Poecilipta kohouti, 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 : 199-200

Poecilipta kohouti sp. nov.

( Figs 111a , 112a–e . Map 70)

Material. Queensland: holotype ♂, Homevale , 21°23'S 148°33'E, sclerophyll by creek, 6 Apr 1975, R . Kohout , QM S31546 . Paratypes: Queensland: 1♀ (allotype), taken with holotype, QM S31547 ; 1♂, Barkly H'way, ca. 40 km E Camooweal (site 2), 19°58'S, 138°29'E, pitfall, 5–7 Apr 1997, R . J. Raven , QM S40562 ; 3♂, Lords Table , 22°40'27"S, 148°01"30"E, east slope, open forest, pitfall trap, 9 Jan–4 March 2006, R . J. Raven , QM S22888 ; 1♀, Davies Creek, Cairns , 16°54'S, 145°32'E, N.C. Coleman, AM KS15692 . New South Wales: 1♀, Waterfall , 34°08'S, 151°00'E, AM KS15638 . South Australia: 1♀, Mt Remarkable, Melrose, Flinders Range , 32°50'S, 138°03'E, dry woodland, M. R . Gray et al., AM KS49528 .

Diagnosis. Differs from other species in iridescent green carapace cuticle dorsally ( Fig. 111a ); males differ from those of P. ruthae sp. nov. in the relatively shorter embolus with curving distal portion ( Fig. 112b ) and females in the relatively longer spermathecae ( Fig. 112e ).

Etymology. In honour of Rudy Kohout, one of the legendary preparators at the Queensland Museum, himself an excellent collector and a naturalist and accomplished ant taxonomist.

Description Holotype male QM S31546 .

Carapace 2.60 long, 1.44 wide. Abdomen 2.40 long, 1.28 wide. Total length 5.1.

Colour: carapace and dorsal abdominal scute iridescent dark green; carapace also with large white scales; femora orange brown to brown, other leg segments paler; sternum and abdominal venter red brown. Carapace: with over 100 white scales including fovea, on caput and around but not between eyes; margins deeply serrate; serration points ca. 1.5 times height apart. Sternum: margins slope gradually to midline; numerous hairs inwardly directed; with ventral coxae cuticle sparsely rugose; long triangular V intercoxal band on III/IV and short V on II/III. Pedicel ventrally long. Legs: white scales sparse on femora. Subdistal femora III and IV with distinct constriction. Spines: weak, short on tibiae I and II. I: fe p1d3; ti v2.2; me p1v(1)2.2. II: fe d2; ti v2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p1d3r1; ti p2d1r2v2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p1d3r3; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.2. Palp: fe d2. Abdomen: dorsal scute with orange-peel surface and transverse median constriction with few white scales; scute extends partially to lateral surface; anteriorly contiguous with genital scute with deep collar, incised dorsally and rugose with thick anterior edge ventrally; ventral scute extends back to include tracheal area. Palp: tibia short with ventral excavation and retrolateral ledge distally; cymbium twisted, apical groove wide, entire; paracymbial spine a short curved hook or small raised process; subtegular lobes small (prolateral) or large (retrolateral); bulb large with deeply folded spermatic ducts, pre-embolic ridge broad; embolus origin broad remaining wide to near scooped tip.

Allotype female QM S31547

Carapace 2.88 long, 1.52 wide. Abdomen 2.84 long, 1.68 wide. Total length 5.9.

Colour: carapace and legs as in ♂; abdomen dorsally with iridescent green scute in anterior half, wide transverse pallid band down lateral faces behind that dark brown; ventrally brown with broad pallid behind epigynal groove, medially light brown with two pairs pallid longitudinal bands, between centremost most pallid; genital scute red brown; abdomen ends in pale area. Otherwise like ♂ except: palp: fe d2v4; pa 0; ti p1d1; ta 0. Line of long erect spines on ventral palpal femora. Spines on tibiae and metatarsi I–II strong. Chelicerae: cluster of thick black ornate fang setae. Abdomen: dorsal scute rough, orange peel sculpturing, with anterior constriction followed by large dome and full transverse constriction at half length marks end of scute; genital scute entire with short but distinct rugose collar; tracheal scute large, low, ovoid. Epigyne: two ovoid copulatory fossae laterally; large duct passes forward, recurves short to join elongate sinuous spermathecae.

Distribution and Habitat. Known from open forest, heath and grassland in western Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.

Figures

FIGURE 111. Poecilipta kohouti species group, habitus, males. a, P. kohouti sp. nov., b, P. metallica sp. nov., c, P. ruthae Santana & Raven, sp. nov.

FIGURE 112. Poecilipta kohouti sp. nov.: a–c, scanning electron micrographs, male palpal bulb, ventral view (a); b, embolus tip, ventral view; c, paracymbial spine, ventral view. Allotype female, QM S31546; epigyne, d, e, external (d), and internal (e).