See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304019967 A study on the spider fauna of Dargaz and Kalat Counties in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran (Arachnida: Araneae) Article in Biharean Biologist · June 2016 READS 7 4 authors, including: Alireza Zamani University of Tehran 32 PUBLICATIONS 55 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, Available from: Alireza Zamani letting you access and read them immediately. Retrieved on: 17 June 2016 BIHAREAN BIOLOGIST 10 (1): 4-7 ©Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2016 Article No.: e151204 http://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/index.html A study on the spider fauna of Dargaz and Kalat Counties in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran (Arachnida: Araneae) Hussein SADEGHI1, Malihe AHMADI2, Alireza ZAMANI3,* and Isa JABALEH2 1. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. 2. Higher education Institute of Jihad-e Daneshgahi, Kashmar Branch. 3. Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology and Centre of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms in Iran, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran *Corresponding author, A. Zamani, E-mail: [email protected] Received: 08. February 2015 / Accepted: 11. May 2015 / Available online: 01. June 2016 / Printed: June 2016 Abstract. In a survey investigating the spider fauna of Dargaz and Kalat counties in Razavi Khorasan Province of Iran, 13 families and 21 species were recognized, of which three are new to Iran: Minosia simeonica Levy, 1995, Nomisia negebensis Levy, 1995 and Thanatus atratus Simon, 1875. Also, genus Minosia Dalmas, 1921 is recorded for the first time in Iran. Data on collection localities and distribution of each species, as well as diagnostic morphological characters and figures for the newly recorded taxa are provided. Key words: new records, Thanatus, Minosia, Nomisia, Iran. Introduction Spiders (Araneae) comprise over 45000 recognized species in world (World Spider Catalog 2015). Reviewing the literature, Zamani et al. (2015a) gave a checklist of spiders of Iran with about 540 species. Considering the geographic position of the country as a land bridge joining the Palaearctic, Afro- tropical and Oriental zones, and its diverse climate condi- tions and the known spider fauna of adjacent countries, it seems that this number must be much higher than known at present. Recently, more small faunistic studies have been or- ganized (Marusik et al. 2014, Zamani 2014, Sadeghi et al. 2014, Zamani et al. 2014a,b, Mirshamsi et al. 2015). However, still many parts of the country have not been explored in terms of taxonomic and large scale faunistic surveys. The Figure 1. Map of Iran, showing the collecting sites (Dargaz and Kalat counties) in northeastern part. present study aimed to investigate the spider fauna of Dar- gaz and Kalat regions in bordering areas of Iran and Turk- menistan, where no similar studies have been carried out so far. Materials and methods This study was conducted during seasonal growth of 2014, from early July to late October. Specimens were collected mainly inside and surroundings of different agroecosystems. The study areas, Dargaz and Kalat are located in Northeastern Iran, in the bordering areas of Iran and Turkmenistan (Figs 1, 2, 3). A variety of collection methods including hand collecting, pitfall trapping and sweeping were used. Specimens were preserved in 70% ethanol and trans- Figure 2. A view of Zo-e derongar, a sampling site ferred to the laboratory. Digital images were captured using a Canon in 55 km west of Dargaz. EOS-1Ds Mark III camera, which was attached to a Nikon SMZ-1000 stereomicroscope. Identification of most specimens was made according to Alm- quist (2006), Levy (1995), Le Peru (2011), Logunov (1996), Nentwig et al. (2015), Prószyn'ski (2003). Global and local distribution data are given according to World Spider Catalog (2015) and Zamani et al. (2015b), respectively. Studied specimens were deposited at the Jalal Afshar Zoological Museum of University of Tehran (JAZM). Results A total number of 431 spider specimens were collected, from which only 99 adult specimens were identifiable to the spe- Figure 3. A view of Tiwan, a sampling site in 90 km southwest of Dargaz. Spider Fauna of Dargaz and Kalat Counties, Iran 5 Figure 4. Habitus of the three newly recorded species, dorsal view. A: Nomisia negebensis Levy, 1995 B: Minosia simeonica Levy, 1995 C: Thanatus atratus Simon, 1875. Figure 5 Ventral views of epigynes (A, C, E) and dorsal views of vulvae (B, D) of the three newly recorded species. A, B: Minosia simeonica Levy, 1995 C, D: Nomisia negebensis Levy, 1995 E: Thanatus atratus Simon, 1875. cies level. Overall, 13 families and 21 species were recorded Castianeira arnoldii Charitonov, 1946 and identified: Material examined: 3 ♀♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA20), Ghazan Beig (37°15´52.67"N, 59°18´21.04"E), 1.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi); 1 ♂ Family ARANEIDAE Clerck, 1757 1 ♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA103), Seyyed Abad (37°26´35.55"N, Genus Argiope Audouin, 1826 59°08´06.47"E), 1.9.2014 (M. Ahmadi); 1 ♀ (JAZM-IR93- Argiope bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772) MA15), Ghazan Beig (37°15´52.67"N, 59°18´21.04"E), Material examined: 1 ♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA95), Salamanshahr 1.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi). (36°41′40.92″N, 51°11′43.80″E), 16.8.2014 (M. Ahmadi). Distribution in Iran: Golestan, Razavi Khorasan (new pro- Distribution in Iran: Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiary, Eastern or vincial record). Western Azarbayjan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Mazandaran, Global distribution: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran. Qazvin, Razavi Khorasan, Zanjan. Family GNAPHOSIDAE Pocock, 1898 Global distribution: Palaearctic. Genus Gnaphosa Latreille, 1804 Family CORINNIDAE Karsch, 1880 Gnaphosa leporina (C. L. Koch, 1866) Genus Castianeira Keyserling, 1879 Material examined: 1 ♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA11), Ghazan Beig 6 H. Sadeghi et al. (37°15´52.67"N, 59°18´21.04"E), 1.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi). Distribution in Iran: Razavi Khorasan. Distribution in Iran: Razavi Khorasan. Global distribution: Mediterranean to Central Asia. Global distribution: West Palaearctic. Trochosa terricola Thorell, 1856 Genus Minosia Dalmas, 1921 Material examined: 1 ♂ (JAZM-IR93-MA115), Laeen Minosia simeonica Levy, 1995 (Figs. 4b, 5a, 5b) (37°08´17.93"N, 59°30´14.59"E), 5.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi); 1 ♂ Material examined: 2 ♀♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA64), Nokhandan (JAZM-IR93-MA26), Ghazan Beig (37°15´52.67"N, (37°1´16.85"N, 58°59´2.38"E), 12.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi). 59°18´21.04"E) (M. Ahmadi). Diagnosis: Males are similar to Minosia spinosissima (Simon Distribution in Iran: Kerman, Razavi Khorasan (new provin- 1878), from which they can be separated by the form of the cial record). tibial apophysis, which winds slightly beyond cymbium, Global distribution: Holarctic. and by the embolus, which is widened at the distal end. Family OECOBIIDAE Blackwall, 1862 Females are easily distinguishable from all other species of Genus Oecobius Lucas, 1846 the genus by the wrinkled median septum and the small Oecobius nadiae (Spassky, 1936) depression along the epigastric furrow of the epigynum Material examined: 1 ♂ (JAZM-IR93-MA6), Sangbar (Levy 1995). (37°25´53.69"N, 59°0´37.78"E), 12.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi). Distribution in Iran: Razavi Khorasan (new country record). Distribution in Iran: Razavi Khorasan. Global distribution: Israel, Iran (new record). Global distribution: Central Asia, China, Iran. Genus Nomisia Dalmas, 1921 Genus Uroctea Dufour, 1820 Nomisia negebensis Levy, 1995 (Figs. 4a, 5c, 5d) Uroctea limbata (C. L. Koch, 1843) Material examined: 1 ♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA70), Nokhandan Material examined: 2 ♀♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA63), Nokhandan (37°1´16.85"N, 58°59´2.38"E), 12.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi); 2 ♀♀ (37°1´16.85"N, 58°59´2.38"E), 12.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi). (JAZM-IR93-MA40), Gol Khandan (37°29´40.83"N, Distribution in Iran: Razavi Khorasan. 59°09´32.29"E), 1.10.2014 (M. Ahmadi); 1 ♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA Global distribution: West Palaearctic. 24), Ghazan Beig (37°15´52.67"N, 59°18´21.04"E), 1.10.2014 Family PHILODROMIDAE Thorell, 1870 (M. Ahmadi). Genus Thanatus C.L. Koch, 1837 Diagnosis: Males of this species are similar to Nomisia ex- Thanatus atratus Simon, 1875 (Figs. 4c, 5e) cerpta (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872), from which they can be dis- Material examined: 1 ♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA101), Seyyed Abad tinguished by the form of sclerites and tibial apophysis. (37°26´35.55"N, 59°08´06.47"E), 1.9.2014 (M. Ahmadi); 1 ♀ Females are similar to N. castanea Dalmas, 1921, but can be (JAZM-IR93-MA143), Golriz (37°28´12.44"N, diagnosed by the shape of the rims bordering the central 59°08´11.99"E), 1.9.2014 (M. Ahmadi). depression of the epigynum (Levy 1995). Diagnosis: This species is closely related to Thanatus vulgaris Distribution in Iran: Razavi Khorasan, Iran (new country re- Simon, 1870. Males can be separated by the shape and size cord). of the tegular apophysis and by the shape of the embolus. Global distribution: Turkey, Israel, Iran (new record). Females are distinguished by having narrower and not de- Family LYCOSIDAE Sundevall, 1833 pressed central division of epigyne, and by the shape of the Genus Hogna Simon, 1885 bursa copulatrix (Logunov 1996). Hogna radiata (Latreille, 1817) Distribution in Iran: Razavi Khorasan (new country record). Material examined: 2 ♀♀ (JAZM-IR93-MA135), Tivan Global distribution: Palaearctic. (37°25´27.72"N, 58°34´30.92"E), 2.9.2014 (M. Ahmadi). Family PHOLCIDAE C. L. Koch, 1850 Distribution in Iran: Fars, Golestan, Mazandaran, Razavi Genus Artema Walckenaer, 1837 Khorasan, Tehran. Artema transcaspica Spassky, 1934 Global distribution: Central Europe to Central Asia, Central Material examined: 1 ♂ (JAZM-IR93-MA38), Dargaz Africa. (37°26´42.62"N, 59°06´29.52"E), 12.10.2014 (M.