Wandella waldockae Gray 1994

Ivan L. F. Magalhaes, 2016, On new or poorly known Australian Filistatidae spiders (Araneae: Araneomorphae), including a study on the fine morphology of Wandella, Journal of Natural History 50 (29 - 30), pp. 1815-1858 : 25-28

Wandella waldockae Gray 1994

( Figures 15 , 22 – 24 )

Wandella waldockae

Gray 1994, p. 57, figs. 7, 92 – 94.

Male holotype from near Cave C118, North West Cape , WA, 22°09' S, 113°59' E, 12/IX/ 1989, B. Jones, W.F. Humphreys & A. Humphreys (ref.278), from surface pitfall trap near cave entrance, deposited in WAM 90/1909 , not examined .

Diagnosis

Male ( Figure 22 ) diagnosed by Gray (1994). Females can be distinguished by the combination of widened and triangular bases of the spermathecae and inner spermathecae positioned laterally (rather than anteriorly) to the outer spermathecae ( Figures 23 C – E, 24B, C).

Description

Male ( Figure 22 ) described by Gray (1994).

Female from Pilbara, Western Australia, Australia (AM KS. 100200) ( Figures 23 , 24 B, C). Coloration: carapace cream, with brown median pattern and clypeal markings, and submarginal bands present as diffuse, light brown patches; chelicerae, labium and endites cream; sternum cream with diffuse light brown patches along the anterior border; legs cream, with incomplete light brown rings in the base and apex of the femora, tibiae and metatarsi, less well-marked in the first leg, and a prolateral light brown patch on the patellae; abdomen dorsum light brown, with dark brown transverse patches in the posterior median area and clothed with black or white setae arranged in small groups; abdomen venter cream. Sternum suboval, with a well-marked pair of posterior sigillae. Total length 3.90. Carapace length 1.42, width 1.02. Clypeus length 0.28. Eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.07, PME 0.07, ALE 0.12, PLE 0.11, AME – AME 0.03, PME – PME 0.12. Palp: femur length 0.81, width 0.29, tibia length 0.47, width 0.27. Leg I: femur 1.45, patella 0.42, tibia 1.55, metatarsus 1.28, tarsus 0.92. II: fe 1.11, pa 0.35, ti 0.88. III: fe 1.00, pa 0.43, ti 0.73. IV: fe 1.51, pa 0.47, ti 1.28, mt 1.12, ta 0.67. Abdomen: length 2.47, width 1.64. Leg macrosetae: absent, but two strong, curved setae are present in the ventral apex of tibia I. Calamistrum with three rows with 5-4-6 setae (inner to outer row). Epigastric furrow adorned with thick setae, slightly longer towards the laterals. Spermathecae: inner spermathecae elongate, small, connected to a widened triangular base leading to the uterus externus, outer spermathecae larger than inner spermathecae, oval, on a short stalk.

Variation

Females (n = 2): total length 3.78 – 3.9 (3.84), carapace length 1.23 – 1.42 (1.33), femur I length 1.34 – 1.45 (1.40), tibia I length 1.21 – 1.55 (1.38), tibia/carapace ratio 0.98 – 1.09 (1.04). The female WAM T76810 is smaller and has a different genital morphology than the one collected with males (AM KS. 100200); it might be not fully mature, or may represent another species.

Note

Males and females have been matched because three males and two females have been collected from the same locality.

Distribution

Restricted to northwestern Western Australia ( Figure 15 ).

Material examined

Australia. Western Australia: Barrow Island, Gorgon Project footprint plot GP7, limestone ridge to drainage line, pitfall trap (115.44083°, −20.7975°), S. Callan & R. Graham, 20 – 25/IX/2006, 1 ♂ ( WAM T88836); Gorgon Project footprint plot GP8, valley flats (115.44028°, −20.79972°), 1 ♂ ( WAM T88792); c. 60 km northwest of Newman (119.2372°, −23.0133°), J. Gollan, N. Sullivan, M. Beatson, S. Luccitti, 24/VIII/2008, 1 ♂ (AM KS.105479); (119.2361°, −23.0106°), 25/VIII/2008, 1 ♂ (AM KS.105475); (119.2672°, −22.9844°), 1 ♂ (AM KS.105467); (119.2356°, −23.0111°), 1 ♂ (AM KS.105474); 10.9 km southwest of Pannawonica, Mesa A, site MAT01 (116.24806°, −21.7075°), R. Teale, 6 – 12/VIII/2005, 1 ♂ ( WAM T77173); 14.4 km southwest of Pannawonica, Mesa A, site MAT05, pitfall trap (116.21472°, −21.72°), 1 ♂ ( WAM T77172); 1 ♂ ( WAM T77516); Nanutarra-Wittenoom Rd, 119.6 km west of Paraburdoo-Tom Price Rd junction, pitfall trap (116.3136°, −22.6914°), M. Bulbert, J. Gollan, S.G. Ginn, G. Brown, 22/V – 1/VI/2006, 1 ♂ (AM KS. 100198); 22/V – 1/VI/2007, 2 ♂ (AM KS. 100199); 22/V – 1/VI/2008, 2 ♂ (AM KS. 100200); Port Hedland Salt, 9.6 km southeast of Port Hedland, site PHS02 (118.67389°, −20.37056°), R. Teale, 19 – 25/IX/2005, 1 ♂ ( WAM T76810).

Figures

Figure 15. Distribution maps for Australian filistatids (including records by Gray 1994). Above: triangles = Wandella barbarella, white circles = Wandella diamentina, stars = Wandella grayi, black circles = Wandella murrayensis, asterisks = Wandella orana, crosses = Wandella parnabyi, white squares = Wandella waldockae. Below: triangles = Wandella alinjarra, black circles = Wandella australiensis, asterisks = Wandella centralis, star = Wandella infernalis, cross = Wandella pallida, white circles = Wandella stuartensis, squares = Yardiella humphreysi.

Figure 22. Wandella waldockae Gray 1994, male from Nanutarra-Wittenoom Rd, Western Australia (AM KS. 100199). (A) Habitus, dorsal. (B) Left palp, prolateral, cleared. Inset showing detail of paraembolic lamina.

Figure 23. Wandella waldockae Gray 1994, females. (A – E) Female from Nanutarra-Wittenoom Rd, Western Australia (AM KS. 100200). (A) Habitus, dorsal. (B) Habitus, lateral. (C) Habitus, ventral. (D) Spermathecae and genital aperture, dorsal, cleared. (E) Right spermathecae, ventral, cleared. (F) Female (subadult?) from Port Hedland Salt, Western Australia (WAM T 76810), spermathecae, dorsal, cleared. Abbreviations: Bs, base of the spermathecae; IS, inner spermathecae; OS, outer spermathecae.

Figure 24. Wandella waldockae Gray 1994. (A) Male from Nanutarra-Wittenoom Rd, Western Australia (AM KS. 100199), left bulb, prolateral, cleared. (B, C) Spermathecae, dorsal, cleared. (B) Female (subadult?) from Port Hedland Salt, Western Australia (WAM T 76810). (C) Female from Nanutarra-Wittenoom Rd, Western Australia (AM KS. 100200). Abbreviations: M 30, claw extensor muscle; PL, paraembolic lamina; tM 29, tendon of the claw flexor muscle.