Synaphosus ovtsharenkoi, Marusik, Yuri M. & Fomichev, Alexander A., 2016

Marusik, Yuri M. & Fomichev, Alexander A., 2016, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 5. On Synaphosus from Central Asia, Zootaxa 4178 (3), pp. 428-442 : 430-432

Synaphosus ovtsharenkoi sp. n.

Figs 1 , 7‒18 , 22‒24 , 51

Synaphosus sp.: Marusik & Logunov 1999: 240 (in part).

Types. MONGOLIA: Töv Aimag: holotype ♂ ( ZMMU) and paratypes 5♂ 3♀ ( ZMMU) Bayankhangai Somon , 47°20'N, 105°24'E, 1200 m, screes and cliffs in canyon, 21 – 25.05.1997 (YM). Ömnögovi Aimag: 3♂ 2♀ ( ZMMU) Bayandalai Somon, Zoolen-Uul Mt. Range , 43°21'N, 103°11'E, 1700 m, pitfall traps and sweeping Oxytropis glabra , 27 – 30.05.1997 (YM); 3♀ ( ZMMU) Noyon Somon, Noyon-Uul Mt. Range , 43°01.73'N, 102°05.90'E, 1900 m, vadi-small canyon in desert under stones, 30 – 31.05.1997 (YM). Bayankhongor Aimag: 1♂ 1♀ ( ZMMU) Bayanlig Somon, Bor-Tolgoi , 44°06'N, 100°56'E, 1400 m, pitfall traps in desert and close to bushes, sweeping/ shaking bushes ( Amygdalus , Caragana , Zygophyllum ), 2–4.06.1997 (YM).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of Vladimir I. Ovtsharenko (New York, USA), a well known expert in Gnaphosidae who revised the genus.

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to the syntheticus -group and most similar to S. taukum and S. saidovi sp. n. It differs from S. taukum by partially fused hoods of the pocket (entirely fused in S. taukum ), oval shaped and vertically directed copulatory openings (slanting, furrow (elongate oval) like copulatory openings in S. taukum ) and median loops of copulatory ducts touching each other (spaced in S. taukum ) (cf. Figs 22‒24 and figs 43‒44 in Ovtsharenko et al. [1994]). Synaphosus ovtsharenkoi sp. n. well differs from S. saidovi sp. n. by pale colouration (cf. Figs 1 and 5 ) and copulatory openings located over pocket.

Description. Male. Total length 3.0. Carapace: 1.33 long, 0.98 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.07, ALE 0.07, PME 0.07, PLE 0.06, AME–AME 0.03, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.04, PME–PLE 0.03, ALE–PLE 0.03; MOQ length 0.16, front width 0.14, back width 0.16. Coloration. Prosoma yellow-brown. Femora and patellae daffodil; tibiae-tarsi light-brown. Cymbium light-brown. Abdomen and spinnerets cream-colored ( Fig. 1 a). Spination as shown in Table 1 .

Palp as in Figs 7‒12 , 13‒15, 18 ; patella not modified; tibia wider than long, with one retrolateral apophysis originating from the base of tibia and shifted dorsally, dorsal part of apophysis with conical bulge, tip pointed; cymbium unmodified, without pointed tip; conductor relatively small, both arms, pro- and retrolateral, of equal width, prolateral arm well sclerotized, its tip beak-shaped; retrolateral arm three times longer than wide; embolus originates from about 06:30 o'clock position, relatively short, about as long as cymbium, base without spine.

Leg measurements.

Female. Total length 3.4. Carapace: 1.53 long, 1.08 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.06, ALE 0.07, PME 0.06, PLE 0.06, AME–AME 0.03, AME–ALE 0.01, PME–PME 0.04, PME–PLE 0.06, ALE–PLE 0.04; MOQ length 0.16, front width 0.16, back width 0.16. Coloration. Carapace and sternum yellow-brown. Chelicerae, maxillae and labium light-brown. Legs and palps yellow-brown, tibiae-tarsi darker than other segments. Abdomen and spinnerets cream-colored ( Fig. 1 b). Spination as shown in Table 1 .

Epigyne as in Figs 16‒17 , 22‒24 ; atria oval shaped, directed vertically, located above pocket, about 2 times longer than wide; septum wide, almost 3 times wider than atrial width; pocket with deep hoods, hoods fused at basal 1/2; copulatory ducts visible through integument short and wide, wider than hood, median loops touching each other.

Leg measurements.

Size variation. Males vary from 2.1 to 3.05 in the body length, carapace 1.1–1.33 long and 0.8–0.98 wide (n=10). Females vary from 2.6 to 3.4 in the body length, carapace 1.2–1.53 long and 0.83–1.08 wide (n=9). Distribution. Southwestern and Central Mongolia ( Fig. 51 ). It is the easternmost species of the genus in Central Asia.

Comments. This species was recorded as " Synaphosus sp." by Marusik & Logunov (1999) from Mongolia. This record is based on material treated here.

Figures

FIGURE 51. Collecting localities of specimens examined in this study of seven Synaphosus species.

FIGURES 1 ‒ 6. Dorsal view of Synaphosus ovtsharenkoi sp. n. (1), S. mongolicus sp. n. (2), S. shmakovi sp. n. (3), S. palearcticus (4, from Tajikistan), S. saidovi sp. n. (5) and S. makhambetensis (6). 1 a, 4 a male; 1 b, 2 ‒ 3, 4 b, 5 ‒ 6 female. Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 7 ‒ 12. Male palp of Synaphosus ovtsharenkoi sp. n. 7 ‒ 9 terminal part of palp, ventral, retro- and prolateral; 10, 12 tibia and cymbium, retrolateral and dorsal; 11 bulb, ventral. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 13 ‒ 18. SEM microphotographs of copulatory organs of Synaphosus ovtsharenkoi sp. n. 13 ‒ 15 male palp, ventral, retrolateral and ventro-retrolateral; 16 epigyne; 17 endogyne; 18 bulb, ventral. Abbreviations: Cd copulatory ducts, Cg accessorial glands, Co copulatory openings, Ho hoods of the pocket, Pc prolateral arm of the conductor, Po pocket, Rc retrolateral arm of the conductor, Re receptacles.

FIGURES 19 ‒ 30. Epigynes of Synaphosus shmakovi sp. n. (19 ‒ 21), S. ovtsharenkoi sp. n. (22 ‒ 24), S. saidovi sp. n. (25 ‒ 27) and S. palearcticus (28 ‒ 30, from Tajikistan). 19, 22, 25, 28 intact, ventral; 20, 23, 26, 29 after maceration, ventral; 21, 24, 27, 30 after maceration, dorsal. Scale = 0.2 mm.