Zaitunia akhanii, Marusik, Yuri M. & Zamani, Alireza, 2015

Marusik, Yuri M. & Zamani, Alireza, 2015, The spider family Filistatidae (Araneae) in Iran, ZooKeys 516, pp. 123-135 : 127-129

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Filistatidae

Zaitunia akhanii sp. n. Figs 4, 6a, 7

Material examined.

IRAN: Holotype ♀ (SMF) and paratypes 7♀ (ZMMU, ZMUT), Tehran Province: Southern macroslopes of Alborz mountains, 35°48'29"N, 51°23'E, July 2014 (A. Zamani).

Etymology.

This species is named after Iranian botanist Hossein Akhani (University of Tehran), in recognition of his contributions to the botanical studies of Iran and his numerous environmental activities.

Diagnosis.

Females of Zaitunia akhanii sp. n. resemble those of Zaitunia persica Brignoli, 1982 by having one pair of sinuous tube-like receptacles, but Zaitunia akhanii sp. n. has two loops (or curves) while Zaitunia persica has four ( Brignoli 1982: fig. 14).

Description.

Female (paratype). Total length 5.2. Carapace 2.16 long, 1.6 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.16, PLE 0.11, PME 0.12, AME-AME 0.03. Light yellowish-colored with distinct pattern on carapace and legs: clypeus whole dark, wide dark median band terminated near fovea. Abdomen uniformly yellowish-gray without darker pattern. Legs with few spines; calamistrum located on low ridge, uniseriate (Fig. 4d). Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 3.28 [1.2, 0.6, 0.68, 0.8], I 9.4 [3.12, 0.8, 2.28, 2.0, 1.2], II 6.28 [1.76, 0.72, 1.48, 1.44, 0.88], III 5.28 [1.52, 0.6, 1.2, 1.2, 0.76], IV 7.12 [2.08, 0.8, 1.68, 1.68, 0.88].

Vulva as in Fig. 4 e–f, with one pair of sinuous tube-like receptacles. Receptacles wavy, bent two times, glands not distinct in low magnification but well visible after contrasting coloring (Fig. 4e); glands distributed along whole receptacle and denser in the basal half.

Male. Unknown.

Variations.

Total length 4.8-7.2. Pale specimens may have light clypeus.

Habitat.

Specimens were found in large, dusty cribellate webs made around human dwellings.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in Tehran.