Troglohyphantes exspectatus, Nadolny & Turbanov, 2025

Troglohyphantes exspectatus sp. nov.

Figs 1 F View Figure 1 , 11 View Figure 11 , 12 View Figure 12 , 13 View Figure 13 , 14 View Figure 14

Type material.

Holotype • ♂ ( ZMMU Ta-8257 ), Crimea, nr Sevastopol, SW part of Ai-Petri Yaila, Mortsheka Mt., Druzhba Cave , 3. X. 2020, I. S. Turbanov leg. Paratypes • 1 ♀ ( ZMMU Ta-8258 ), 4. V. 2015 • 8 ♀♀ ( ZMMU Ta-8259 ), 22. IX. 2018 • 1 ♂ 1 ♀ ( TNU 10289 ), 3. X. 2020, same cave and collector as for the holotype .

Other material examined.

• 3 juv. ♀♀ 4 subad. ♂♂ ( TNU 10233 ), 22. IX. 2018 • 9 ♀♀ 4 juv. ( IT), 3. X. 2020, same cave and collector as for the holotype .

Diagnosis.

Troglohyphantes exspectatus sp. nov. is most similar to the Bulgarian endemic T. drenskii Deltshev, 1973 (the salax group sensu Deeleman-Reinhold 1978). Two species can be easily distinguished by the eyes (in T. exspectatus sp. nov. well developed, with black pigmentation around, see Fig. 11 A, B View Figure 11 vs strongly reduced, without pigmentation in T. drenskii , see Deltshev 1973: fig. 1) and the clypeus (in T. exspectatus sp. nov. without modifications vs concave, with modification in T. drenskii , see Deltshev 1973: fig. 1). Structures of male palps are almost identical in both species and differ in details of the cymbium (cf. Figs 11 D, E View Figure 11 , 12 C, D View Figure 12 and Deltshev 1973: figs 2, 4). Epigynes differ in the shape of scape: ventral max / min width ratio in T. exspectatus sp. nov. 1.9 and in T. drenskii 2.9 (cf. Fig. 11 C and Deltshev 1973 View Figure 11 : fig. 7).

Description.

Male (paratype). Total length 2.12. Carapace 0.98 long, 0.88 wide, yellow. Palps, chelicerae, and legs yellow. Basal chelicerae segment 0.52 long. Leg I length: femur 1.9, patella 0.3, tibia 2.18, metatarsus 2.15, tarsus 1.18, TLL 7.71. Leg II length: femur 1.85, patella 0.3, tibia 2.0, metatarsus 1.92, tarsus 1.05, TLL 7.12. Leg III length: femur 1.55, patella 0.28, tibia 1.48, metatarsus 1.5, tarsus 0.8, TLL 5.61. Leg IV length: femur 1.85, patella 0.28, tibia 1.9, metatarsus 1.88, tarsus 1.0, TLL 6.91. Leg I spination: femur one dorsal and one prolateral spine; tibia two dorsal, two prolateral and two retrolateral spines; metatarsus one dorsal spine. Leg II spination: femur one dorsal spine; tibia two dorsal and one retrolateral spine; metatarsus one dorsal spine. Leg III spination: femur one dorsal spine; tibia two dorsal spines; metatarsus one dorsal spine. Leg IV spination: femur no spine; tibia one dorsal spine; metatarsus no spine. Metatarsi IV without trichobothrium. TmI 0.14. Palp as in Figs 11 D, E View Figure 11 , 12 A – K View Figure 12 , 13 A, B View Figure 13 : cymbium has two processes (prolateral and posterior), two furrows (dorsal and prolateral), rounded deflection in anterior-retrolateral edge, with hollows and ridges in retrolaleral part; paracymbium with two shallow furrows closely situated to each other; suprategular apophysis with a ridge; F-shaped proximal part of radix (two lobes and one small apophysis); median membrane joined with the proximal part of radix dorsally; the distal part of radix with flat pointed terminal apophysis; lamella characteristica with two sclerotised branches, clearly distinct when palp is expanded; embolus with a serrate area dorsally and a keel on prolateral side; cymbium length / width ratio 1.3 (same ratio with and without apophyses). Eyes normal. Abdomen grey.

Female. Total length 1.92. Carapace 0.88 long, 0.78 wide. Basal chelicerae segment 0.6 long. Leg I length: femur 1.68, patella 0.29, tibia 1.82, metatarsus 1.64, tarsus 0.98, TLL 6.41. Leg II length: femur 1.6, patella 0.29, tibia 1.66, metatarsus 1.51, tarsus 0.89, TLL 5.95. Leg III length: femur 1.35, patella 0.25, tibia 1.2, metatarsus 1.18, tarsus 0.68, TLL 4.66. Leg IV length: femur 1.6, patella 0.25, tibia 1.56, metatarsus 1.46, tarsus 0.81, TLL 5.68. Leg I spination: femur one dorsal and one prolateral spine; tibia one dorsal, one prolateral, one retrolateral, and four ventral spines; metatarsus one dorsal spine. Leg II spination: femur one dorsal spine; tibia two dorsal, one retrolateral and two ventral spines; metatarsus two dorsal spines. Leg II spination: femur one dorsal spine; tibia two dorsal spines; metatarsus two dorsal spines. Leg IV spination: femur no spine; tibia two dorsal spines; metatarsus no spine. Metatarsi IV without trichobothrium. TmI 0.15. Epigyne as in Figs 11 C View Figure 11 , 14 A – C View Figure 14 : in ventral view scape resembling a shape of water drop with truncated anterior side; posterior plate in caudal view looks bifurcated, each branch with two rounded protrusions; posteriorly sides of epigyne folded and terminate with posterior lobes, directed towards each other. Body colouration as in male.

Remarks.

The embolic and radix structure of the new species is similar to that of T. adjaricus Tanasevitch, 1987 , T. deelemanae Tanasevitch, 1987 , T. lucifuga (Simon, 1884) , and other related species from the orpheus group (sensu Deeleman-Reinhold 1978 and Isaia et al. 2017), but can be distinguished by the pear-shape cymbium (in dorsal view), with two small apophyses in its proximal part (vs in T. lucifuga complex and T. adjaricus one or three apophyses, usually prolateral apophysis is large; in T. deelemanae with large prolateral apophysis, whose length is equal to width of middle part of cymbium). The shape of the lamella in the new species differs in detail from that of all the congeners. Some similarity can be found in new species and T. cyrnaeus Isaia, 2023 from the salax group ( Isaia et al. 2023: fig. 2 D). Both have S-shaped lamellae, but in T. exspectatus sp. nov. the end of the lamella is bifurcated with one branch pointed and the other flatted (Figs 11 F View Figure 11 , 12 I View Figure 12 ). The epigyne of the new species is similar to those of T. deelemanae and T. konradi Brignoli, 1975 (see Isaia et al. 2011). Females of these species are distinguishable by the angle between lateral side of scape and edge of epigyne (in a new species sides are perpendicular to each other, with angle between side of scape and edge of epigyne ~ 70 ° vs subparallel in T. deelemanae ) and the eye development (well developed in the new species, but reduced in T. konradi ). Also, T. exspectatus sp. nov. has the epigyne similar to that of some species of the salax group (sensu Deeleman-Reinhold 1978; T. strandi Absolon & Kratochvil, 1932 , T. fallax Deeleman-Reinhold, 1978 , T. lesserti Kratochvil, 1935 – all of them have reduced eyes) and the embolus similar to those of the members of the polyophthalmus group ( T. inermis Deeleman-Reinhold, 1978 is distinguishable by the shapes of the lamella and cymbium).

Variation.

Males (n = 2): carapace width 0.83–0.88; femur I length 1.81–1.9. Females (n = 9): carapace width 0.77–0.85; femur I length 1.67–1.9.

Distribution and records from the Crimean caves.

Map (Fig. 17 B View Figure 17 – yellow circle). Only known from the type locality: Druzhba Cave on Mortsheka Mt. in the SW part of Ai-Petri Yaila.

Ecology.

Given that T. exspectatus sp. nov. has the well-developed eyes but permanently occurs and reproduces in Druzhba Cave (we have recorded individuals at all developmental stages), it can be classified as an eutroglophile.

Etymology.

From the Latin exspectatus , meaning expected, due to the fact that we have not come across adult males of this species for a long time, but only females, subadult males, and juveniles.