Persiscape levyi ( Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen, 2005 ) Zamani & Marusik, 2020

Zamani, Alireza & Marusik, Yuri M., 2020, A review of Agelenini (Araneae: Agelenidae: Ageleninae) of Iran and Tajikistan, with descriptions of four new genera, Arachnology 18 (4), pp. 368-386 : 373

Persiscape levyi ( Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen, 2005) comb. n.

( Figs. 6C , 7B , 9F , 10 A–B, 12A–G, 15B)

Agelescape levyi Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen 2005: 158 , figs. 3–5 (♂).

Agelescape sp.: Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen 2005: 159, figs. 22–25 (♂).

Agelescape talyshica Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen 2005: 158 , figs. 13–16 (♀), syn. n.

Material examined: IRAN: Tehran Province: 4♂ 10♀ ( ZMMU), 5 km N of Tehran, Tochal Mountains , 35°53′N 51°20′E, 2000–2900 m, 16 June 2000 (Y. M. Marusik, F. Mozaffarian, R. Bahramishad); 2♂ 1♀ ( ZMMU), E of Tehran, Ab-Ali, 35°46′N 51°57′E, 02 June 2000 (Y. M. Marusik) .

Diagnosis: Males of P. levyi differ from congeners by the short, claw-like embolus (v. spine- or stick-like embolus) ( Figs. 6C , 7B , 9F ). Females of P. levyi are most similar to those of P. gideoni due to the subdivided scape, but differ by having a smaller fovea that is 2× wider than the scape (v. 2.5× wider than the scape) ( Figs. 12 A–G).

Description: Described by Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen (2005).

Remarks: Persiscape levyi was described on the basis of the male holotype from north-central Azerbaijan (sub Agelescape ), and A. talyshica was described based on female specimens collected in southeastern Azerbaijan. Recently, Iranian material containing both sexes revealed that these names require synonymization. Strangely, in the same paper that the description of Agelescape levyi was provided, other specimens collected in Iran were identified as Agelescape sp.; as these specimens are identical to the type series of A. levyi from Azerbaijan, they are identified as such herein.

Distribution: central-northern Azerbaijan to northern Iran (first record) ( Fig. 15B ).

Figures

Fig. 6: SEM micrographs of male palps. A Persiscape gideoni, bulb, ventral view; B P. ecbatana sp. n., bulb, ventral view; C P. levyi, bulb, ventral view; D Agelescape cf. livida, from Israel, bulb, ventral view; E P. ecbatana sp. n., bulb, retrolateral view; F Gorbiscape gorbachevi sp. n., bulb, ventral view; G Agelescape cf. livida, from Israel, whole palp with removed bulb; H same, bulb, anterior view; I Persiscape gideoni, bulb, anterior view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm, if not otherwise indicated. Abbreviations: Be = base of embolus, Cb = base of conductor, Co = conductor, Em = embolus, Pe = embolar process.

Fig. 7: SEM micrographs of terminal part of bulb, anterior view. A Gorbiscape gorbachevi sp. n.; B Persiscape levyi; C P. ecbatana sp. n. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

Fig. 9: Bulb, ventral view. A Persiscape gideoni; B P. nassirkhanii sp. n.; C P. zagrosensis sp. n.; D P. caspica sp. n.; E P. ecbatana sp. n.; F P. levyi. Scale bar = 0.2 mm, if not stated otherwise.

Fig. 10: Male palp. A Persiscape levyi, ventral view; B same, retrolateral view; C P. ecbatana sp. n., ventral view; D same, retrolateral view; E P. caspica sp. n., ventral view; F same, retrolateral view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm, if not stated otherwise.

Fig. 12: Epigynes, different specimens showing variation.A Persiscape levyi, ventral view;B same, dorsal view; C same, ventral view;D same, dorsal view; E same, ventral view; F same, posterior view; G same, dorsal view; H P. gideoni, ventral view; I, D same, posterior views; K, L same, dorsal views; M P. caucasica, ventral view; N same, posterior view; O same, dorsal view. E–G, H–I, L–O after Guseinov, Marusik & Koponen (2005). Scale bars = 0.2 mm, unless otherwise indicated.

Fig. 15: Distribution maps. A Agelescape afFnis, A. livida, and Persiscape caucasica; B P. caspica sp. n., P. ecbatana sp. n., P. nassirkhanii sp. n., P. levyi, P. zagrosensis sp. n., Asiascape parthica sp. n., Persilena sengleti sp. n., and Gorbiscape gorbachevi sp. n.; C Persiscape gideoni.