Malthonica bozhkovi Deltshev, 2008, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Deltshev, Christo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Agelenidae
Malthonica
Malthonica bozhkovi

description: Malthonica bozhkovi sp. nov.
Figs 1–8
Type material. Holotype male, Bulgaria, West Rhodopy Mts, Byala Cherkva, 1250 m, 0 8.1996 (SMF). Paratypes: 1 female, same data as for holotype (SMF); 1 female, same data as for holotype, but 0 8.1994 (ZMB); 1 female, same data as for holotype, but 08.1995; 1 female, same data as for holotype, but 07.1996; 1 female, same data as for holotype, but 0 8.1998, leg. D. Bozhkov (IZS); 2 females, Bulgaria, West Rhodopy Mts, Orphey hut, 0 8.05.1994, leg V. Popov (IZS).
Material used for comparison: Malthonica montana (Deltshev, 1993): Bulgaria, Pirin Mts, vicinity of Ribno ezero lake, 2400 m, male holotype, 2 female paratypes, 9.08.1983, leg. C. Deltshev (IZS); Malthonica rilaensis (Deltshev, 1993): Bulgaria Rila Mtn, Granchar hut, male holotype, 3 female paratypes, 15.07.1986, leg. C. Deltshev (IZS).
Etymology. Named in honour of the well known Bulgarian zoologist Dr Dimo Bozhkov; name in genitive case.
Diagnosis. The new species fits well to the campestris species group. Closely related to M. rilaensis (Deltshev, 1993) and M. montana (Deltshev, 1993). The three species can be clearly distinguished by the following characters. The palpal organ is the smallest in T. montana and most massive in M. bozhkovi. Furthermore, there are differences in the shape of tibial and tegular apophysis and in the relief and size of the conductor (Figs 1–4). It resembles also the species M. parvula (Thorell, 1875) and M. ramblae (Barrientos, 1978) but differs from them distinctly by the tibial apophysis, absence of tibial kiel (well developed in M. ramblae) and differences in the form and size of the conductor. Females of the regarded species differ mainly by their genital plate wider than high (quadratic by M. parvula). Genital openings are slant by M. bozhkovi sp. nov., horizontal by M. rilaensis, situated on transversal narrow furrow by M. montana, and situated in quadratic atrium by M. ramblae and M. parvula. There are also differences in the position and number of windings of genital ducts (Barrientos 1978, Barrientos & Ribera 1992, Deltshev 1993).
Description. Male holotype: Total length 6.90; prosoma length 3.37, width 2.70; sternum length 1.87, width 1.65; opisthosoma length 3.60.
Dorsal shield of prosoma similar in both sexes, brown to yellow brown. Borderline distinct, with some dark markings diffusing inwards. Anterior eyes touching, median eyes smaller that laterals. Posterior eyes almost equally spaced. Chelicerae brown, anterior (posterior) margin with 3 (3–4) teeth. Pattern of sternum and opisthosoma typical (Fig. 8). Spinnerets yellow with gray basal segment of posterior spinnerets. Posterior spinnerets two-segmented, with the apical segment slightly shorter than the basal segment. Legs distinctly annulated, leg measurements as in Table 1. Leg formula: IV/I/II/III.
Male palp (Figs 1–2). Tibia short, as long as wide, without well developed keel. Dorsal apophysis large and distinct, distally bifid, lateral aphophysis well developed, provided with characteristic sharp outgrowth. Tegular apophysis hooked. Conductor large and folded. Embolus long, slender and tapering.
Female: Total length 6.37; prosoma length 3.00, width 2.32; sternum length 1.65, width 1.50; opisthosoma, length 3.37. All characters as described for male. Leg measurements as in Table 2.
Epigyne and vulva (Figs 5–7). Genital plate wider than high, provided with slanting genital openings. Vulva with long coiled and looped ducts.
Distribution. The new species is distributed only in mountainous areas of West Rhodopy, occurring mainly under stones and logs on dark places.
Relationships. M. bozhkovi sp. nov., M. montana and M. rilaensis are closely allied according to their similar morphology of copulatory organs and strictly vicariant species forming a superspecies. They belong to the campestris species group of the genus Malthonica on the Balkan Peninsula. All these taxa are phenetically similar, they have limited ranges (West Rhodopy, Pirin, Rila) and probably, represent the descendants of a common ancestor.
description: Published as part of Deltshev, Christo, 2008, Two new spider species, Malthonica bozhkovi sp. nov. and Tegenaria paragamiani sp. nov. from Rhodopy Mountains (Bulgaria and Greece) (Araneae: Agelenidae), pp. 37-44 in Zootaxa 1872 on pages 38-40, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.183972