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| Chaetopelma persianum Zamani & West, 2023 |
Abstract
New data on the tarantula genus Chaetopelma Ausserer, 1871 are provided. A new species, Ch. persianum sp. nov., is described based on a single female specimen collected in northwestern Iran, which represents the easternmost record of the genus within its entire known range. Additionally, the correct publication date of Ch. olivaceum C.L. Koch, 1842 is discussed, and the known distribution records of all Chaetopelma species are mapped.
Key words: Middle East, Mygalomorphae, spiders, tarantulas, taxonomy
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| Female (holotype) of Chaetopelma persianum sp. nov. A, C cephalothorax, dorsal and ventral views B, D abdomen, dorsal and ventral views E eye tubercle, dorsal view. |
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| Female (holotype) of Chaetopelma persianum sp. nov. (A–C; A, B in defensive posture), and unidentified males of Chaetopelma from Sardasht, Iran (D) and Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (E). A–C by Kari Kaunisto D by Shaton Khezrpour E by Christian Langner. |
Chaetopelma persianum sp. nov.
Diagnosis: The new species can be readily distinguished from Ch. concolor, Ch. karlamani, and Ch. turkesi by the bilobed apical portion of its receptacles (vs apical portion with a single lobe; cf. Fig. 2A with Chatzaki and Komnenov 2019: fig. 4C–F and Topçu and Demircan 2014: fig. 2K), in addition to being considerably larger in total body length (36.6 vs 20.5–23.5). It differs from Ch. altugkadirorum, Ch. lymberakisi, and Ch. olivaceum by having tubular, more elongated receptacular lobes (vs either globular, or noticeably shorter; cf. Fig. 2A with Chatzaki and Komnenov 2019: figs 4A, B, 5A–D). It can be further diagnosed from the widely distributed Ch. olivaceum by having shorter and less divergent receptacles (vs longer and strongly diverging posteriorly).
Etymology: The specific epithet of the new species refers to its type locality in Iran, which was historically known as Persia.
Common name: We propose “Persian Gold Tarantula” (in Persian: Tārāntulā-ye Talā-ye Pārsi; تارانتولای طلای پارسی) as a common name.
Alireza Zamani and Rick C. West. 2023. A New Species of Chaetopelma Ausserer, 1871 (Araneae, Theraphosidae) from Iran. ZooKeys. 1174: 75-84. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1174.109135
