Sessiluncus hungaricus Karg 1964

Sessiluncus hungaricus Karg, 1964

(Figures 38–44)

Sessiluncus hungaricus Karg, 1964: 73.

Sessiluncus hungaricus.— Lee, 1970: 178; Bregetova, 1977: 313; Karg, 1993 c: 378; Călugăr, 2006: 235; Kazemi & Rajaei, 2013: 125; Castilho et al. 2016: 101.

Sessiluncus hangaricus [sic].—Nasr & Afifi, 1984: 17.

Karg (1964) described S. hungaricus based on female specimens collected in Hungary. Afterward, this species was reported from Israel (Costa & Nevo 1969), Azerbaijan (Bregetova 1977), Slovakia (Fenďa & Ciceková 2009), Iran (Kazemi & Rajaei 2013) and Georgia (Murvanidze et al. 2019). In this study, we examined some female specimens of the species collected in northern Iran, from Golestan and Mazandaran provinces, in addition to the holotype of the species. Despite the generally high-quality original description of S. hungaricus, we found some discrepancies between the original description of this species and the specimens we examined, including the holotype. To address this, we also present an updated diagnosis of this species.

Diagnosis. Dorsal shield with 38 pairs of moderately long and barbed setae; gland pores gd9 absent, gd6 and gd8 located relatively near each other (Figure 38). Presternal plates free. Sternal seta st1 barbed and longer than smooth setae st2–st4 (Figure 39). Ventrianal shield longer than wide, length/width ratio = 1.17–1.25. Poststigmatal extension of peritrematal shield rounded posteriorly, not extending beyond the posterior margin of coxa IV; peritreme straight, and short, not reaching to anterior level of coxa II (Figure 40). Anterior margin of gnathotectum irregularly subtriangular, median projection relatively long, with irregular teeth laterally (Figures 41–44). Corniculus without inner tooth; setae h1–h3 and pc barbed, subequal in length; posterior lateral transverse ridges connected to deutosternal groove denticulate. Movable and fixed digits of chelicera in female with three and four teeth, respectively. Genu IV with 10 setae (2, 1/1, 3/1, 2).

Material examined. Holotype female, collected in litter under oak, Quercus sp. [Fagaceae], bushes, in Tihany, Hungary, 24 July 1962, deposited in Arachnologischen Sammlung des Museums für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany. Three females collected in soil-litter in Baran Kouh, Gorgan Province, 10 June 2009, one specimen deposited in OSAL, others in ACISTE; three females collected in soil-litter in Gaem Shahr, Mazandaran Province, 10 October 2018, deposited in ACISTE; two females collected in soil-litter in Chalous County, Mazandaran Province, 05 July 2007, deposited in ACISTE.

Note. Re-examination of the holotype in addition to a study of the Iranian specimens showed the following discrepancies with the original description of the species: (1) seta z1 absent (Karg (1964, figure 4) illustrated this seta (labeled r1) on the dorsal shield); (2) setae h1–h3 and pc lightly barbed (vs. illustrated as smooth in the original description); (3) genu IV with ten setae (with two pl setae), setation of the other leg segments normal for the genus (vs. setation of the leg segments not presented in the original description); and (4) crenate lateral projections present (barely illustrated in the original description). Also, Karg (1964) did not illustrate glandular openings gd6 and gd8 or the pit-like cuticular structure, pcs, on the dorsal shield of the species.