Dysdera atabekia, Zamani & Marusik, 2024

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2024, New data on Dysdera Latreille, 1804 and Harpactea Bristowe, 1939 (Araneae: Dysderidae) of the Caucasus, with new species and records, Zootaxa 5397 (2), pp. 195-217 : 196-199

Dysdera atabekia sp. n.

Figs 1A, B , 2A–H , 10A, B, D , 13A

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( ZMMU), AZERBAIJAN: Goychay District: Bygyr , [40°36'25.3"N 47°51'03.4"E], 25.07.2003 (N. Snegovaya, H. Aliev) . Paratype: 1♀ ( ZMMU), same data as for the holotype .

Other material. AZERBAIJAN: Ismayilli District: 1♂ ( ZMMU), Xanagah , [40°50'59.9"N 48°08'47.9"E], 01.10.2003 (E.F. Guseinov) ( Fig. 2E–H ) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is an adjective referring to “Atabek”, a title used by rulers in the Seljuk Empire, which controlled Azerbaijan in the 11th–13th centuries.

Diagnosis. The male of the new species is most similar to that of D. karabachica Dunin, 1990 by having a similar crest (C) and anterodorsally stretched lateral margin of the lateral sheet (LML), but can be distinguished by having a fine spine on the angled crest (vs. spine absent, crest gradually rounded) and having no teeth on the lateral margin of the lateral sheet (cf. Fig. 2A, E and Dunin 1990: fig. 3.1). The females of the two species differ by the shape of the receptacle (Re) and the dorsal arch (DA): the new species has triangular anterolateral margins of receptacle (vs. rounded), and dorsal arch with converging lateral margins (vs. parallel) (cf. Fig. 13A and Dunin 1990: fig. 3.3).

Description. Male (Holotype). Habitus as in Fig. 1A . Total length 8.27. Carapace 3.82 long, 2.98 wide. Eye sizes: AE 0.22, PME 0.17, PLE 0.22. Carapace and chelicerae reddish brown; carapace slightly lighter posteriorly. Sternum, labium and maxillae reddish. Legs yellowish orange.Abdomen dark beige, without any pattern. Spinnerets uniformly dark beige. Measurements of legs: I: 10.56 (2.95, 1.94, 2.63, 2.39, 0.65), II: 9.79 (2.76, 1.71, 2.38, 2.30, 0.64), III: 7.14 (2.15, 1.09, 1.31, 1.98, 0.61), IV: 9.56 (2.75, 1.50, 2.06, 2.54, 0.71). Spination: I, II: no spines. III: Ti: 2pl, 1rl, 2v; Mt: 3pl, 3rl, 6v. IV: Fe: 1(3)d; Ti: 2pl, 2rl, 3v; Mt: 4pl, 3rl, 6v.

Spination of the specimen from Ismayilli: Spination: I, II: no spines. III: Ti: 2pl, 1(2)rl, 3v; Mt: 3pl, 2rl, 5v. IV: Fe: 1d; Ti: 2pl, 3rl, 5v; Mt: 4pl, 4rl, 5v.

Palp as in Figs 2A–H , 10A–B, D ; bulb 3 times longer than tegulum (T) wide; psembolus 1.5 times longer than tegulum (in retrolateral view), lateral margin of the lateral sheet claw-like, its tip bet anteriorly; crest high, ca. 1.88 times longer than high, posterior part angled, mid part with small spine-like process, tip membranous and anteriorly bent.

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 1B . Total length 8.78. Carapace 4.29 long, 3.28 wide. Eye sizes: AE 0.18, PME 0.18, PLE 0.19. Colouration and spination as in male. Measurements of legs: I: 10.30 (2.77, 1.93, 2.53, 2.37, 0.70), II: 10.12 (2.93, 1.85, 2.40, 2.24, 0.70), III: 7.60 (2.11, 1.42, 1.41, 2.01, 0.65), IV: 10.42 (2.87, 1.63, 2.27, 2.84, 0.81).

Endogyne as in Fig. 13A ; receptacle (Re) with triangular anterior edges; dorsal arch (DA) subtrapezoidal, ca. 2 times broader than long, anterior margin slightly rounded; transversal bar (TB) thinner than receptacle.

Comment. The specimen from Ismayilli is tentatively attributed to this species, due to small differences observed in the shape of the crest and the lateral margin of the lateral sheet (cf. Fig. 2A–D and E–H ), as well as in the spination. Given the relatively short aerial distance between the two localities (i.e., 36 km; Fig. 19 ) and the availability of only a single male specimen from each site, these differences are tentatively considered as intraspecific variations. It is worth noting that similar variations have been documented in other species of Dysdera ( Dunin 1992b) .

Distribution. Known only from the listed localities in Goychay and Ismayilli districts, central and northern Azerbaijan ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of the holotype male (A) and the paratype female (B) of Dysdera atabekia sp. n., dorsal.

FIGURE 2. Males of Dysdera atabekia sp. n., left bulb of the holotype (A–D) and that of the specimen from Ismayilli (E–H). A, E retrolateral B, F prolateral C, G dorsal D, H ventral. Scale bars = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: AL—additional lateral sheet, C—crest, DH—distal haematodocha, L—lateral sheet, LML—lateral margin of the lateral sheet, P—posterior apophysis, T— tegulum.

FIGURE 10. Males of Dysdera atabekia (A, B, D), D. bogatschevi (C, E, F), and D. dunini (G, H), SEM images of left bulbs. A, C, G retrolateral B, E same, close-ups of psembolus D, H dorsal F retrodorsal, close-ups of psembolus. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 13. Females of Dysdera atabekia sp. n. (A), D. azerbajdzhanica (B), D. dunini (C), D. daghestanica (D), D. dunini (E), and D. hungarica atra (F), dorsal view of endogynes. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.Abbreviations: DA—dorsal arch, Re—receptacle, TB—transverse bar.

FIGURE 19. Distribution records of Dysdera atabekia sp. n. (circles), Harpactea abasgiana sp. n. (squares), and H. dunini sp. n. (triangle). Type localities are marked with red.