Artoria atrata sp. nov.

Figs 4, 5–6

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5BCDC845-FF2C-43D4-9B68-2AFDE99964B7

Type material. Holotype male, Kingsley, Legana Ave, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA, 31°49’S, 115°48’E, 23 October 1994, A. F. Longbottom, S.1698 (WAM T68708).

Other material examined. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia (89 males, 48 females, 3 females with egg sac, 86 juv. in 67 records): 1 female, Attadale, 32º01’S, 115º48’E (WAM T58424); 3 males, 14 juv., same locality (WAM T58425); 1 female, same locality (WAM T55140); 1 male, 1 females, 6 juv., same locality (WAM T55457); 1 female, same locality (WAM T162515); 1 male, 11 juv., same locality (WAM T55454); 1 male, Bannister Creek, 32º02’S, 115º54’E (WAM T53828) ; 4 males, 5 juv., Bibra Lake, 32º05’S, 115º49’E (WAM T55442) ; 4 males, 1 female, 1 juv., Boyup Brook, 33º50’S, 116º23’E (WAM T55446); 1 female, 13 juv., Brentwood, 32º02’S, 115º51’E (WAM T55441); 2 males, 1 female, 1 juv., Brentwood Swamp, High Road, edge of swamp, 32º02’S, 115º51’E (WAM 71 /170–173); 1 male, 15 km SW of Bridgetown, Mockerdillup Road, 34º04’S, 116º06’E (WAM T98 /2165) ; 9 males, 1 female, Bull Creek, 32º03’S, 115º51’E (WAM T55462) ; 11 males, 3 females, same locality (WAM T55461); 2 males, Bunbury Highway, 51 mi peg (no exact locality) (WAM T55449); 1 male, 1 female, Chilimony Road North, SW of Binnu, 28º05’58’’S, 114º33’43’’E (WAM T68471) ; 1 female, same locality (WAM T68368); 3 males, 8 juv., 18 mi E of Collie, 33º21’S, 116º28’E (WAM T55445) ; 3 males, 20 mi E of Collie, 33º21’S, 116º30’E (WAM T55444) ; 3 males, 36 mi E of Collie, 33º21’S, 116º55’E (WAM T55447) ; 2 males, 1 juv., Coolinup Nature Reserve North, 33º34’02’’S, 122º17’55’’E (WAM T68420) ; 1 female, Coolinup Nature Reserve South, Esperance, 33º43’53’’S, 122º17’59’’E (WAM T68369) ; 1 male, Crowea, 34º28’S, 116º10’E (WAM T68709); 1 female, same locality (WAM T42132); 1 male, same locality (WAM T98 /2149); 1 male, same locality (WAM T98 /2148); 1 male, Darlington, 31º54’S, 116º04’E (WAM T55322); 1 male, same locality (WAM T55327); 1 female, Deep River, 35º00’S, 116º42’E (WAM T68699) ; 1 female, Duke of Orleans Bay, 33º55’S, 122º35’E (WAM T99209) ; 1 male, Dwellingup, 32º43’S, 116º04’E (WAM 98 /2153); 1 female, Esperance, Manjimup Road, Lot 240, 33º52’S, 121º53’E (WAM T99218); 1 male, Gelorup, Gelorup Rise, Lot 101, 33º23’12”S, 115º39’43”E (WAM T98 /2156); 1 male, same locality (WAM T70391); 1 male, same locality (WAM T99219); 1 male, 1 female, same locality (WAM T70389); 1 male, same locality (WAM T58426); 1 male, 1 juv., Kojonup Brook, 16 mi W of Kojonup, 33º50’S, 117º9’E (WAM T55246) ; 1 female, Lake Grassmere at Elleker, 35º00’S, 117º43’E (WAM 71 /457) ; 1 male, 2 juv., Lake Poorrarecup, 34º25’S, 117º14’E (WAM T68703) ; 1 male, Darkin Swamp, Warrigal Road, 32º05’S, 116º38’E (WAM T69991); 1 female, Melville, 32º02’S, 115º48’E (WAM T55440); 1 female, Moore River National Park, 31º07’S, 115º38’E (WAM T51545) ; 3 males, Mt Barker, Porongurup Road, 0.4 km E of Watermans Road, 34º38’46’’S, 117º46’55’’E (WAM 98 /85–87) ; 1 male, Mt Clarence, Albany, 35º01’S, 117º54’E (SAM NN13534) ; 1 female, Mt Hawthorn, Anzac Road, 31º56’S, 115º50’E (WAM T58345) ; 1 female, Murdoch Swamp, edge of swamp, 32º04’S, 115º49’E (WAM T70866); 1 male, 1 juv., Perth Airport, 31º58’34’’S, 115º56’25’’E (WAM T68681); 1 male, Perth, Beaufort Street Bridge, 31º57’S, 115º51’E (WAM T44398); 2 females, Picton, S of crematorium near corner of Brittain & Richter Roads, 33º21’S, 115º40’E (WAM T80643); 1 female, 2 juv., Siesta Park Swamp, 33º39’S, 115º13’E (WAM T64998); 1 male, 1 juv., The Spectacles, 32º15’S, 115º50’E (WAM 98 /2186–7); 1 female, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 31º58’S, 115º48’E (WAM 71 /461); 2 females, Walpole, 1 mi E of junction of Frankland and Bridge Roads, 34º54’37’’S, 116º44’31’’E (WAM T68700); 1 male, 1 female, 1 juv., Wanneroo, 31º44’S, 115º48’E (WAM T68705); 1 female, same locality (WAM 7731); 1 male, same locality (WAM 7732); 1 female, same locality (WAM 7733); 1 female, Wanneroo Lake, 31º44’S, 115º48’E (WAM 71 /749) ; 1 female, same locality (WAM 71 /748); 11 males, 13 females, 16 juv., Wanneroo,A. Pierce property, 31º44’S, 115º48’E (WAM T99129); 1 female, Wanneroo, Badgerup Road swamps, 31º44’S, 115º48’E (WAM 71 /518); 1 male, Waroona Dam, 32º51’11’’S, 116º00’18’’E (WAM T100143); 1 female, West Cape Howe Nat. Pk, NW. edge of Lake William, 35º05’04’’S, 117º36’23’’E (WAM T142661) ; 1 female, same locality (WAM T142662); 1 male, same locality (WAM T142664) .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ atrata ” is a Latin adjective meaning ‘dressed in black’, referring to the dark colour of this species, especially the males.

Diagnosis. Males of A. atrata sp. nov. are distinguishable by their colour, with a very dark carapace and the first two pairs of legs contrasting with the other, yellowish-brown pairs of legs. Their pedipalps resemble those of A. howquaensis Framenau, 2002, a species that has not been reported from Western Australia, by their spoon-shaped tegular apophysis and only slightly sclerotized basoembolic apophysis (Fig. 5C–E). Males of A. atrata sp. nov. differ from those of A. howquaensis by the trilobed vs a bilobed tegular apophysis (Fig. 5C vs Framenau & Baehr 2018, fig. 25E). Females of A. atrata sp. nov. also resemble A. howquaensis by the general shape of the epigyne. In A. atrata sp. nov. the epigyne is mostly formed by a sclerotized plate in which the lateral lobes merge, with the median septum placed at the posterior fourth of the epigyne and surpassing the lateral lobes (Fig. 6D, E), while in A. howquaensis the epigyne is poorly sclerotized, with lateral lobes not very well-delimited mesally from the median septum and surpassing them posteriorly (Framenau & Baehr 2018; fig. 25G).

Description. Male (holotype, WAM T68708).

Total length, 5.35. Carapace, length 3.19, width 2.39, dark brown, with paler median longitudinal band on its posterior half (Fig. 5A). Sternum, dark brown (Fig. 5B). Eyes, diameter of AME: 0.13; ALE: 0.09; PME: 0.28; PLE: 0.22, anterior eye row slightly procurved, distance between AME–AME around twice AME–ALE. Chelicerae, evenly dark brown, three retromarginal teeth, median largest; two promarginal teeth, apical largest. Labium, dark brown, with pale anterior rim (Fig. 5B). Legs, background colour yellowish brown, with femur to metatarsus I mostly dark brown, as well as patella and tibia II; femur II with more sparse dark brown stains (Fig. 5A, B). Opisthosoma, length 2.17, width 1.64. Dorsum mostly dark grey except for the pale cardiac mark almost reaching the posterior margin of the opisthosoma (Fig. 5A). Venter mostly dark grey with rows of orange-brown spots laterally; spinnerets orange-brown (Fig. 5B).

Pedipalp (Fig. 5C–E), tibia rectangular in ventral view, free tip of the cymbium (from the anterior margin of the atrium to the apex) almost half as long as the whole cymbium, with few macrosetae; subtegulum heavily sclerotized and small in ventral view. Tegular apophysis spoon-shaped, with a stalk that narrows medially, broadening distally in a wide, trilobed concave surface. Basoembolic apophysis wider than long, poorly sclerotized with a small and rounded tip. Embolus comma-like, narrow, and filiform. Terminal apophysis sclerotized, very broad, much wider than the embolus, with its basal portion bearing a curved concavity as a gutter, and distal portion with an acute projection pointing retrolaterally.

Female (WAM T7731).

Total length, 4.77. Carapace, length 2.77, width 1.99. Carapace and sternum colouration like male, but slightly paler (Fig. 6A, B). Eyes, diameter of AME 0.14, ALE 0.10, PME 0.30, PLE 0.23, anterior eye row like male. Chelicerae, evenly brown, three retromarginal teeth, median largest; one large promarginal tooth. Labium, like male (Fig. 6B). Legs, background colour orange-brown with spaced dark grey stains throughout (Fig. 6A, B). Opisthosoma, length 2.18, width 1.74. Dorsum evenly dark grey, without a demarcated cardiac mark, venter mostly pale yellow with white setae, spinnerets pale yellow (Fig. 6A, B).

Epigyne, longer than wide, atrium very small, placed in the posterior fourth of the epigyne. Median septum small, with only its posterior two-lobed margin visible (Fig. 6C). Spermathecal heads piriform, about one diameter apart and with a pair of rounded vulval chambers in between, spermathecal stalks about twice as long as spermathecal diameter, attached ectally, abruptly bent mesally, and then ventrally, reaching the copulatory openings in the posterior half of the epigyne (Fig. 6D).

Variation. Body length: Males (n=5): 3.92–5.62; Females (n=5): 4.13–5.98.

Life history and habitat preferences. Most mature specimens were collected during late spring and summer. The species appears to largely prefer moist, riparian environments, as habitat descriptions on collection labels included ‘stony gravel near riverbed, damp’, ‘rivers edge’, ‘lake’s edge’, ‘grassy swamp flat’, ‘lake foreshore’. However, it has also been found in ‘open (cleared) forest with regrowth’ and in synanthropic habitats (‘swimming pool’, ‘pavement’, ‘on fly wire door’, and ‘kitchen floor’).

Distribution. South-western Western Australia, as far north as Kalbarri and as far east as about Esperance (Fig. 4).