Filistata testacea Latreille, 1810 (considered a junior synonym of F. insidiatrix).

Filistata is a genus of medium to large-sized Filistatinae spiders with 19 valid species mainly distributed from Mediterranean to Turkmenistan. Members of this genus can be diagnosed by the long and cylindrical palpal tibia of males, well-developed thoracic fovea, long and subhorizontal clypeus, oval sternum and longer than wide labium (Zonstein et al. 2013).

This species differs from F. lehtineni by larger size, longer male palp, and larger receptacles (cf. Fig. 1a–d).

Figure 1. 

Copulatory organs of Filistata lehtineni (a–b) and F. insidiatrix (c–d). a, c male palp, retrolateral b, d endogyne, dorsal. After Marusik and Zonstein (2014).

Well-described by Brignoli (1982).

Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiary, Fars, Golestan, Isfahan, Kordestan, Mazandaran, Razavi Khorasan, Tehran.

This species has the widest range within the entire family. It is known from the Iberian Peninsula to Turkmenistan and northeastern Iran (Marusik and Zonstein 2014). The record of this species from Razavi Khorasan is the easternmost in its range.

This species differs from F. insidiatrix by smaller size, shorter and thicker male palp with screw-shaped embolus, and smaller receptacles (cf. Fig. 1c–d).

Both sexes of this species are described in detail in Marusik and Zonstein (2014).

Zanjan.

Known only from southern Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran.

Filistata nigra Simon, 1897.

Sahastata is a small genus of large-sized Filistatinae spiders with four described species distributed from the Mediterranean to India. Members of Sahastata differ distinctly from other genera of Filistatinae by the shape of the calamistrum (two-three rows, not placed in a crest), presence of a dense ventral scopula on the femora I and II of females (Benoit 1968), dense hairs on female sternum and labium and several small spines on the femora I and II of males. So far, Sahastata males are known only by one species from India, S. ashapuriae Patel, 1978. Unfortunately, the description of this species lacks several important characters, such as female internal genitalia and cribellum and male legs spination (cf. Patel 1978), which are critical for the genus recognition and the separation of species.

IRAN: 1♂ 1♀ (SMF), Hormozgan Province: Hormuz Island, 27°04'N, 56°28'E, January 2015 (A. Zamani).

Females of S. sinuspersica can be distinguished from the other female congeners by having one pair of receptacle heads connected to the epigastric furrow by a pair of ducts, while S. nigra Simon, 1897 present two pairs of spermathecae heads (Benoit 1968: fig. 4) and S. sabaea Brignoli, 1982 has the duct connected to the bursa copulatrix (Brignoli 1982: fig. 18) (Fig. 3e–f). The male differs from all known filistatids except for Filistata puta O.Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 (sensu Wunderlich 1995) by having numerous small spines on femora I and II. Males of S. sinuspersica and F. puta both have relatively long palps but differ by the shape of the bulb: conical and tapering in S. sinuspersica and with round tegular part in F. puta (Wunderlich 1995: figs 2–4). The bulb of S. sinuspersica is very similar to that in S. ashapuriae. Although the latter species is poorly-described and illustrated, it can be easily distinguished from S. sinuspersica by having palps longer than leg I (palp twice shorter than leg I in Iranian species).

Male. Total length 4.85. Carapace 2.32 long, 1.75 wide, 0.5 high, flat, light-colored, with V-shaped brown median spot reaching clypeus and poorly distinct radial stripes, covered with short adpressed dark hairs, postocular area with few strong erected hairs (Fig. 2b–c). Eye tubercle moderately elevated, brownish-black. Chelicerae with median brown bands (Fig. 2b–c). Sternum uniformly light-colored (Fig. 2d), hairs covering sternum not as dense as in female (Marusik et al. 2014: fig. 24). Legs light brownish-yellow, darker than carapace, metatarsi and tarsi darker than other segments due to dense brownish hairs (Fig. 2a, d). Legs very long, first leg four times longer than body (Fig. 2a). All legs with distinct spines, femora I with numerous pro- and retrolateral small spines (Fig. 2b, f), femora II with less dense spination prolaterally. All leg tarsi with pseudosegmentation (cuticular cracks) (Fig. 2a, d). Calamistrum absent. Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 9.66 [4.5, 0.5, 4.03, 0.63], I 19.65 [5.25, 1.05, 5.85, 5.5, 2.0], II 13.75 [3.85, 1.0, 3.65, 3.75, 1.5], III 11.9 [3.25, 0.95, 2.8, 3.5, 1.4], IV 16.65 [4.5, 1.05, 4.3, 4.8, 2.0]. Abdomen brownish, with dark brown anterior part of dorsum and distinct light median stripe. Book lungs (Bl) very large (length about 1/3 of abdomen length) (Fig. 2b), tracheal spiracle (Ts) wide, located almost on half way from epigastric furrow to cribellum (Fig. 2e). Cribellum (Cr) present (Fig. 2e), large, transverse and divided.

Figure 2. 

Somatic characters of Sahastata sinuspersica, male. a, b habitus, lateral and dorsal c carapace, dorsal d prosoma, ventral e abdomen, ventral f part of femur I showing spination, prolateral. Abbreviations: Bl book lung, Cr cribellum, Ts tracheal spiracle.

Palp as in Fig. 3a–d, very long, two times longer than body, femur as long as femur of leg IV, covered with spines; patella very short, shorter than cymbium; tibia slightly thinner than femur, without spines; cymbium cylindrical, longer than free part of bulb; bulb conical gradually tapering, embolic part not well-separated from tegular part, shorter than tegular part; tip of embolus slightly bent retrolaterally; Spermophor with three coils in retrolateral and two coils in prolateral.

Figure 3. 

Copulatory organs of Sahastata sinuspersica. a whole male palp, retrolateral b–d terminal part of the male palp, retrolateral, prolateral and from above e receptacle, dorsal f endogyne, dorsal.

Female. Described by Marusik et al. (2014).

Specimens were mostly found under stones and in natural crevices on a sandy substrate near the sea.

Hormozgan.

Endemic to southern Iran.

Filistata schmitzi Kulczyński, 1911.

Zaitunia is a small genus of small to medium-sized Filistatinae spiders with 11 described species distributed from East Mediterranean to Central Asia. They are diagnosable from the similarly-looking Filistata by the lack of a thoracic fovea, short and subvertical clypeus, subcircular sternum, as broad as long labium, and by a short and swollen palpal tibia of males (Zonstein 2009, Zonstein et al. 2013).

IRAN: Holotype ♀ (SMF) and paratypes 7♀ (ZMMU, ZMUT), Tehran Province: Southern macroslopes of Alborz mountains, 35°48'29"N, 51°23'E, July 2014 (A. Zamani).

This species is named after Iranian botanist Hossein Akhani (University of Tehran), in recognition of his contributions to the botanical studies of Iran and his numerous environmental activities.

Females of Z. akhanii sp. n. resemble those of Z. persica Brignoli, 1982 by having one pair of sinuous tube-like receptacles, but Z. akhanii sp. n. has two loops (or curves) while Z. persica has four (Brignoli 1982: fig. 14).

Female (paratype). Total length 5.2. Carapace 2.16 long, 1.6 wide. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.16, PLE 0.11, PME 0.12, AME-AME 0.03. Light yellowish-colored with distinct pattern on carapace and legs: clypeus whole dark, wide dark median band terminated near fovea. Abdomen uniformly yellowish-gray without darker pattern. Legs with few spines; calamistrum located on low ridge, uniseriate (Fig. 4d). Measurements of palp and legs: Palp 3.28 [1.2, 0.6, 0.68, 0.8], I 9.4 [3.12, 0.8, 2.28, 2.0, 1.2], II 6.28 [1.76, 0.72, 1.48, 1.44, 0.88], III 5.28 [1.52, 0.6, 1.2, 1.2, 0.76], IV 7.12 [2.08, 0.8, 1.68, 1.68, 0.88].

Figure 4. 

Holotype of Zaitunia akhanii sp. n. a–b habitus, lateral and dorsal c carapace, dorsal d calamistrum e–f endogyne, anterior and ventral.

Vulva as in Fig. 4e–f, with one pair of sinuous tube-like receptacles. Receptacles wavy, bent two times, glands not distinct in low magnification but well visible after contrasting coloring (Fig. 4e); glands distributed along whole receptacle and denser in the basal half.

Male. Unknown.

Total length 4.8–7.2. Pale specimens may have light clypeus.

Specimens were found in large, dusty cribellate webs made around human dwellings.

Known only from the type locality in Tehran.

IRAN: holotype ♀ (MCSN), Fars Province: Kuhenjan, 27 May 1976 (S. Zerunian).

This species differs from other Iranian congeners by the shape of the sac-like receptacles, slightly longer than wide.

Well-described by Brignoli (1982).

Figure 5. 

Dorsal view of endogynes of the holotypes of Zaitunia persica (a), Z. alexandri (b) and Z. medica (c–d). 6d after Brignoli (1982).

Fars.

Endemic to southern Iran.

IRAN: holotype ♀ and paratype ♀ (MCSN), Isfahan Province: Laybid, 2100 m, 7 July 1975 (P. Brignoli & M. Di Rao).

This species differs from other Iranian congeners by the shape of sac-like receptacles, which are wider than long.

Well-described by Brignoli (1982).

Isfahan.

Endemic to central Iran.

IRAN: holotype ♀ and paratype ♀ (MCSN), Fars Province: Dehbid, 2100m, 24 May 1976 (P. Brignoli).

This species differs from other Iranian congeners by very long, tube-like receptacles curved four times.

Well-described by Brignoli (1982).

Fars.

Endemic to southern Iran.

Figure 6. 

Live specimens of Zaitunia akhanii sp. n. (a), and Sahastata sinuspersica (b–c). a–b female, dorsal c male (left) and female (right) prior to copulation, on artificial surface. Photographs by A. Mohajeran (a) and A. Zamani (b–c).

Figure 7. 

Distribution records of filistatids in Iran: Filistata insidiatrix (circle), F. lehtineni (square), Sahastata sinuspersica (triangle), Zaitunia akhanii sp. n. (star), Z. alexandri (pentagon), Z. medica (cross) and Z. persica (diamond).