Tasmanicosa leuckartii ( Thorell, 1870 ) Thorell, 1870

Framenau, Volker W. & Baehr, Barbara C., 2016, Revision of the Australian Union-Jack wolf spiders, genus Tasmanicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosinae), Zootaxa 4213 (1), pp. 1-82 : 31-34

Tasmanicosa leuckartii ( Thorell, 1870) comb. nov.

Leuckart’s Wolf Spider, Hay Spider

( Figs 1E–F , 3A , 6D , 7G , 16 , 17A–K )

Tarentula leuckartii Thorell 1870: 388 –389.

Lycosa leuckartii (Thorell) .— Koch 1877: 896 –899, pl. 77, figs 3, 3A; pl. 81, figs 1, 1A; Rainbow 1911: 269; Bonnet 1957: 2649; Main 1964: 120, figs E–F; McKay 1975: 320 –325, figs 1 A–E, 2 A–I, 3 E–F; McKay 1985: 79.

Lycosa molyneuxi Hogg 1905: 575 –577, figs 82, 82 A–B; Rainbow 1911: 270; Bonnet 1957: 2653; McKay 1973: 379; McKay 1975: 326 –328; McKay 1985: 80; Hirst 1988: 77; Platnick 1993: 488. New synonymy.

Lycosa leuckarti (Thorell) .— Simon 1909: 182; Platnick 1993: 488.

Lycosa christopheri Simon 1909: 182 ; Rainbow 1911: 266; Bonnet 1957: 2638 (synonymy established in McKay, 1975).

Allocosa molyneuxi (Hogg) .— Roewer 1955: 206.

Avicosa christopheri (Simon) .— Roewer 1955: 236; Rack 1961: 37. Scaptocosa leuckartii (Thorell) .— Roewer 1955: 291.

Schizocosa christopheri (Simon) .— McKay 1973: 381.

Schizocosa leuckartii (Thorell) .— McKay 1973: 381.

Type data. Lectotype (designated here) of Tarentula leuckartii . Female, locality label fainted, possibly Echuka, =? Echuca, 36°08’S, 144°45’E (Victoria, AUSTRALIA), ‘ Leuckart ded.’, Collectio T. Thorell ( SMNH) (examined).

Paralectotype of Tarentula leuckartii . Penultimate female, data as lectotype (examined).

Lectotype (designated here) of Lycosa christopheri . Female, Fremantle [32°03’S, 115°44’E, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA], W. Wölting leg. 1907, H. Christopher ded. 1.vii.1907 ( ZMH, Rack (1961) -catalogue 448) (examined).

Paralectotype of Lycosa christopheri . Juvenile, same data as lectotype (ZMH, Rack (1961) -catalogue 448) (examined).

Holotype of Lycosa molyneuxi . Female, Gilbert River , Riverton [34°10’S, 138°45’E, South Australia, AUSTRALIA], A. Molineux ( SAM NN462) (examined).

Other material examined. 1,768 males, 764 females (29 females with eggsac, 41 females with spiderlings) and 619 juveniles in 957 records (Appendix B).

Diagnosis. Tasmanicosa leuckartii is the only species in the genus which has a light patch of variable size in the centre of the venter ( Figs 17C–D ). Genital morphology is similar to T. gilberta and T. fulgor . Males are most similar to T. gilberta , but can be distinguished by the shape of the terminal apophysis, which is broad and apically bent in T. gilberta ( Fig. 7H ), but twisted in T. leuckartii ( Fig. 7G ) (that of T. fulgor is broadly sickle-shaped without apical modifications ( Fig. 9J )). Females are most similar to T. fulgor ( Fig. 4H ), but the epigyne is much shallower and overall narrower in T. leuckartii ( Fig. 17G ) (that of T. gilberta has a much narrower median septum ( Fig. 4G )). Care should be taken and genitalia examined in detail for each specimens when large series of pitfall trap material of T. leuckartii are identified, as the species can be found sympatrically with T. godeffroyi , T. gilberta and T. fulgor , all of which have been found as singletons within large numbers of T. leuckartii in traps.

Description. Male (based on NMV K11541 ).

Total length 17.6.

Prosoma. Length 10.0, width 7.7; reddish-brown with genus-specific Union-Jack pattern and narrow median and lateral bands ( Fig. 17A ); sternum very dark brown to black ( Fig. 17C ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.33, ALE 0.21, PME 0.81, PLE 0.73.

Chelicerae. Black, with an elongated patch of golden setae frontally.

Labium. Black with lighter anterior rim ( Fig. 17C ).

Endites. Glabrous dark brown, anteriorly somewhat lighter ( Fig. 17C ).

Legs. Greyish-brown, covered with silvery setae; venter of coxae dark brown ( Fig. 17C ).

Opisthosoma. Length 8.7, width 6.4; dorsally with folium pattern that is bordered by light patches in particular anteriorly ( Fig. 17A ); venter black with light discolouration centrally ( Fig. 17C ).

Pedipalps. Cymbium dorsally with dense layer of silvery setae; tip with ca. 7–10 macrosetae ( Figs 17E–F ); tegular apophysis with almost straight ridge which is almost as long as tegular apophysis width ( Figs 6D , 17J–K ). Embolus broad at base, narrowing apically into a sharp tip; terminal apophysis tip flat and broad with subapical twist ( Figs 7G , 17I ).

Female (based on NMV K11546 ).

Total length 17.3.

Prosoma. Length 10.0, width 7.7; colouration of carapace and sternum as male, but with less distinct radial pattern on carapace ( Figs 17B, D ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.15, ALE 0.14, PME 0.77, PLE 0.65.

Chelicerae, labium, endites, legs and opisthosoma. Opisthosoma length 12.0, width 8.2, otherwise as male, but light ventral spot larger and more distinct ( Fig. 17D ).

Epigyne. Longer than wide; median septum inverted T-shaped with irregular edges ( Fig. 17G ); spermathecal heads kidney-shaped, situated laterally at half of the length of the epigyne length; spermathecal stalks twisted and bent ( Fig. 17H ).

Remarks. Thorell (1870) listed two adult females in the original species description of T. leuckartii ; however, only one of the two females in the syntype series is mature and here designated as lectotype to unequivocally fix the species-group name of the taxon. The female is redescribed here based on more recent material, as the lectotype is in poor condition.

McKay (1975) synonymised Lycosa christopheri Simon, 1909 with T. leuckartii based on the examination of the (p. 320) ‘Holotype female, Hamburg. Zool. Mus. Inst. No. 448’. In contrast, Rack (1961: 37) listed a (translated from German), ‘♀syntype (damaged)’ as her ZMH catalogue no. 448. Her syntype designation may be due to the presence of an immature spider in the same vial. Simon’s (1909) original description of L. christopheri shows that it was based on more than one specimen, as he gave a size range for the total length of the species, rather than a distinct size for a single specimen. We therefore support Rack’s (1961) assumption of a syntype series of the species consisting of a female and juvenile and here designate the female as lectotype to unequivocally fix the species-group name of this taxon.

McKay (1975) already pointed to the possibility that Lycosa molyneuxi and T. gilberta may represent junior synonyms of T. leuckartii . This is confirmed here for L. molyneuxi , of which the holotype female conforms to the species diagnosis of T. leuckartii as presented here. Lycosa molyneuxi is here considered a junior synonym of T. leuckartii . The original type locality for L. molyneuxi , ‘Gilbert River, Riverina , New South Wales’ was amended to a South Australian locality by Hirst (1988).

We consider the correct original spelling for the species-group name of Leuckart’s wolf spider to be T. leuckartii rather than T. leuckarti . This is in accordance with article 33.4 in the fourth edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN 1999), which states the change from - ii to - i is a subsequent incorrect spelling.

Life history and habitat preferences. Habitat preferences of T. leuckartii are typical for those in the genus Tasmanicosa , with records from a variety of forest and bushland habitats (Yate, River Red Gum, Black Box, old growth mallee, Casuarina , Callitris, Acacia ) to semi-arid grasslands and paddocks. However, this species appears to be more common than other Tasmanicosa species in floodplains or near permanent to ephemeral waterbodies of varying salinity. Frequent habitat descriptions included samphire, saltbush country, river terrace, alluvial flats and clayey soil with crab holes. This is consistent with McKay’s (1975: 323) habitat description of ‘lateritic gravels, loam, or clay soils, especially on alluvial clay soils near swamps, streams, and on riverbanks’ and Main (1976) detailing ‘dry open woodland and forest with expanses of bare to lightly littered ground; invade dry pasture and crop.’

Burrows of T. leuckartii are shallow with depth ranging from approximately 60 to 110 mm in a study on South Australian floodplain populations. Burrow depth increased over summer apparently counteracting increasing temperatures, but there was no direct correlation with decreasing soil moisture ( Steggles 2001; Steggles et al. 2003). Burrow fidelity was low in this study, with spiders frequently vacating but also re-occupying empty burrows. Apparently, spiders take advantage of soil fissures in cracking clays that provide ample opportunity as day-time hideouts ( Steggles et al. 2003). Laboratory studies confirmed that an association with burrows was highest in reproductive females ( Steggles et al. 2003). The senior author of this study (VWF) has found T. leuckartii females building a thin, trapdoor-like lid on their burrow in Quorn (South Australia).

With a similar distribution pattern, the phenology of T. leuckartii appears to be very similar to that of T. godeffroyi . Females with eggsac were found predominantly between January and April, with single records from June and October. Consistent with this, most females carrying spiderlings were found in April, but also in January to March and May to June.

In some areas T. leuckartii is called the hay spider because of its abundance around stooks and bales of cut hay where it is a nuisance to farm workers ( Main 1976).

Recent experiments on the effect of T. leuckartii as natural control agents for the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) , indicated that these spiders can be effective predators of the cotton bollworm late instars and moths, but also suggested that, under some conditions, the presence of spiders could increase the damage to individual cotton bolls ( Rendon et al. 2016).

Distribution. Tasmanicosa leuckartii is very common south of approximately 25°S Latitude in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia ( Fig. 16 ). Records in southern Victoria and Tasmania are rare and the species has only occasionally been found in Queensland.

Figures

FIGURE 1 A – H. Life images of Tasmanicosa. A, T. godeffroyi (L. Koch, 1865) comb. nov., male from Canberra (Australian Capital Territory); B – D, T. hughjackmani sp. nov. from Epsom (Victoria); B, female; C, female in burrow, D, male; E – F, T. leuckartii (Thorell, 1870) comb. nov. from Perth (Western Australia); E, female; F, penultimate female; G, T. musgravei (McKay, 1974) comb. nov., female in burrow from Mt Kosciuszko (New South Wales); H, T. semicincta (L. Koch, 1877) comb. nov., female from Brisbane (Queensland).

FIGURE 3 A – T. Illustrations for the key to the Tasmanicosa species of Australia. Roman letters refer to the key choices in the text.

FIGURE 4 A – K. Illustrations for the key to the Tasmanicosa species of Australia. Roman letters refer to the key choices in the text.

FIGURE 6 A – H. Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM) of right male Tasmanicosa tegular apophyses, ventral view. A, T. godeffroyi (L. Koch) (NMV K 11547); B, T. kochorum sp. nov. (QM S 68828); C, T. gilberta (Hogg) (QM S 70800); D, T. leuckartii (Thorell) (NMV K 11541); E, T. phyllis (Hogg) (NMV 11539); F, T. musgravei (McKay) (QM S 70787); G, T. semicincta (L. Koch) (QM S 71191); H, T. ramosa (L. Koch) (QM S 71125). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 7 A – H. Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM) of right Tasmanicosa palea, ventral view. A, T. ramosa (L. Koch) (QM S 71125) B, T. kochorum sp. nov. (QM S 68828); C, T. semicincta (L. Koch) (QM S 71191); D, T. phyllis (Hogg) (NMV 11539); E, T. godeffroyi (L. Koch) (NMV K 11547); F, T. musgravei (McKay) (QM S 70787); G, T. leuckartii (Thorell) (NMV K 11541); H, T. gilberta (Hogg) (QM S 70800); Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 9 A – L. Tasmanicosa fulgor sp. nov., male (QM S 39839) and female (QM S 70803); A, C, male, dorsal (A) and ventral (C) view; B, D, female, dorsal (B) and ventral (D) view; E, F, right male pedipalp, retrolateral (E) and ventral (F) view; G, H, female epigyne, ventral (G) and dorsal (H) view; I, J, palea of right pedipalp, ventral view; K, L, tegular apophysis of right pedipalp in (K) apical and (L) ventral view. Scale bars: A – D, 5 mm; E, F, 1 mm; G – L, 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 16. Distribution records of Tasmanicosa kochorum sp. nov. (white squares) and T. leuckartii (Thorell) (grey circles) in Australia.

FIGURE 17 A – K. Tasmanicosa leuckartii (Thorell, 1860) comb. nov., male (NMV K 11541) and female (NMV K 11546); A, C, male, dorsal (A) and ventral (C) view; B, D, female, dorsal (B) and ventral (D) view; E, F, right male pedipalp, retrolateral (E) and ventral (F) view; G, H, female epigyne, ventral (G) and dorsal (H) view; I, palea of right pedipalp, ventral view; J, K, tegular apophysis of right pedipalp in (J) apical and (K) ventral view. Scale bars: A – D, 5 mm; E, F, 1 mm; G – K, 0.1 mm.