Tasmanicosa gilberta ( Hogg, 1905 ) Hogg, 1905

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 : 22-23

Tasmanicosa gilberta ( Hogg, 1905) comb. nov.

Gilbert’s wolf spider

( Figs 3H , 4G , 10 , 11A–L )

Lycosa gilberta Hogg 1905: 582 –584, figs 86, 86A–B; Rainbow 1911: 268; Bonnet 1957: 2643; McKay 1973: 379; McKay 1975: 325 –326, figs 3A–D; McKay 1985: 77; Hirst 1988: 77; Platnick 1993: 487.

Lycosa hasseltii L. Koch. — Karsch 1878: 795 (misidentification of ZMB 2792; VWF examined).

Venonia gilberta (Hogg) .— Roewer, 1955: 307.

Hogna gilberti (Hogg) .— Roewer 1960: 975 (misspelled).

Hogna gilberta (Hogg) .— Roewer, 1961: 13.

Type data. Lectotype. Female, Riverton, Gilbert River (34°10’S, 138°45’E, South Australia, AUSTRALIA), A. Molineux ( SAM NN039) (designated byMcKay, 1975) (examined).

Paralectotypes. Female, same data as lectotype ( SAM NN040) ; paralectotype female, same data as lectotype ( SAM NN041) (all examined) ; 2 paralectotype females, data as lectotype, not found in SAM collection (not examined).

Other material examined. 174 males, 217 females (11 with eggsac, 10 with spiderlings) and 27 juveniles in 272 records (Appendix B).

Diagnosis. Care must be taken when identifying T. gilberta ( Fig. 11 ) as these spiders are very similar to T.

fulgor ( Fig. 10 ) and T. leuckartii ( Fig. 17 ), in particular if the ventral light patch of the opisthosoma is poorly developed in T. leuckartii . All three species have been found sympatrically and in large pitfall trap series of one species, each of the other one was often represented by single specimens. Males of T. gilberta differ from those of T. fulgor by the straight ventral edge of the tegular apophysis ( Fig. 11L ), which is shallow U-shaped in T. fulgor ( Fig. 9L ). Males of T. gilberta and T. leuckartii are best distinguished by the shape of the terminal apophysis, which is broad and flat with an apical bent tip in T. gilberta ( Fig. 7H ), but apically twisted in T. leuckartii ( Fig. 7G ). Females of T. gilberta differ from both T. fulgor and T. leuckartii by the much narrower median septum, which forms a sharp edge in particular anteriorly ( Fig. 11G ).

Description. Male (based on QM S70800).

Total length 22.3.

Prosoma. Length 11.7, width 9.4; carapace brown with genus-specific Union-Jack pattern and distinct median and broad marginal light bands ( Fig. 11A ); sternum dark brown ( Fig. 11C ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.40, ALE 0.28, PME 0.83, PLE 0.81.

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

Labium. Black, anterior edge brown ( Fig. 11C ).

Endites. Glabrous dark brown ( Fig. 11C ).

Legs. Greyish-brown, covered with few silvery setae; venter of coxae dark brown ( Fig. 11C ).

Opisthosoma. Length 8.2, width 5.1; dorsally brownish-grey with folium pattern of indistinct triangles ( Fig. 11A ), venter black ( Fig. 11C ).

Pedipalps. Cymbium dorsally with dense layer of silvery setae; apically with ca. 10 macrosetae ( Figs 11E–F ); tegular apophysis with straight ridge of little more than half of tegular apophysis width, ventral process with double-tip ( Figs 11K–L ), embolus sickle-shaped with narrow tip, terminal apophysis broad with ventrally bent tip ( Figs 11I –J ).

Female (based on QM S70800).

Total length 17.9.

Prosoma. Length 8.7, width 5.8. Colouration of carapace and sternum as male ( Figs 11B, D ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.37, ALE 0.32, PME 0.77, PLE 0.75.

Chelicerae, labium, endites, legs and opisthosoma. Opisthosoma length 9.3, width 5.6; otherwise as male ( Figs 11B, D ).

Epigyne. Approximately 1.3 times longer than wide; medium septum inverted T-shaped with very thin median septum ( Fig. 11G ), spermathecal heads small and oval and situated laterally of posterior transverse part, spermathecal stalks short and straight ( Fig. 11H ).

Remarks. Hogg (1905) in his original description and subsequently McKay (1975, 1985) listed five syntype females, but only three were found at the SAM. The type locality “Gilbert R. Riverina ”, originally believed to be in New South Wales was subsequently amended by Hirst (1988) to “Gilbert River, Riverton” located in South Australia.

Life history and habitat preferences. Tasmanicosa gilberta appears to prefer open habitats and seems to be somewhat salt tolerant; habitat descriptions on locality labels include sandy clay-loam plain, sand plain, remnant native grassland, paddock, grazed pasture, mallee, chenopod saltbush, Callitris woodland, and Box-Ironbark forest. Similar to most other Tasmanicosa species, mature males have been found between September and May with highest numbers in December and January. Females were recorded throughout the year with highest numbers between December and March. Females carrying an eggsac were found mainly in February and March with one record from May.

Tasmanica gilberta has been reported as ‘burrow stealers’ as this species apparently utilizes burrows of T. ramosa (reported as T. stirlingae ) in a study north of Adelaide ( McCullough 2000).

Distribution. Tasmanicosa gilberta is found along the southern coast of Australia, generally south of 30°S Latitude, with few isolated records further north in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland ( Fig. 10 ). The species appears to be absent in the most south-eastern parts of the continent (i.e. western Victoria) and has not been found in Tasmania.

Figures

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 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 10. Distribution records of Tasmanicosa fulgor sp. nov. (white squares) and T. gilberta (Hogg) (full circles) in Australia.

FIGURE 11 A – L. Tasmanicosa gilberta (Hogg) comb. nov., male and female (QM S 70800); 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 region of right male pedipalp, ventral (I) and retrolateral (J) view (SEM); K, L, tegular apophysis of right male pedipalp in (K) apical and (L) ventral view;. Scale bars: A – D, 5 mm; E, F, 1 mm; G – I, K, L 0.1 mm.

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.