Aname wongalara, Wilson & Rix & Harvey, 2023

Wilson, Jeremy Dean, Rix, Michael Gordon & Harvey, Mark Stephen, 2023, Description of five new Aname L. Koch, 1873 (Araneae, Anamidae) species collected on Bush Blitz expeditions, European Journal of Taxonomy 890, pp. 1-22 : 17-19

Aname wongalara sp. nov.

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Figs 1–2 , 8

Diagnosis

Males of Aname wongalara sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of most other species by the combination of a dense down of silver setae on the carapace, no pattern on the abdomen, oval sigilla (as opposed to thin and elongate) and an elongate embolus, gradually tapering from the bulb. Other species with this combination of characters include A. marae Harvey, Framenau, Wojcieszek, Rix & Harvey, 2012 , A. pulchella Harvey, Wilson & Rix, 2022 , A. watsoni (all from Western Australia), and A. barrema Raven, 1985 and A. distincta (Rainbow, 1914) (both from eastern Australia). They can be distinguished from A. barrema and A. distincta by their stouter pedipalpal tibia and thicker embolus ( Fig. 8K ; cf. Raven 1985: figs 47–48); from A. marae by their metatarsus I, which has a more distinctly concave proximal excavation, resulting in a clearer demarcation of the proximal and distal sections of the metatarsus ( Fig. 8Q ; cf. Harvey et al. 2012: fig. 49); from A. pulchella by the longer proximal excavation on metatarsus I (MIPEL/MIL 0.52 vs 0.43 in respective holotypes) ( Fig. 8Q ; cf. Harvey et al. 2022: fig. 35); and from A. watsoni by the embolus, which has a more distinct articulation distally ( Fig. 8K–M ; cf. Castalanelli et al. 2020: figs 136–138).

Etymology

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition in reference to the Wongalara Wildlife Sanctuary, a conservation estate owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), where the holotype of this species was collected.

Material examined

Holotype AUSTRALIA – Northern Territory • ♂; Wongalara Wildlife Sanctuary, pitfall trap site 4; 14°10′ S, 134°13′ E; 1–6 Jul. 2012; M.S. Harvey and R.J. Raven leg.; MAGNT A005438 .

Description

Male holotype (MAGNT A005438)

DIMENSIONS (mm). Total body length 16.4. Carapace length 6.3, width 5.0; abdomen length 6.6, width 3.6. Leg I: femur 5.1; patella 3.6; tibia 3.9; metatarsus 4.0; tarsus 2.5.

COLOUR (in alcohol) ( Fig. 8 ). Carapace red-brown, caput slightly darker than thoracic region; chelicerae dark red-brown; legs and ventral prosoma orange-brown; abdomen grey-brown without pattern; ventral abdomen pale.

CARAPACE, CHELICERAE, ABDOMEN ( Fig. 8A–F ). Carapace 1.25 × longer than broad; with conspicuous down of silver hairs; clypeal edge slightly convex; fovea slightly procurved. Eye group rectangular (width/length 2.04), on distinct tubercle. Chelicerae without rastellum. Abdomen 1.84 × longer than wide, pilose.

MOUTHPARTS AND STERNUM ( Fig. 8G–I ). Labium width/length 1.88, without cuspules. Left maxilla with 100-110 cuspules, spread across inner 40% of maxillae. Coxae without cuspules. Sternum length/width 1.27; with setae over entire surface and longer setae around the edge. With 3 pairs of sigilla, each pair increasing in size from anterior to posterior; first two pairs all close to sternum margin, last pair slightly more central; posterior pair ovoid.

PEDIPALP ( Fig. 8J–M ). Tibia roughly cylindrical, slightly wider at base; length/width 2.41; PDL/PTL 0.60; prolateral face with two distal spines, ventral face with 2 spines proximally, at base of pedipalpal depression; cymbium length/width 2.21, slightly proximally constricted and broadest distally; scopula present distally; bulb triangular, transition between bulb and embolus indistinct; embolus gradually tapering and twisting to slightly flanged tip, about 1.2 × length of bulb.

LEG I ( Fig. 8N–Q ). Tibia I with large megaspur; TIL/TID 3.38; TIS/TIL 0.67; TISH/TID 0.56; metatarsus incrassate, with proximal excavation; MIL/MID 4.49; MIPEL/MIL 0.52; scopulae present on tarsus and distal metatarsus.

Remarks

This species was included in recent molecular phylogenies of the Anamidae under the code name Aname ‘MYG261’. It is an unplaced member of the Tropical Radiation sensu Rix et al. (2021), recovered here as the sister-species to ‘MYG443’ ( Fig. 1 ).

Distribution and natural history

Aname wongalara sp. nov. is only known from a single specimen, collected in Wongalara Wildlife Sanctuary. The habitat in the area is tropical eucalypt and Acacia woodland and grasslands.

Figures

Fig. 1. Phylogeny and habitus shots. A. Maximum Likelihood phylogeny for the genus Aname L. Koch, 1873 showing major clades and the position of new species described herein (blue taxa), support values on the phylogeny show the results of 1000 ultrafast bootstrap replicates: black circles = ≥ 95%; grey circles = 80–94%; support values less than 80% are written. Support values for some very shallow intraspecific nodes have been removed for clarity. Photos on the right (by M. Harvey) show: B. Aname ningaloo sp. nov. ♀ (WAM T148012). C. Aname salina sp. nov. ♀ (WAM T148135). D. A. salina sp. nov. ♂ (WAM T153270).

Fig. 2. Distribution map of the five species of Aname L. Koch, 1873 described herein: empty circle = A. ningaloo sp. nov.; solid triangles = A. salina sp. nov.; solid circle = A. tatarnici sp. nov.; empty squares = A. tenuipes sp. nov.; solid square = A. wongalara sp. nov.

Fig. 8. Aname wongalara sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (MAGNT A005438). A. Cephalothorax, dorsal view. B. Abdomen, dorsal view. C. Cephalothorax, ventral view. D. Abdomen, ventral view. E. Ocular region. F. Fovea. G. Sternal sigilla, left view. H. Sternum and labium. I. Maxillae and coxae I–II, left view. J–K. Left pedipalp, full prolateral view (J), partial retrolateral view (K). L–M. Right bulb, ventral view (L), and retrolateral view (M). N–Q. Left leg I, full prolateral view (N), full retrolateral view (O), tibia retrolateral view (P), metatarsus retrolateral view (Q). Scale bars = 2 mm.