Oxyopes gratus L. Koch, 1878

Baehr, Barbara C., Harms, Danilo, Duperre, Nadine & Raven, Robert, 2017, The Australian Lynx Spiders (Araneae, Oxyopidae, Oxyopes) of the Godeffroy Collection, including the description of a new species, Evolutionary Systematics 1 (1), pp. 11-37 : 20-21

Oxyopes gratus L. Koch, 1878 Figs 9 A–E, 20F

573. Oxyopes gratus L. Koch, 1878, 1006-1008, Taf. 88 Fig. 3 + 3 a und 4-4 b, Australien, Peak Downs, 2 Syntypen (Mus. GODEFFROY Nr. 16495) (37) ( Rack 1961).

Material examined.

Designated here: FEMALE LECTOTYPE (ZMH-A0000009), from Queensland, Peak Downs, "now large open cut coking coal mine in Queensland located 31 km SSE of Moranbah", 22°15 ’9.60” S, 148°10 ’30.00” E, Godeffroy Collection; (ZMH-A0000030) 1 female paralectotype, same as lectotype, Godeffroy Collection.

Diagnosis.

The female of Oxyopes gratus is similar to Oxyopes variabilis in having a T-shaped scapus with T arms shorter than lateral lobes but can be separated from Oxyopes variabilis by having copulatory ducts with only 2 coils (Figs 9E, 20F). Male unknown.

Description.

Female (Lectotype, ZMH- A0000009). Total length 8.27. Prosoma 2.98 long, 2.16 wide, pl/pw 1.38; sternum 1.22 long, 1.07 wide, sl/sw 1.14; opisthosoma 5.29 long, 2.25 wide. Eight eyes in four rows with six eyes forming a hexagon, AME smallest ALE biggest, others equal in size; AME 0.09; ALE 0.25; PLE 0.21; PME 0.21; ALE–ALE 0.20; ALE–AME 0.10; AME–AME 0.20; ALE–PLE 0.22; PLE–PME 0.34; PME–PME 0.25. Clypeus 0.56 high with a pair of longitudinal dark brown bands. Prosoma pale with dark brown lateral bands, rectangular, posteriorly rounded, fovea short 0.12 of prosoma length. Chelicerae paturon pale with longitudinal median dark band and lateral condyle. Endites and sternum pale, labium and lateral part of sternum with dark brown patches; opisthosoma elongated, pale with dark brown lateral sides interrupted by pale stripes; venter pale with a long, triangular, dark brown median band. Legs pale with dark brown markings. Female epigyne (Figs 9 C–E, 20F): scapus inverted anchor-shaped with broad base posteriorly, translucent with sclerotized lateral edges, adjacent lateral lobes rounded, copulatory opening at the middle part of the lateral lobes, copulatory ducts, short, with 2 broad coils, ending in globular spermathecae situated behind sclerotized edges of the scapus.

Distribution.

Original record from Peak Downs in northern Queensland. The ALA lists additional records from Queensland, Victoria, the Northern Territory, and the Goldfields in Western Australia.

Remarks. Koch mentions that the specimens were collected by Dämel who observed the species on leaves.