Hortophora porongurup Framenau & Castanheira sp. nov.

Figs 2F, 18, 19, 20, 21

Eriophora sp. NGEN01 64: Scharff et al. 2020, 5, fig. 3.

Type material.

Holotype male, Porongurup National Park, S end of Millinup Pass (34°42'S, 117°54'E, Western Australia, Australia), M. S. Harvey, J. M. Waldock, 30 March 1993 (WAM T155065).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition derived from the type locality, Porongurup National Park.

Other material examined.

See Appendix 1.

Diagnosis.

Males of H. porongurup sp. nov. are easily identified by the extremely elongated median apophysis of the male pedipalp that reaches far beyond the pedipalp contour (Fig. 18C, D), unlike in any other Hortophora gen. nov. males. Similarly, females of H. porongurup sp. nov. are unlike any other species in the genus and can be distinguished from all other Hortophora gen. nov. by the thick and rounded lateral borders of the epigyne and an extremely wide central division (Fig. 19C, E). The central division is much narrower in all other Hortophora gen. nov. species.

Description.

Male (holotype, WAM T155065): Total length: 5.9. Carapace 3.0 long, 2.4 wide; yellow-brown with irregular darker discolourations (Fig. 18A). Eye diameter AME 0.14, ALE 0.09, PME 0.11, PLE 0.09; row of eyes: AME 0.54, PME 0.38, PLE 1.35. Chelicerae yellowish-brown; four promarginal teeth (apical and third largest) and three retromarginal teeth (similar size). Legs yellow-brown with dark brown patches on joints, patellae, tibiae and metatarsi, especially on legs III and IV (Fig. 18A, B). Tibiae of leg II with elongated strong setae but without megaspur (Fig. 2E). Leg formula I> IV> II> III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 2.9 + 1.3 + 2.5 + 1.9 + 0.8 = 9.4, II - 2.5 + 1.2 + 2.0 + 0.9 + 0.6 = 7.2, III - 2.0 + 0.7 + 1.1 + 1.0 + 0.5 = 5.3, IV - 2.7 + 1.0 + 1.7 + 1.7 + 0.7 = 7.8. Labium 0.38 long, 0.54 wide, yellowish-brown; endites yellow-brown (Fig. 18B). Sternum 1.3 long, 0.9 wide, yellow-brown with dusky patches (Fig. 18B). Abdomen 3.0 long, 2.4 wide; dorsum with indistinct humeral humps and pointed posterior end, olive-grey with distinct folium pattern and dark central line (Fig. 18A); venter olive-grey with two indistinct large light patches mainly in posterior half (Fig. 18B). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.7 + 0.3 + 0.3 + 1.4 = 2.7, paracymbium short and hook-like (Fig. 18D); median apophysis transverse, highly elongated, with two apical tips (Fig. 18C); conductor lobe of standard size; terminal apophysis bubble-shaped and tapering into a short, sclerotised tip (Fig. 18C); conductor subquadrate, with a sclerotised tip; embolus short and thick (Fig. 18C).

Female (WAM T155066): Total length 7.0. Carapace 2.8 long, 2.2 wide; brown, with darker discolorations (Fig. 19A). Eye diameter AME 0.20, ALE 0.13, PME 0.14, PLE 0.13; row of eyes: AME 0.52, PME 0.43, PLE 1.40. Chelicerae brown; four promarginal teeth (apical and third largest) and three retromarginal teeth (similar size). Legs as in male but somewhat lighter (Fig. 19A, B). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 0.9 + 0.4 + 0.6 + 1.1 = 3.0. Leg formula I> IV> II> III; and length of segments: I - 2.9 + 1.4 + 2.2 + 2.0 + 0.8 = 9.3, II - 2.6 + 1.2 + 2.0 + 0.9 + 0.7 = 7.4, III - 1.6 + 0.6 + 1.4 + 1.0 + 0.5 = 5.1, IV - 2.4 + 1.0 + 1.7 + 1.8 + 0.7 = 7.6. Labium 0.36 long, 0.63 wide, as in male; endites as in male (Fig. 19B). Sternum 1.4 long, 1.1 wide, colour as in male (Fig. 19B). Abdomen 4.5 long, 3.5 wide; with humeral humps and tip posteriorly, dorsal and ventral colour as in male (Fig. 19A, B). Epigyne (Fig. 19C-E) wider than long, borders thick and rounded, heavily sclerotized; central division wide; and scape with broad basis, but shape unknown as broken off in all examined specimens.

Variation.

Size variation: total length males 5.9-6.7 (n=3), females 7.0-8.8 (n=6). The scape of the female epigyne was broken off in all females examined. The folium pattern of H. porongurup sp. nov. with a dark central line is fairly consistent between specimens examined by us.

Life history and habitat preferences.

Mature males and females of H. porongurup sp. nov. have only been found in March and April, suggesting this species to be autumn-mature. Only one specimen vial included a habitat description, which was 'deep gully, in elevated leaf litter’ .

Distribution.

Hortophora porongurup sp. nov. has only been found in southern Western Australia (Fig. 20).