Fedotovia Charitonov, 1946

Fomichev, Alexander A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2015, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 4. A review of Fedotovia Charitonov, 1946, Zootaxa 3948 (1), pp. 93-108 : 94-95

Fedotovia Charitonov, 1946

Type species: Fedotovia uzbekistanica Charitonov, 1946 from Ishkent, Uzbekistan.

Note. The genus was described chiefly on the basis of eye pattern, with lateral eyes much larger than medians.

Diagnosis. Fedotovia differs from other Palaearctic Gnaphosinae by lateral eyes twice larger than medians. Among Gnaphosinae only one species of Pterotricha , P. loeffleri (Roewer, 1955) has lateral eyes twice larger than medians (cf. figs 2, 8 in Marusik et al. 2013). Males of Fedotovia differ from other Gnaphosinae by the terminal part of cymbium wider than basal (droplet-shaped in other genera) and very long embolus (longer than cymbium) forming several loops. Females of Fedotovia differ from other Palaearctic Gnaphosinae (except Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804 and Minosiella Dalmas, 1921 ) by having a scape and very long insemination ducts forming several coils. The epigyne of Gnaphosa and Minosiella differs by the scape distinctly connected with the anterior wall of fovea by a stem (stem unsclerotized in Fedotovia ) and having not coiled insemination ducts.

Description. Total length 5–12. Prosoma flattened. Carapace pear-shaped, flattened, with median groove. Cephalic area not elevated. Lateral eyes twice larger than medians. Anterior eye row slightly recurved (in dorsal view), posterior eye row strongly recurved. AME, ALE, PLE circular, dark; PME irregularly triangular, light. MOQ wider in the rear part, longer than wide. Clypeus low, clypeal height not more than ALE. Chelicerae with 1– 2 anterior and 3–7 posterior teeth fused at bases. Sternum oval. Leg formula variable: 4321, 4213, 4123 or 4231. Leg IV always much longer than others, length of legs I‒III subequal. Spination variable with few exceptions: femur I–IV with d1-1-0, p0-1-1 (7 exceptions among 28 legs studied); patella I–II without spines (2 exceptions), on legs III‒IV p1, r1 (one exception); tibia I‒IV with 3 pairs of ventral spines (3 exceptions). Tarsal claws long, dentate near bases. Tarsi and metatarsi I–II with scopula. Opisthosoma oval and flattened. Males with a small anterior scutum.

Male palp very similar in all species: femur and patella not modified; tibia with thin tapering retrolateral apophysis, shifted dorsally, its length subequal to length of tibia; cymbium subrectangular, its apical part wider than base; subtegulum (St) small, located baso-retrolaterally; median apophysis (Ma) long with hooked tip; embolus very long, longer than carapace, forming several loops, originates at 6‒6:30 o'clock.

Epigyne very similar in all species, with distinct oval or rectangular fovea longer than wide, fovea with distinct lateral margins (Lm, longer than fovea width) and weakly sclerotized ovoid scape (Sc) located almost in the centre of fovea; stem of scape (Ss) unsclerotized. Insemination ducts long, anterior parts (Ap, near copulatory opening) weakly sclerotized, form three coils; anterior part of insemination duct bears club-like accessorial gland (Gl), gland well sclerotized with long handle. Basal parts of insemination ducts (Tp, close to receptacles) well sclerotized, meandering forming several loops. Receptacles (Re) small, not spaced, their diameter only 2‒3 times larger than diameter of basal ducts.

Distinguishing species. All Fedotovia species have very similar copulatory organs. Male palps are almost indistinguishable, slightly differing in proportions of tibial apophysis, presence or absence of strong spine on the base of apophysis, retrolateral margin of cymbium (concave or almost straight), shape of tegulum, its retrolateral margin can be rounded, moderately rounded or straight, with distinct or indistinct triangular protrusion in the retroapical part. Epigynes differ by the shape of the fovea, shape and position of septum, and also by the shape of posterior part of insemination ducts. Species can be more or less easily distinguished from each other by the size ( F. mikhailovi sp. n. is smaller than other species, carapace less than 3 mm), spination, and relative thickness of tibia and eye formula.

Composition. The genus includes four named species: F. uzbekistanica Charitonov, 1946 , F. mongolica Marusik, 1993 , F. mikhailovi sp. n. and F. feti sp. n.

Distribution. Central Asia: Afghanistan, Iran (O. Mirshamsi, pers. comm.), Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and western Mongolia.