Tasmanicosa musgravei ( McKay, 1974 ) McKay, 1974

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 : 34-37

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4213.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9C76B987-3897-4666-87EF-62EB5BF5CF04
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5676937
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0B32B23C-7B38-9F58-BEF8-39E1FD65FE13
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Tasmanicosa musgravei ( McKay, 1974 )
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Tasmanicosa musgravei ( McKay, 1974) View in CoL comb. nov.

Musgrave’s alpine wolf spider

( Figs 1G View FIGURE 1 , 3I View FIGURE 3 , 4D View FIGURE 4 , 6F View FIGURE 6 , 7F View FIGURE 7 , 18A–K View FIGURE 18 , 19 View FIGURE 19 )

Lycosa musgravei McKay 1974 View in CoL , 34–35, figs 2A–C; Brignoli 1983: 450; McKay 1985: 80; Framenau 2004: 30–33, figs 3A–G, 4.

Type data. Holotype. Male , Mt Kosciusko [36°27’S, 148°16’E, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA], 30 January 1966, L. Voysey (AM KS23) (examined). GoogleMaps

Other material examined. 10 males, 40 females (two with eggsac and one with spiderlings), and eight juveniles in 40 records (Appendix B).

Diagnosis. Males of T. musgravei resemble T subrufa based on the shape of the tegular apophysis ( Figs. 18J View FIGURE 18 , 27K View FIGURE 27 ) but differ by the basally bent terminal apophysis ( Figs. 18I View FIGURE 18 , 27I View FIGURE 27 ). Females ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ) most resemble T. gilberta ( Fig. 3G View FIGURE 3 ) in having a wide and deep atrium, but the median septum is anchor—rather than inverted T-shaped and is widening anteriorly.

Description. Male (based on QM S70787).

Total length 20.3.

Prosoma. Length 11.3, width 8.4; carapace reddish-brown with genus-specific Union-Jack pattern and irregular light median and marginal bands ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ); sternum dark reddish-brown with light brown setae ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.36, ALE 0.50, PME 0.68, PLE 0.65.

Chelicerae. Reddish-brown with an elongated patch of light setae frontally.

Labium. Dark brown, anteriorly somewhat lighter ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ).

Endites. Dark brown, lighter anteriorly ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ).

Legs. Greyish-brown and covered with silvery setae; venter of coxae reddish-brown, basally slightly lighter ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ).

Opisthosoma. Length 9.0, width 6.8; indistinct folium pattern dorsally ( Fig. 18A View FIGURE 18 ); venter black ( Fig. 18C View FIGURE 18 ).

Pedipalps. Cymbium dorsally with a dense layer of silvery setae; tip with ca. 5 macrosetae ( Figs 18E–F View FIGURE 18 ); tegular apophysis ridge widely gaping, ventral process with two tips ( Fig. 6F View FIGURE 6 , 18J–K View FIGURE 18 ); embolus broad, sickleshaped with abruptly tapering tip; terminal apophysis broad with two ridges and strongly bent tip ( Fig. 18I View FIGURE 18 ).

Female (based on QM S70785).

Total length 21.7.

Prosoma. Length 11.0, width 7.6; colouration of carapace and sternum as male ( Figs 18B, D View FIGURE 18 ).

Eyes. Diameter of AME 0.37, ALE 0.36, PME 0.77, PLE 0.65.

Chelicerae, labium, endites, legs and opisthosoma. Opisthosoma length 11.0, width 7.5, otherwise as male, but dorsal folium pattern on opisthosoma more distinct and frontal chelicerae setae darker (orange-brown) ( Figs 18B, D View FIGURE 18 ).

Epigyne. Wider than long, median septum anchor-shaped with basally narrow but anteriorly widening median septum ( Fig. 18G View FIGURE 18 ), spermathecal heads small with twisted spermathecal stalks ( Fig. 18H View FIGURE 18 ).

Life history and habitat preferences. Tasmanicosa musgravei is an alpine wolf spider. Records are generally from higher than 1,000 m above sea level. It is apparently the most frequently observed wolf spider in the Snowy Mountains (NSW) and open burrows are found in tall alpine herb fields and grasslands ( Green & Osborne 1994). Two records from Elsternwick (suburban Melbourne) maybe the result of misplacement through human recreational activities (Framenau 2004). Mature spiders are generally found between November and May, but are most common in the summer months. Females with eggsac have been collected in December and May.

Distribution. Tasmanicosa musgravei can be found in the Australian Alps in the Australian Capital Territory, in New South Wales, and Victoria ( Fig. 19 View FIGURE 19 ).