Misgolas cliffi, Wishart, 2006

Wishart, Graham, 2006, Trapdoor Spiders of the Genus Misgolas (Mygalomorphae: Idiopidae) in the Sydney Region, Australia, With Notes on Synonymies Attributed to M. rapax, Records of the Australian Museum 58 (1), pp. 1-18 : 8-10

Misgolas cliffi n.sp.

Figs. 4A–E , 12C

Material examined. HOLOTYPE Ƌ, AM KS36559 , Eastwood (33°47'S 151°05'E), 6 Aug. 1973, Mrs B. Stevenson . ALLOTYPE ♀, AM KS7472 , Dundas (33°48'S 151°02'E), 3 May 1981, J. Carr. Abdomen in poor condition . PARATYPES ƋƋ: AM KS785 , Dundas , (33°48'S 151°02'E), 15 Jun. 1977 , A. Kearney; AM KS5106 , Carlingford (33°47'S 151°03'E), 6 May 1980 , A. Bastian; AM KS5876 , West Pennant Hills , (33°44'S 151°00'E), 23 Jun. 1980 ; AM KS7680 , Blacktown (33°46'S 150°54'E), 31 May 1981 ; AM KS10881 , Gordon (33°45'S 151°09'E), 4 Apr. 1983 , C. Horseman; AM KS36540 , Neutral Bay (33°50'S 151°13'E), 29 Apr. 1971 , K. Fields; AM KS36546 , Springwood (33°42'S 150°34'E), 24 Jun. 1973 , H. Christie; AM KS38535 , Cambridge Park (33°45'S 150°44'E), 15 Jul. 1958 ; AM KS50005 , West Pennant Hills (33°44'S 151°00'E), 25 May 1997 , R. Saunders; AM KS50021 , West Pennant Hills (33°44'S 151°00'E), 8 Jun. 1997 , R. Saunders; AM KS51822 , Dundas (33°48'S 151°02'E), 3 May 1981 , J. Carr; AM KS69950 , Dundas (33°48'S 151°02'E), 3 May 1981 , J. Carr; AM KS35085 , Concord (33°50'S 151°05'E), 17 May 1993 , A. Batkin.

Diagnosis. Medium sized brown spider; rd surface of metatarsi IV with 1 to 3 weak spines. Venter pattern as figured ( Fig. 4D ). In male: Carapace length c. 6–8.6. Palpal bulb with rl embolic flange with c. 5 folds, margin gently convexly curved; embolic apophysis pd placed midway on embolus ( Fig. 4B,C ). Cymbium dorsum with many long bristles, spines absent. Conformation of palp as figured ( Fig. 4A ).

Description

Male holotype ( Fig. 4A–D ). Size. Carapace length 7.64, width 5.78. Abdomen length 8.13, width 4.41. Colour. Carapace, limbs and chelicerae brown, when dry carapace bedecked with golden hirsute sheen, ocular area black. Darker brown lateral smudges on limbs not apparent. Abdomen dorsum brown with pallid bands in a bilateral series of c. 7, dorsum appearing more or less maculated. Venter pale with scattered arrangement of c. 20 evenly distributed dark spots. Carapace. Edge fringed with black bristles which encroach onto posterior 1 ⁄ 3 of post foveal surface. Two anteriorly inclined bristles on caput arch. Few golden hairs and c. 7 small bristles between PME; 8 posteriorly inclined bristles on clypeus. Weak chitinized area with some brown hairs extends onto pleuron membrane below clypeus. Fovea width 1.13, recurved at extremities. Eyes. Placed on a mound; anterior width 1.23, posterior width 1.07, length 0.77, width/length ratio 1.60. Line joining posterior edge of ALE transects anterior 1 ⁄ 6 of AME. Posterior row straight in front recurved behind. Chelicerae. Rastellum row of 6(7) spines, a few retreating along pd edge. Intercheliceral tumescence brown, not pallid. Fang groove with 9(9) promarginal teeth and 5(7) small retromarginal teeth; intermediate row absent. Fangs armed with smooth pl keels. Labium. Bulbous, length 0.90, width 1.20. Labiosternal suture broad narrowing medially. Maxillae c. 35(32) small pointed fusiform antero-ental cuspules, most surmounted with a fine hair. Sternum. Length 4.38, width 3.08. Sigilla round; first and second pair small, third pair larger; first pair submarginal, second pair one diameter from margin, third pair two diameters from margin. Legs. Tibia I with apical bifid apophysis; distal process with 2(2) short pointed and proximal process with 3(3) longer pointed spines.

Palp I II III IV

Femur 4.17 7.31 6.63 5.34 7.00 Patella 1.78 3.68 3.38 2.58 3.19 Tibia 4.05 5.28 5.03 3.38 6.20 Metatarsus — 5.77 5.46 4.97 6.45 Tarsus 1.96 3.44 3.38 3.19 3.50 Total 11.96 25.48 23.88 19.46 26.34

Palp ( Fig. 4A ). Cymbium with many long weak attenuate bristles distributed over distal 2 ⁄ 3 of d surface; spines absent; lateral surfaces covered with long pallid hairs. RTA with sub-basal rd swelling; covered with d short spines. Midregion of rv surface of tibial excavation bears an extended brush of c. 15 long pointed spines; DTA hooked terminated with c. 12 short pointed spines. TEM contiguous with RTA; pv surface weakly textured. Bulb ( Fig. 4B,C ). Embolus tip with slight pl bend; thorn-like d embolic apophysis placed c. midway; rl embolic flange with 5 major folds. Scopula . Dense on tarsi I and II, sparse on tarsi III and IV, sparse and incomplete on metatarsi I, II and III. Trichobothria. Palp: tarsi 11, tibia pd6 rd6. Leg I: tarsi 12, metatarsi 16, tibia pd8 rd7. Leg II: tarsi 12, metatarsi 16, tibia pd7 rd7. Leg III: tarsi 12, metatarsi 13, tibia pd7 rd7. Leg IV: tarsi 12, metatarsi 17, tibia pd8 rd8. Leg spination. Leg I: metatarsi v012, tibia v0112, pd010. Leg II: tarsi rl row of 7 small black spines, metatarsi rv0111113, pv011, pd000010; tibia v0113; pd01110. Leg III: tarsi v24 scattered; metatarsi pv6 scattered, rv8 scattered, d002220; tibia v0114, pl00110, rl00110; patella pd4. Leg IV: tarsi v17 scattered, metatarsi v8 scattered, rd010; tibia v012. Abdomen. Dorsum covered with brown bristles, sides and venter covered with pallid hairs.

Female allotype ( Fig. 4E ). Size. Carapace length 6.75, width 4.97. Abdomen length 13.00, width 7.15. Colour. Carapace, limbs and chelicerae light brown. Palps, legs I and II with some lateral dark brown smudges. When dry carapace bedecked with golden hirsute sheen. Abdomen dorsum darker brown with indistinct pallid bands in bilateral series of c. 7, dorsum appearing maculated. Venter pale with scattered arrangement of c. 26 dark spots. Carapace. Edge fringed with pale brown hairs which encroach onto posterior 1 ⁄ 4 of post foveal surface. Two anteriorly inclined bristles on caput arch; c. 8 small bristles between PME; 4 posteriorly inclined bristles and many pallid hairs on clypeus. Weakly chitinized area with some small bristles and pallid hairs extends onto pleuron membrane below clypeus. Fovea width 1.33, straight. Eyes. Placed on low mound; anterior width 1.10, posterior width 1.00, length 0.69, width/length ratio 1.59. Line joining posterior edge of ALE transects anterior 1 ⁄ 5 of AME. Posterior eyes straight in front, recurved behind. Chelicerae. Rastellum single row of 5(5) spines with a few short spines forming a second row. Fang groove with 7(7) promarginal teeth and 8(7) small retromarginal teeth; intermediate row absent. Fangs armed with smooth pl keels. Labium. Bulbous, length 1.02, width 1.28. Labiosternal suture broad narrowing medially. Maxillae c. 38(37) short thick blunt cuspules. Sternum. Length 3.99, width 3.00. Sigilla all small round; first pair submarginal, second pair 1 diameter and third pair 2 diameters from margin. Legs

Palp I II III IV Femur 4.05 5.40 4.61 3.56 4.85 Patella 2.15 3.07 2.82 2.21 3.07 Tibia 2.27 3.25 2.82 1.84 4.18 Metatarsus — 2.88 2.58 2.33 3.62 Tarsus 2.64 1.84 1.59 1.65 1.84 Total 11.11 16.44 14.42 11.59 17.56

Scopula . Dense on almost entire v surfaces of palpal tarsi, and legs I and II, sparse and incomplete on metatarsi I and II, absent on legs III and IV. Trichobothria. Palp: tarsi 9, tibia pd6 rd6. Leg I: tarsi 10, metatarsi 11, tibia pd8 rd7. Leg III: tarsi 11, metatarsi 12, tibia pd7 rd6. Leg IV: tarsi 11, metatarsi 13, tibia pd8 rd7. Leg spination. Palp: tarsi v02000; tibia v02214. Leg I: metatarsi v011, pl01; tibia v0111. Leg II: metatarsi v 01113; tibia v01111. Leg III: tarsi v11 scattered, pl0112, rl0110; patella pd7. Leg IV: v17 scattered; metatarsi v13 scattered, pl0010010. Abdomen. Dorsum hirsute with few small median bristles. Venter covered with weak bristles. Genitalia. Sclerotized lip of epigynum with median indentation.

Etymology. The species is named in recognition of author’s second son, Cliff Wishart.

Distribution and natural history ( Fig. 12C ). This species is restricted to coastal areas of northern Sydney through to densely settled urban western suburbs and Springwood in the Blue Mountains.

Evidence from some home pool collections suggests this spider is well established. However being small in size, it has received little attention and collections by the public have been rare. The burrow is unknown.

Figures

Fig. 4. Misgolas cliffi n.sp. (A–D) Ƌ, holotype AM KS36559. (A), right palp retrolateral. (B,C), right bulb: (B), dorsal; (C), prolateral. (D), venter. (E) ♀, allotype AM KS7472, tarsus and metatarsus IV retrodorsal.

Fig. 12. Species distribution of Misgolas species in the Sydney region (eastern Australia) based on material examined. Key to symbols for maps (A) and (B): O Misgolas gracilis; A M. melancholicus; Z M. villosus. Map (C): • M. beni; Z M. cliffi; Δ M. lynabra; M. maculosus; O M. michaeli; * M. rodi; A M. trangi; * M. wayorum.