Spinozodium, Zamani & Marusik, 2022

Genus Spinozodium gen. nov.

Type species

Zodarion denisi Spassky, 1938 View in CoL from Tajikistan.

Etymology

A combination of spino -, referring to the characteristic spine-like setae on the retrolateral tibial apophysis of the male palp, and - zodium, a common ending for zodariid genera; gender neuter.

Diagnosis

The males of the new genus differ from those of the other Zodariinae genera occurring in Middle Asia by having spine-like setae on RTA ( Figures 3 View Figure 3 and 4 View Figure 4 (a,c)) (vs lacking). The females of Spinozodium gen. nov. differ from those of the other Zodariinae genera by having a distinct epigynal septum and distinctly sclerotised anterior hood bearing setae that cover the anterior half of fovea ( Figures 4 View Figure 4 (b,d) and 5(a–d)) (vs lacking both septum and sclerotised anterior hood with setae).

Description

Small: males 2.4–2.6 long, carapace 1.2–1.42 long; females 3.1–3.6 long, carapace 1.5–1.65 long. Carapace either uniformly light brown or with darker cephalic region. Legs and palps uniformly coloured. Abdomen blackish with light median band in posterior 2/3, band either continuous with angled lateral branches or composed of roughly triangular to diamond-shaped spots; lateral sides and venter pale. Leg formula 4132 or 4123.

Male palp. Tibia with only RTA; RTA long, about ½ of cymbium length, longer than tibia, anterior half bent ventrally, proximal half with around a dozen spine-like setae, distal half slender, spineless and more heavily sclerotised than proximal half; cymbium 2 times longer than wide, without diverticulum or tutaculum, but with longitudinal fold ( Cf) in S. denisi ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 (f)); cymbial trichobothrium as in Figure 3 View Figure 3 (g); bulb oval to almost round; tegular apophysis ( Ta) about 1.5 times longer than wide, located in anterior half of bulb, with either very short claw-like or straight process ( Tp), and retrolateral lobe ( Tr); conductor ( Co) small, located at 12 o’clock position; embolus broad, originating from about 6 o’clock position, terminal part with small membranous process ( Ep), opening of sperm duct ( Os) located on anterior and close to tip of embolus.

Epigyne. Plate wider than long, with distinct fovea and septum; fovea ampullate, with distinctly sclerotised anterior hood ( Ah); anterior hood bearing row of long, converging setae partly covering anterior half of fovea; stem of septum ( Ss) thin, base of septum ( Sb) more than 2 times wider than stem; base of septum bent antero-dorsally and barely visible in intact epigyne; receptacles ( Re) separated by 4–7 diameters, each consisting of a base and a globular head ( Rh).

Composition

Two species: Spinozodium denisi comb. nov. and S. khatlonicum sp. nov.

Distribution

Known only from Tajikistan; although the distributions of the two currently known species overlap, they are not known to occur sympatrically ( Figure 6 View Figure 6 ).