Holotype: ♂ (ISEA 000.287) TURKEY, Antalya Province, 18 km SSE of Elmali, Bey Mt. Range, 6 km WSW of Kızlarsivrisi Mt., 1800–2000 m a.s.l., 36°35'N, 30°03'E, 25 April 2009, coll. R.Yu. Dudko, I.I. Lyubechanskij, A.A. Stekolnikov. Paratypes: TURKEY: 1 ♂ (ISEA 000.286) Ankara Province, Bala District, Revnam Forests, 1392 m a.s.l., 39°40'N, 32°54'E, 29 May 2009, coll. Yu.M. Marusik; 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ISEA 000.515) Çankırı Province, Ankara-Çankırı Highway, 689 m a.s.l., 40°23'N, 33°34'E, semidesert, 15 September 2010, coll. Yu.M. Marusik; 4 ♂ (ISEA 000.875) Adıyaman Province, Nemrut Mt., 37°58'N, 38°44'E, 14.05.1997 (V. Bryja); 1 ♂ (LM) Kayseri Province, Nigde, Demirkazık, 37°51'N, 35°05'E, 13 June 1993, coll. C. Felton; 1 ♂ (MNHN 12.840) Amasia [=Amasya], 40°39'N, 35°49'E, date unknown, coll. S.L.; 2 ♂ (NHM) Pass vor Alahan, Karaman ü. Mut [=Mersin Province, Alahan Monastery, nr Mut, 36°47'N, 33°21'E], 8 April 1977, coll. H. Nemenz.

This species is closely related to A. v-insignitus and other species of Aelurillus v-insignitus-group (sensu Azarkina 2006), but differs in the male body coloration, viz. A. alboclypeus sp. n. has a black eye field (Fig. 2) and the abdomen with a few white spots. Aelurillus v-insignitus has a V-shaped figure on the eye field and a broad light stripe on dorsum on the abdomen in both the black and grey forms (see Żabka 1997: figs 25, 38), A. laniger Logunov & Marusik, 2000 and A. steinmetzi Metzner, 1999 has a modified V-shaped figure pattern on eye field (see Metzner 1999: fig. 41 a). The clypeus of A. alboclypeus sp. n. is covered with short dense adpressed white hairs (Figs 5, 14) while A. v-insignitus has sparse white hairs (Fig. 18). Aelurillus guecki Metzner, 1999 and A. laniger has long shaggy and short yellow-white hairs on clypeus respective and A. steinmetzi has light red hairs. Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n. has dark brown metatarsi and tarsi of leg I and yellow femora, patellae and tibiae (Fig. 15) while A. v-insignitus has yellow femora and brown to dark brown patellae, tibiae, metatarsi and tarsi (Fig. 19). Aelurillus guecki has red-brown metatarsi and tarsi of leg I, all legs covered with dark brown hairs. Aelurillus laniger has grey femora of leg I ventrally, femora of other legs are brown-grey ventrally. The TA of the embolic division has a small tooth-like process (Figs 7–10) which absent from both forms of A. v-insignitus (Żabka 1997: figs 31, 42) and other Aelurillus v-insignitus-group species (see Logunov and Marusik 2000: figs 5–6; Metzner 1999: figs 43 f, h–i). Palpal tibial apophysis both straight and slightly curved dorsally, almost adequate in size (Fig. 4) while palpal tibial apophysis of A. laniger both straight, ventral apophysis slightly longer (Logunov and Marusik 2000: fig. 4), ventral palpal tibial apophysis curved ventrally, small and dorsal palpal tibial apophysis long and straight in A. guecki (Metzner 1999: fig. 40 c), palpal tibial apophysis adequate in size, ventral tibial apophysis slightly curved ventrally and dorsal tibial apophysis straight in A. steinmetzi (Metzner 1999: fig. 41 c), palpal tibial apophysis adequate in size, ventral palpal tibial apophysis bended ventrally and dorsal tibial apophysis slightly curved dorsally in A. v-insignitus (Metzner 1999: fig. 42 c). Females differ from those of A. v-insignitus-group by the poorly visible copulatory openings (Fig. 12).

The species is named for its “face coloration”: A. alboclypeus sp. n. has white dense hairs on the clypeus.

Male (holotype (small) and paratype (large) from Demirkazık ): Carapace 2.00–3.10 long, 1.60–2.10 wide, 1.00-1.80 high at PLE. Ocular area 0.95–1.10 long, 1.25–1.60 wide anteriorly and 1.20–1.55 wide posteriorly. Diameter of AME 0.30–0.40. Abdomen 1.90–2.50 long, 1.70–2.10 wide. Cheliceral length 0.65–1.00. Clypeal height 0.25–0.30. Length of leg segments: I 1.3+0.9+0.8+0.5+0.6; II 1.4+0.9+0.8+0.6+0.5; III 2.0+0.9+1.0+1.0+0.8; IV 1.9+0.9+1.2+1.5+0.8. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1–1–5; Pt pr 1; Tb pr 1–1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. II: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr 1–1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. III: Fm d 1–3–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr and rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. IV: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 2–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–1–2, rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. Coloration. Carapace dark brown, with black eye field, covered with dark brown to black adpressed scales. Carapace with two thick white stripes dorsally (Fig. 2) and covered with white hairs laterally. Clypeus with short dense white adpressed hairs (Figs 5, 14). Chelicerae dark brown. Abdomen yellow-gray, dorsum black, with an indistinct white longitudinal stripe (Fig. 2) and 5–6 pairs of white indistinct spots in the posterior part of abdomen. Legs yellow-brown. Femur I and II with two yellowish dorsal stripes. Femur I covered prolaterally with dense yellow hairs. Legs III and IV brown. Patella and tibia I and II yellow, covered with short and thin long hairs. Metatarsi and tarsi I and II dark brown (Fig. 15). Palpal femur brown, with a ventral knob, covered dorsally with long white dense hairs. Palpal patella and tibia yellow, with white hairs. Cymbium brown, covered with dark brown hairs. Palpal structure as in Figs 3–4, 7–10.

Female (from Çankırı Prov.): Carapace 2.30 long, 1.30 wide, 1.20 high at PLE. Ocular area 1.00 long, 1.35 wide anteriorly and 1.30 wide posteriorly. Diameter of AME 0.40. Abdomen 2.20 long, 1.40 wide. Cheliceral length 0.70. Clypeal height 0.30. Length of leg segments: I 1.0+0.7+0.7+0.5+0.5; II 1.0+0.7+0.7+0.5+0.45; III 1.7+0.9+0.9+1.0+0.65; IV 1.55+0.7+0.85+1.2+0.7. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1–1–4; Tb pr 1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. II: Fm d 1–2–4; Tb pr 1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. III: Fm d 1–2–4; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–0–2, rt 1–1–2, v 1–1–2 ap. IV: Fm d 1–1–2; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1, v 2–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–1–2, rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. Coloration. Carapace dark brown with black ocular area, covered with white scales. Sternum dark brown covered with white hairs. Clypeus dark brown covered with white hairs, cheeks dark brown with two strips formatted by dense white hairs. Abdomen grayish-yellow, dorsum dark brown with mixed yellowish-white hair pattern. Book-lungs are grayish-yellow, spinnerets are yellowish-grey. All legs and palps are yellow. Legs with dark brown patches and semi-rings. Structure of spigyne and spermathecae as in Figs 11–13.

Figure 1. 

Distributional map of five Aelurillus species.

Figures 2–13. 

Aelurillus alboclypeus sp. n.: 2 male, body pattern 3 left palp, ventral view 4 ditto, retrolateral view 5 male face 6 palpal femur, retrolateral view 7 embolic division, retrolateral view 8 ditto, dorsal view 9 ditto, prolateral view 10 ditto, ventral view 11 diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts 12 epigyne, ventral view 13 spermathecae; dorsal view. Scale bars - 0.1 mm (3–8, 11–12), 0.5 mm (10); 1 mm (2).

Figures 14–19. 

Faces of A. alboclypeus sp. n. (14–15), A. deltshevi sp. n. (16–17) and A. v-insignitus (Clerck, 1757) (18–19). Scale bars - 1 mm.

Turkey (Fig. 1).

First author re-examined Aelurillus material from Danişman et al. 2012 and Coşar et al. 2014 (except A. luctuosus) kindly provided by Tarık Danişman in 2013 (Aelurillus material is the same in both papers). All A. gershomi belongs to new species, A. alboclypeus sp. n.

Allotype of Aelurillus steliosi: 1 ♀ (MNHN #AR 13335) “GREECE, Crete, Psiloreitis, Kouroutes (Prefectura Irakleio), near Agios Titos church, 1180 m a.s.l., 35°20'N, 25°08'E, 12 June 2001, coll. S. Simaiakis”. Holotype of Aelurillus cretensis: ♂ (NHMC) GREECE, Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 1650 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 8 June 1991, coll. P. Lymperakis. Paratypes: GREECE: 1 ♂ (NHMC), 1 ♂ (MMUM) Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 1650-2100 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 16-17 October 1990, coll. P. Lymperakis; 7 ♂ 2 ♀ (ISEA 000.516), 1 ♀ (ISEA 000.517), 2 ♂ 2 ♀ (NHMC), 1 ♀ (MMUM) Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 1650 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 8 June-6 October 1991, coll. P. Lymperakis; 1 ♀ (ISEA 000.711) Crete, Lefka Ori Mts., 2000 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 6 August 1992, coll. P. Lymperakis.

1 ♀ (SNHM) Greece, Crete, Lasithi, mountains S of Sitia, stony, moist beds of stream, under stones and on ground, 35°10'N, 26°06'E, 22 March 1958, coll. H. Kahmann.

Only known from Crete, Greece (Fig. 1; Azarkina 2002: fig. 8).

The male holotype and the female allotype of A. steliosi belong to two different species, A. cretensis (female) and A. leipoldae (male).

Bosmans et al. 2013 erroneously (R. Bosmans, pers. comm.) mentioned A. blandus in reference to A. cretensis (WSC 2015) therefore we excluded this reference from the list.

Holotype: ♂ (IZSB) BULGARIA, Blagoevgrad Province, Strouma Valley, 2 km S of Kamenitsa, 170-240 m a.s.l., 41°38'N, 23°09'E, soil traps, 28 September – 2 February 2002, coll. M. Langourov & S. P. Lazarov. Paratypes: MACEDONIA: 1 ♂ (ISEA 000.472) Skopje, Radišani [=Radishani], 42°04'N, 21°27'E, 3 September 1995, coll. M. Komnenov. BULGARIA: 4 ♂ (IZSB) Blagoevgrad Province, Strouma Valley, FM 71, 2 km S of Kamenitsa, 170-240 m a.s.l., 41°37'N, 23°09'E, soil traps, 28 September – 2 February 2002, coll. M. Langourov & S. Lazarov. AZERBAIJAN: 1 ♂ (MMUM) 60 km SW of Baku [=Bakı], Gobustan [=Qobustan], Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, 40°05'N, 49°24'E, 7.05.1989, coll. P. M. Dunin.

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. belongs to A. v-insignitus-group and is closely related to A. alboclypeus sp. n., A. guecki, A. steinmetzi and A. v-insignitus; it also shares the same colour pattern on the eye field (Fig. 20) with A. alboclypeus sp. n. (Fig. 2) and A. guecki (Metzner 1999: fig. 40 a), but differs from other species of this group which have “V” shape (or its modification) on eye field; the clypeal pattern (a narrow stripe of white hairs under anterior median eyes, Fig. 28), difference in size and shape of the lateral tibial apophysis (Fig. 22, cf. Prószyński 1971: see fig. 18 for A. v-insignitus), and in the structure of the embolic division where the embolus and TA are more curved pro- and retro-laterally, and the apical part of TA is simple, without lateral expansions (Figs 24–27), whereas the apical part of TA of A. v-insignitus is more complicated and laterally expanded, (Metzner 1999: see fig. 43 f), apical part of TA of A. alboclypeus sp. n. with small tooth (Fig. 8), apical part of TA of A. guecki and A. steinmetzi are pointed apically (Metzner 1999: figs. 43 h-i) while apical part of TA of A. deltshevi sp. n. pointed perpendicular to embolus (Fig. 25).

Figures 20–28. 

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n.: 20 male, body pattern 21 left palp, ventral view 22 ditto, retrolateral view 23 palpal femur, prolateral view 24 embolic division, ventral view 25 ditto, prolateral view 26 ditto, retrolateral view 27 embolic division, ventral view 28 male face;. Scale bars - 0.1 mm (21–22, 24–27), 0.5 mm (23); 1 mm (20).

This species is named after Prof. Christo Deltshev, the well-known Bulgarian arachnologist.

Male (Paratype, from Bulgaria): Carapace 2.8 long, 2.0 wide, 1.6 high at PLE. Ocular area 1.1 long, 1.55 wide anteriorly and 1.55 wide posteriorly. Diameter of AME 0.45. Abdomen 1.3 long, 1.2 wide. Cheliceral length 1.0. Clypeal height 0.3. Length of leg segments: I 1.4+0.7+0.9+0.65+0.55; II 1.5+0.9+0.9+0.6+0.6; III 1.9+0.9+1.4+1.3+0.65; IV 1.9+0.8+1.3+1.5+0.8. Leg spination: I: Fm d 1–1–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb pr 1–2, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. II: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb pr 1–1–1, v 1–1–2 ap; Mt pr and rt 1–1, v 2–2 ap. III: Fm d 1–3–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr and rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. IV: Fm d 1–2–5; Pt pr and rt 1; Tb d 1–0–0, pr and rt 1–1–1–1, v 1–0–2 ap; Mt d 1–1–0, pr 1–1–2, rt 1–0–2, v 1–1–2 ap. Coloration: Carapace dark brown, with black eye field, covered with adpressed white scales, more densely on its sides. Carapace with two dorsal longitudinal white stripes. Eye field covered with black shining scales, with no colour pattern (Fig. 20). Clypeus, cheeks and chelicerae brown to dark brown (Fig. 16). Clypeus and cheeks densely covered with white hairs (especially beneath anterior median eyes) (Fig. 28). Hairs around eyes laterally and ventrally white, dorsally black. Abdomen yellow-gray, dorsum dark brown, with thin white hairs. Legs brownish yellow. Metatarsus and tarsus I yellow-brown (Fig. 17). Palps yellow, covered with white hairs, cymbium brown-yellow, covered with brown hairs. Palpal femur with a ventral knob (Fig. 23). Palpal structure as in Figs 21–22, 24–27.

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. was hitherto identified as A. v-insignitus. There are two subspecies of A. v-insignitus, A. v. morulus (Simon, 1937) from France, and A. v. obsoletus (Kulczyński in Chyzer and Kulczyński 1891) from Hungary. Simon (1937: p. 1267) commented that in southern France A. v. morulus would occur together with A. v-insignitus. This species is a local form and can be distinguished from A. v-insignitus by the abdomen and femur coloration (see p. 1227). Kulczyński (1891: p. 30) stated that A. v-insignitus and A. v. obsoletus were similar in the body colouration, but that of the eye field in A. v. obsoletus was not adequately visible (“areae huius pictura parum definita”). One of us (GA) tried to find the holotypes of both Simon’s and Kulczyński’s species but failed. It is most likely that they were lost. A. deltshevi sp. n., described here, has the black eye field, without a “V” pattern. According to Kulczyński’s picture (1891: plate 1, figs 4 a–b), the tibial apophysis is typical of A. v-insignitus. The TA in A. deltshevi sp. n. is different as the dorso-lateral branch of the TA in these species is not higher than in A. v-insignitus, and the ventro-lateral branch of the TA is less curved (Figs 24–27). Prószyński (1971) described two forms of A. v-insignitus, “black” and “grey”. Both these forms have visible “V” pattern on the eye field (Prószyński 1971: figs 8-10) and a high dorso-lateral tibial apophysis (Prószyński 1971: figs 13, 16, 18–21). The terminal apophyses of the “black” and “grey” forms are also different from those of A. deltshevi sp. n. (Żabka 1997: figs 30–31, 41–42). However, all of them can easily be separated from A. deltshevi sp. n. by the carapace and clypeal colouration, also by the structure of the embolic division and the shape of the tibial apophysis.

Macedonia, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan (Fig. 1).

Aelurillus deltshevi sp. n. occurs in Macedonia and Bulgaria at the elevations below 500 m a.s.l., while A. v-insignitus has been recorded from the elevations above 500 m a.s.l..

Holotype of Aelurillus steliosi: ♂ (MNHN #AR 13334) “GREECE, Crete, Skalani (Pref. Irakleio), 230 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 25°11'E, 21 May 2001, coll. S. Simaiakis”. Holotype of Asianellus leipoldae ♂ (SMNK, 2177) “GREECE, Kreta, Paleohóra, Küstengebirge” [=Crete, Palaiochora, Coastal Ranges, 35°13'N, 23°40'E], 9.01.1993 (D. Leiopold). Paratype of Asianellus leipoldae 1 ♂ (PCHM) “Kreta [=Crete], Chania, 35°18'N, 23°48'E, 4.09.1974 (A. Senglet).

GREECE: 10 ♂ 2 ♀ (ISEA 001.4045, 001.4047, 001.4058) Crete, Chania, Lefka Ori Mts., 800 and 1650 m a.s.l., 35°17'N, 23°54'E, 23 November 1990, 6 July–6 November 1991, coll. P. Lymperakis; 2 ♀ (ISEA 001.4057) Gavdos Island, Chania, Lavrakas sand-dunes, Juniperus forest, 34°52'N, 24°04'E, 24 July–8 November 1997, coll. K. Paragamian; 1 ♂ (LM) Crete, September 2002, coll. S.L. Felton; 1 ♀ (SNHM) Crete, Chania, N of Lake Curna [=Kournas], N slope, 100 m from the coast, Luminacea, Salvia, 0-15 m a.s.l., 35°20'N, 24°16'E, 16 April 1958, coll. H. Kahmann; 1 ♀ (SNHM) Crete, Heraklion, 2 km SE of Zaros, NE slope, flat hill, sandy, Phrygana, Cirsium, Cystus, under stones, 35°07'N, 24°55'E, 7 April 1958, coll. H. Kahmann.

The holotype of Aelurillus steliosi is conspecific with that of A. leipoldae. Both specimens examined (the male holotypes of A. leipoldae and A. steliosi) have the same body coloration and structure of the palpus and the embolic division (Figs 29–31 and see Azarkina 2002: figs 31–38, 41; Dobroruka 2002: figs 6–10). Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the name A. steliosi Dobroruka, 2002 is a junior synonym of A. leipoldae (Metzner, 1999), contrary to Bosmans et al. (2013) (see also comment under A. cretensis) who synonymized A. steliosi with A. cretensis Azarkina, 2002.

Figures 29–34. 

Male of Aelurillus leipoldae (holotype of Aelurillus steliosi) and female of A. cretensis (allotype of A. steliosi): 29 left palp, ventral view 30 ditto, retrolateral view 31 embolic division, dorsal view 32 diagrammatic course of the insemination ducts 33 epigyne, ventral view 34 spermathecae, dorsal view. Scale bars - 0.1 mm (29–31, 33–34).

Only known from Crete, Greece (Fig. 1; Metzner 1999: map 29; Azarkina 2002: fig. 43).