Aname tatarnici sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E5B60F53-FAAE-48FE-90F6-53C27CFA8FAD

Figs 1–2, 6

Diagnosis

Males of A. tatarnici sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of all other species except A. ellenae Harvey, Framenau, Wojcieszek, Rix & Harvey, 2012, A. grothi Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020, A. mcalpinei Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020, and A. sinuata Castalanelli, Framenau, Huey, Hillyer & Harvey, 2020 by the presence of a conspicuous patch of short spinules on the retrolateral pedipalpal tibia, beside the asetose depression. They can be distinguished from tthos of hese remaining species by the form of the embolus: the embolus of A. tatarnici is narrower at the base, longer, and more elongate than those of A. ellenae, A. grothi and A. mcalpinei (Fig. 6K–M; cf. Harvey et al. 2012: figs 41–42; Castalanelli et al. 2020: figs 38–40, 69–71); and less sinuous than that of A. sinuata (Fig. 6K– M; cf. Castalanelli et al. 2020: figs 105–107). Females of A. tatarnici are currently unknown.

Etymology

The species epithet honours Dr Nikolai Tatarnic, curator of entomology at the Western Australian Museum, who has participated in several Bush Blitz expeditions, and who collected the holotype specimen of this species.

Material examined

Holotype AUSTRALIA – South Australia • ♂; Great Victoria Desert, main camp site, ca 96 km N of Hughes Siding; 29°50′ S, 129°32′ E; 22 Sep. 2017; N. Tatarnic leg.; SAM NN31515.

Description

Male holotype (SAM NN31515)

DIMENSIONS (mm). Total body length 21.9. Carapace length 8.2, width 6.9; abdomen length 8.4, width 5.7. Leg I: femur 6.3; patella 4.4; tibia 4.5; metatarsus 5.2; tarsus 2.7.

COLOUR (in alcohol) (Fig. 6). Carapace chocolate-brown; chelicerae slightly darker red-brown; legs and ventral prosoma lighter, orange-brown; dorsal abdomen grey-brown, ventral and lateral abdomen pale.

CARAPACE, CHELICERAE, ABDOMEN (Fig. 6A–F). Carapace 1.18 × longer than broad; with light silver down of setae; clypeal edge straight; fovea slightly procurved. Eye group rectangular (width/length 2.21), on distinct tubercle. Chelicerae with small rastellum. Abdomen 1.46 × longer than wide, lightly pilose.

MOUTHPARTS AND STERNUM (Fig. 6G–I). Labium width/length 1.79, without cuspules. Left maxilla with 190-210 cuspules (some rubbed off), spread across inner 40% of maxillae. Coxa I with 15-20 cuspules on inner edge. Sternum length/width 1.24; with setae over entire surface, few scattered cuspules, and a ‘brush’ of setae along posterior edge; with 3 pairs of sigilla, each pair increasing in size from anterior to posterior; first two pairs close to sternum margin, third pair slightly medial and roughly ovoid.

PEDIPALP (Fig. 6J–M). Tibia roughly cylindrical, slightly thicker at base; length/width 2.60; PDL/PTL 0.59, prolateral face with two distal spines, ventral face with a strong bristle at base of pedipalpal depression; retrolateral face with a patch of spinules positioned medially, next to the pedipalpal depression. Cymbium length/width 2.73, medially constricted and broadest distally; scopula present distally; bulb ovoid, 0.32 × PTL; embolus, thin and curving gradually; embolus about 1.7 × longer than bulb.

LEG I (Fig. 6N–Q). Tibia I with large megaspur; TIL/TID 2.82; TIS/TIL 0.53; TISH/TID 0.55; metatarsus incrassate, with proximal excavation; MIL/ MID 5.10; MIPEL/MIL 0.53; scopulae present on tarsus and distal metatarsus.

Remarks

This species was included in recent molecular phylogenies of the Anamidae under the code name Aname ‘MYG644’. It is an unplaced member of the Temperate-Eastern Radiation sensu Rix et al. (2021), recovered here as the sister-species to the pallida group (Clade 3) (Fig. 1).

Distribution and natural history

The holotype male of this species was collected on the eastern side of the Great Victoria Desert, in central South Australia, the habitat in this region is a mix of mallee, Acacia and Casuarina woodlands. The distribution of the species around this location is currently unknown.