Tegenaria ballarini Zamani, Kaya & Marusik, 2024, sp. nov.

Tegenaria ballarini sp. nov. Figs 6 C, D, 9 A – D, 10 A, B, 12 A – C Type material. Holotype • ♂ (ZMUU), Turkiye: Antalya Prov.: Bozyaka, Köprülü Canyon National Park, 37°11'51"N, 31°11'03"E, 243 m, 15.05.2008 (R. S. Kaya). Paratypes: • 1 ♂ 2 ♀ (ZMUT), same data as for the holotype; • 7 ♀ (ZMUU), same data as for the holotype. Comparative material. Tegenaria vankeerorum Bolzern, Burckhardt & Hänggi, 2013 (Figs 10 C, D, 11 A – D): Turkiye: Muğla Prov.: • 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (ZMUT), Yatağan, Orman İşletme, 37°20'N, 28°08'E, 18.05.2011 (R. S. Kaya). Diagnosis. The new species is closely related to T. vankeerorum and has very similar copulatory organs, especially the male palp. The male of T. ballarini sp. nov. differs from the similar species by having relatively longer palpal tibia and a retrolateral apophysis (Rl) located in the distal half of the tibia, rather than at the midpoint (cf. Figs 9 C, 10 B, 11 B). The female of the new species differs from all other species of Tegenaria by having a pair of longitudinal scuta (Sl) anterior to the epigynal plate and a straight posterior margin of the epigyne (Fig. 12 C). Additionally, the vulva of the new species differs from that of T. vankeerorum by having relatively longer copulatory ducts that almost reach the anterior margin of the receptacle (vs reaching only the mid part of the receptacle; cf. Figs 12 A, B, 10 D, E). Description. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 6 D. Total length 10.75. Carapace 6.75 long, 4.65 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.25, ALE: 0.25, PME: 0.22, PLE: 0.25. Pars cephalica, sternum, labium, maxillae, and Fe I brown; pars thoracica and remaining leg segments yellowish brown; chelicerae dark reddish brown. Legs without annulations. Abdomen dark grey, without patterns. Spinnerets uniformly greyish brown. Measurements of legs: I: 48.87 + missing Ta (14.28, 2.82, 14.60, 17.17, missing), II: 44.00 (12.00, 2.72, 11.50, 14.28, 3.50), III: 36.83 (9.98, 2.45, 8.65, 12.65, 3.10), IV: 44.36 (11.56, 2.50, 10.88, 15.82, 3.60). Palp as in Figs 9 A – D, 10 A, B; femur 5 × longer than wide and ~ 1.8 × longer than tibia; patella ~ 1.9 × longer than wide; tibia long, ~ 3.5 × longer than wide, with three apophyses: retrolateral (Rl), retroventral (Rv) and retrodorsal (Rd) (Fig. 9 A – C); retrolateral apophysis located in distal 1 / 3 of tibia, spine-like, directed antero-retrolaterally, with small tooth (Ts) (Fig. 9 B); cymbium long, 2.6 × longer than wide, tip as long as bulb (Fig. 10 B); bulb as long as wide (accounting conductor), tegulum oval, bent prolaterally, and distal part extending embolus; conductor (Cn) with rounded distal arm and gradually tapering proximal arm with claw-like tip, terminated at ~ 3 o’clock position; embolus originates at 9 o’clock position, thick basally, roundly bent (Fig. 10 A). Female. Habitus as in Fig. 6 C. Total length 14.15. Carapace 8.20 long, 6.15 wide. Eye sizes: AME: 0.25, ALE: 0.27, PME: 0.28, PLE: 0.31. Coloration as in male. Measurements of legs: I: 42.17 (11.61, 3.40, 11.17, 12.34, 3.65), II: 37.29 (10.48, 2.98, 9.36, 11.12, 3.35), III: 33.05 (9.40, 2.75, 7.70, 10.20, 3.00), IV: Fe: 11.03, Pa: 2.98, Ti: 10.03, remaining segments missing. Epigyne as in Fig. 12 A – C; epigynal plate> 2 × wider than long, with straight and heavily sclerotized posterior margin; area anteriorly from plate with pair of elongate scuta (Sl) (Fig. 12 C); receptacles subdivided into two parts, anterior pear-shaped membranous part (Mr) and heavily sclerotized posterior parts (Rs) (Fig. 12 B); copulatory ducts well sclerotized, thin, contiguous, terminating near anterior edges of receptacles. Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Antalya Province, southwestern Turkiye. Etymology. The new species is named in honor of our colleague Francesco Ballarin (Tokyo, Japan), in recognition of his assistance to the second author during her visit to the Brignoli collection in Verona, Italy.