Aegyptobia hormozgani Farzan, Asadi & Ueckermann, sp. nov.

Aegyptobia hormozgani Farzan, Asadi & Ueckermann sp. nov.

(Figs 10–18)

Type series. Holotype: female, Genow (Bandarabbas–Hormozgan province, Iran), xii.1.2010, S. Farzan, ex Artemisia siberia (Asteraceae) (SBUC). Paratype: female, same data as holotype (PPRIC).

Diagnosis. Opisthosoma with 13 pairs of dorsal setae (f2 present). Dorsal shields completely covered with a series of longitudinal ridges except for a small area of oblique ridges between posterior to sc2 and c2–d2; dorsal setae broadly spatulate, smooth; two pairs of pores present between d2–e2 and d3–e3. Dorsal leg setae (d) on femora I–II and genua I–II are setiform, barbed. Tarsal claws uncinate. Palp chaetotaxy from tarsus to trochanter: 3(1s+2e)-2-0-1-0. Spermatheca long (180 μm), slender terminating in small membranous bulb, with a small subterminal membranous expansion.

Description.

Female: Length of body (v2 –h1) 214–218, width (sc2–sc2) 117–123.

Dorsum (Fig. 10): Body oval with pattern of longitudinal ridges; prodorsum with elongate longitudinal ridges except for a small region of oblique ridges posterior to sc2; anterior margin of prodorsum with deeply notched medial projection; prodorsum bearing three pairs of setae, v2, sc1, sc2 and two pairs of eyes; opisthosoma with pattern of longitudinal ridges, except for a small area of oblique ridges between c2–d2; two pairs of pores are present between d2–e2 and d3–e3. Opisthosoma with 13 pairs of setae; all dorsal setae broadly spatulate, smooth, subequal in length (11–20) and width (4–6).

Setal measurements: length v 2 17–20, sc 1 17–20, sc 2 15–17, c 1 18–19, c 2 18–19, c 3 14–15, d 1 16–18, d 2 16–17, d 3 16–17, e 1 14 –16, e 2 14 –16, e 3 14 –17, f 2 16–17, f 3 16–18, h 1 16–17, h 2 16–17.

Distance between setae: v2–v2 47 –48, sc1–sc1 88–90, sc2–sc2 110–117, c1–c1 39–41, c2–c2 110–111, c3–c3 123–125, d1–d1 34–36, d2–d2 97–98, d3–d3 124–130, e1– e 1 27–30, e2– e2 97–98, e3–e3 123–126, f2–f2 71–73, f3–f3 105–111, h1–h 1 31–34, h2–h2 72–78.

Venter (Fig. 11): Cuticle with two transverse bands of striae between 1a–3a and posterior to 4a; pregenital area with smooth ventral plate; coarse longitudinal striae lateral to genital region; metapodal plates well developed, with reticulate cuticle; genital setae inserted in more or less transverse row along posterior margin of a weakly developed, smooth, elongate oval genital plate; anal setae ps1–3 inserted longitudinally along medial margin of weakly developed anal plates (Fig. 12); coxal setae smooth; three pair of ventral setae present (1a, 3a, 4a), with 1a long. Setal measurements: 1a 67–68, 1 b 15–16, 1 c 31–32, 2 b 27–28, 2 c 27–31, 3 a 20–21, 3 b 19–21, 4 a 25–27, 4 b 16–19, ag 18–21, g 1 11–12, g 2 11–12, ps1 6–8, ps2 6–7, ps3 6–7.

Spermatheca (Fig. 14): Long (180 μm), fine, terminating in small membranous bulb, with a small subterminal membranous expansion.

Gnathosoma (Fig. 11): Infracapitulum extending to the base of tibia I; palp five segmented (Fig. 13), chaetotaxy from tarsus to trochanter: 3(1s+2e)-2-0-1-0.

Legs (Figs 15–18): All legs with true claws uncinate; setal formula as follows (solenidia included in count): coxae 2-2-1-1; trochanters 1-1-2-1; femora 4-4-2-1; genua 3-3-1-0; tibiae 4-4-3-3; tarsi 9(ω)-9(ω)-5-5; leg chaetotaxy as follows: trochanters I, II, IV v ΄; tr III l ΄, v ΄; femora I–II d, v ΄, bv ΄, l ΄; fe III ev ΄, l"; fe IV ev ΄; genua I–II l ΄, d, v ΄; ge III v’; ge IV nude; tibiae I–II d, l ΄, v ΄ -v ΄; ti III–IV d, v ΄ -v ΄; ta I–II u ΄ -u ΄, p ΄ -p ΄, tc ΄ -tc ΄, ft ΄ -ft ΄, ω΄; ta III–IV u ΄ -u ΄, tc ΄ -tc ΄, ft ΄. Dorsal setae on femora and genua I–II setiform and barbed.

Remarks.

Due to the presence of a deep prodorsal notch and spatulate dorsal setae, the new species resembles four species: Aegyptobia baptus Pritchard & Baker, 1952; A. crotonae Baker & Tuttle, 1972; A. haplopappus Baker & Tuttle, 1972; and A. semper Chaudhri & Akbar, 1985. However it differs from all of them by having setiform and barbed dorsal setae on femora and genua I–II, instead of broad setae. Aegyptobia hormozgani also differs from A. haplopappus and A. semper in having two pairs of pores instead of one pair. The new species resembles Aegyptobia forma Chaudhri 1972, also collected from Artemisia, in having similar spatulate and smooth dorsal setae, having two setae on trochanter III and one seta on genu III and a deep notch on anterior margin of propodosoma. It differs from A. forma in having a dorsal pattern of longitudinal ridges (A. forma has a finely striate dorsal pattern). Furthermore our species resembles Aegyptobia nasicornensis Meyer & Van Dis, 1993 in the length of the infracapitulum, the presence of hysterosomal pores and form of the anterior margin of the propodosoma, but it differs from A. hormozgani by having serrate dorsal setae (smooth in A. hormozgani), lanceolate dorsal setae of femora and genua I, II, similar to idiosomal dorsal setae (are setiform and barbed and are not similar to the body dorsal setae in A. hormozgani). Aegyptobia cedermontana Meyer & Van Dis, 1993 also resembles the new species in having the anterior margin of propodosoma notched, leg chaetotaxy and the presence of hysterosomal pores, but differs in having dorsal setae not serrated and dorsal setae on the femora and genua I–II not similar to the dorsal body setae.

Etymology. This species is named after the province (Hormozgan) where it was collected. Distribution. Iran, known only from the type locality.

Male and immature stages. Unknown