A survey of the spider genus Dysdera Latreille, 1804 (Araneae, Dysderidae) in Iran, with fourteen new species and notes on two fossil genera Author Zamani, Alireza https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8084-9666 Zoological Museum, Biodiversity Unit, FI- 20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland zamani.alireza5@gmail.com Author Marusik, Yuri M. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4499-5148 Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa Author Szűts, Tamas https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8954-0641 Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Rottenbiller u. 50, Budapest, 1077, Hungary text ZooKeys 2023 2023-02-07 1146 43 86 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1146.97517 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1146.97517 1313-2970-1146-43 01E76F6AB9914F339BD6991090F07E80 B1CCD44D55C25FFD8D9DE752139E864F Dysdera xerxesi sp. nov. Figs 23A-C , 24A-D Type material. Holotype ♂ (ZMUT), Iran: Bushehr Province: Asaluyeh, 27°20'N , 52°49'E , 27.01.2016 (A. Zamani). Etymology. The new species is named after Xerxes I, the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, ruling from 486 to 465 BC; adjective. Diagnosis. The new species differs from all of its congeners occurring in the region by having a stylus ( St ), rounded median crest ( Mc ) and wide posterior apophysis ( Ap ); none of the other species has a rounded median crest, and those with a stylus, have a small posterior apophysis. Description. Male. Habitus as in Fig. 23A-C . Total length 4.02. Carapace 2.14 long, 1.60 wide. Eye diameters: AME 0.11, PME 0.09, PLE 0.08. Carapace, sternum, chelicerae, labium, and maxillae reddish brown. Legs missing. Abdomen cream-coloured, without any pattern. Spinnerets uniformly cream-coloured. Figure 23. Male of Dysdera xerxesi sp. nov., habitus A dorsal view B ventral view C lateral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm. Palp as in Fig. 24A-D ; bulb ca. 2.3 x longer than wide; tegulum bell-shaped, almost as long as wide; psembolus 1.48 x longer than tegulum; median crest ( Mc ) rounded, ca. 3.45 x shorter than length of psembolus, ca. 2.3 x wider than high; posterior apophysis ( Ap ) broad and hook-shaped; incision between tegulum and psembolus absent; retrolateral crest ( Rc ) gradually rounded; stylus ( St ) membranous and shorter than median crest. Figure 24. Male of Dysdera xerxesi sp. nov., bulb A retrolateral view B prolateral view C anterior view D posterior view. Scale bars: 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: Ap - posterior apophysis, Mc - median crest, Rc - retrolateral crest, St - stylus. Female. Unknown. Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Bushehr Province, southern Iran (Fig. 35 ). Dysdera longirostris species group Diagnosis. This group can be diagnosed by a combination of the following characters: cheliceral fang as long as the basal segment, carapace broad, flat and anteriorly convergent, and bulb with lateral projection smaller than the apex ( Deeleman-Reinhold and Deeleman 1988 ).