Battalus semiflavus ( Simon, 1896 ), 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 : 66-67

Battalus semiflavus ( Simon, 1896) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 34a, b . Map 16)

Medmassa semiflava Simon, 1896: 414 ; Rainbow, 1911: 257.

Medmassa semilutea (lapsus): Simon, 1897: 191.

Material: Queensland: lectotype ♀ and paralectotype ♀, here designated, "Cooktown", MNHN 182122 .

Diagnosis. Females differ from those of B. helenstarkae in having five pairs of spines on ventral tibia I but only four pairs on II, and from B. spinipes in the much larger head of the spermathecae ( Fig. 34b ). Male unknown.

Description lectotype female (the chelicerae of both ♀ have already been rammed almost off.)

Carapace 3.18 long, 2.40 wide. Abdomen 4.60 long, 3.20 wide. Total length 8.0.

Colour: carapace orange brown with central region darker with darker U-shaped marks on interstrial ridges; femora brown orange, legs otherwise yellowish; abdomen dorsally brown with fine white mottling, small red brown scute extends just onto dorsal surface; large white area begins anterolaterally and ventrally encloses booklungs and forms two parallel white bands enclosing dense brown ventral zone. Carapace: finely and sparsely pustulose with points; margins pustulose; fovea long, set behind centre; posterior slope gradual; almost glabrous. Chelicerae: partially detached in both females, robust; rounded lobe at outer fang base with 10–15 long curved serrate fang bristles; dentition: 2R; 2P; fang long, groove transverse. Eyes: front row almost straight; AME ca. 1.5– 2 times ALE; AME>PME=PLE>ALE. Back row procurved. Rows of similar width. Labium: subquadrate; maxillae broad without lateral constriction or groove, sternum broadly cordate. Legs: trochanters with shallow notches. Spines: all strong especially on tibiae and metatarsi I and II. I: fe p1d3; ti v2.2.2.2.2; me v2.2. II: fe p2d3; ti v2.2.2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r1; pa 0; ti p2d1r2v2.2; me p2d1r2v2.2.3. IV: fe p1d3r1; pa 0; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2, me p3r3v2.2.2. Palp: fe p1 strong d2 v2 strong; pa p1 strong d1; ti p1d1v1 (long); ta pv2 basal. Palp: two strong spines on ventral femora; tarsus long, predistally incrassate. Epigyne: paragenital zones present. Externally with two diagonal ridges; internally with large irregularly shaped head of spermathecae with racemose ducts posteriorly. Abdomen: dorsal scute just reaches dorsal surface. Colulus weak, pallid. Tracheal scute ovoid with distal ridge.

Distribution. Known only from Cooktown, northeastern Queensland but given the dislocation of other species reported from Cooktown (see Leptopicia bimaculata ( Simon, 1896)) , the type locality is presumably much west of Cooktown.

Remarks. The inclusion of Medmassa semiflava in Battalus is supported primarily by the form of the spermathecae but is nevertheless equivocal. Discovery of the male of the species should provide clarity as to its generic affiliations.

Copa Simon, 1886

Copa Simon, 1886: 396 ; Simon, 1897: 173; Roewer, 1955: 619; Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: 359; Haddad, 2013a: 5 . Type species by original designation, Copa flavoplumosa Simon, 1886 (Africa).

Diagnosis. See species.

Description. See Deeleman-Reinhold, 2001: 261. RCH absent. Female spinnerets, see Fig. 8a .

Distribution. Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Australia.

Remarks. Haddad (2013a) revised the continental Afrotropical species of Copa and included only the type species Copa flavoplumosa Simon, 1886 and a new species Copa kei Haddad, 2013 , with Copa agelenina Simon, 1910 listed as a nomen dubium. He documented remarkably different abdominal patterns, one strongly resembling those in the Nyssus albopunctatus species group and rediagnosed the genus.

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 34. Battalus semiflavus (Simon, 1896) syntype female MNHP-18212, epigyne, external (a) and internal (b) views.