Karaops deserticola, Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 51-52

Karaops deserticola sp. n. Figs 59-60Map 9

Type material.

Holotype female (SAM N199350): Mount Lindsay, South Australia, Australia [27°02'S, 129°53'E], 28.VIII.1980, A. Lees, under rock slab on bare granite slope.

Etymology.

The specific epithet comes from the Latin word desertum which is a waste place or a wilderness and is an adjective that denotes the presence of this species in desert biotopes.

Diagnosis.

Females can be differentiated from other species by the median septum of the copulatory organs tapering posteriorly, giving it a subtriangular appearance (Fig. 59). Males unknown.

Description.

Holotype:Color: carapace yellow-brown, with slightly darker marks medially; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale yellow-brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with red-brown and grey markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with segments clearly annulated, but annulations do not completely encircle femorae, legs darkening distally at tibiae; annulations lighter in centers giving a 'leopard spot’ appearance. Cephalothorax:setae short, stout, rodlike; 0.85 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.64; eye diameters, AME 0.17, ALE 0.12, PME 0.23, PLE 0.34; interdistances AME-ALE 0.30, PME-PLE 0.27, ALE-PLE 0.18, AME-PME 0.06; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.48, PME-PME 0.92; clypeus 0.15 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.84 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present, without teeth. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III; leg III longest; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; claws prolateral claw with 1 or 2 small teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:possible setal tufts, hairs worn off. Epigyne:lateral lobes surround triangular median area, two parentheses-like marks located in the center of the plate, strongly sclerotized, copulatory openings located under these, epigynal pockets absent; internally, short ducts lead to round, well separated spermathecae, copulatory ducts twist posteriorly to fertilization ducts, posterodorsal fold absent (Figs 59-60). Dimensions: Total length 5.72. Cephalothorax length 2.91, width 3.44. Sternum length 1.51, width 1.79. Abdomen length 2.91, width 2.75. Pedipalp: Fm 0.77, Pt 0.57, Ti 0.48, Ta 0.77, (total) 2.59. Leg I: Fm 3.37, Pt 1.46, Ti 2.96, Mt 1.81, Ta 1.14, (total) 10.74. Leg II: Fm 3.88, Pt 1.48, Ti 2.96, Mt 2.77, Ta 1.18, (total) 12.27. Leg III: F 4.44, Pt 1.63, Ti 3.51, Mt 3.04, tarsus 1.17, (total) 13.79. Leg IV: Missing.

Natural history.

Collected from under rocks.

Distribution.

The type locality only (Map 9).