Typhlonesticus gocmeni, Ribera, Carles, Elverici, Mert, Kunt, Kadir Bogac & Oezkuetuek, Recep Sulhi, 2014

Ribera, Carles, Elverici, Mert, Kunt, Kadir Bogac & Oezkuetuek, Recep Sulhi, 2014, Typhlonesticus gocmeni sp. n., a new cave-dwelling blind spider species from the Aegean region of Turkey (Araneae, Nesticidae), ZooKeys 419, pp. 87-102 : 90-95

Taxon classification Animalia Araneae Nesticidae

Typhlonesticus gocmeni sp. n. Figs 2-21

Material examined.

Holotype ♂ (AUZM) Denizli Province, Acıpayam District, Dodurgalar Town, Keloğlan Cave (37°23'14.74"N, 29°34'18.29"E), 10.07.2011, leg. M. Elverici. Paratypes 1 ♂ 1 ♀ 9 juveniles (AUZM), 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (CRBA) same data as holotype.

Derivatio nominis.

The specific name is given in honour of the prominent Turkish biologist, Prof. Dr. Bayram Göçmen (University of Ege, İzmir, Turkey). Noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Males of the new species differ from Typhlonesticus absoloni by the shape and length of the tegulum, the shape of p1 and p2 processes, the arrangement of the embolus and the shape and arrangement of the paracymbial apophyses, mainly the ventral one, which is erected as a thin spine in Typhlonesticus gocmeni sp. n., whereas in Typhlonesticus absoloni it consists of a curved lamella. Females differ from Typhlonesticus absoloni by the shape of the epigyne and the position of the spermathecae. The dimension and orientation of the insemination and fertilization ducts are also diagnostic. In Typhlonesticus gocmeni sp. n. the epigyne is scarcely sclerotized and the spermathecae and insemination ducts are visible through the tegument, moreover the spermathecae are nearly spherical and separated by a distance approximately equal to their diameter. In Typhlonesticus absoloni the epigyne is strongly sclerotized and the spermathecae are separated by almost twice their diameter. In Typhlonesticus absoloni the insemination and fertilization ducts are thicker and almost fill the entire genital area.

Male.

Coloration. Carapace whitish, slightly yellowish. Appendages and sternum slightly testaceous. Opisthosoma brownish, with many dark patches (Fig. 20). The specimens preserved in alcohol have a whitish opisthosoma, slightly greyer than the prosoma.

Prosoma. Carapace approximately circular in dorsal view. Cephalic region not differentiated from the rest of the carapace. Eyeless (Figs 18, 19).

Opisthosoma. Sub-elliptical in dorsal view.

Appendages. prolateral margin of the chelicerae with 3 teeth, the central slightly longer. Male palp (Figs 2-13). Paracymbium short, dorsal and ventral processes scarcely developed. The ventral process consists of a short and flattened lamella, curved towards the apex and prolonged into a thin spine. The ventral one consisting of a short laminar apophysis, apically curved toward to the ventral side. Distal, paradistal and dorsomedian paracymbial apophyses absent (Figs 2-3 and 5-7). Tegulum very prominent, consisting of a ventrally directed triangular apophysis. Small inconspicuous median apophysis located behind the tegulum (Figs 2, 4, 6, 8, 12). TTA with two well developed processes (p1 and p2): p1 is saddle-shaped, longer than wide, slightly curved in the middle and directed ventrally; p2 is in an apical position and ends with two convergent apical hooks running as a conductor for the embolus (Figs 2, 4-6, 8, 11, 13). Embolus filamentous following a semicircular course towards the apex and bordering the tegulum.

Measurements (holotype ♂): carapace length 1.15, width 0.88, opisthosoma length 1.60, width 0.84. Total length = 2.75.

Female.

All somatic characters as in male but slightly larger in size. Epigyne convex and prominent, without sclerotized plates (Fig. 14). The posterior edge is slightly sclerotized. Spermathecae and insemination ducts can be observed through the tegument. Vulva quite simple (Figs 15-17), consisting of two almost spherical spermathecae, insemination and fertilization ducts. Insemination duct coiled, forming two laps around the fertilization duct before reaching the spermatheca. Vulval pockets absent.

Measurements (paratype ♀): carapace length 1.20, width 1.00, opisthosoma length 2.04, width 1.28. Total length = 3.24.

Distribution.

Typhlonesticus gocmeni sp. n. is only known from the type locality. This new species was previously identified as Nesticus morisii by Aydın Topçu and collaborators ( 2013). The cave is located at the northern part of the West Taurus karst region; on the east side of the Acıpayam polje, at the south eastern slope of the Karadağ hill, about 200 m above the polje level ( MTA 1998). It is a fossil cave, almost horizontal and 145 m long with a roof height varying between 1-9 m with many calcite speleothem formations. It is one of the tourist caves in Turkey, open to public access since 2003, with formed tracks and fixed lighting that extend almost the full length of the cave. Specimens were collected or observed during 3 visits on 20.03.2011, 10.07.2011 and 16.10.2011. Adult specimens from both sexes were only collected in July, but also observed in October; while only subadults could be found in March. Specimens were abundant in the dark zone all along the cave, located on their webs build on the speleothem formations.

Molecular data.

Specimens, locality and sequences with corresponding GenBank accession numbers analyzed in the present study are listed in Appendix 1. The final concatenated dataset of the three partial genes sequences includes 13 terminals and 1807 aligned characters (cox1 = 1049, rrnL = 420 and H3 = 338). Primer fidelity across taxa was not always consistent in cox1, consequently some specimens have slightly truncated sequence lengths. Uncorrected cox1 genetic divergences among terminal taxa, and uncorrected genetic cox1 divergences within and between the analyzed genera are summarized in Appendices 3 and 4.

Figure 1 shows the ML tree inferred using the combined data matrix. The new species groups with Typhlonesticus absoloni , Nesticus morisii , Nesticus obcaecatus and Nesticus idriacus . These five species constitute a highly supported evolutionary lineage (bootstrap support = 100). The remaining species included in the analysis belong to the genera Nesticus and Carpathonesticus , which constitute independent and highly supported evolutionary lineages as well. Typhlonesticus gocmeni sp. n. occupies a basal position in the Typhlonesticus clade, and is the sister species of the European representatives. Within this lineage the evolutionary relationships of the species are poorly supported (low bootstrap supports).

The mean uncorrected p-distances of cox1 between and within taxa analyzed (Appendices 3-4) show high values. The mean p-distance between genera ranges from 11.29% ( Nesticus versus Carpathonesticus ) to 17.19 ( Typhlonesticus versus Carpathonesticus ). Also, the average evolutionary divergence within the representatives of the three Mediterranean genera analyzed ranges from 6.43% ( Carpathonesticus ) to 11.11% ( Typhlonesticus ).