Battalus rugosus, 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 : 62-64

Battalus rugosus sp. nov.

( Figs 31a, e , 32a–e . Map 14)

Material. Western Australia: holotype ♂, Denmark, 34°58'S, 117°21'E, 2 Mar 1994, R . P. McMillan , WAM 98 / 1639. Paratypes: Western Australia : 1♂, as for holotype, WAM 98 /1640; allotype ♀, Walpole , 34°59'S, 116°43'E, tree traps, 31 May 1978, S.J. Curry, WAM 98 / 1641; 1♀, East Nugadong Nature Reserve , 30°12'00"S, 116°53'31"E, wet pitfall trap, 24 May–17 Sep 1996, M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock, WAM 98 / 1642; 2♀, 12 miles W of Manjimup , 34°15'S 115°56'E, Mar 1971, W.H. Butler, WAM 98 / 1643; 1♀, Dwellingup , 32°43'S, 116°04'E, Plavins plots, 15 Apr 1977, J.D. Majer, WAM 96 / 8; ♂, same locality, 12 Jan 1978, S.J. Curry, WAM 98 / 1644; 1♂, Ludlow , 33°36'S, 115°29'E, 5 Apr 1979, WAM 98 / 1645; ♂, William Bay NP, Feb–Mar 1988, R . P. McMillan , WAM96 / 9; 1♀, Nannup , 33°59'S, 115°46'E, 26 Apr 1978, S.J. Curry, WAM 98 / 1646; 1♂, Denmark, 34°58'S, 117°21'E, Mar 1999, R . P. McMillan , WAM99 / 2393. South Australia : 1♀, Baird Bay, 37°09'S, 134°22'E, 1997– Dec 1998, T . Payne , WAM 99 /2392.

Other Material. South Australia: 1♂, Naracoorte Caves Reserve , 37°02'S, 140°48'E, 18 Feb 1995, A. Baynes, WAM 95 /410.

Diagnosis. Males are similar to those of B. bidgemia sp. nov. and B. microspinosus sp. nov. in the structure of the embolic flange ( Fig. 32b ); the rugose coxa I ( Fig. 31a, e ) of both males and females readily distinguish it from other species.

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the rugose surface of coxa I.

Description holotype male WAM 98/1639

Carapace 4.48 long, 3.04 wide. Abdomen 4.96 long, 2.32 wide. Total length 9.5.

Colour: carapace dark red brown, strial edges darker; abdomen dorsally brown with two large white spots in anterior third, a much smaller pair behind that and inverted U-shaped band in front of spinnerets; laterally a small pallid triangular area near booklungs and larger comma-shaped mark mid-laterally; dorsal scute narrow, almost for half length; abdomen ventrally centrally a pallid quadrangle. Chelicerae, fangs, sternum, maxillae and labium red brown; coxae and legs yellowish (I and II) to pallid (III and IV). Femora bicolored, basally half orange, distally dark brown; otherwise legs yellow to orange brown. Carapace: with uniform cover of fine hair; fovea short, deep. Posterior slope gradual from anterior third. Chilum entire but deeply incised ventrally. Chelicerae: large; anterior process a rounded flange, hair horizontal, slender. Fangs moderately long, diagonal. Furrow long; promargin with one large and one smaller tooth; retromargin with two similar medium-sized teeth, all teeth set well back from fang base. Maxillae: rhomboidal with long groove along ental edge; sternum broadly cordate but narrowing moderately strongly from coxae I; almost flat, indented behind labium. Legs: lightly hirsute. Spines: ventrally on tibiae I and II, three pairs of long, strong, attenuate spines on raised bases, plus shorter distal pair. I: fe pv1 long p2d3; ti p2r2v2.2.2.2; me v2.2. II: fe pv1p2d3; ti p2r1v2.2.2.2; me p2r2v2.2. III: fe p3d3r3; ti p2r2v2.2.1; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r1; pa0; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p3r4v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2v0; pa p1; ti p2d1. Scopula: weak but distinct for length of tarsi I–III; divided in distal half of metatarsi I and II. Claws: similar sized tufts and length on all legs, tufts project forward and above claws. Palp: tibia with prolateral glabrous saddle; cymbium fusilliform with small nubbin-like paracymbial spine; narrow scopula dorsally for distal half; bulb pyriform with very shallow pro- and retrolateral parategular indentations; spermatic duct medial and very close to secondary loop; pre-embolic ridge short, low; distal flange flat, wide, short, not behind short spike-like embolus; two apices evident from below. Abdominal scutes: dorsal, narrow ovoid with smooth margin, almost to midlength and not extending to flank, genital scute not enclosing pedicel, lightly sclerotised over genital region and booklungs, no post-epigastric sclerites; tracheal slightly raised ridge wide, weakly sclerotised. Spinnerets: ALS wider than PLS but of similar length.

Allotype Female. As for ♂ except:

Carapace 4.40 long, 2.96 wide. Abdomen 5.76 long, 3.52 wide. Total length 10.2.

Colour: carapace lighter; abdomen (contracted away from cuticle) dorsally fawn brown with spots as ♂; lateral triangles much larger; regenerated femur I orange brown, not bicoloured. Ovoid PME. Chelicerae: stout vertical, with pronounced fang shield with 10–15 long curved black setae; fang shorter than in ♂; dentition 2R, 2P. Sternum with separated weak pre-coxal sclerites on III and IV. Legs: trochanters with very shallow notches. Spines: on tibiae (I) II, as in ♂. I: regenerated. II: fe pv1p2d3; ti p2v2.2.2.2; me p2v2.2. III: fe p2d3r2; ti p1r2v2.2.1; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2; pa p1d1 apical; ti p2 (basal) d1; ta p1. Palp: tarsus long, distinctly subdistally incrassate, with slender finely dentate claw with cluster of short thick setae and hairs predistally on dorsal mound. Abdomen: with small triangular scute dorsally just over anterior shoulder ca. for 1/8th length, genital scute not as sclerotised as epigyne edges; tracheal scute ridge short, low, in small ovoid area. Epigyne: with two relatively large ovoid fossae laterally.

Distribution. Known only from south-western Western Australia and the Baird Bay area, South Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 31. Battalus species. B. rugosus sp. nov., a, e, sternum, coxae, labium and maxillae showing rugose coxa and sternum, ventral view. B. microspinosus sp. nov., b, d: b, tarsi IV showing spines, ventral view; d, sternum, coxae, labium and maxillae showing smooth coxae and sternum, ventral view. B. bidgemia sp. nov., c, apical cymbium showing spine rows, dorsal view.

FIGURE 32. Battalus rugosus sp. nov., allotype female (a, d, e), holotype male, WAM 98/1639 (b, c): a, female habitus; b, c, palpal tibia, bulb and cymbium, ventral view (b), and retrolateral view (c). Female allotype, WAM 98/1642, epigyne, external (d), and internal (e).