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

description: Raveniola karategensis sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 631DA123-F0BE-4C2B-A58E-F073BB22E75B
Figs 44, 119, 176, 238, 316–317, 510–512, 576, 659–666, 675, 678–679, 753
Diagnosis
The new species shares with Raveniola afghana sp. nov., R. alajensis sp. nov. and R. hirta sp. nov. the presence of the modified long hairs on the female tibia and metatarsus IV. Females of R. karategensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of R. afghana and R. hirta by having a fuzzily ornamented (vs uniformly coloured) abdomen (see Fig. 44 cf. Figs 37, 42), and from females of R. alajensis in possessing a less pronounced abdominal pattern and the distinctly configured spermathecae with wider bases, broadly spaced stalks and clearly wider inner branches (Figs 44, 510–512 cf. Figs 38, 491–493).
Etymology
The specific epithet is a toponym referring to the range of this species, confined to the historical area Karategin (also Karategen), an eastern province of the Bukhara Emirate in the 19 th century, which included the Karategin Mts and Peter I Mts.
Material examined
Holotype
TAJIKISTAN • ♀; Peter I Mts (southern slope), Harvikush Canyon, 35 km ENE of Tavildara Village; 38°52′ N, 70°49′ E; 1900–2200 m a.s.l.; 10 Jul. 2019; S. Zonstein and A. Hakimov leg.; SMNH.
Paratypes (10 ♀♀)
TAJIKISTAN • 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; SMNH • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 9 Jul. 1978; V.I. Ovcharenko leg.; SMNH • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; ZISP.
Description
Female (holotype)
HABITUS. See Fig. 44.
MEASUREMENTS. TBL 20.95, CL 7.46, CW 6.10, LL 0.59, LW 1.37, SL 3.88, SW 3.45.
COLOUR. Carapace dull reddish brown with clypeus and eye tubercle even darker brown, eyes encircled with partially fused wide blackish brown rings; chelicerae dark cherry red brown; sternum, labium, maxillae, epigastrum, book-lungs and spinnerets light yellowish brown; palps and legs light to medium brownish orange; abdomen medium brown, dorsally with several small light brownish spots and diffuse dark brown chevron-like pattern.
CEPHALOTHORAX. Carapace and chelicerae as shown in Fig. 119. Clypeus and eye group as in Fig. 176. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.16(0.20), ALE 0.28, PLE 0.28, PME 0.19; AME–AME 0.21(0.17), ALE–AME 0.20(0.18), ALE–PLE 0.22, PLE–PME 0.09, PME–PME 0.55. Weak rastellum composed of 30–40 slightly thickened spikes on anterior cheliceral edge. Each cheliceral furrow with 9 promarginal teeth and 6–7 mesobasal denticles. Sternum, labium and maxillae as shown in Fig. 238. Maxillae with 26–29 cuspules each.
LEGS. Tibia and metatarsus IV densely covered with long modified hairs, as shown in Fig. 316. Scopula: entire and distal on metatarsi I–II; entire on palpal tarsus and tarsi I–II; sparse and widely divided by setae on tarsi III–IV. Trichobothria: 2 rows of 8–9 each on tibiae, 15–17 on metatarsi, 17–20 on tarsi. Palpal claw with 4 promarginal teeth. PTC I–IV with 6–7 teeth on each margin.
LEG MEASUREMENTS.
FemurPatellaTibiaMetatarsusTarsusTotalPalp3.741.982.47–2.4710.66Leg I5.192.973.633.342.3517.48Leg II4.612.262.732.922.3614.88Leg III4.262.232.513.412.1914.60Leg IV5.833.124.425.912.9622.24
SPINATION. All femora with one basodorsal spine and 3–4 median and/or apical bristles; tarsi I–IV aspinose. Palp: femur pd1; patella p1; tibia p1(0), v6; tarsus v2. Leg I: femur pd2; patella p1; tibia p1(0), v4; metatarsus v4. Leg II: femur pd3; patella p1; tibia p2, v6; metatarsus v7(6). Leg III: femur pd4(3), rd3; patella p3, r2(1); tibia d1, p2, r3, v7; metatarsus p2, r3, v7. Leg IV: femur rd3(2); patella r1; tibia r3, v7; metatarsus p2, r4, v9.
SPERMATHECAE. Each of paired spermathecae U-shaped with a relatively low and wide base carrying two more or less broadly spaced and unevenly shaped branches: a longer and wider trapezoidal inner branch and a more slender, shorter and club-like outer one (Fig. 510).
SPINNERETS. See Fig. 576. PMS: length 0.89, diameter 0.36. PLS: length of basal, medial and apical segments 1.55, 0.73, 0.42; total length 2.70; apical segment triangular.
Male
Unknown.
Variation
Carapace length in paratype females (n=7) varies from 6.71 to 7.88. All the examined females are habitually very similar to each other. Variations in the structure of the eye group, tibia and metatarsus IV, and the spermathecae as shown in Figs 177, 317, 511–512.
Ecology
The spiders were found in the midland zone at an altitude of 1900–2000 m a.s.l. inhabiting open woodland dominated by Juniperus seravschanica. Females of Raveniola karategensis sp. nov. live in open burrows of 30–40 cm depth, provided with a weakly silk-lined entrance rim, walls and living chamber (Figs 659–666, 675, 678–679).
Distribution
Tajikistan: Peter I Mts. See Fig. 753.
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 38-39, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2024.967.2699, http://zenodo.org/record/13990819