The spider genera Azerithonica and Tegenaria (Aranei: Agelenidae: Tegenariini) in Iran

Abstract

<p>Two Tegenariini genera occurring in Iran, <i>Azerithonica</i> Guseinov, Marusik et Koponen, 2005 and <i>Tegenaria</i> Latreille, 1804 are revised. As a result, the former genus and its type species, <i>Azerithonica hyrcanica</i> Guseinov, Marusik et Koponen, 2005 are recorded in Iran for the first time. A new species, <i>A. sagartia</i> sp.n. (♀, Mazandaran) is described from northern Iran, representing the second species of <i>Azerithonica</i>, enabling us to provide an updated diagnosis for the genus. Furthermore, six new species of <i>Tegenaria</i> are described from western and northern Iran, namely: <i>T. arsacia</i> sp.n. (♀, Hamedan), <i>T. daylamanica</i> sp.n. (♀, Gilan), <i>T. eros </i>sp.n. (♀, Golestan), <i>T. guseinovi </i>sp.n. (♀, Kermanshah), <i>T. rahnamayi </i>sp.n. (♀, Mazandaran) and <i>T. shirin </i>sp.n. (♂, Kermanshah). In addition, <i>T. halidi </i>Guseinov, Marusik et Koponen, 2005, previously known from Azerbaijan only, is newly recorded for the fauna of Iran, and new distribution records are provided for <i>T. domestica</i> (Clerck, 1757), <i>T. lenkoranica</i> Guseinov, Marusik et Koponen, 2005 and <i>T. pagana </i>C.L. Koch, 1840. With the exception of the widely-distributed and well-known <i>T. domestica </i>and <i>T. pagana</i>, all of the remaining species are illustrated, and known distributions of <i>Azerithonica</i> spp. and all Iranian Tegenaria spp. are mapped.</p>