Pardosa eskovi, Kronestedt, Torbjörn & Marusik, Yuri M., 2011

Kronestedt, Torbjörn & Marusik, Yuri M., 2011, Studies on species of Holarctic Pardosa groups (Araneae, Lycosidae). VII. The Pardosa tesquorum group, Zootaxa 3131, pp. 1-34 : 3-7

Pardosa eskovi sp. nov.

Figs 1, 9-19, 25, 29, 116

? Pardosa sp. 4: Eskov 1988: 138.

Pardosa sp. 3: Marusik et al. 1993: 74.

Type material. Holotype ♂ and allotype ♀ from RUSSIA, Yakutia, Lena River, Zhigansk Village (66°46'02''N 123°22'25''E), July 1989 (K.Y. Eskov) in ZMMU. - Paratypes. RUSSIA. Yakutia: same data as holotype ( NHRS), 3♂ 1♀ ; Suntar Village (62°09'26"N 117°38'07''E), 3-5 July 1988 (K.Y. Eskov, IZAS, ISEA, ZMMU), 8♀ ; 40 km up from Kempendyai Village (62°02'N 118°37'E), July 1988 (K.Y. Eskov ISEA, NHRS, ZMMU), 10♀ .

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the collector of the type series and our friend and colleague Kirill Y. Eskov (Moscow), who made significant contributions to the study of Siberian spiders.

Remark. The configuration of the conductor and the epigyne as well as the presence of three retromaginal teeth on the chelicerae set this species apart from the other species in the tesquorum group and its placement in this group is tentative.

Diagnosis. Males can be distinguished from other congeners by an abruptly cut tip of embolus, long conductor with sclerotized distal part protruding obliquely forwards, and small terminal apophysis (Fig. 16). Females can be recognised by the wide transversal posterior part of septum (Fig. 19).

Description. Male (holotype). Total length 4.9. Carapace 2.45 long, 1.85 wide.

Prosoma. Carapace dark brown with light brown median band, distinct in thoracic part, widening but more obscure in cephalic part behind PLEs, as well as light brown lateral bands, each broken into three short longitudinal spots. Thoracic part with dark recumbent hairs, in median band and lateral spots also with whitish hairs. Ocular area with numerous whitish hairs. Clypeus sooty yellowish brown. Chelicerae sooty brownish with darker longitudinal veins and furnished with dark hairs, inner side and ventrally yellow, retromargin with 3 teeth. Sternum dirty greyish brown with narrow yellowish stripe anteriorly and furnished with light hairs.

Eyes. Width of row I 40 (slightly procurved when seen from in front), row II 54, row III 74, row II-III 52. Diameter of AME 9, ALE 8, PME 20, PLE 16. Distance between AMEs 7, between AME and ALE 2.

Opisthosoma. Dorsum with pattern in dark and light brown. Anteriorly with greyish-brown lanceolate stripe followed by a series of transverse dark bars, each bar between a white-haired spot at each side. Between bars paired yellowish-brown spots, each spot with a dark dot in middle. A yellow, white-haired spot at each side of anal tubercle. Sides of dorsum and venter greyish-brown with dense, recumbent whitish pubescence.

Legs (Table 1). Yellow with dark annulation. Coxae dorsally black, ventrally sooty. Fe I dorsally with sooty basal half, rest of Fe I and remaining femora and tibia with dark annulation. Mt I+II with small paired ventral hairs spine-like (continuation of similar hairs on corresponding tarsi). Ti I with 2 retrolateral spines.

Palp (Figs 9-13, 15-18). Pt 0.45, Ti 0.45, Cy 0.95. Sooty brownish with black pubescence, cymbium distally lighter. Tegular apophysis stout, directed retrolaterad, with distinct hooked process at base (Fig. 18). Conductor prominent, bent, distal part straight and directed obliquely forward (Figs 11, 15). Immediately inside of conductor a minute denticle, which is here interpreted as terminal apophysis (Figs 12, 16). It is part of a sclerotized portion appearing as an outer part of the paleal shield, continuing into a sclerite that surrounds the conductor, and extends posteriorly into basal process of palea (Fig. 16). Embolus with distal part widened and laminar, tip truncated (Figs 13, 17).

Female (allotype). Total length 6.5. Carapace 2.70 wide, 2.05 wide.

Prosoma and opisthosoma (Fig. 1). Lighter than in male. Carapace brown with wide bright yellow median band, star-shaped at fovea, narrowing at cephalic-thoracic junction, and distinctly widening in postocular area. Lateral bands bright yellow, broken into spots larger than in male. Clypeus and chelicerae bright yellow, retromargin of latter with 3 teeth. Sternum dark greyish, with yellow longitudinal stripe in front. Abdomen patterned as in male. Palp yellow with dark annulation.

Eyes. Width of row I 44 (slightly procurved when seen from in front), row II 59, row III 80, row II-III 58. Diameter of AME 10, ALE 8, PME 21, PLE 16. Distance between AMEs 7, between AME and ALE 2.

Legs (Table 1). Yellow with dark annulation on femora to metatarsi. Coxae yellow, dorsally with dark spots. Epigyne (Figs 14, 19, 25, 29). Septum anchor-shaped, i. e. long and narrow and abruptly widening posteriorly into a transverse piece. Transverse piece widening towards ends. Longitudinal part of septum (septal ridge) distinctly elevated. Copulatory tubes long and slender, bent obliquely mesally, spermathecae round in outline (Fig. 29).

Size variation. Carapace length: males 2.25-2.45 (n=4), females 2.30-2.70 (n=10).

Habitat. Not known.

Distribution (Fig. 116). So far known with certainty from Yakutia. Based on the drawings presented in this paper, Alexey A. Zyuzin (pers. comm.) has informed Y.M. that he has studied material from Middle Siberia (Evenkia: Taimura River, Pardosa sp. 4 in Eskov 1988) that most probably is conspecific with P. eskovi sp. nov. The material, however, was not available to us.