Pax ellipita, Zamani & Marusik, 2021

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

Pax ellipita sp. nov. Figs 5A, B , 6 , 7 , 10A-E , 32

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (MHNG), Iran: Kermanshah Province: north of Kermanshah, 34°28'N, 47°00'E, 18.06.1975 (A. Senglet).

Additional material.

Iran: Lorestan Province: 1♀ (NMP), Pol-e Tang, 60 km NW of Andimeshk, 32°51'N, 47°56'E, near the river Saimareh , 11.04.1977 (B. Pražan) .

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to Ellipi, an ancient kingdom located on the western side of the Zagros Mountains, between Babylonia at the west, Media at the north-east, Mannae at the north and Elam at the south.

Diagnosis.

The new species differs from P. leila sp. nov., the only other Pax species known from Iran, by the cymbium lacking a horn-like outgrowth (vs. present), by having a deep lateral fold of the cymbium (vs. lacking) and the epigyne with a rectangular median plate (vs. triangular). The male of P. ellipita sp. nov. differs from the rest of the species by having the RTA shorter than the tibia (vs. longer), while the female differs by the trilobate posterior margin of the epigyne (vs. solid) and copulatory openings located posteriorly (vs. anteriorly).

Description.

Male. Habitus as in Fig. 5B . Total length 5.07. Carapace 2.43 long, 1.27 wide at pars cephalica, 1.65 wide at pars thoracica. Eye sizes and interdistance of PMEs: AME: 0.11, ALE: 0.10, PME: 0.08, PLE: 0.10, PME-PME: 0.09. Carapace, sternum, labium, chelicerae and maxillae reddish brown, without any pattern. Chelicera with 2 promarginal teeth. Legs yellow, with few spines and without annulations. Abdomen dark brown, dorsally with large scutum covering almost the entire abdomen. Spinnerets pale, uniform in color. Measurements of legs: I: 5.49 (1.48, 0.62, 1.22, 1.10, 1.07), II: 4.88 (1.29, 0.60, 1.04, 1.05, 0.90), III: 4.74 (1.27, 0.61, 0.90, 1.19, 0.77), IV: 6.71 (1.80, 0.68, 1.39, 1.80, 1.04).

Palp as in Figs 6A-E , 7A-E . Femur slightly shorter than cymbium, 3.3 times longer than wide; patella globular; tibia wider than long with ventral apophysis (Va) and short RTA bifurcated at the tip (Ra); cymbium with large fold (Cf) and 2 extensions, pro- and retrolateral (E1, E2); bulb with large lamella, as long as bulb, tapering to the tip; median apophysis (Ma) long, about 5 times longer than wide; conductor (Co) heavily sclerotized; embolus (Em) long, originates at 6 o’clock position.

Female. Habitus as in Fig. 5A . Total length 5.33. Carapace 2.18 long, 1.08 wide at pars cephalica, 1.51 wide at pars thoracica. Eye sizes and interdistance of PMEs: AME: 0.06, ALE: 0.09, PME: 0.07, PLE: 0.09, PME-PME: 0.08. Coloration as in male, with lighter abdomen lacking a scutum. Measurements of legs: I: 5.36 (1.52, 0.60, 1.15, 1.09, 1.00), II: 4.76 (1.32, 0.61, 0.99, 1.04, 0.80), III: 4.53 (1.23, 0.60, 0.89, 1.11, 0.70), IV: 5.78 (1.42, 0.65, 1.38, 1.53, 0.80).

Epigyne as in Fig. 10A-E . Trilobate, wider than long; median plate rectangular (with subparallel lateral margins), ca. 3.6 times thinner than lateral lobe; receptacles oval, wider than long, touching each other.

Comments.

Because the female specimen was not collected together with the male, its assignment to this species is tentative and shall be confirmed when both sexes are collected together.

Distribution.

Known from the listed localities in Kermanshah and Lorestan provinces, western Iran (Fig. 32 ).

Figures

Figure 5. Dorsal habitus of Pax ellipita sp. nov. (A, B) and P. leila sp. nov. (C, D) A, D females B, C males.

Figure 6. Male palp of Pax ellipita sp. nov. A ventral B, C retrolateral D, E retrodorsal and prolateral. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 7. SEM images of the male palp of Pax ellipita sp. nov. A retrolateral B anteroretrolateral C proventral D posterodorsal E ventral. Abbreviations: E 1, E 2 - pro- and retrolateral cymbial extensions, Eb - embolar base, Em - embolus, Cf - cymbial fold, Co - conductor, Ma - median apophysis, Ra - retrolateral apophysis, Va - ventral apophysis. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Figure 10. Epigynes of Pax ellipita sp. nov. (A-E) and P. leila sp. nov. (F-J) A, F intact, ventral B, J posterior C, G macerated, ventral D, E, H, I macerated, dorsal. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 32. Distribution records of Acanthinozodium spp. (partim 1 - 4, 11), Lachesana spp. (5 - 7), Parazodarion raddei (8), Pax spp. (9, 10) and Trygetus spp. (11, 12) in Iran and Turkmenistan: 1 A. atrisa sp. nov. 2 A. niusha sp. nov. 3 A. parysatis sp. nov. 4 A. sorani sp. nov. 5 L. insensibilis 6 L. kavirensis sp. nov. 7 L. perseus sp. nov. 8 P. raddei 9 P. ellipita sp. nov. 10 P. leila sp. nov. 11 A. ovtchinnikovi sp. nov., T. gromovi 12 T. susianus sp. nov.