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

description: Raveniola diluta sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4BE24613-AC5B-46ED-83C0-0CC41F64D8A5
Figs 15, 50, 97, 124, 151–152, 182, 216, 243, 273, 303, 365, 429-431, 471–474, 526–527, 589–590, 699–706, 754
Diagnosis
Within the species group, males of Raveniola diluta sp. nov. differ from other male members in having a longer proximal section of the embolus, combined with a lengthened keel (vs either the presence of a short triangular keel in R. fedotovi or the absence of a raised keel in R. pallens sp. nov. and R. zyuzini sp. nov.; Figs 429–431, cf. Figs 432–438). Females of Raveniola diluta are distinguishable owing to a peculiar structure of the spermathecae, provided with short conical trunks and longer and strictly curved outer branches which are subequal in length to the spermathecal trunks (vs differently built female copulatory organs in other species of the group (Figs 526–527, cf. Figs 528–533).
Etymology
The specific epithet is a Latin adjective ‘ dilutus/-a/-um ’ meaning ‘light’ or ‘pallid’ and referring to the pale ground color of the specimens belonging to this species; the gender is feminine (diluta).
Material examined
Holotype
TAJIKISTAN • ♂; Hissar Mts, Sardai-Miyona Canyon, Hanaka Gorge; 38°50.4′ N, 69°17.6′ E; 1600 m a.s.l.; 4 Oct. 1986; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH.
Paratypes (5 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀)
TAJIKISTAN • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; SMNH • 2 ♂♂; Hissar Mts, Sorvo Canyon, Surhob Gorge, 3 km NW of Soni Village; 38°50.6′ N, 69°24.1′ E; 1900 m a.s.l.; 6–7 Oct. 1986; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 1900–2100 m a.s.l.; 17–19 Apr. 1988; SMNH • 2 ♀♀; Hissar Mts, Varzob Canyon, Kondara Gorge; 38°48.5′ N, 68°48.8′ E; 1300–1600 m a.s.l.; 9 Jul. 1988; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH.
Additional material (1 ♀ subad., 1 juv.)
TAJIKISTAN • 1 juv.; Hissar Mts, Sardai-Miyona Canyon, Hanaka Gorge; 38°51′ N, 69°17′ E; 1500 m a.s.l.; 4 Oct. 1986; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH • 1 ♀ subad.; Sorvo Canyon, Surhob Gorge, 1.5 km W of Soni Village; 38°49.6′ N, 69°25.5′ E; 1750 m a.s.l.; 5 Jul. 2019; S. Zonstein; SMNH.
Description
Male (holotype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 15.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 11.20, CL 4.75, CW 4.02, LL 0.34, LW 0.75, SL 2.31, SW 2.03.
COLOUR. Cephalothorax and appendages pale reddish orange; carapace, femora I–III dorsally and entire leg I slightly darker; chelicerae more intensely reddish orange; eye tubercle brown with eyes embedded by wide partially fused blackish rings; abdomen and spinnerets almost uniformly milky white.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 97. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 151. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.13(0.17), ALE 0.19, PLE 0.11, PME 0.12; AME–AME 0.09(0.05), ALE–AME 0.08(0.06), ALE–PLE 0.04, PLE–PME 0.04, PME–PME 0.29. Anterior cheliceral edge with unmodified setae; rastellum not developed. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 1 mesobasal denticle. MIT indiscernible. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 216. Maxillae with 7–8 cuspules each.
LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus I as in Figs 303, 373. Scopula: long (0.8–1.0 segment width), relatively sparse and fine; entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; narrowly divided on tarsus I; widely divided by setae on tarsus II; rudimentary, mixed and widely divided with setae on tarsus III; absent on tarsus IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–9 each on tibiae, 11–15 on metatarsi, 12–14 on tarsi, 9–10 on cymbium. PTC I–III with 8–10 teeth on each margin; PTC IV with 8–9 and 11–12 teeth on inner and outer margins, respectively.
SPINATION. Palp: femur d4, pd2, rd2; patella pd2; tibia d2, p2(3), r2, v6; cymbium d4. Leg I: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p2(1); tibia p2, pv2, rv2+2M, metatarsus v2. Leg II: femur d4, pd3; patella p1; tibia p3, v11(7); metatarsus p1, v9(6). Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p3(2); tibia d3, p3, r3, v7; metatarsus p4, r3, v7. Leg IV: femur d4, pd3, rd3(2); patella p2(1); tibia d4, p3, r3, v9; metatarsus d3, p4(3), r3, v7. Tarsi I–IV aspinose.
PALP. Tibia, cymbium and copulatory bulb as shown in Fig. 365. Embolus bipartite: proximal part moderately long, swollen, cone-shaped with dense shallow ridges and lengthened triangular keel; apical part short and corkscrew-shaped (Figs 429–431).
SPINNERETS. See Fig. 589. PLS: maximal diameter 0.33; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.71, 0.43, 0.38; total length 1.52; apical segment triangular.
LEG MEASUREMENTS. ♂(♀)
FemurPatellaTibiaMetatarsusTarsusTotalPalp2.59 (3.11)1.46 (1.62)2.20 (2.01)–0.74 (1.91)6.99 (8.65)Leg I4.57 (4.26)2.57 (2.56)3.89 (2.72)3.38 (2.49)2.23 (1.74)16.64 (13.77)Leg II4.24 (3.78)2.22 (2.48)3.57 (2.73)3.39 (2.51)2.20 (1.60)15.62 (13.10)Leg III3.72 (3.44)1.73 (2.03)3.21 (2.30)3.84 (3.13)2.20 (1.51)14.70 (12.41)Leg IV4.81 (4.67)2.08 (2.35)4.08 (3.48)5.59 (4.45)2.64 (2.09)19.20 (17.04)
Female (paratype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 50.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 13.50, CL 5.66, CW 4.75, LL 0.46, LW 0.99, SL 2.92, SW 2.54.
COLOUR. As in male, with uniformly pale legs and slightly darker chelicerae.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 124. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 182. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.14(0.19), ALE 0.31, PLE 0.16, PME 0.13; AME–AME 0.12(0.07), ALE–AME 0.12(0.09), ALE–PLE 0.09, PLE–PME 0.06, PME–PME 0.45. Cheliceral rastellum absent. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 4–5 mesobasal denticles. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 243. Maxillae with 10–11 cuspules each.
LEGS. Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; narrowly divided on palpal tarsus and tarsus I; widely divided by setae on tarsus II; absent on tarsi III–IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–9 each on tibiae, 13–14 on metatarsi, 12–15 on tarsi, 9–10 on palpal tarsus. Palpal claw with 3 promarginal teeth. PTC I–II and III–IV with 4–5 and 5–6 teeth on each margin, respectively.
SPINATION. Palp: femur d3, pd1; patella p2; tibia v8(7); tarsus v2. Leg I: femur d4, pd1; tibia p3, v7; metatarsus v6. Leg II: femur d4, pd1; tibia p3, v7; metatarsus v6. Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd2; patella p2, r1; tibia d1, p2, r2, v7; metatarsus d3, p3, r3, v7. Leg IV: femur d4, pd1, rd1; patella p1, r1; tibia d1, p3, r2, v7; metatarsus d2, p4, r4, v7. Patellae I–II and tarsi I–IV aspinose.
SPERMATHECAE. Each of paired spermathecae formed by a low cone-shaped trunk carrying a relatively long and bent outer branch; spermathecal trunks widely spaced from each other (Figs 526–527).
SPINNERETS. See Fig. 590. PLS: maximal diameter 0.56; length of basal, medial and apical segments 1.07, 0.64, 0.65; total length 2.36; apical segment triangular.
Variation
Carapace length in males (n =4) varies from 4.15 to 4.75, in females (n=5) from 3.95 to 5.66. The overall pale colouration looks to be even lighter in spiders from the eastern Hissar (Romit) and conversely slightly darker in specimens from the central part of this ridge (Kondara). Variations in the eye arrangement and in the structure of the copulatory bulb as shown in Figs 152 and 471–474, respectively.
Ecology
All spiders were found hiding in soil cavities under stones in fragmentary midland montane woodlands, dominated by walnut, Juglans regia. See Figs 699–706.
Distribution
Known from the central and southeastern parts of Hissar Mts, Tajikistan. See Fig. 754.
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 50-52, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.967.2699, http://zenodo.org/record/13990819