Corresponding authors: Sergei Zonstein (
Academic editor: Dmitry Logunov
Specimens from the following institutions were studied: MHNG – Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Genève, Switzerland; TAU – Zoological Museum, Tel Aviv University, Israel; ZMMU – Zoological Museum of the Moscow State University, Russia.
Other abbreviations are as follows. Eyes: ALE – anterior lateral; AME – anterior median, PLE – posterior lateral, PME – posterior median. Spinnerets: PLS – posterior lateral, PMS – posterior median. Spine positions: p – prolateral; pd – prodorsal; pv – proventral; r – retrolateral; rd – retrodorsal; rv – retroventral; v – ventral.
Photographs were taken either using a Canon 500D digital camera with a 100 mm Canon macro lens and a Zeiss Discovery V20 stereomicroscope with a Canon PowerShot G9 digital camera attached to it. Measurements were taken through a Leica MZ12 stereomicroscope with an accuracy of 0.025 mm (approximated up to the nearest centesimal). All measurements are given in millimetres, except for eye diameters and interdistances which are given in microscope scale units (measured at 100×). Lengths of palps and legs are given as: total (femur, patella, tibia, metatarsus, tarsus).
♂ holotype – IRAN: Alborz Mts., surroundings of Gorgan (36°50'N; 54°26'E), date not specified but most probably in 1913–1914, prior to World War I, coll. O.R. Niedermeyer (MHNG). Paratypes: 3♂ 2♀ with the same collecting data (MHNG).
IRAN: Gorgan, IX.2004, coll. H. Ghahari, 1♂ (TAU); Golestan Province, Aliabad, 36°53'N; 54°57'E, 30.VII.1974, coll. A. Senglet, 1♀, 7 juv. (MHNG); Mazandaran Province, Elborz (Alborz) Mts, oak forest, VI.2004, coll. H. Ghahari, 1♂ 1♀ (ZMMU); Khorasan Province, surroundings of Mashad (36°17'N; 59°36'E), IX.2005, coll. H. Ghahari, 1♀ (TAU); Esfahan Province, surroundings of Esfahan (32°40'N; 51°40'E), XI.2005, coll. H. Ghahari, 1♂ (ZMMU).
The species differs from all other congeners of
Male (holotype). Total body length including chelicerae 13.80. Colour in alcohol: carapace, chelicerae, palps and first pair of legs dorsally intense reddish brown; eye tubercle with darker spots surrounding AMEs and lateral eyes; sternum, labium, maxillae and legs II–IV light reddish brown; abdomen dorsally light greyish brown; typical darker dorsal pattern consisting of a longitudinal median spot crossed by a few poorly preserved transverse fasciae, ventral abdominal surface and spinnerets pale greyish brown.
General appearance as in
Spination. Palp: femur d1–1–0, pd1, rd1; patella p1–1; tibia d1–1, p1–1–1, r1–1–1, v2–1–1–1; cymbium d4(5). Leg I: femur d1–1–0–0, pd1–1–1; rd 1(0)–1–1(0); patella 0; tibia p1–1–0, v3–2–1–1; metatarsus v1(0)–1. Leg II: femur d1–1–0–0; pd1–1; tibia p1–1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus p1; v1–2–2–2. Leg III: femur d1–1–0–0, pd0–1–1, rd0–1–1; patella p1–1, r1; tibia d1–1, p1–1–1, r1–1–1, v2–2–2(3); metatarsus d1–1–2, p1–1–1, r1–1–1, v2(3)–2–3. Leg IV: femur d1–1–0–0, pd0–1–1, rd0–1–1; patella p1, r1; tibia d1–1–2, p1–1–1, r1–1–1, v2–2–2(3); metatarsus pd1–1–2, p1–1–1, r1–1–1, v2–1–2–1(0)–3. Patella I and tarsi I–IV aspinose.
Scopula: distally on metatarsus I, entire on tarsus I, divided by setae on tarsus II; elsewhere absent. Paired claws: 8–10 teeth in two rows on each claw. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–11 per row on tibiae, 10–13 on metatarsi, 10–12 on tarsi, 8 on cymbium.
Palpal tibia moderately long, provided with ventral subapical sensilla (
Spinnerets. PMS: length 0.25; diameter 0.15. PLS: maximum diameter 0.35; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.67, 0.55, 0.37; total length 1.59; apical segment triangular.
Female (paratype): Total body length including chelicerae 15.90. Colour in alcohol and pubescence as in male, dorsal abdominal pattern better preserved, consisting of numerous irregularly arranged, small yellowish brown spots on darker brown background.
General appearance, eye tubercle and ventral aspect of sternum, labium and maxillae as in
Spination. All femora with 1 basodorsal slender spine and a few stiff bristles (undeveloped spines) located medially and distally; palpal patella, patella I and tarsi I–IV aspinose. Palp: femur d1, pd1; tibia v2–1–2; tarsus d5(6). Leg I: femur d1, pd1; tibia v2–1–2; metatarsus v2–2–2. Leg II: femur d1, pd1; patella p1; tibia p1–1, v2–1–3; metatarsus v2–2–2. Leg III: femur d1, pd 1–1, rd 1–1; patella p1–1, r1; tibia d1, p1–1, r1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus pd1–1, p1–1–1, r1–1–2, v2–1–3–3. Leg IV: femur d1, rd1; patella p1, r1; tibia p1–1, r1–1–1, v2–2–3; metatarsus d1–1–1, p1–1–1–1, r1–1–1–1, v2–1(2)–2(3)–3.
Scopula: distal on metatarsi I–II, narrowly divided by setae on palpal tarsus and tarsus I, widely divided on tarsus II, elsewhere absent. Paired claws: 5–7 teeth in two rows on each claw, palpal claw with 4 teeth on inner margin. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 7–9 per row on tibiae, 11–14 on metatarsi, 11–14 on tarsi, 9 on palpal tarsus.
Spermathecae as in
Spinnerets. PMS: length 0.42; diameter 0.20. PLS: maximum diameter 0.55; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.65, 0.48, 0.40; total length 1.53; apical segment triangular.
Carapace length in males varies from 5.05 to 5.90; in females from 5.10 to 7.05. The general coloration is usually the same as shown in
Iran: Alborz Mts., Khorasan and Zagros Mts. (
Localities of
Dr. Peter J. Schwendinger kindly lent us the types and other specimens of