Phalangium nalanae, Kurt & Erdek & Kurt, 2023

Phalangium nalanae View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Type material: TURKEY: Holotype male ( GUSAL), Turkey, Hakkari Province, Ceyhanlı village road ( 37°28’57.5”N 43°33’49.8”E), 03.06.2020, leg. M. Erdek GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Two males ( GUSAL), with same data as holotype GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis: Long legs, leg I not thickened (all legs the same thickness) and covered with large black-tipped denticles ( Fig. 2c View FIGURE 2 ). Body dorsally with large denticles ( Fig. 1a, b View FIGURE 1 ). Distal segment of chelicera with long horn-shaped apophysis ( Fig. 2d View FIGURE 2 ). Pedipalps long, femur dorsally and ventrally with denticles and setae, patella dorsally with denticles and setae ( Fig. 2a, b View FIGURE 2 ). Truncus of penis wide at the base, slightly narrowing at mid-length and parallel-sided, then slightly widened, tip spoon-shaped; glans triangular-shaped ( Fig.1c–f View FIGURE 1 ).

Description: Male. Body ( Fig. 1a, b View FIGURE 1 ) length 4.6, width 3.1. BLI (Body Leg Index): 1.97 (femur I length / carapace width) ( Snegovaya 2022). Body medium-sized and oval-shaped in dorsal view. Anterolateral angles of prosoma and ozophores with black-tipped denticles. A group of black denticles in front of eye mound; eye mound with 8–10 black denticles on both sides. The posterior side of the eye mound with transverse rows of denticles. Supracheliceral lamellae smooth, bearing two black-tipped denticles. Prosoma brown. Abdominal tergites with distinct dark brown-to-black saddle marks, with long black-tipped denticles and irregularly spaced microdenticles and light brown spots. Genital operculum, leg coxae and opisthosomal sternites covered with black setae and light brown spots. Eye mound with 8–9 black-tipped denticles in two rows.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 2d View FIGURE 2 ): Basal segment 0.96 mm long, dorsally with 2–3 tubercles and setae. Distal segment 4.5 mm long, with long horn-shaped apophysis, ventrally and laterally with microtubercles and setae; dorsally with setae.

Pedipalp ( Fig. 2a, b View FIGURE 2 ). femur 3.8, patella 1.4, tibia 2.1, tarsus 4.4, total length: 11.7. Trochanter dorsally and ventrally with denticles and setae; femur with small distomesal apophysis covered with setae and microdenticles, dorsally and ventrally with denticles and setae, laterally with setae; patella with small distomesal apophysis covered with setae, ventrally and laterally with microdenticles and setae, dorsally with denticles; tibia covered with setae; tarsus with setae and ventrally with black microdenticles in rows; tarsal claw smooth.

Legs ( Fig. 2c View FIGURE 2 ): long, leg I not thickened (all legs the same thickness). Femur I dorsally and ventrally with long sharp denticles, laterally with denticles; patella with denticles; tibia and tarsus dorsally sparse denticles and setae, ventrally with intense denticles; metatarsus with setae. Length of legs: I: 6.1(Fe) + 1.3(Pa) + 5.2(Ti) + 7.3(Mta) + 8(Ta) = 27.9 mm; II: 9.7 + 1.63 + 8.8 + 12.5 + 17 = 49.63 mm; III: 6.3 + 1.4 + 6.2 + 8.1 + 9.2 = 31.2 mm; IV: 8.4 + 1.5 + 6.8 + 12.0 + 16.4 = 45.1 mm.

Penis ( Fig. 1c–f View FIGURE 1 ): Truncus 3.2, glans 0.45. Truncus wide at the base, slightly narrowing at mid-length and parallel-sided; then widened subapically and spoon-shaped; glans triangular-shaped, slightly enlarged ventrally.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology: The specific epithet is in honor of Prof. Dr. Nalan YILDIRIM DOGAN ( Erzincan Binali YILDIRIM University, Erzincan, Turkey), who has made important contributions to molecular biology studies in Turkey.

Comparative morphological remarks: The new species is most similar to Phalangium armatum Snegovaya, 2005 and can be distinguished by the following characteristics: body with dorsally sparce denticles (densely distributed black-tipped tubercles in P. armatum ), eye mound with 8–10 black denticles (10–11 long black-tipped tubercles in P. armatum ); pedipalpal femur and patella dorsally covered with denticles, tibia and tarsus with setae (pedipalpal femur and patella with longitudinal rows of black-tipped tubercles; tibia dorsally covered with several black tubercles in P. armatum ), leg I not thickened (leg I thickened in P. armatum ); glans penis triangular-shaped (glans penis with oval-shaped in P. armatum ). The comparison of the new species with other morphologically similar Phalangium species is given in Table 1 View TABLE 1 .