Spariolenus baluchistanicus Moradmand & Wesal & Kulkarni 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Moradmand, Majid
name: Wesal, Mohammad Wasil
name: Kulkarni, Siddharth
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Sparassidae
Spariolenus
Spariolenus baluchistanicus

description: Spariolenus baluchistanicus sp. n.
Figs 6A–E, 9C
Spariolenus tigris Simon. Gravely 1931: 256 (in part, one female from Quetta, used as holotype here, see below).
Type material: Holotype: female, Pakistan: Baluchistan: Quetta, 30.19 N, 67.01 E, 1685 m (NHM); [label: 1♀, 2 imm., Quetta, A.F. Pocock, Spariolenus? tigris Simon, F.H. Gravely det. 1930 (NHM 1900.8.12.6-8)].
Etymology. The species name refers to the type locality, Baluchistan region, adjective.
Diagnosis. This new species is similar to S. arrata Moradmand & Jäger, 2011, S. omidvarbrothers sp. n. and S. mansourii in its small-sized CO (Fig. 6A) which its diameter is less than 1/3 of EP area (vs. CO much larger in others; e.g., S. tigris and S. bakasura sp. n.). Spariolenus baluchistanicus sp. n. can be distinguished from S. arrata by presence of AB (vs. absence in S. omidvarbrothers sp. n., and S. arrata) and from S. mansourii by vulva lacking glandular pores (vs. presence on SC and SC in S. mansourii) (Figs 6B, C).
Female (holotype): Measurements. TL 23.1, PL 9.1, PW 8.5, AW 4.4, OL 14.0, OW 11.0. Eyes. AME 0.37, ALE 0.82, PME 0.54, PLE 0.93, AME-AME 0.26, AME-ALE 0.03, PME-PME 0.35, PME-PLE 0.81, AME-PME 0.71, ALE-PLE 0.86, clypeus-AME 0.65, clypeus-ALE 0.48. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth, cheliceral furrow with 20 intermarginal denticles. Measurements of palp and legs. Palp 13.5 [4.0, 2.1, 2.9, 4.5], I 43.4 [12.0, 5.2, 12.2, 10.8, 3.2], II [13.6, 5.3, 12.7, miss., miss.], III 40.7 [11.8, 4.5, 10.9, 10.5, 3.1], IV [12.0, 4.3, 11.2, miss., miss.]. Spination. Palp 131, 101, 2111; Legs: Femur I–III 323, IV 321; Patella I–IV 101; Tibia I–II 231(10), III 1218 -3218, IV 2226; Metatarsus I–II 1014, III 2024, IV 3036.
Female copulatory organ. As in diagnosis with EF as wide as long, EP expanded, AB present and extended longitudinally, MS narrow (Fig. 6A); vulva with FC extended longitudinally, SC and TC extended beyond FC laterally (Figs 6B, C).
Colouration (preserved specimens in ethanol). Reddish brown with darker bands on legs and body (Fig. 9C).
Male: Unknown.
Distribution. Known only from its type locality in Baluchistan region, Pakistan (Fig. 13).
Remarks. On the original label, in 1930, Gravely noted this species as Spariolenus tigris using a question mark which means that he was uncertain about its generic and actual species identity. However, in the following publication, Gravely (1930) listed it under S. tigris and recorded this species from Pakistan. It is obvious now that the majority of reported species as S. tigris are misidentifications and the distribution range of Spariolenus tigris is most likely restricted to eastern India.
description: Published as part of Moradmand, Majid, Wesal, Mohammad Wasil & Kulkarni, Siddharth, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the troglophile Spariolenus spiders (Araneae: Sparassidae) in South and West Asia, pp. 77-95 in Zootaxa 5380 (1) on pages 84-87, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5380.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/10212761