Asmea capella, 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 : 43-44

Asmea capella n.sp.

Figs 8e , 20a–f

Type material. Papua New Guinea: Western Province: HOLOTYPE:!, SAM BS1114, P.L. Cave, Star Mountains , T.P.N.G.,ASME. (See comments on locality data below) . PARATYPE:?, SAM NN19576, Star Mountains , New Cal. [sic], 1965. (See comments on locality data below)

Diagnosis. Separated from other species by the small AME; from A. hayllari by the wider epigynal septum and the smoothly keel-shaped RDTA, from A. akrikensis by the closely adjacent MA processes and from A. mullerensis by the “spiniform” and medially curved lateral MA process.

Description

Female (holotype). BL 11.08, CL 5.25, CW 3.67, CapW 2.37, EGW 1.39, LL 0.80, LW 1.00, SL 2.37, SW 2.16. Legs: long, 1423 (I: 26.17; II: 23.08; III: 20.25; IV: 24.67); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.55. Eyes relatively small; AME smallest; PLE≈ALE>PME≥AME. Clypeus height 4× AME width. Epigynum ( Fig. 20c–f ). Fossa septum wider than in A. hayllari . Internal genitalia: copulatory ducts narrower and spermathecae larger than in A. hayllari .

Male (NN19576) (body partially collapsed, possibly due to drying). BL 7.96, CL 4.08, CW 2.98 (estimated), CapW 1.84 (estimated), EGW 1.16, LL 0.84, LW 0.73, SL 1.98, SW 1.82. Legs: long, 1423 (I: 27.17; II: 24.08; III: 20.42; IV: 25.17); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.45 (estimated). Metatarsi I weakly bowed, II moderately bowed and weakly flattened. Eyes with AME and ALE smallest (AME probably reduced); PME≥PLE>AME≥ALE. Clypeus height 4× AME width. Male palp ( Fig. 20a,b ). Distal cymbium short, digitiform. Deep indentation between TL and embolic base. MA processes closely adjacent; lateral process weakly sclerotized and “spiniform”, curving behind the medial process. Tibia with 3 strong prodorsal bristles; RVTA laterally broad. RDTA a long keel, almost three-quarters length of tibia.

Distribution. Star Mountains, Western Province, Papua New Guinea.

Etymology. The specific name refers to Capella, a peak in the Star Mountains near the Plateau Limestone collecting locality.

Comments on locality data. It seems likely that the label data locality “New Cal.” given for the male specimen NN19576 is a subsequent mistranscription for “New Guinea ”. This is because: (a) closely related males have been collected from the Star Mountains region in Papua New Guinea, including at least one by the ASME in 1965; and (b) there are no “Star Mountains” located in New Caledonia. Consequently, it seems safe to assume that the spider is from the Star Mountains, Papua New Guinea, and we therefore treat the specimen as a male of this species.

The female type locality, P.L. Cave, refers to Plateau Limestone Cave (K1 or K1 sink) adjacent to the Dokfuma Base Camp near the Krom River, SE of Mt Capella (c. 5°01'S 141°08'E in Fig. 8e ). This cave was visited by the ASME on 1 Apr. 1965 (T. Hayllar, pers. comm.). A female and 5 juveniles collected from P.L. Cave are present in the SAM collection. The presence in “K1 Sink” of “large spiders” is specifically mentioned in the expedition notes, but the sex or number of specimens collected is not. Both the male and female specimens described here are rather large and long legged, and have small AME (smallest in female) relative to the typically large AME size seen in other borraline species. This may represent evidence of adaptation to cave-dwelling, although only the female is definitely known to be associated with caves .

Figures

Fig. 8. Distribution records: (a), Jamberoo spp.: J. johnnoblei, d; J. boydensis, h; J. actensis, p; J. australis, s. (b), Couranga spp.: C. kioloa, d; C. diehappy, h. (c), Karriella spp.: K. treenensis, N; K. walpolensis, s. (d), Elleguna spp.: E. major, n; E. minor, d. (e), Asmea spp.: A. akrikensis, p; A. hayllari, s; A. capella, h; A. mullerensis, N.

Fig. 20. Asmea capella. (a,b), male palp (SAM NN19576): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. (c–f), epigynum (holotype): c, ventral; d, lateral; e, posterior; f, dorsal—internal genitalia. Scale lines 0.5 mm: upper, a,b; lower, c–f.