Diplectrona castanea Kimmins

(Figs 22, 27, 32–34)

Diplectrona castanea Kimmins 1953, 342.

Diplectrona lyella Neboiss 1977, 72; Neboiss 2003, 70 (synonym).

Material examined. Holotype D. castanea, ♂, Tasmania, National Park, 3000 ft, 26.xii.1936 (BMNH) ; holotype ( D. lyelli) ♂, Tasmania, King River, 5.xi.1961, N. Dobrotworsky (NMV) ; paratype, 1♂, Hellyer River Gorge, 2.xii.1972, P. Zwick.

Other material: Tasmania: 1♂ 1♀, Arrowsmith Creek, 18 km SW of Derwent Bridge, 9.xii.1974, A. Neboiss [PT-1068; TRI-15009]; 1♀, Bull Creek, Cradle Mtn Road, 13.xii.1974, A. Neboiss [PT-2192; TRI-15006]; 1♂, Trib. of Darwin River, West Coast, 31.x.1976, P. Allbrook [TRI-15010, image]; 1♂, Mt Barrow, 11 km EbyN Nunamara, 41°23'S 147°25'E, 7.ii.1983, J.C. Cardale [PT-2238; TRI-15008]; 1♂, Little Florentine River, upstream of Gordon Road, 2.xii.1998, J. Jackson [PT-2135; TRI-15007]; 1♂, Nelson River, base of Nelson Falls, 3.xi.1998, J. Jackson [PT-2191; TRI-15004].

Diagnosis. Diplectrona castanea groups with D. spinata and D. inermis having in the male genitalia endothecal spines on the phallic apparatus, and in lateral view a spur-like apicomedial projection on the margin of abdominal segment IX. However, D. castanea is clearly distinguished by the very spiny, well-sclerotised complex of spines (Figs 32, 34) rather than discrete sharp spines as in the other two species, and by the harpagones of the gonopods short, less than 0.25x length of their coxopodites, and strongly hooked rather than smoothly conical as in D. spinata or D. inermis .

Description. See Neboiss (2003, 70).

Remarks. The ‘diagnosis’ given by Neboiss (2003) is rather more of a ‘description’, being quite comprehensive.

Distribution. Known only from Tasmania, from the SE, NE, SW, and NW provinces.