Namea brisbanensis Raven, 1984

(Figs 4, 13, 18 a–c)

Namea brisbanensis Raven, 1984: 12, figs 4, 26, 36, 48, 71, 91, 104. Rix et al., 2020: 697, figs 2–4, 10, 12, 16–28.

Namea flavomaculata (Rainbow & Pulleine): Raven, 1984: 31, figs 12, 70, 49, 93 (in part, description and illustrations of male specimen QMB S1191 from Mount Tamborine; see Rix et al., 2020: 701).

Type material. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: male holotype, Brookfield, 100 m, 7 March 1979, T. Roe (QMB S767) . Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype except 25 January 1979 (QMB S769); 1 male, 1 female, same data except 27 March 1981, R. Roe, R. Raven (QMB S770); 1 female (allotype), Mount Coot-tha, 18 April 1977, R. Raven (QMB S768) .

Select material examined. Australia: Queensland: 1 female, Upper Brookfield, Gold Creek Reserve, Gold Creek, off Gold Creek Walking Trail, 27°27’37”S, 152°53’01”E, hand collected from burrow, dry rainforest gully, 101 m, 20 January 2019, M. Rix, J. Wilson (QMB S S111355 DNA) ; 1 female, same data (QMB S S111356 DNA); 1 female, D’Aguilar National Park, Mount Mee section, 27°05’10”S, 152°41’14”E, hand collected from burrow, rainforest, 532 m, 18 February 2019, M. Rix, J. Wilson (QMB S111389 DNA) ; 1 female, same data except 27°05’00”S, 152°41’20”E, 528 m (QMB S111391 DNA); 1 female, same data (QMB S111392 DNA); 1 female, same data except 27°04’21”S, 152°41’07”E, mixed forest, 478 m (QMB S111395 DNA); 1 female, same data except The Mill Rainforest Walk, 27°04’54”S, 152°42’36”E, rainforest, 293 m (QMB S111397 DNA) ; 1 male, Enoggera Reservoir, site 2, 27°27’S, 152°55’E, pitfall trap, open forest, 125 m, 15 March–18 May 2000, G. Monteith (QMB S63069) ; 1 male, Mount Mee, 14 February 1993, K. Cook (QMB S25512) ; 1 male, same data except 7 March 1992 (QMB S20324); 2 males, Mount Nebo, 500 m, March 1992, C. Carbine (QMB S10207) .

Diagnosis. Males of Namea brisbanensis can be distinguished from those of all other described congeners except N. gowardae by the morphology of tibia I, which has the standard brisbanensis -complex prolateral/ventral spination pattern (2pd–2pv–3v), plus a short macroseta v1 and largely asetose proventral ‘tibial bald zone’ between macrosetae pv1 and pv2 (Fig. 18a; cf. Figs 42, 44). Males can be further distinguished from those of N. gowardae by the broadly pyriform shape of the palpal bulb (Fig. 18b; cf. Figs 45–47), the broader profile of tibia I (Fig. 18a; cf. Fig. 44; see also Rix et al. 2020, fig. 25), and the more strongly concave ventro-distal excavation anterior to macroseta v1 (Fig. 18a; cf. Fig. 44; see also Rix et al. 2020, fig. 25).

Females are very similar in general appearance to those of N. gowardae (Fig. 4; cf. Fig. 5), but can be distinguished by the shape of the receptacula, which are longer, ‘sausage-shaped’ and are each without a clearly defined fundus (Fig. 18c; cf. Fig. 19c; see also Raven 1984, fig. 104).

Distribution. Namea brisbanensis is an unusually widespread species, recorded from numerous low to mid-elevation rainforest sites in south-eastern Queensland, from the Conondale National Park south to near the Queensland / New South Wales border (Rix et al. 2020). On the D’Aguilar Range it is a common species, known from Brookfield (the type locality), Gold Creek, Enoggera Reservoir, Mount Coot-tha, Mount Nebo and Mount Mee (Fig. 2).

Remarks. This species is one of three Namea on the D’Aguilar Range which have a broader distribution in south-eastern Queensland. The spiders are usually the most abundant of Namea species on the range, where their open burrows can be found in rainforest, wet sclerophyll and riparian habitats. At some sites, N. brisbanensis is syntopic with N. nigritarsus and N. salanitri, and in the Maiala region of Mount Glorious it is seemingly replaced by populations of N. gowardae, the latter of which can only be properly (but nonetheless easily) distinguished upon close examination of the male or female genitalia, or by using molecular sequencing methods. Males, like most other members of the brisbanensis -complex, have densely setose gold abdomens and highly reflective gold setae on the leg femora (e.g. see Rix et al. 2020, fig. 10), and appear to be active during summer and autumn, presumably in response to seasonal rain events.