Eustala mucronatella ( Roewer, 1942 ) Roewer, 1942

Framenau, Volker W., Scharff, Nikolaj & Levi, Herbert W., 2009, Not from “ Down Under ”: new synonymies and combinations for orb-weaving spiders (Araneae: Araneidae) erroneously reported from Australia, Zootaxa 2073, pp. 22-30 : 26

Eustala mucronatella ( Roewer, 1942) comb. nov.

Figs 4 A–H

Epeira mucronata L. Koch, 1871: 74 –76, pl. 6, figs 2, 3, 3a; Butler 1876: 352; Karsch 1878: 789; (preoccupied by Epeira mucronata Blackwall, 1862 ).

Aranea mucronatella Roewer, 1942: 830 (replacement name).

Araneus mucronatus (L. Koch) . Bonnet 1955: 547.

Types. Syntypes of Epeira mucronata L. Koch, 1871: 2 penultimate males, 4 females, listed in L. Koch (1871) from “Neuholland” (NHMV 1826. II.3) (examined).

Description. Female bleached, only bare indication of pattern on abdomen ( Figs 4 A, B). Abdomen pointed posteriorly with two posterior humps ( Fig. 4 E). Eyes subequal in size. Anteriors 1.2 their diameter apart, 2.2 from laterals. Posterior median eyes their diameter apart, 2.0 from laterals. Total length 4.6 mm. Carapace 1.9 mm long, 1.7 mm wide. First Femur 2.2 mm; third metatarsus 1.4 mm (most leg articles lost).

Remarks. Somatic and genital morphology ( Figs 4 A-H), in particular the shape of the epigynal scape which projects anteriad ( Figs 4 F–H) leave no doubt that Araneus mucronatellus is a member of the American genus Eustala to which we transfer it here: Eustala mucronatella comb. nov. The species is similar to Eustala taquara (Keyserling, 1892) described from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (see Levi 2007), but E. mucronatella differs by an additional abdominal hump between the posterior hump and the spinnerets, by a pointed epigynum scape (that of the type of E. taquara is blunt) and the shorter distance between the posterior openings of epigyne ( Figs 4 F–H). Pending a revision of the genus Eustala and the examination of additional specimens, there is a possibility that E. mucronatella is a variable specimen of E. taquara .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Syntype females of Eustala mucronatella (Roewer, 1942) comb. nov. A, dorsal view; B, another female, abdomen, dorsal view; C, abdomen, ventral view; D, epigyne, ventral view; E, abdomen, lateral view; F, epigyne, ventral view; G, epigyne, lateral view; H, another epigyne, ventral view. Scale bar: A – C, E, 1 mm; D, F – H, 0.1 mm.