, 2001 (cf. Lugetti, Tongiorgi 1969: figs 1a–f; Azarkina & Trilikauskas 2013a: figs 21–35). The male of the new species is especially close to that of A. fabrilis , from which it can be distinguished by the narrower median apophysis ( Figs 7–8 ) and the visibly smaller embolar division, especially the palea ( Figs 1–2, 4–5 ); besides, the male of A. ayubaevorum sp. n. has a much less pronounced cardiac mark ( Fig. 3 ) and brown femora and coxae of all legs (in A. fabrilis , yellow femora and coxae, especially their ventral sides).The female of the new species is most similar to those of A. kasakhstanica and A. psammophila , but can readily be distinguished from both by the shape of septal pedicel ( Figs 11–12 ), with an ovoid distal plate rather than a transverse, anchor-shaped plate, as in the related species. The spermathecae of the new species ( Fig. 10 ) is poorly distinguishable from that of A. psammophila (drop-shaped in both species; cf. Azarkina & Trilikauskas 2013a: fig. 35), but can be distinguished from the visibly elongate spermathecae of A. kasakhstanica (cf. Azarkina & Trilikauskas 2013a: fig. 30).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 13.10. Carapace: 6.50 long, 4.65 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.29, ALE 0.2, PME 0.61, PLE 0.47, AME-AME 0.1, AME-ALE 0.09, PME-PME 0.31, PLE-PLE 1.0. Width of anterior eye row 1.19, second row 1.36, third row 1.7. Leg measurements are given in the Table 1 . Coloration. Carapace brown, with yellow median and lateral bands. The median band is twice as wide as the lateral ones and it is narrowed towards the posterior edge. Eye field dark brown. Carapace is covered with white hairs. Sternum, labium and maxillae dark brown, chelicerae almost black. Coxae and femora brown. The rest of segments light brown, without annulations. Abdomen dorsally gray, with a wide median, dirty yellow band; sides of the posterior part of the median band with several pairs of light stripes; grayish cardiac mark reaches the middle of the abdomen. Venter of abdomen almost black. Spination as in Table 3 .

Palps yellow-brown, cymbium dark brown. Palpal structure as in Figs 1–2, 4–5 , 7–9 : tegular edge diagonal; median apophysis with two keel-shaped projections; palea with a slightly curved tooth (=synembolus) (Se); conductor (Cn) small, sub-square shaped; with thin, a widened and slightly curved upward tip of embolus (Te).

Female. Total length 15.00. Carapace: 7.40 long, 4.90 wide. Eye sizes and inter-distances: AME 0.29, ALE 0.19, PME 0.67, PLE 0.57, AME-AME 0.11, AME-ALE 0.11, PME-PME 0.36, PLE-PLE 1.13. Width of anterior eye row 1.3, second row 1.53, third row 1.9. Leg measurements are given in the Table 2 . Coloration as in the male, but with a poorly marked dorsal pattern of the abdomen. Spination as in Table 4.

Epigyne as in Figs 10–12 : septal pedicel is slightly longer than septal plate; septal plate elliptical, its width is two time longer than its height; fovea narrow triangle-shaped, ending in a single apical pocket; receptacles are drop-shaped, with fertilization ducts.

Size variation. Males vary from 12.10 to 13.10 in the body length, carapace 6.50–6.60 long and 4.50–4.65 wide. Females vary from 15.00 to 18.80 in the body length, carapace 6.40–7.60 long and 4.65–5.50 wide.

Distribution. Known only from two mentioned localities in the south-east Altai.

Biology. Both males were collected at the very beginning of the warm season (in April 16th). In the summer, only females were found.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Male palp (1 – 2, 4 – 5) and habitus (3, 6) of Alopecosa ayubaevorum sp. n.. 1, 4 ventral; 2, 5 retrolateral; 3 male dorsal; 6 female dorsal. Scale bars: 1 – 2, 4 – 5 = 0.5 mm; 3, 6 = 5 mm. Abbreviation: Cn conductor.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Median apophysis (7 – 8), embolar division (9) and internal female genitalia (10) and epigyne (11 – 12) of Alopecosa ayubaevorum sp. n.. 7 anteriorly; 8 – 9, 11 – 12 ventral; 10 dorsal. Scale bars: 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Se synembolus; Te tip of embolus.

Tables

TABLE 1. Leg measurements, male.

	Fe	Pt	Ti	Mt	Ta	Total
I	5.1	2.45	3.95	3.95	2.6	18.05
II	4.85	2.35	3.6	3.75	2.5	17.05
III	4.55	2.1	3.3	4.0	2.3	16.25
IV	5.75	2.45	4.45	5.85	2.85	21.35

TABLE 3. Leg spination, male.

Fe	Pt	Ti	Mt
I d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r1-1-1	p1, r1	p1-1-0, r1-0-1, v2-2-2	p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0
II d1-1-1, p0-1-1, r1-1-1	p1, r1	p1-0-1, r1-0-1, v2-2-2	p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0
III d1-1-1, p0-1-1, r1-1-1	p1, r1	d1-1-0, p1-0-1, r1-0-1, v2-2-2	p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0
IV d1-1-1, p1-0-1, r0-0-1	p1, r1	d1-0-1, p1-0-1, r1-0-1, v2-2-2	p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-1-2
TABLE 4. Leg spination, female.
Fe	Pt	Ti	Mt
I d1-1-1, p0-0-1, r1-1-1		p1-1-0, v2-2-2	p0-1-0, v2-2-0
II d1-1-1, p0-1-1, r1-1-1	p1	p1-0-1, v2-2-2	p1-1-0, v2-2-0
III d1-1-1, p0-1-1, r1-1-1	p1, r1	d1-1-0, p1-0-1, r1-0-1, v2-2-2	p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0
IV d1-1-1, p1-0-1, r0-0-1	p1, r1	d1-0-1, p1-0-1, r1-0-1, v2-2-2	p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v3-0-2

TABLE 2. Leg measurements, female.

	Fe	Pt	Ti	Mt	Ta	Total
I	4.95	2.55	3.6	3.35	2.4	16.85
II	4.6	2.45	3.25	3.25	2.3	15.85
III	4.35	2.2	2.95	3.65	2.2	15.35
IV	5.65	2.45	4.25	5.65	2.75	20.75