Zaitunia beshkentica Andreeva & Tyshchenko 1969

Zaitunia beshkentica (Andreeva & Tyshchenko, 1969)

Figs 28–29, 33 C, 42D–E, 44B

Filistata beshkentica Andreeva & Tyshchenko, 1969: 376, fig. 2 (♀).

Filistata beshkentica – Andreeva 1976: 18, figs 10–12 (♀).

Zaitunia beshkentica – Zonstein 1990: 50 (transfer from Filistata).

Diagnosis

Males of Z. beshkentica are similar to those of Z. wunderlichi sp. nov. but differ from them by the shape of the raised embolic keel, which terminates more abruptly (cf. Figs 28 G–I and 32D–F), whereas females rather resemble Z. huberi sp. nov. in vulval structure but differ from the latter species by the shape of the median receptacles, which are longer and tubiform (vs shorter and rounded in Z. huberi sp. nov., cf. Figs 29 I–K, 30C–E).

Type material Holotype

TAJIKISTAN: ♀, Beshkent Valley, Chiluchor-Chashma, 8 May 1965, E. Martynova (depository unknown, not examined).

Material examined (4 ♂♂, 20 ♀♀, 8 juvs)

TAJIKISTAN: 1 ♀, Beshkent Valley, Chiluchor-Chashma, 37°17' N, 68°02' E, 400 m, 17 Apr. 1989, S. Zonstein (TAU); 1 ♀, same locality, but 19 Apr. 2015, S. Zonstein (TAU); 2 ♀♀, Tigrovaya Balka (Tiger Gorge), 37°08' N, 68°17' E, 18 Apr. 1989, S. Zonstein (TAU); 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, 4 juvs, Khurshedi, 37°09.1' N, 68°04.2' E, 342 m, stony desert, chiefly under shrubs, 19 Apr. 2015, Y.M. Marusik (ZMMU); 1 juv., foothills of Hissar Mts, Varzob valley, 10 km N of Dushanbe, surroundings of Varzob Lake, 38°40.6' N, 68°47.4' E, 985 m, 3 May 2015, Y.M. Marusik (ZMMU); 1 ♂, Hissar Mts, Takob Gorge, near Dehmalik Village, 38°50.8' N, 68°54.6' E, 805 m, 8 May 2015, Y.M. Marusik & M. Saidov (TAU).

UZBEKISTAN: 1 ♂, Babatagh Mts, 2.5 km ESE of Mt. Zarkassa, 1800 m, 37°58' N, 68°11' E, 1 May 1995, S. Zonstein (TAU); 7 ♀♀, 1 juv., same data, but eastern slope of Mt. Zarkassa, 37°59' N, 68°11' E, 1800 m (TAU); 2 ♀♀, same data, but 37°59' N, 68°10' E, 2000 m (TAU); 4 ♀♀, 2 juvs, western foothills of Babatagh Mts, Argamchi Gorge 13 km ESE of Denau, 38°12.8' N, 68°03.2' E, 630 m, 30 Apr. 2002, A.V. Gromov (ZMMU); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same, eastern foothills, Uzu,n 6.5 km W of Akmechet, 38°03.2' N, 68°14.3' E, 1123 m, 25 May 2003, L. Prendini & A.V. Gromov (AMNH).

Description

Male (Zarkassa)

HABITUS. See Fig. 28 D–F.

BODY LENGTH. 2.95.

COLOR. Whole spider pale greyish-brownish-yellow; eye tubercle brownish-black; diffuse and narrow median line and margins of carapace light brown, as well as a weak and diffuse dorsal abdominal pattern consisting of interrupted median line anteriorly and a few transverse fasciae posteriorly.

CARAPACE (Fig. 42 D). 1.28 long, 1.02 wide.

EYES. AME 0.07, ALE 0.11, PLE 0.09, PME 0.08, AME–AME 0.08.

PALP (Fig. 44 B; also Fig. 28 G–I, ♂ from Khurshedi). Femur distinctly longer than tibia; tibia less than 1.5 times wider than femur; cymbium longer than bulb; keel of embolic neck with rounded terminal end; embolus bent at right angle.

LEG MEASUREMENTS. ♂(♀)

[table omitted]

Female (Chiluchor-Chashma)

HABITUS. See Fig. 29 B.

BODY LENGTH. 4.05.

COLOUR. As in male.

CARAPACE (Fig. 29 A). 1.36 long, 0.94 wide.

EYES. AME 0.05, ALE 0.11, PLE 0.09, PME 0.07, AME–AME 0.04.

ENDOGYNE (Figs 29 I–K, 33C). Median receptacles diverging; both pairs with corrugated stems; lateral receptacles globular, and median receptacles subconical (wide base and thinner head); heads of median receptacles separated by 3 diameters, and bases separated by one diameter; gland pores cover tops of heads only.

Variations

Carapace length in females varies from 1.30 to 1.95. Specimens inhabiting lowland desert areas are almost uniformly pale-yellowish, with darker pattern on the body and legs very weak to absent (sometimes only metatarsi and tarsi are slightly dark, but the eye tubercle is still black). By contrast, specimens collected in foothills have typical though somewhat paler coloration, with darker median lanceolate spots on carapace and abdomen combined with weak and diffuse transverse fasciae on legs and in the posterior part of the abdomen (cf. Fig. 29 A–H).

Ecology

Spiders were collected in desert, semi-desert and dry steppe biotopes in piedmont plains and low foothills and in the middle mountain zone with open park woods composed of Juniperus spp. and Acer spp.

Distribution

Known from western Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan (Fig. 49).