Karriella, Gray & Smith, 2008

Gray, Michael R. & Smith, Helen M., 2008, A New Subfamily of Spiders with Grate-shaped Tapeta from Australia and Papua New Guinea (Araneae: Stiphidiidae: Borralinae), Records of the Australian Museum 60 (1), pp. 13-44 : 31-33

Karriella n.gen.

Type species. Karriella treenensis n.sp.

Etymology. The genus name is a reference to the Karri forests associated with the southwestern Australian distribution of this genus and is considered feminine in gender.

Diagnosis. Separated from all other genera by the epigynum having a pair of lateral sclerotized knobs posteriorly; fossa undivided. Palpal RDTA with a deep, dorsal groove; lateral MA process a large spiniform hook with a laminar, scalelike spine basally.

Description. Medium-sized, cribellate spiders (CL 2.45–4.90). Similar to Couranga in general characters. Putative stridulatory organ usually present, weakly to welldefined, consisting of basally thickened hairs in 1–2 rows or scattered on retrolateral paturon, opposite an elongate patch of minute thorn-like setae on prolateral basal half of palpal femur ( Fig. 15a–d ).

Legs. 1423. Male metatarsus I distally thin (but not obviously flattened) and weakly bowed (retrolaterally concave); metatarsus II little modified. Spination: representative leg spination ( K. treenensis ): Male (KS14774)—I: femur d122, p011; tibia d0010, v1222, p1110, r1010; metatarsus d212, v221, p1001, r0101; II: femur d122, p011 (001); tibia d0010, v222, p1010 (1110), r1010; metatarsus d2102, v221, p0101, r0101; III: femur d122, p011; patella d101; tibia d1010, v212, p1010, r1010; metatarsus d2102, v221, p0101, r0101; IV: femur d112, p001; patella d101; tibia d1010, v112, p1010, r1010; metatarsus d222, v221, p0101, r001. Female (KS14775)—I: femur d122, p011; tibia d0010, v222(1222), p1110, r1010; metatarsus d212, v221, p0101, r0101; II: femur d122, p111(101); tibia d0010, v222, p1110, r1010; metatarsus d212, v221, p0101, r0101; III: femur d122, p011; patella d101; tibia d1010, v112(122), p1010, r0110; metatarsus d212, v221, p0101, r0101; IV: femur d112, p0101; patella d101; tibia d1010, v112, p1010, r1010; metatarsus d222, v221, p0101, r001.

Male palp ( Figs 2e–g , 13a–c ). Cymbium with a coniform apex with 3 bristle-like spines; apical margin of retrolateral flange not offset from cymbium. Bulb rounded. Tegular lobe reduced, small or indistinct; distally curved sperm duct compressed into basal bulb, course partly obscured. Embolus a tapering, semicircular spine, its distal part clasped within the conductor marginal groove. Conductor a truncated, modified T-shape (prolateral limb absent, retrolateral limb broad), anterodorsal margin with flange-like processes anterior to the marginal groove; distal conductor curved ventrally, tapering to a pointed apex. Tegular window prolateral-basal, of moderate size. MA bipartite, membraneous medial process low and ridge-like; sclerotized lateral process a large hookshaped spine with a laminar, scale-like spine at base. Tibia about as long as wide, with 3 prolateral setae (two robust, spine-like; one a shorter, dorsad bristle), and two distal apophyses: RVTA short and blunt, RDTA a broad plate with a dorsal slit or pit-like groove. Patella about as long as wide with a long dorsal bristle reaching level of basal cymbium.

Epigynum ( Fig. 13d–g ). Fossa an undivided shallow pit, longer than wide, deepest and rounded anteriorly, shallower and margins weak to absent posteriorly; posterolateral epigynum with a pair of strongly sclerotized, knob-like protuberances (may be damaged or broken off). Internal genitalia with a pair of short, wide, S-shaped copulatory ducts which meet in the midline before entering the spermathecae medially; spermathecae globose and separated, placed under the sclerotized “knobs” on the posterior epigynum. Spinnerets. Cribellar fields c. 4.0× as wide as long and separated by a seam about 0.2× a field width. Spigots (female, KS85058): ALS: 2 MAP spigots, mesal, adjacent, unequal; c. 40 piriform spigots; PMS: 1 mAP spigot; 5 paracribellar multi-spigot fused bases (2–7 spigots each) grouped anteroectally around mAP; 9 aciniform spigots (1 anterior, rest distributed); 1 cylindrical spigot, posteroectal; PLS: c. 35 aciniform spigots, distributed; 1 subapical “modified PLS” spigot flanked by 3 paracribellar spigots, all free; 2 cylindrical spigots (1 basal, 1 central).

Included species. Karriella treenensis n.sp., and K. walpolensis n.sp.

Remarks. These spiders are confined to the southern Karri forest region of Western Australia. In mated females one or both epigynal “knobs” are usually damaged; an epigynal plug also may be present in the fossa. Modification of the male anterior conductor margin is similar to that seen in Couranga spp. The putative stridulatory structures are variably developed in both males and females. Similar structures are found in males of Elleguna spp.

Figures

Fig.15. Stridulatory structures, male:(a,b), Karriella treenensis (KS34750); (c,d), K. walpolensis (KS15143). (a,c), bristles on lateral paturon; a, linear, c, scattered; b,d, short bristles on prolateral palpal femur.

Fig. 2. Male palps.a–d, Couranga kioloa (KS69663): (a), cymbium and bulb, ventral; (b), distal conductor and embolus (barb on subapical embolus arrowed); (c), tibia, retrolateral; (d), trichobothria on cymbium. (e–g), Karriella treenensis (KS14702): e, tibia, cymbium and bulb, ventral; f, conductor and bipartite median apophysis, proventral; g, RDTA, dorsal. (h,i), Jamberoo johnnoblei (KS8503): h, tibia, cymbium and bulb, ventral; i, bipartite MA processes, retrolateral.

Fig. 13. Karriella treenensis. (a–c), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral; c, tibia, dorsal.(d–g), epigynum: d, ventral (KS14775); e, lateral (WAM T78285); f, plugged and damaged epigynum, ventral (KS14862); g, dorsal—internal genitalia (KS14690). Scale line 0.5 mm: upper, a–c; lower, d–g.