Spariolenus omidvarbrothers, Moradmand & Wesal & Kulkarni, 2023

Moradmand, Majid, Wesal, Mohammad Wasil & Kulkarni, Siddharth, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the troglophile Spariolenus spiders (Araneae: Sparassidae) in South and West Asia, Zootaxa 5380 (1), pp. 77-95 : 78-81

Spariolenus omidvarbrothers sp. n.

Figs 1A–C , 2A–D , 9A , 11A–C

Type material. Holotype: male, IRAN: Sistan & Baluchestan Province : Barashk, Bidan Oasis valley, 26.61 N, 60.35 E, 1336 m, 5 June 2017, M. Moradmand & H. Salehi leg. ( SMF) . Paratypes: 2 females with same data as for holotype ( SMF) .

Etymology. The species is named in honour of the Omidvar brothers, two Iranian adventurers and explorers who travelled around the world in the 1950s and produced a diary and one of the first travel documentaries from extremely remote areas. Their biography inspired the life of many generations including the first author; noun in apposition.

Diagnosis. Males of the new species share the bifurcated ET with S. zagros Moradmand & Jäger, 2011 ; S. fathpouri Moradmand, 2017 ; S. mansourii , and S. bakasura sp. n.). They can be distinguished from the latter three species by subequal RET and PET (vs. RET obviously longer than PET). They differ from S. zagros by PET 1/3 of RET in width (vs. similar width of PET and RET in S. zagros ) ( Fig. 1C ). The female epigyne shows a unique MS (widened medially and extended longitudinally, Fig. 2A ) (vs. MS narrow and barely visible in the rest of congeners).

Male (holotype): Measurements. TL 14.1, PL 6.6, PW 5.7, AW 2.5, OL 7.5, OW 4.5. Eyes ( Fig 11A ). AME 0.33, ALE 0.75, PME 0.48, PLE 0.83, eye interdistances: AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.17, PME-PLE 0.62, AME-PME 0.21, ALE-PLE 0.57, clypeus-AME 0.71, clypeus-ALE 0.21. Spination. Palp 131, 101, 2121; Legs: Femur I–III 323(2), IV 321; Patella I–IV 101; Tibia I 131 10, II 232 10, III 1318, IV 2226; Metatarsus I–III 1014, IV 3036. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 9.8 [3.2, 1.3, 2.2, 3.1], I 40.6 [10.8, 3.8, 11.5, 11.7, 2.8], II 46.0 [12.2, 4.1, 13.7, 13.2, 2.8], III 35.2 [10.1, 3.7, 10.2, 9.1, 2.1], IV 36.0 [10.2, 3.1, 10.2, 10.1, 2.4]. Leg formula: II I IV III. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth, and 10 intermarginal denticles.

Palp. As in diagnosis, with cymbium slightly longer than tibia, BRB present, vRTA shorter than dRTA, dRTA pointed and vRTA rounded in retrolateral view, PET slightly shorter than RET, and both are long and slim, and not covering each other in ventral view. Conductor hyaline and extending beyond or roughly the same length as ET ( Figs 1A–C ).

Colouration. Light brown to beige in body with dim to dark grey bands on carapace and legs. Dorsal opisthosoma with chevron shaped markings ( Fig. 11A ).

Female (paratype): Measurements. TL 13.5, PL 7.2, PW 6.3, AW 3.6, OL 6.3, OW 4.5. Eyes. AME 0.31, ALE 0.80, PME 0.50, PLE 0.97, eye inter distances:AME-AME 0.18, AME-ALE 0.07, PME-PME 0.27, PME-PLE 0.63, AME-PME 0.32, ALE-PLE 0.71, clypeus-AME 0.87, clypeus-ALE 0.28. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 10.4 [3.1, 1.7, 2.3, 3.3], I 32.8 [9.1, 3.8, 9.6, 8.1, 2.2], II [missing], III 29.6 [8.7, 3.5, 8.2, 7.1, 2.1], IV 31.1 [9.1, 3.6, 8.5, 7.8, 2.1]. Spination. Palp 131, 101, 2221, 1014; Legs (leg II missing): Femur I, III 323, IV 321; Patella I, III–IV 001; Tibia I 111(10), III 1118, IV 2126; Metatarsus I, III 1014, IV 3036. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth, cheliceral furrow with around 20 intermarginal denticles.

Female copulatory organ. As in diagnosis, with EF wider than long, AB absent, CO small, MEP diagonaly extended ( Fig. 2A ); TC extending laterad beyond FC and SC ( Figs 2B–C ).

Colouration. Same as for male but with lighter colour bands on legs ( Fig. 11B ).

Distribution and habitat preferences. Known only from the type locality ( Fig. 13 ). Specimens were collected at night on boulders and rocks. The type locality was an oasis in a small canyon dominated by palm trees ( Fig. 11C ). An unknown species of the genus Eusparassus Simon, 1903 was sympatrically sampled on plants and vegetation.

Figures

FIGURES 1A–C. Spariolenus omidvarbrothers sp. n., male holotype, Iran (SMF). A–B left palp (A prolateral, B ventral); C Embolus tip, ventral. Abbreviations: BRB—Basal retrolateral bulge, C—Conductor, ET—embolus tip, PET—prolateral part of embolus, RET—retrolateral part of embolus, dRTA—dorsal part of retrolateral tibial apophysis, SP—spermophore, T— tegulum, vRTA—ventral part of retrolateral tibial apophysis.

FIGURES 2A–D. Spariolenus omidvarbrothers sp. n., female paratype, Iran (SMF). A epigyne, ventral; B vulva, dorsal; C right vulva, lateral; D schematic course of internal duct system, lateral.Abbreviations: CO—Copulatory opening; EF—Epigynal field; EP—Epigynal pit; FC—First coil of vulva; FD—Fertilisation duct; LID—Lumen of internal duct system; MEP —Margin of epigynal pit; SC—Second coil of vulva; TC—Third coil of vulva.

FIGURES 9A–G. Spariolenus spp. A–D, G frontal view of prosoma; E chelicerae and labium, ventral; F cheliceral dentition, ventral. A Spariolenus omidvarbrothers sp. n., male holotype; B Spariolenus lindbergi (Roewer, 1962) comb. nov., male; C Spariolenus baluchistanicus sp. n., female holotype; D–F Spariolenus bakasura sp. n., female paratype; G Spariolenus kabandha sp. n.

FIGURES 11A–E. A–C Spariolenus omidvarbrothers sp. n. (A habitus of male, B female, C type locality and habitat, Bidan Oasis close to Barashk in Sistan & Baluchistan Province, Iran); D Spariolenus mansourii Moradmand, 2017 preying on a cicada; E habitat of Spariolenus lindbergi (Roewer, 1962) comb. nov. in Afghanistan. Arrows shows the observation location of the specimens.

FIGURE 13. The distribution records map of all known Spariolenus species (studied here and revised to date) in South and West Asia. Localities for all new species described in this study are marked with a star.