On new Central Asian genus and species of wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae) exhibiting a pronounced sexual size dimorphism

Abstract

A new genus Zyuzicosa gen. nov. is erected for eight central Asian species of the burrowing wolf spiders, of which five are described as new: Z. baisunica sp. nov. (both sexes from Uzbekistan), Zyuzicosa gigantea sp. nov. (male from Uzbekistan), Zyuzicosa turlanica sp. nov. (both sexes from South Kazakhstan), Zyuzicosa uzbekistanica sp. nov. (male from Uzbekistan), and Zyuzicosa zeravshanica sp. nov. (both sexes from Uzbekistan). Three new combinations are proposed: Zyuzicosa afghana (Roewer, 1960), comb. nov. (transferred from Avicosa), Zyuzicosa fulviventris (Kroneberg, 1875), comb. nov. (transferred from Tarentula), and Zyuzicosa laetabunda (Spassky, 1941), comb. nov. (transferred from Lycosa). Identification keys to five central Asian genera of the burrowing Lycosidae and to all Zyuzicosa species are provided as well. Three Zyuzicosa gen. nov. species, for which both sexes are known, exhibit a pronounced sexual size dimorphism, having typical dwarf males that are half or less than half the size of corresponding females. This phenomenon has never previously been observed in the Lycosidae.