Miturgiella, Raven & Hebron & Williams, 2023

Raven, Robert J., Hebron, Wendy & Williams, Kylie, 2023, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae), Zootaxa 5358 (1), pp. 1-117 : 98-99

Miturgiella gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Differs from Miturgopelma gen. nov. in the very different sizes of the ALS and PMS, both in males ( Fig. 3f ) and females but, are similar in the male palp and RTA. Distinguished from Miturga in the strongly recurved posterior eye row ( Fig. 79b ; PLE and PME extents not overlapping) and the PLS smaller than the ALS, with short apical segment ( Fig. 79d ). The very flat male palp with long embolus ( Fig. 81b ) is otherwise seen only in Mituliodon and Argoctenus , both of which are readily distinguished from Miturgiella in the presence of claw tufts. The RTA resembles that of Xis. coventryi sp. nov. but the distally directed origin of the very long embolus is unique in the group.

In life, Miturgiella gen. nov. can easily be mistaken for Nuliodon fishburni Raven, 2009 , but only the latter has claw tufts and can scale smooth vertical surfaces, e.g., glass. Also, in the Miturginae, only Miturgiella gen. nov. has an all-dark brown carapace without pattern.

Etymology: Meaning “a small Miturga ”, the gender is feminine.

Type species: Miturgiella vulgaris sp. nov.

Description. Carapace dark brown; opisthosoma gray with long golden hair with two pale spots posteriorly; legs with dark femora and patellae, rest paler but not banded. Carapace low, wide; caput well defined, low; fovea long; light pile of setae. Eyes. 8 in 2 rows, from above, front clearly recurved, back strongly recurved. AME largest. AME> PLE = PME> ALE. Front row set close, within 1/4 – 1/2 diameter; row as wide as inner edge of PLE. PME within 1 diameter, ca. 2 diameters to PLE, just forming third row. Tapetum grate-shaped. Chelicerae. Small, 2r + 3p, fang short, boss small. Palpal coxae converge apically to blunt cone, outer edges inclined in. Labium short. Sternum shield-shaped with small distinct corners; white hairs and bristles on marginal band. Legs. Coxae with distinct anterior basal edge. RCH wide, distinct, central. Tarsi long, slender. Trochanters with wide, shallow notches, ca. 2–3 times wider than deep, much shallower on I than IV. Spines. None proventally on femora. Tibiae I, II with v2.2.2, distal on edge and short, none strong, overlapping or on raised bases. Metatarsi I, II v2.2 basal, overlapping, not strong. Spines on tibiae I, II noticeably weaker than those on metatarsi I, II. Prolateral spines on tibiae I, II. Femur I with proventral spine. Scopula. Long hairs distinct, thin on tarsi I–IV; divided on III, IV; in distal 1/2 – 3/4 (on retroventral edges) on metatarsi I–III, absent on IV and absent on tibiae. Scopula extends ventrally to claw tip. Claws. 2; 5–6 teeth, all claws similar. Trichobothria like Nuliodon . Spinnerets. ALS large, long, cylinders, ca. 2–3 x larger than PLS, with 8–10 long spigots apically; ALS much smaller than PLS but cylinders; PMS smaller again. Colulus absent. Male Palp. Large ridge-like RTA extending for length and (distally) as slender scooped blade with extensive unsclerotised zones dorsally and laterally. Cymbium wide, flat margins narrow, apical cone small, deep groove on retromagin almost to tip; distinct scopula in ovoid area in distal 1/3. Embolus origin small, midretrolateral tapers quickly around pallid C-shaped tegulum to small conductor behind RTA; MA marginally fused to embolus base, MA small diagonal with small, folded tip. Tegulum pallid, on prolateral edge, small dark subtegulum basally. Female. Palpal tarsus banana-like. Epigyne. Roundly subquadrate with internal ducts visible externally ( Fig. 80c, d ), copulatory fossae anterior to pair of short, curved ridges joining medially at narrow U-shaped groove and with weakly sclerotised complementarily shaped ridge anteriorly ( Fig. 80d ); basically, a transverse key-hole. Spermathecae long, flatly coiled, coils externally visible.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Miturginae spinnerets, females: a–c, Xistera coventryi sp. nov., a, ALS; b, PMS, c, PLS: images, M. Ramírez; d, e, Miturgopelma echidna sp. nov., female, lateral (d), and ventral (e) views; f, Miturgiella vulgaris sp. nov., male, showing large ALS. Unlike in Miturga, the apical segment of the PLS is short and domed or triangular. g, h, Miturga lineata Thorell, 1870, female, g, habitus, h, spinnerets showing long digitiform apical segment of PLS.

FIGURE 79. Miturgiella vulgaris sp. nov., female, QM S38890: a, habitus, dorsal view; b, eyes, dorsal view; c, prosoma, ventral view; d, opisthosoma, ventral view.

FIGURE 80. Miturgiella vulgaris sp. nov.: a, b, e, male, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia, scanning electron micrographs: a, ventral view; b, median apophysis, ventral view; e, RTA, ventral view; c, d, female, QM S53105: c, epigyne, ventral view; d, internal genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURE 81. Miturgiella vulgaris sp. nov., male, QM S61019: a, b, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, retrolateral view; c–e, scanning electron micrographs; c, tarsal organ; d, trichobothrial base, cuticle and setae; e, paired claws, showing non-tuft setae below claws.