Zelotes khatlonicus Fomichev & Marusik 2021, sp. n.
Creators: name: Fomichev, Alexander A.
name: Marusik, Yuri M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Araneae
Gnaphosidae
Zelotes
Zelotes khatlonicus

description: Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n.
Figs 30–31, 33–35, 39–41, 45, 47–49, 65–66.
Type. TAJIKISTAN, Khatlon Region: holotype ♂ (ZMMU), Tigrovaya Balka Res., 37°10.459’N, 68°23.047’E, 316 m, tugai forest with thick litter, 6.07.2015 (Y.M. Marusik & M. Saidov).
Additional material examined. TAJIKISTAN, Khatlon Region: ♀ (ZMMU), Shaartuz Distr., Khushody Vil., 37°09.132’N 68°04.195’E, 378 m, sandy desert, chiefly under shrubs, 19.04.2015 (Y.M. Marusik).
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Khatlon Region.
Diagnosis. The male of the new species can be diagnosed from all other Central Asian species of puritanus group by large circular intercalary sclerite (Is) (vs. triangular, square, ovate or oblong) (cf. Figs 34–40 and 54, 57, 60, 63). The female of Zelotes khatlonicus sp. n. differs from those of Z. mikhailovi Marusik, 1995 by converging anterior parts of lateral margins (Lm) (vs. parallel or divergent). Also, from Z. potanini Schenkel, 1963 it can be distinguished by ()–shaped fovea (Fo) and lateral margins twice longer than receptacles (Re) (vs. bowl-shaped fovea and lateral margins as long as receptacles). From Z. puritanus Chamberlin, 1922 it can be distinguished by ()–shaped epigynal fovea and the anterior epigynal hood (Ah) being twice wider than receptacle (vs. bowl-shaped fovea and the anterior hood as wide as receptacle) (cf. Figs 47–48 and 50–53).
Description. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 31. Total length 4.25. Carapace 2.1 long, 1.65 wide. Coloration. Carapace brown with dark gray edges. Chelicerae brown. Maxillae and labium yellow-brown. Sternum yellowish orange. Palps yellowish gray. Legs: I–III—Fe, Pt, Ti—gray with yellow spots, Mt, Ta—yellow; IV—Fe, Pt, Ti, Mt—gray, Ta—yellow. Coxae yellow. Abdomen dark gray, almost black dorsally, yellow-gray ventrally. Scutum brown-gray. Spinnerets dark gray, almost black. Leg spination: I: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1; II: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1; III: Fe d1-1-0, p0-1-1, r0-1-1; Pt r1; Ti p1-1-1, r0-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-1-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-0-0. IV: Fe d1-1-0, p0-1-1, r0-0-1; Ti p1-0-1, r1-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-2-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0. Leg measurements. I: 5.79 (1.6, 0.98, 1.25, 1.08, 0.88); II: 5.04 (1.38, 0.83, 1.05, 0.95, 0.83); III: 4.16 (1.18, 0.65, 0.78, 0.9, 0.65); IV: 6.34 (1.73, 0.93, 1.35, 1.5, 0.83).
Palp as in Figs 33–35, 39–41, 45. Tibial apophysis straight, broad with blunt tip, as long as tibia, and as wide as ½ of tibia; bulb almost 2 times (1.8) longer than wide; intercalary sclerite (Is) circular; terminal apophysis (Ta) triangular, as wide as intercalary sclerite; embolar projection (Ep) pointed, as thick as terminal apophysis; median apophysis (Ma) tooth-like, directed upwards; embolus (Em) long, almost as longs as width of bulb, almost straight, with anteriorly bent tip.
Female. Habitus as in Fig. 30. Total length 6.2. Carapace: 2.95 long, 2.3 wide. Carapace brown with dark gray edges. Chelicerae brown. Labium and maxillae light brown. Sternum yellow-orange. Palps yellow. Legs: I, II, IV—Fe, Pt, Ti—yellow-gray, Mt, Ta—yellow; III—Fe, Pt—yellow-gray, Ti, Mt, Ta—yellow. Coxae light yellow. Abdomen dark gray, almost black dorsally, yellow-gray ventrally. Spinnerets dark gray, almost black. Leg spination: I: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1. II: Fe d1-1-0, p0-0-1. III: Fe d1-1-0, p1-0-1, r0-1-1; Pt r1; Ti p2-0-1, r0-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-1-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-2-0. IV: Fe d1-1-0, p1-0-1, r0-0-1; Ti p1-0-1, r2-1-1, v2-2-2; Mt d0-2-0, p1-1-0, r1-1-0, v2-0-2. Leg measurements. I: 6.97 (2.05, 1.28, 1.48, 1.18, 0.98); II: 6.25 (1.78, 1.13, 1.28, 1.13, 0.93); III: 5.51 (1.58, 0.88, 1.0, 1.2, 0.85); IV: 8.03 (2.25, 1.23, 1.65, 1.9, 1.0).
Epigyne as in Figs 47–49. Epigyne twice longer than wide; fovea elongated oval, twice longer than wide; anterior hood 1.3 times wider than fovea; receptacles large (diameter equal to fovea’s width), closely spaced; copulatory ducts (Cd) thin (in ventral view), forming 3 loops and bear hemispherical glands (Gl) located on a halfway between hood and posterior edge of fovea.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality.
Comments. The holotype male and the female were collected in different localities. Distance between Tigrovaya Balka Reserve and Khushody Village is about 30–40 km, which is relatively close. Moreover, both specimens belong to puritanus species group and have similar habitus. For these reasons, we considered them as conspecific; this hypothesis shall be confirmed or rejected in future when both sexes are collected together. Another species, Z. anatolyi sp. n., which also belongs to the puritanus group and represented by the holotype male has bright colouration, very different from those in Z. khatlonicus sp. n.
description: Published as part of Fomichev, Alexander A. & Marusik, Yuri M., 2021, A survey of East Palaearctic Gnaphosidae (Araneae). 11. New data on Gnaphosidae (Araneae) from Tajikistan, pp. 443-457 in Zootaxa 4966 (4) on page 451, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4966.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/4738737