Aname tenuipes sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7D986BFE-990A-4044-A3D5-396137F9360A

Figs 1–2, 7

Diagnosis

Males of Aname tenuipes sp. nov. can be readily distinguished from thos of all other described species by their metatarsus I, which possesses no conspicuous proximal excavation, and is instead elongate and cylindrical along its entire length (Fig. 7Q). They can further be distinguished by their unique embolus, which is very short (about 0.8 × bulb length), and curved, with a basal flange or embolic apophysis (Fig. 7K–M).

Etymology

The specific epithet is an adjective meaning ‘thin-footed’, formed from the Latin ‘ tenuis ’, meaning ‘thin’, and ‘ pes ’ meaning ‘foot’ (Brown 1956). This is in reference to the elongate, cylindrical metatarsus I of this species, which lacks a proximal excavation – a distinguishing feature of this species.

Material examined

Holotype AUSTRALIA – Western Australia • ♂; Dundas Nature Reserve; 32°26′ S, 122°50′ E; 21 Oct. 2009; K. Tiedemann leg.; WAM T101565.

Paratypes AUSTRALIA – Western Australia • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; 32°26′ S, 122°40′ E; E.D. Adams leg.; WAM T101547 .

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Western Australia • 1 ♂; 6 km SE. of Kambalda, Lake Lefroy, St Ives Gold Mine, Beta Hunt; 32°14′ S, 121°41′ E; 6 Sep.–21 Oct. 2010; M. Bamford leg.; WAM T110282 • 2 ♂♂; 6 km SE of Kambalda, Lake Lefroy, St Ives Gold Mine, K; 31°29′ S, 121°43′ E; 6 Sep.–21 Oct. 2010; M. Bamford leg.; WAM T110283 • 1 ♂; Cyclone [mine lease], ca 252 km NE of Forrest; 29°24′ S, 128°26′ E; 17–30 Nov. 2013; A. Slabber leg.; WAM T132371 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding except Cyclone [mine lease], ca 273 km NE of Forrest; 29°12′ S, 128°31′ E; WAM T132369 • 1 ♂; Cyclone [mine lease], ca 320 km NE of Forrest, ca 22 km W of southern end of Serpentine Lakes; 28°50′ S, 128°45′ E; 27 Sep.–3 Oct. 2013; M. Young leg.; WAM T132362 – South Australia • 1 ♂; Great Victoria Desert, site ROD03, ca 23 km E of Serpentine Lakes; 28°57′ S, 129°32′ E; 21 Sep. 2017; P. Doughty et al. leg.; SAM NN31516 .

Description

Male holotype (WAM T101565)

DIMENSIONS (mm). Total body length 23.1. Carapace length 9.5, width 8.2; abdomen length 8.9, width 5.0. Leg I: femur 8.3; patella 5.2; tibia 5.8; metatarsus 7.2; tarsus 3.6.

COLOUR (in alcohol) (Fig. 7). Carapace chocolate-brown, caput slightly darker than thoracic region; chelicerae dark red-brown; legs and ventral prosoma concolorous with thoracic region of carapace (dark orange-brown); abdomen grey-brown without pattern; ventral abdomen pale yellow-brown.

CARAPACE, CHELICERAE, ABDOMEN (Fig. 7A–F). Carapace 1.16 × longer than broad; with conspicuous down of silver hairs; clypeal edge slightly convex; fovea slightly procurved. Eye group rectangular (width/length 2.06), on distinct tubercle. Chelicerae without rastellum. Abdomen 1.76 × longer than wide, pilose.

MOUTHPARTS AND STERNUM (Fig. 7G–I). Labium width/length 1.74, without cuspules. Left maxilla with 190-210 cuspules, spread across inner 50% of maxillae. Coxa I with 90-110 cuspules along inner and posterior edge. Sternum length/width 1.24; with short setae over entire surface and longer setae around the edge; with 3 pairs of sigilla, each pair increasing in size from anterior to posterior; all pairs close to sternum margin; posterior pair roughly oval. bulb ovoid, 0.32 × PTL; embolus, thin and curving gradually; embolus about 1.7 × longer than bulb.

PEDIPALP (Fig. 7J–M). Tibia cylindrical, length/width 2.68; PDL/PTL 0.46 retrolateral face with 5 strong spines clustered in distal half, prolateral face with two distal spines, ventral face with 2 spines proximally, at base of pedipalpal depression; cymbium length/width 1.95, medially constricted and broadest distally; scopula present distally; bulb triangular, 0.20 × PTL, transition between bulb and embolus indistinct, embolus very short, about 0.8 × length of bulb, with large flange/embolic apophysis at base.

LEG I (Fig. 7N–Q). Tibia I with large megaspur; TIL/TID 3.54; TIS/TIL 0.71; TISH/TID 0.51; metatarsus elongate, cylindrical, and without excavation; MIL/MID 9.00; scopulae present on tarsus and distal metatarsus.

Remarks

This species was included in recent molecular phylogenies of the Anamidae under the code name Aname ‘MYG223’. It is a member of the pulchella group (Clade 5) sensu Rix et al. (2021) (Fig. 1).

Distribution and natural history

Currently, specimens of Aname tenuipes sp. nov. are known from two quite disjunct areas, the first is around the type locality in Dundas Nature Reserve and areas relatively close by such as Lake Lefroy, in central-southern Western Australia. The second is in or near the Great Victoria Desert, inland, around the border of Western Australia and South Australia. The species is presumably also found in the region between these areas. The habitat in these areas includes eucalypt, Acacia and Casuarina woodlands and mallee. Based on when adult males of this species have been collected, they appear to mature in Spring (September–November).