Artoria impedita (Simon, 1909)

Figs 15–17

Lycosa impedita Simon, 1909: 187–188, fig. 6; Rainbow 1911: 269; Bonnet 1957: 2646; McKay 1973: 379.

Allocosa impedita (Simon) — Roewer 1955: 206.

Trochosa expolita impedita (Simon) — McKay 1979: 288 (misidentification); McKay 1985: 86.

Artoria impedita (Simon) — Framenau 2005: 283–286, fig. 9A–F.

Type material. holotype female, Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA, 31º57’S, 116º03’E, 1905, W. Michaelsen, R. Hartmeyer, Hamburg SW Australian Expedition, Station 152 (MNHN 11076). Examined .

Other material examined (27 males, 24 females, 1 female with egg sac, 5 juv. in 32 records). AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 2 males, Bringo Cutting, 28º45’S, 114º50’E (WAM 98 /2143–4) ; 7 males, 1 female, Buntine Nature Reserve, 29º58’16’’S, 116º35’05’’E (WAM T47374) ; 1 male, Dulyalbin Rock, 25.9 km SE of Bodallin, 31º34’21’’S, 118º59’25’’E (WAM T108173) ; 1 male, Fitzgerald River National Park, St Mary River, 5 km inland, 34º10’S, 119º32’E (WAM T69961) ; 1 female, near Holt Rock, 32º40’S, 119º24’E (WAM T51402) ; 1 male, N of Koorda-Bullfinch Road, W of Warrachupin Road, 31º00’35’’S, 118º42’02’’E (WAM T75885) ; 1 female, 1 juv., Kwolyin Hill, 31º51’28’’S, 117º46’54’’E (WAM T58487) ; 1 female, ca. 15 km NW Kwolyin, Munyard Road, 31º51’56’’S, 117º36’39’’E (WAM T58485) ; 1 female, same locality (WAM T162499) ; 3 males, 3 females, 1 juv., Lake Ninan Shire Reserve, East, 30º57’9’’S, 116º39’29’’E (WAM T47367) ; 1 male, Mackie Creek Reserve, 31º59’33’’S, 117º01’19’’E (WAM T47370) ; 3 females, 1 juv., McDermid Rock, 32º01’S, 120º44’E (WAM T65114) ; 1 female, same locality (WAM T65112) ; 1 male, Moorajin Soak Nature Reserve, 30º45’17’’S, 117º14’30’’E (WAM T47369) ; 1 male, 1 female, Mt Caroline Nature Reserve, 31º47’36’’S, 117º38’34’’E (WAM T58484) ; 1 female, Mt Caroline Nature Reserve, 31º47’36’’S, 117º38’34’’E (WAM T58493) ; 1 female, Mt Hampton Nature Reserve Dam, 31º45’40’’S, 119º04’21’’E (WAM T47372) ; 1 female, 1 juv., Mt Sterling Nature Reserve, 31º49’59’’S, 117º35’45’’E (WAM T99227) ; 1 female, Mt Sterling Nature Reserve, 31º50’06’’S, 117º35’42’’E (WAM T77197) ; 1 female, Mt Sterling Nature Reserve, 31º49’59’’S, 117º35’41’’E (WAM T58486) ; 2 females, Nokaning Rock, N of Nukarni West Road, ca. 26 km NW Merredin, 31º19’52’’S, 118º04’25’’E (WAM T58489) ; 1 male, 1 female, same locality (WAM T58490) ; 1 male, gully E of Red Hill, 31º51’S, 116º06’E (WAM T70255) ; 1 male, Rosewood Hills, 35 miles from Borden, “Weddehoon”, 34º04’S, 118º16’E (WAM T51484) ; 1 male, 2 females, Totadgin Rock Conservation Reserve, 31º34’15’’S, 118º12’58’’E (WAM T58488) ; 1 male, 1 juv., Wambyn Nature Reserve, 31º53’46’’S, 116º37’25’’E (WAM T47373) ; 1 male, Yarragin Rock, 31º02’S, 117º57’E (WAM T69982) ; 1 male, Yenyenning Lakes, 32º13’38’’S, 117º13’08’’E (WAM T47368) ; 1 male, same locality (WAM T47371) ; 1 male, 1 female, Yorkrakine Rock, 31º25’S, 117º30’E (WAM T58460) ; 1 female, same locality (WAM T58461) .

Diagnosis. A. impedita is similar to A. aculeata sp. nov. Males share a pedipalp with a gaping tegular apophysis, but it has a serrated distal edge in A. impedita whereas it has a smooth distal lob in A. aculeata sp. nov. (Figs 15C vs. 2C). Females of A. impedita share with those of A. aculeata sp. nov. the presence of a scape-like process in the epigyne; however, in A. impedita it is broader, long (folding over itself) and posteriorly truncated (Fig 16C, D), while in A. aculeata sp. nov. it is shorter and more narrowed posteriorly (Fig. 3C).

Description. For detailed description of both sexes of A. impedita see Framenau (2005) (see also Figs 15A–E, 16A–D).

Life history and habitat preferences. Mature males and females of A. impedita were largely found between April and October, suggesting reproductive activity largely in the cooler months of the year.Where habitat preferences were given on labels they included ‘granite outcrop’, ‘under granite slab’ or ‘under rock’. This suggests this species to be a habitat specialist on granite outcrops similar to Tapetosa darwini Framenau, Main, Harvey & Waldock, 2009 (Framenau et al. 2009).

Distribution. Throughout the south-western Western Australia Wheatbelt (Fig. 17).