Leichhardteus evschlingeri, 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 : 108-110

Leichhardteus evschlingeri sp. nov.

( Fig. 57a–d . Map 28)

Material. Western Australia: holotype ♂, Eucla , 31°43'S, 128°54'E, Feb 1998, WAM 98 /1634.

Diagnosis. The male differs from those of L. conopalpis in the presence of a paracymbial spine ( Fig. 57b, c ) and from those of L. terriirwinae in the slender, almost digitiform femoral prong on the palp ( Fig. 57c ). Female unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is in honour of the late Dr Evert Schlinger (1928–2014), international authority on spider-parasiting flies of the family Acroceridae and who funded research in entomology, including, through his foundation, five endowed chairs in entomology and arachnology in the United States and Australia.

Description holotype male WAM 98/1634 (like L. conopalpis except as follows)

Carapace 3.92 long, 2.72 wide. Abdomen 3.84 long, 3.12 wide. Total length 8.2.

Colour: carapace and legs yellow orange; carapace with dark sash through eyes, posteriorly breaking into reticulate lines joining at fovea; chelicerae dark brown; legs orange yellow, leg IV from tibia darker; abdomen brown with large, posteriorly indented oval scute dorsally for just over half length; behind that a pallid central band; venter with yellow orange genital scute; light brown centrally with brown flanks; sternum yellow orange; maxillae and labium sepia. Carapace: with radiating lines of fine black setae. Legs: fine feathery hairs dorsally on femora. Spines: I: fe pv1p1d2; ti v2.2.2.2; me v2.2. II: fe p2d2; ti p2v2.2.2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r2; ti p2d2r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2; pa p1w; ti p 2w. Claws: enclosed in short dense tufts; claws and tufts on legs I and II as high as distal diameter of tarsi; tufts and claws higher and longer with 3–4 small teeth on legs III and IV. Palp: femur with prominent cuticular thorn ventrally, just distal of midpoint; cymbium with sinuous retrolateral margin and conical apical tip; thin, short, lanceolate paracymbial spine; sperm duct folds back almost to embolus base then reflexes back sharply; sclerotised ridge round base of short embolus with promargin folding to form beak-like apex.

Distribution and Habitat. Known only from Eucla, near the southern end of the border of South Australia and Western Australia.

Leichhardteus kroombit Baehr & Raven, 2013

( Figs 8b , 58a–e , 59a–g )

Leichhardteus kroombit Baehr & Raven, 2013: 355 , figs 2D, 8A–K, 12.

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of L. albofasciatus in the mild enlargement of the male palpal femur ( Fig. 59e ) and pustulose carapace, sternum and femora. Females differ from those of L. badius in lacking the long abdominal stripe and the copulatory openings on the epigyne are only 2–3 diameters apart ( Fig. 58c ), rather than about 4 diameters apart.

Supplementary description, holotype male QM S31541 . Carapace 3.95 long, 2.76 wide. Total length 7.4. Carapace: finely pustulose with well defined striae offset by fewer short white feathery hairs; fovea closed set between coxae III and IV. Caput slightly raised; margins with almost uniform series of horizontal pustules; few fine bristles on clypeus margin. Chelicerae: vertical, fang shield low indistinct; retrobasal ridge small. Sternum: cordate with intercoxal projections at I/II and II/III; surface with uniform cover of dark brown pustules each bearing short, pallid, feathery hairs; light cover of long erect brown bristles; sclerotised hole below carapace between each coxae; narrow sclerotised bands between coxae III and IV. Legs: RCH small, pallid; basal coxal projections wide anteriorly, narrow posteriorly; trochanters with distinct shallow notches, ca. 2–2.5 times wider than deep. Scopula: light in distal third of metatarsi I and II; distal preening brush (1/8) on metatarsi III and IV not scopula. Tarsi I–III with light distinct scopula, divided by setae on IV. Fine short pallid feathery hairs on femora, sparsely setose; femora laterally pustulose. Spines: all strong on tibiae and metatarsi I and II moderately long, not overlapping almost contiguous. Patellae I–IV, 0. I: fe pv1p1d2; ti v2(weak).2.2; me v2.2. II: fe p1d2; ti v2(weak).2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r1; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v1.1.2.3. Palp: fe d2. Claws: dentate, larger on III, IV than I, II, claw tufts also larger. Abdomen: scutes: no dorsal or ventral; genital scute very thin, with wide paler unsclerotised area around genital area. Post-epigastric sclerites distinct. Tracheal spiracle ridge wide, not strongly sclerotised. Palp: femur slightly but distinctly incrassate subdistally; tibia with subdistal transverse groove forming sharp distal margin; distal process rounded; cymbium asymmetrical; lateral margins narrow, wide basally; apical cone grooved to tip without apical spines; no scopula dorsally; retrobasally with depression and distally with small distinct spine. Bulb: subtegulum evident prolaterally and retrolaterally beside shallow cymbial incursion; embolic division two broad spiralled ridges separated by groove; distal ridge wide, distinctly rugose, basal ridge less rugose; distal embolus twists to narrow ridged point, sperm duct deep with high set horse-shoe shaped curve in basal loop, folding back into tegulum and out to cuticle basally crossing to midpoint and sinuously to tip.

Allotype female. Carapace 4.62 long, 3.43 wide. Total length 9.7. As for ♂ except: caput more raised; chelicerae more porrect, fang shield distinct, rounded with long brown bristles. Legs like ♂ but spines: I: fe pv1d2; ti v(1).2.2.2; me v2.1.1 (v1.1). II: fe d2; ti v2.2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r1; ti p2r1(2) v2.2.1; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2r2v2.2.1; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe d2; pa p1 (weak); ti p2 basal; ta p1r1v3 distal; three ventral spines on palpal femur. Palp: claw short with three short teeth not obscured by hair; subdistally incrassate. Epigyne: laterally with pallid, less sclerotised area almost reaching to anterior collar of well defined genital scute; longitudinally and transversely domed with spiralled aperture on lateral margin. Abdomen: as with ♂, covered with small black feathery hairs; tracheal spiracle with short weakly sclerotised (dorsal scute a small subovate thin plate on anterior face) wide triangular zone; genital scute distinctly sclerotised with well defined edges but no anterior collar; small hirsute plate is presumably vestigial colulus. Spinnerets. ALS with ectal subfield with two larger MAMP spigots. PMS and PLS with three, two, respectively, large cylindrical gland spigots.

Distribution and Habitat. Known only from rainforest at Kroombit Tops , southeast Queensland.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Spinnerets, female, ventral view. Copa flavoplumosa Simon, 1886, (identified from SEM images by Charles Haddad, 2005 (Zimbabwe: Batoca Gorge & Dibu Dibu River, 17°58'S, 25°57'E, 27–28.X.1990, V. D. & B. Roth, 14 ♂ 5♀, CAS, image by M. Ramírez), (a); Leichhardteus kroombit Baehr & Raven, 2013 (b).

FIGURE 57. Leichhardteus evschlingeri sp. nov., holotype male, WAM 98/1634: a, embolus tip, ventral view; b, cymbium, retrolateral view showing paracymbial spine; c, femur, patella, tibia, cymbial and bulb, retrolateral view; d, habitus male.

FIGURE 58. Leichhardteus kroombit Baehr & Raven, 2013: male, QM S31541: palpal tibia, bulb and cymbium, ventral (a) and retrolateral (b) views. Female, QM S31542: epigyne, external (c), and internal (d); e, habitus.

FIGURE 59. Leichhardteus kroombit Baehr & Raven, 2013, male palp, QM S29480: b–g, male, palpal tibia, bulb and cymbium, dorsal (a), retrolateral (b), and prolateral (c) views; d, embolus tip, ventral view; e, femur, patella, tibia, retrolateral view; f, tibia and cymbium, retrolateral view; g, tibia and cymbium, retrolateral view showing process on retroventral cymbium edge.