Raveniola pamira Zonstein, 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Zonstein, Sergei L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Nemesiidae
Raveniola
Raveniola pamira

description: Raveniola pamira sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F8D21997-9A6A-4B66-80D3-10638D797C48
Figs 13, 14, 48, 95–96, 122, 149–150, 180, 214–215, 241, 271–272, 301–302, 318, 334–336, 363–364, 418–428, 520–523, 584–586, 676, 680–690, 754
Diagnosis
Males of Raveniola pamira sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of the related species in possessing a differently built basal section of the embolus, which appears to be either considerably longer than that in R. dolosa sp. nov. and R. ignobilis sp. nov, or provided with smaller and lower embolic keels than those in R. cucullata sp. nov. (Figs 418–428 cf. Figs 389–399, 403–408). In females of R. pamira, the spermathecal branches are either shorter or separated broader from each other than those in R. cucullata, R. dolosa and R. ignobilis, or they are longer and stronger than those branches in R. sororcula sp. nov. (Figs 520–523 cf. Figs 495–503, 509, 524–525).
Etymology
The specific epithet is a toponym referring to the range of this species: the Pamir(s) mountain system.
Material examined
Holotype
TAJIKISTAN • ♂; Western Pamir, Darvaz Mts (southern slope), Obiviskharvi Canyon, 9 km NE of Ubagan Village; 38°34.9′ N, 71°09.2′ E; 2800–3000 m a.s.l.; 14 Jul. 1988; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH.
Paratypes (4 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀)
TAJIKISTAN • 1 ♀; same collecting data as for holotype; SMNH • 4 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀; same collecting data as for preceding, Ubagandara Gorge, surroundings of Ubagan Village; 38°32′ N, 71°03′ E; 1950– 2100 m a.s.l.; 15 Jul. 1988; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH • 2 ♀♀; same collecting data as for preceding, environs of the abandoned Viskharvi-Bolo Village; 38°33′ N, 71°05′ E; 2100–2300 m a.s.l.; 13 Jul. 2019; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH.
Additional material (1 ♀, 1 ♀ subad., 3 juvs)
TAJIKISTAN • 1 ♀ subad., 3 juvs; Darvaz Mts, Sagirdasht Pass; 38°38′ N, 70°43′ E; 3400 m a.s.l.; 27 May 1970; E.M. Andreeva leg.; MIZW • 1 ♀; Peter I Mts, Childara Canyon, Shahobdara Gorge, 4 km NNW of Shahob Village; 38°51′ N, 70°18′ E; 1900–2100 m a.s.l.; 12 Jul. 1988; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH.
Description
Male (holotype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 13.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 16.65, CL 7.19, CW 6.44, LL 0.72, LW 1.10, SL 3.36, SW 3.07.
COLOUR. Carapace and leg I from femur to basal metatarsus brownish orange; other parts of leg I, and entire palps and legs II–IV, as well as sternum, labium and maxillae lighter brownish orange; eye tubercle with eyes surrounded with partially fused blackish rings, chelicerae light cherry red, abdomen including spinnerets pale yellowish brown, dorsally with distinct chestnut brown chevron-like pattern, ventrally with few small brownish marks.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 95. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 149. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.15(0.19), ALE 0.32, PLE 0.20, PME 0.17; AME–AME 0.16(0.12), ALE–AME 0.10(0.08), ALE–PLE 0.14, PLE–PME 0.04, PME–PME 0.38. Anterior cheliceral edge with unmodified setae; rastellum not developed. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 7–8 mesobasal denticles. MIT indiscernible. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 214. Maxillae with ca 70 cuspules each.
LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus I as in Figs 271, 301. Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire on tarsi I–II; widely divided on tarsi III–IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 9–10 each on tibiae, 15–22 on metatarsi, 15–19 on tarsi, 10–11 on cymbium. PTC I–IV with 9–11 teeth on each margin.
SPINATION. Palp: femur d4, pd1, rd1; patella p2; tibia d4(3), p2, r3, v6(5); cymbium d7(5)+3–4 spikes. Leg I: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p2; tibia p3(2), pv2, r1, rv2+ 2M. Leg II: femur d4, pd3, rd1; patella p2; tibia p3, v7; metatarsus v5. Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd2; patella p2, r1; tibia d3(1), p2, r3, v7; metatarsus d4, p3, r3, v5. Leg IV: femur d4(3), pd3, rd3(2); patella p1, r1; tibia d2, p3, r3, v9(8); metatarsus dp5(4), p3, r3, v8. Metatarsus I and tarsi I–IV aspinose.
PALP. Tibia, cymbium and copulatory bulb as shown in Fig. 363. Embolus with long basal portion provided with low keel and short hooked apical part (Figs 418–422).
SPINNERETS. PMS: length 0.44, diameter 0.21. PLS: maximal diameter 0.58; length of basal, medial and apical segments 1.25, 0.81, 0.73; total length 2.79; apical segment triangular.
LEG MEASUREMENTS. ♂(♀)
FemurPatellaTibiaMetatarsusTarsusTotalPalp3.86 (4.49)2.32 (2.53)3.38 (3.51)–1.12 (2.93)10.68 (13.46)Leg I6.58 (6.89)3.47 (4.11)5.57 (5.21)5.65 (4.24)2.92 (2.82)24.19 (23.27)Leg II6.42 (6.46)3.18 (3.73)5.18 (4.60)5.69 (4.20)2.80 (2.83)23.27 (21.82)Leg III5.54 (5.36)2.81 (2.81)4.03 (3.52)5.29 (4.68)2.67 (2.74)20.34 (19.11)Leg IV6.64 (6.87)2.97 (3.33)5.10 (5.03)7.23 (6.38)3.07 (3.20)25.01 (24.81)
Female (paratype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 48.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 23.70, CL 8.81, CW 7.74, LL 0.86, LW 1.55, SL 4.44, SW 3.97.
COLOUR. Similar to that of male, except for evenly light brownish orange legs I–IV and dark cherry red chelicerae.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 122. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 180. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.18(0.24), ALE 0.32, PLE 0.22, PME 0.20; AME–AME 0.19(0.13), ALE–AME 0.19(0.16), ALE–PLE 0.26, PLE–PME 0.08, PME–PME 0.66. Cheliceral rastellum absent. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 8 mesobasal denticles. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 241. Maxillae with ca 70 cuspules each.
LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus IV as shown in Fig. 318. Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire and dense on palpal tarsus and tarsi I–II; sparser and widely divided by setae on tarsi III–IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 9–11 each on tibiae, 14–18 on metatarsi, 13–15 on tarsi. Palpal claw with 4 promarginal teeth. PTC I–II and III–IV with 7–9 and 9–11 teeth on each margin, respectively.
SPINATION. All femora with one basodorsal spine and 3–4 long dorsal spine-like setae. Palpal patella, patella I and tarsi I–IV aspinose. Palp: femur pd2, rd1; tibia p2, v7; tarsus v4. Leg I: femur pd3; tibia p2, v5; metatarsus v6. Leg II: femur pd4; patella p1; tibia p3, v6; metatarsus v7. Leg III: femur pd3(1), rd3(2); patella p2, r1; tibia d1, p2, r3, v7; metatarsus d3, p3, r3, v7. Leg IV: femur rd2; patella p1, r1; tibia p3, r3(2), v7; metatarsus d2, p4, r3, v10.
SPERMATHECAE. Each of paired spermathecae U-shaped with relatively low and wide base carrying two unevenly thick branches: long, stout and apically mostly trilobate inner brach, and a similarly long but much more slender and undivided outer branch (Fig. 520).
SPINNERETS. See Figs 585–586. PMS: length 1.06, diameter 0.32. PLS: length of basal, medial and apical segments 1.64, 0.97, 0.88; total length 3.49; apical segment triangular.
Variation
Carapace length in males (n =4) ranges from 5.66 to 7.19, in females (n =9) from 5.65 to 8.81. Variations in the colouration and in the conformation of the eye group, sternum, labium and maxillae are shown in Figs 14, 96, 215; in the shape of the male tibia I, metatarsus I and palp in Figs 272, 302, 364; in the structure of the copulatory bulb and the spermathecae in Figs 323–328 and 521–523. The structural peculiarities of tarsus I are shown in Fig. 336.
Ecology
The spiders were found in riverside gallery woodlands dominated by Juglans regia and in the abovelocated subalpine and alpine meadow biotopes. All specimens were collected from their retreats under stones (Figs 676, 680–690).
Distribution
Known from the mid-mountain and highland zones of Darvaz Mts and Peter I Mts. See Fig. 754.
Remarks
Andreeva (1975, 1976) mentioned “ Brachythele sp. ”, unexpectedly found in the highlands of Darvaz Mts at altitudes of 3400 m (Sagirdasht Pass) and 3500–3700 m (“in the upper parts of the Viskharv Valley”). In the course of the current study, the specimens from the former locality, deposited in MIZW, were examined and identified as belonging to R. pamira sp. nov. (see the list of the additional material above).
description: Published as part of Zonstein, Sergei L., 2024, A revision of the spider genus Raveniola (Araneae, Nemesiidae). II. Species from Central Asia, pp. 1-185 in European Journal of Taxonomy 967 on pages 44-47, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.967.2699, http://zenodo.org/record/13990819