The spider family Hersiliidae Thorell, 1870 (Arachnida: Araneae) in Iran

A new species of hersiliid spider (Aranei: Hersiliidae) from Iran

“…Other Duninia species have only one pair of receptacles, very short copulatory ducts and heads of receptacles without distinct gland pores [cf. Marusik, Fet, 2009;Mirshamsi et al, 2013].…”

“…The epigyne of the new species differs from those of other hersiliid genera with short spinnerets occurring in Iran and adjacent regions (see under «Diagnosis»). We have placed this species in Duninia because it has the lateral pouches [or the deep pockets sensu Marusik and Fet (2009)] as three other Duninia species known to date (see figs 8.6-7, 11 in Marusik and Fet [2009] and 4e-g in Mirshamsi et al [2013]). It is likely that the new species belongs to an undescribed genus, but the absence of the males does not allow us to come up with a justified decision regarding this.…”

“…To date, 11 species of Hersiliidae belonging to four genera have been known from Iran: Bastanius Mirshamsi, Zamani et Marusik, 2016;Duninia Marusik et Fet, 2009;Hersilia Audouin, 1826;andHersiliola Thorell, 1870 [Zamani et al, 2018]. Although the species diversity of the family in Iran is higher than it is in any other neighboring country and Hersiliidae has been the subject of several regional revisions [Marusik, Fet, 2009;Mirshamsi et al, 2013;Mirshamsi et al, 2016;Zamani et al, 2017], new collecting efforts in western Iran have yielded one more new species, of which description is given below. The new species has an uncertain generic position and is likely to belong to a new genus.…”

New data on spider fauna of Iran (Arachnida: Araneae), Part II

“…There are several small studies dealing with the description of new species or records of spiders new to Iran (Mirshamsi 2005;Ghahari and Marusik 2009;Kashefi et al 2013;Logunov et al 2013;Mirshamsi, Hatami, and Zamani 2013;Mirshamsi, Marusik, and Jamili 2013;Azarkina and Mirshamsi 2014;), but comprehensive taxonomic surveys are lacking (Logunov, Marusik, and Mozaffarian 2001;Mozaffarian and Marusik 2001;Ono and Martens 2005;Moradmand and Jäger 2011;. Therefore, the Iranian fauna of spiders should be considered to be poorly studied.…”

Description of a new species of Hersiliola and the male ofDuninia rheimsae Marusik & Fet, 2009 from Iran (Araneae: Hersiliidae)

“…To date, ten morphospecies belonging to four genera are known in Iran: Bastanius Duninia Marusik & Fet, 2009;Hersilia Audouin, 1826;and Hersiliola Thorell, 1870(Mirshamsi et al, 2013; http://www.spiders.ir/). Duninia includes three species, all of which are endemic or subendemic to Iran, namely D. baehrae Marusik & Fet, 2009; D. darvishi Mirshamsi & Marusik, 2013;andD. rheimsae Marusik &Fet, 2009 (Zamani et al, 2016).…”