Battalus baehrae, Raven, 2015

Raven, Robert J., 2015, & lt; strong & gt; A revision of ant-mimicking spiders of the family Corinnidae (Araneae) in the Western Pacific & lt; / strong & gt;, Zootaxa 3958 (1), pp. 1-258 : 55

Battalus baehrae sp. nov.

( Fig. 27a–f . Map 9)

Material. South Australia: holotype ♂, Pinkawillinie Conservation Park, 33°03'S, 135°50'E, 24 Nov 1995, D. Hirst, SAMA NN8409 .

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of B. zuytdorp sp. nov. in a number of characters but most distinctive is the absence of the predistal keel ( Fig. 27c ) before the embolus tip, along with the presence of distal brown bands on the femora ( Fig. 27a ). Female unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Dr Barbara Baehr, accomplished arachnologist who has named more new species of spiders than there are endemic birds in Australia.

Description. Holotype male SAMA NN8409

Carapace 4.06 long, 2.81 wide. Abdomen 4.81 long, 2.19 wide. Total length 9.0.

Colour: carapace dark red brown; legs banded with pallid off-white zones between brown bands: femora I, II, IV brown for distal sixth (IV) to fifth;patellae and tibiae brown basally and distally; tibiae brown for basal sixth and distal third; metatarsi and tarsi dark brown without bands; abdomen with narrow dorsal scute for anterior quarter; dorsally brown with three paired white spots (anterior largest to very small posterior); lateral abdomen brown with large white diagonal area followed by two smaller triangular areas laterally; ventrally a narrow brown tongue diffusely delimited by lateral pallid zones. Spines: patellae I–IV, 0; weak spines on tibiae I–III. I: fe pv1p1d3; ti p2v222; me p2v2.2. II, as I but fe p1d3. III: fe p1d3; ti d1r2v2.2; me p1r2v2.2dw4. IV: fe d3; ti d1r2v.2.2; me p1r2v2.2+dw4. Palp: fe p1d1; pa p1d1 distal; ti p2; cymbium, 0. Scopula on distal metatarsi I and II, and on tarsi I and II. Palp: bulb with distinct pre-distal keel, with straight tip; small paracymbial spine on low mound and low upcurved lobe; embolus distally with long shallow spiralling ridge, embolus tip a long blunt cylinder with short blunt lobe dorsally. Distinct scopula on cymbium; retrolateral basal cymbium with rectangular lobe.

Distribution. Known only from the Pinkawillinie Conservation Park, South Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Battalus spp. nov. a–f, B. baehrae sp. nov., holotype male, SAMA NN8409: a, habitus, lateral view, inset showing suprapulmonary sigilla; b–f, palpal bulb and cymbial; b, c, ventral view (b), embolus tip (c); d, cymbial base showing paracymbial spine, ventral view; e, f, tibia and cymbium showing basal cymbial lobe, prolateral (e) and retrolateral (f) views, g–i, B. wallum sp. nov., female, habitus (g), cheliceral fang setae (h), ventral view; palp, retrolaleral (i) view, showing bulbous distal tarsi and three ventral spines on femora.