Lachesana lubinae Shafaie & Pekár, 2025

Lachesana lubinae Shafaie & Pekár sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Figs 4–6 View Fig View Fig View Fig , 106 View Fig ; Tables 3–4

Diagnosis

This new species is most similar to L. gavishae sp. nov. in terms of body coloration and overall palp morphology. The male of the new species can be recognized by a wider retrolateral tibial apophysis apical width/basal width ratio (3.8 vs 3.1); and different number of spines on leg segments and cymbium (i.e., metatarsus spines 89 vs 57 and cymbium spines 9 vs 16). The female can be distinguished by a remarkably spatulated, mushroom-shaped epigynal plate (vs heart-shaped, cf. Fig. 6A, C View Fig and Fig. 3A, C View Fig ), and convergent spermathecal stalks ending in kidney-shaped spermathecal heads (vs parallel spermathecal stalks, with globular spermathecal heads, cf. Fig. 6B, D View Fig and Fig. 3B, D View Fig ). Furthermore, the total number of leg spines can separate both adult and juvenile specimens of L. lubinae sp. nov. from those of L. gavishae (> 130 spines vs <97).

Etymology

This species is named in honor of our colleague, the Israeli arachnologist, Yael Lubin.

Type material

Holotype

ISRAEL • ♂; Negev Desert , Mashabim; 31.007° N, 34.739° E; 19 Oct. 2004; J. Král leg.; sands; HUJINV-Ar 21315. GoogleMaps

Paratype

ISRAEL • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; 20 Mar. 2007; S. Pekár leg.; HUJINV-Ar 21316 GoogleMaps .

Other material examined

ISRAEL • 6 juv.; same collection data as for paratype; CMU • 7 juv.; same collection data as for paratype; 27–30 Mar. 2007; S. Pekár and S. Hénriques leg.; CMU • 2 juv.; same collection data as for paratype; 4 Apr. 2009; J. Král leg.; CMU .

Description

Male HABITUS ( Fig. 4A–B, E, G View Fig ). Carapace dark yellow, with several pale stripes radiating from fovea; chelicerae, gnathocoxae, and arrow-shaped labium pale, labium as long as wide; chelicerae mesally densely covered with thin, brown setae; gnathocoxae 1.6 times as long as labium. Sternum pale. Fe, Pa,

Ti, and Mt of all legs and Ta II–IV yellow dorsally and pale ventrally. Ta I brownish-orange, Ta I about 1.5 times as stout as Ta II. Legs with 272 spines ( Table 3). Abdomen missing.

MEASUREMENTS. Carapace 6 long, 2.5 wide at pars cephalica, 4.5 wide at pars thoracica. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME: 0.2, ALE: 0.23, PME: 0.16, PLE: 0.2, AME–AME: 0.03, AME–ALE: 0.13, ALE– ALE: 0.6, PME–PME: 0.07, PME–PLE: 0.2. Legs: I 17.5 (5.2, 2.1, 4, 4, 2.2), II 17.6 (5, 4, 1.8, 5, 1.8), III 17.9 (5.2, 1.9, 3, 5.6, 2.2), IV 21.4 (5.2, 2.2, 4, 7, 3). Palp: 4.1 (2, 0.8, 0.48, 1.76).

PALP ( Fig. 5A–G View Fig ). RTA distally oblique, without parallel edges (prolateral edge inclined, retrolateral edge arch-shaped), dorsal part triangular. The RTA about 1.6 times as long as palpal tibiae, widest part over 3 times as wide as stalk of apophysis. Cymbium without spines in mesoproximal part. Bulb about 1.7 times as long as wide. Embolus filamentous, embolar base large, about half the length of tegulum. Female ( paratype HUJINV-Ar 21316)

HABITUS ( Fig. 4C–D, F View Fig ). Carapace and sternum similar to those in male; chelicerae dark yellow, with black setae; gnathocoxae and arrow-shaped labium pale, labium as wide as long. Fe, Pa, Ti, and Mt of all legs yellow dorsally and pale ventrally. Tarsal tips brownish-orange (Ta I the darkest), Ta I about 1.5 times as stout as Ta II; Legs with 142 spines ( Table 4). Abdomen pale yellow on both sides, with no pattern; spinnerets dirty yellow.

MEASUREMENTS. Total length 10.85; carapace 5.35 long, 2.4 wide at pars cephalica, 3.6 wide at pars thoracica. Eye sizes and interdistances: AME: 0.19, ALE: 0.12, PME: 0.15, PLE: 0.17, AME–AME: 0.03, AME–ALE: 0.06, ALE–ALE: 0.37, PME–PME: 0.06, PME–PLE: 0.19. Legs: I 15.55 (5, 2.25, 3.5, 3, 1.8), II 13.2 (3.95, 1.6, 2.7, 3.1, 1.85), III 13.46 (4.1, 1.85, 1.86, 3.4, 2.25), IV 17.75 (4.85, 2.25, 3.25, 4.85, 2.35). The palpal segments were not measured.

EPIGYNE ( Fig. 6A–D View Fig ). Epigyne enlarged, fusiform and about 1.8 times as wide as long, epigyne slightly extended posteriorly, the copulatory openings separated by plate equal to half of epigyne width. Anterior pockets touching each other. Spermathecae comprising basally stout and apically thinner spermathecal stalks, ending in large kidney-shaped spermathecal heads; spermathecal heads convergent, confined to the epigynal plate borders, and not reaching the edges of epigynal pockets, anterior lobes more swollen; spermathecal heads separated by 0.23 times their diameter.

Distribution

At present, known only from the type locality in Israel.