Draconarius latellai, Marusik, Yuri M. & Ballarin, Francesco, 2011

Marusik, Yuri M. & Ballarin, Francesco, 2011, A new species of Draconarius Ovtchinnikov, 1999 (Araneae, Amaurobioidea, Coelotinae) from Northern Pakistan, Zootaxa 2739, pp. 27-32 : 27-31

Draconarius latellai n. sp.

Figs 1–12 ,

Type material. Holotype 3 ( MSNV) PAKISTAN, Northern Areas [= Gilgit-Baltistan administrative unit], Gilgit Dist., Bagrot Valley, Burche Glacier, 36°00'19.8''N 74°32'28.4''E, 27.10.2008 (L. Latella). Paratypes: 2ƤƤ ( MSNV), Northern Areas, Gilgit Dist., Naltar Valley, 36°11'2.4''N 74°9'12.7''E, 1.11.2008 (L. Latella, R. Ahmed).

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the collector of the holotype, Italian coleopterologist Leonardo Latella (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona).

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to the D. venustus species group, which encompasses over 25 species (see Wang, 2003) and is most similar to the type species of the genus ( D. venustus Ovtchinnikov, 1999 ). Draconarius venustus and the new species are distinguished from other Draconarius by having the longest insemination duct, which consists of at least seven coils ( Figs 11–12 , 16–17 ); further distinguished from most Draconarius species in having no distinct pattern on carapace or abdomen ( Figs 7–8 ). The new species is distinguished from D. venustus by its round spermatheca ( Figs 11–12 ; elongate in D. venustus Fig. 17 ), longer patellar apophysis ( Fig. 4 ; compare with Figs 14–15 ), shorter embolus ( Fig. 3 ; compare with Figs 13–15 ), and longer tip of cymbium ( Fig. 3 ; compare with Figs 13–15 ). In addition, the upper part of the conductor is rounded in new species, whereas in D. venustus it is angled ( Fig. 14 ). Of the remaining species described from Central Asia, the new species differs from D. pakistanicus by having longer embolus reaching base of tibia ( Figs 1–6 ; compare with Figs 18–19 ) and cymbial furrow ( Fig. 1 ; compare with Figs 18–19 ), and also by having more numerous coils of insemination ducts (over seven in the new species, four in D. pakistanicus ); from D. naranensis (known from the male only) by having smaller epigynal teeth terminating over the fovea (large and terminate below fovea D. naranensis ) and also by having more coils of the insemination duct (three in D. naranensis ; Fig. 23 ). Differences between D. latellai n. sp. species and three other Central Asian species are summarized in the key.

Description. Male. Total length 8.4. Carapace: 4.4 long, 2.9 wide, uniformly coloured. Eyes sizes and distances: AME 0.14, ALE 0.20, PME 0.15, PLE 0.12, AME-AME 0.07, AME-ALE 0.05, PME-PME 0.10, PME- PLE 0.17, AME-PME 0.14. Abdomen 4.1 long, 2.25 wide. Light brown, without distinct pattern on carapace and abdomen ( Figs 7–8 ). Abdomen with distinct heart mark which is darker than other parts of abdomen ( Fig. 8 ).

Palp as in Figs 1–5 , femur short, its length is about 2/3 of cymbial length; patella as long as wide, with long spiniform apophysis (Pa), its length is equal to 2/3 of patella length; tibia with small lateral apophysis and with keel like RTA, both apophyses forming kind of furrow; cymbium large, cymbial furrow (Cf) very long, it occupying 88% of the cymbial length; tegular (=median) apophysis (Ta) large, almost as long as patella; conductor (Co) trilobate as in other congeners; embolus (Em) long and thin, making several coils in different planes.

Female. Total length 8.75–9.5. Carapace 3.15–3.35 long, 2.0–2.6 wide. Eye sizes and distances: AME 0.08, ALE 0.17, PME 0.14, PLE 0.15, AME-AME 0.05, AME-ALE 0.04, PME-PME 0.10, PME-PLE 0.12, AME-PME 0.10. Abdomen 5.2–5.7 long, 2.95–3.35 wide. Coloration as in male.

Epigyne as in Figs 9–12 , fovea transverse (wider than high), posterior part with thin sclerotized strip (Ps); teeth (Tt) almost invisible, two conical invaginations (hoods) clearly visible on the internal side of the epigynal plate (Eh); insemination ducts (Id) coiled, they making at least 8 coils; spermatheca round; accessory glands (Ag) thin, placed over insemination ducts.

Comments. Draconarius venustus and the new species have the longest insemination ducts in the genus. It seems that long ducts do not correspond to long emboli. Several Draconarius species have an embolus longer than in D. latellai n. sp. ( D. venustus , D. longissimus Liu, Li & Pham, 2010 ), but they have insemination ducts as long as in D. latellai n. sp. or shorter.

Distribution. The new species was found in two localities about 50 km apart in northern Kashmir.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Male palp of Draconarius latellai n. sp. 1 — retrolateral; 2 — ventral; 3 — ventro-prolateral; 4 — retrolateral; 5 — prolateral; 6 — scheme, course of embolus in ventral view. Abbreviations: Cf — cymbial furrow, Co — conductor, Em — embolus, Pa — patella, Ta — tegular (= median) apophysis.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Habitus and epigyne of Draconarius latellai n. sp. 7, 8 — habitus of male and female, respectively; 9, 11 — epigyne, ventral; 10 — epigyne, anterior; 12 — epigyne, dorsal; 10 – 12 — epigyne after maceration; Ag — accessorial glands, Eh — hoods, Et — epigynal tooth; Id — insemination ducts, Ps — posterior sclerotized strip; Sp — spermatheca.

FIGURES 13 – 23. Copulatory organs of Draconarius venustus (13 – 17), D. pakistanicus (18 – 21) and D. naranensis (22 – 23). 13 — male palp, prolateral; 14, 19 — male palp, ventral; 15, 19 — male palp, retrolateral; 16, 20, 22 — epigyne, ventral; 17, 21, 23 — epigyne, dorsal. 13 – 17 — after Ovtchinnikov (1999), reproduced with permission; 18 – 23 — after Ovtchinnikov & Inayatullah (2005), reproduced with permission. Et — epigynal tooth; Ft — finger like tip of cymbium; Sp — spermatheca; arrows indicate differences in position of embolic loop.