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

description: Raveniola zyuzini sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B61B579D-3D60-4EF1-A77D-5F7285F6356D
Figs 18, 53, 73–74, 100, 127, 155, 185, 219, 246, 277, 337–339, 368–369, 436–438, 475–477, 532–533, 595–596, 711–714, 755
Diagnosis
Raveniola zyuzini sp. nov. differs from other members of the same species group by having a darker brownish orange carapace and legs (vs considerably paler brownish or yellowish orange ones – Figs 18, 53 cf. Figs 15–17, 50–52). Unlike males of R. diluta sp. nov. and R. fedotovi, possessing a raised embolic keel, males of R. zyuzini either entirely lack this structure or possess only a low vestige of the keel; the new species differs from R. pallens sp. nov. in having a longer proximal section of the embolus (Figs 236–238 cf. Figs 234, 235). Females of R. zyuzini are distinguishable due to their weakly sclerotized spermathecal trunks, carrying fusiform outer branches (vs differently conformed spermathecae in other species of the group; Figs 532–533 cf. Figs 526–531).
Etymology
The specific epithet is given in honour and memory of Dr. Alexei Zyuzin (1951–2021), noting his significant contribution to the taxonomical and faunistic study of Central Asian spiders.
Material examined
Holotype
UZBEKISTAN • ♂; Babatag Mts, environs of Chorroha (Chorraga) Pass, 10.4 km ENE of Mt Zarkassa; 38°04.0′ N, 68°13.5′ E; 1400 m a.s.l.; 15 Apr. 1990; S. Zonstein leg; SMNH.
Paratypes (8 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀)
UZBEKISTAN • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; SMNH • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 12 Apr. 1989; SMNH • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding, northern slope of Mt Zarkassa; 38°02.0′ N, 68°11.7′ E; 1900 m a.s.l.; 20 Apr. 2019; S. Zonstein leg.; SMNH • 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding, eastern slope of Mt Zarkassa; 1300–1800 m a.s.l.; 26 Apr. 1994; S.V. Ovchinnikov leg.; SMNH.
Description
Male (holotype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 18.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 12.20, CL 5.14, CW 4.32, LL 0.41, LW 0.86, SL 2.57, SW 2.26.
COLOUR. Carapace, as well as most palp and leg segments medium brownish orange; leg I slightly darker than other legs; eye tubercle blackish brown; chelicerae medium reddish brown; sternum, labium, maxillae, metatarsi and tarsi II–IV light yellowish orange; abdomen and spinnerets very pale yellowish brown, dorsal abdominal pattern indiscernible.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 100. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 155. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.12(0.18), ALE 0.20, PLE 0.14, PME 0.13; AME–AME 0.12(0.06), ALE–AME 0.08(0.05), ALE–PLE 0.05, PLE–PME 0.03, PME–PME 0.31. Anterior cheliceral edge with unmodified setae; rastellum not developed. Each cheliceral furrow with 10 promarginal teeth and 3 mesobasal denticles. MIT indiscernible. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 219. Maxillae with 8 cuspules each.
LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus I as in Fig. 277. Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire on tarsus I; narrowly divided by setae on tarsus II; absent on tarsi III and IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–10 each on tibiae, 16–18 on metatarsi, 13–14 on tarsi, 10 on cymbium. PTC I–II and III–IV with 8–9 and 9–10 teeth on each margin.
SPINATION. Palp: femur d5, pd2, rd1; patella pd1; tibia d3, p3, r3, v7; cymbium d5(4). Leg I: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p1; tibia p2, pv2, r1(0), rv2+2M; metatarsus v1. Leg II: femur d4, pd3, rd 2(1); patella p1; tibia p3, v7; metatarsus p1, v6. Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd3; patella p2, r2; tibia d2, p3, r3, v6; metatarsus d3, p3, r4, v7. Leg IV: femur d4, pd3, rd3(2); patella p1, r2; tibia d2, p3, r3, v7; metatarsus d2, p3, r3, v9. Tarsi I–IV aspinose.
PALP. Tibia, cymbium and copulatory bulb as shown in Fig. 368. Embolus with long, slightly tapering proximal section, provided with low rounded keel, and with short curved apex (Fig. 436).
SPINNERETS. See Fig. 595. PLS: maximal diameter 0.34; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.78, 0.39, 0.34, respectively; total length 1.51; apical segment triangular.
LEG MEASUREMENTS. ♂(♀)
FemurPatellaTibiaMetatarsusTarsusTotalPalp2.73 (2.42)1.59 (1.57)2.29 (1.85)–0.83 (1.63)7.44 (7.47)Leg I4.51 (3.46)2.60 (2.21)3.57 (2.74)3.62 (2.30)2.22 (1.57)16.52 (12.28)Leg II4.22 (3.28)2.37 (1.98)3.37 (2.40)3.34 (2.28)2.10 (1.55)15.40 (11.49)Leg III3.63 (2.92)1.96 (1.61)2.78 (2.16)3.75 (2.97)2.09 (1.57)14.21 (11.23)Leg IV4.72 (3.82)2.24 (1.99)3.71 (3.31)5.38 (4.27)2.43 (1.57)18.29 (14.96)
Female (paratype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 53.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 13.00, CL 4.42, CW 3.73, LL 0.36, LW 0.87, SL 2.12, SW 2.01.
COLOUR. In general as in male, but legs more uniformly coloured, without difference between legs I and II–IV.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 127. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 185. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.10(0.14), ALE 0.21, PLE 0.12, PME 0.11; AME–AME 0.12(0.08), ALE–AME 0.09(0.07), ALE–PLE 0.05, PLE–PME 0.03, PME–PME 0.33. Cheliceral rastellum absent. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 3–4 mesobasal denticles. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 246. Maxillae with 10–11 cuspules each.
LEGS. Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire on palpal tarsus and tarsus I; narrowly divided by setae on tarsus II; absent on tarsi III and IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 9–10 each on tibiae, 13–14 on metatarsi, 11–13 on tarsi, 9–10 on palpal tarsus. Palpal claw with 4 promarginal teeth. PTC I–II and III–IV with 7–8 and 5–8 teeth on each margin, respectively.
SPINATION. Palp: femur d3, pd1; patella p1; tibia v7; tarsus v2(1). Leg I: femur d4, pd1; tibia v7; metatarsus v6(5). Leg II: femur d4, pd1; tibia p2, v7; metatarsus p1, v6. Leg III: femur d4, pd3, rd2; patella p1; tibia d1, p2, r2, v7; metatarsus d2, p3, r3, v7. Leg IV: femur d4, pd2(1), rd1; patella p1, r1; tibia d1, p3, r3, v7; metatarsus d1, p4, r4, v7. Patellae I–II and tarsi I–IV aspinose.
SPERMATHECAE. Each of paired spermathecae with wide cone-shaped trunk and short fusiform outer branch diverging from medium part of spermathecal trunk (Figs 532–533).
SPINNERETS. See Fig. 596. PMS: absent. PLS: maximal diameter 0.59; length of basal, medial and apical segments 0.68, 0.52, 0.47; total length 1.67; apical segment triangular.
Variation
Carapace length in males (n=7) varies from 3.80 to 5.19, in females (n =4) from 3.44 to 5.32. Within the type series, a few insignificant variations in the habitus and colouration are shown in Figs 73–74. For some structural details of the tarsal organ and trichobothria, see Figs 377–379. The most common conformation of the copulatory bulb, lacking the keel, is similar to that shown in Figs 475–477. The less distributed variant of the bulb, provided with a rudimentary keel, is shown in Figs 369, 437–438.
Ecology
All spiders were found under stones in open park woodland composed of low deciduous trees (Acer spp., Crataegus spp., etc.) at 1300–1600 m a.s.l. and in sparse mixed forest biotopes dominated by Juniperus seravschanica at 1600–1900 m a.s.l. See Figs 711–714.
Distribution
Known only from the type locality. See Fig. 755.
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 57-59, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.967.2699, http://zenodo.org/record/13990819