Asmea, 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 : 38-39

Asmea n.gen.

Type species. Asmea akrikensis n.sp.

Etymology. The generic name refers to the 1965 Australian Star Mountains Expedition to Papua New Guinea, during which several of the spiders described here were collected. The name is considered masculine.

Diagnosis. Palpal cymbium with large retrolateral flange; tegular lobe and base of embolus usually separated by a deep prolateral notch; MA bipartite, with erect membraneous and erect to curved, weakly sclerotized processes; RVTA short, blunt, beak-like; RDTA typically long, keel-like. Epigynal fossa divided by a median septum; spermathecae separated, placed near the posterior fossa margin.

Separated from Pillara and Borrala by the presence of a short RVTA, from Couranga , Karriella and Elleguna by the simple, unmodified T-shaped conductor structure, and from Jamberoo by the MA shape and the keel-like RDTA.

Description. Medium-sized, cribellate spiders (CL 3.31–5.25). Similar to Couranga in general characters. AER strongly recurved with AME protuberant on low tubercle above concave clypeus. AME or PME largest (except A. capella ).

Legs 1423. Superior claws long, slender. Male metatarsi I and II weakly to obviously bowed and flattened. Trochanters notched but deepest anteriorly. Spines: representative leg spination ( A. hayllari ): Male (SAM NN19579)—I: femur d1022, p0111; tibia d0010, v222, p1110, r1010; metatarsus d20102, v221, p0101, r0101. II: femur d10202, p01110; patella d00(1); tibia d0010, v222, p1110, r1010; metatarsus d20102, v221, p0101, r1010. III: femur d1202, p111; patella d101; tibia d1010, v222, p0110, r01010; metatarsus d20102, v221, p0101, r0101. IV: femur d20102, p0111; patella d101; tibia d1010, v222, p01010, r01010; metatarsus d222, v221, p0101, r001. Female (SAM BS1120)—I: femur d1202, p0111; tibia d00(1)0, v221(0), p1110, r1010; metatarsus d1012, v221, p0101, r0101. II: femur d1202, p0111; tibia d0010, v221(0), p1110, r1010; metatarsus d1012, v221, p0101, r0101. III: femur d1202, p0111; tibia d1010, v122, p110, r110; metatarsus d2102, v221, p0101, r0101. IV: femur d112, p001; patella d001; tibia d1010, v112, p1010, r01010; metatarsus d2012, v121(or 111), p0101, r001. Male palp ( Fig. 18a,b ). Cymbium with a large retrolateral flange and a coniform to digitiform apex with 2–3 bristle-like spines. Bulb subcircular to ovoid. Tegulum with a well differentiated, retrobasal TL. Sperm duct visible on the basal tegulum as a wide S-shaped loop. Embolus spiniform, curving in a semicircle from its probasal tegular origin around the conductor margin. Conductor T-shaped, with a simple marginal groove; retrolateral limb tapering to a pointed tip that curves ventrad, clasping the distal embolus. Tegular window large, prolaterally placed. MA large, bipartite, both processes more or less laminate and erect—medial process unsclerotized; lateral process weakly sclerotized and either erect or curved. Tibia about as long as wide, with 2–3 strong prolateral bristles or spines and two distal apophyses: RVTA short, bluntly beak-like ventrally, widest in lateral view; RDTA typically a large, longitudinal, keel-like process (but “keel” short and notched in A. hayllari ), attached along the retrodorsal tibia. Patella about as long as wide with a dorsal bristle. Epigynum ( Fig. 19c–f ). Fossa divided by a median septum. Copulatory ducts very short, entering spermathecae anterodorsally; spermathecae ovoid, separated toward midline.

Included species. Asmea akrikensis n.sp., A. hayllari n.sp., A. capella n.sp., and A. mullerensis n.sp.

Distribution. Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Figures

Fig. 18. Asmea akrikensis. (a,b), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. Scale line 0.5 mm.

Fig. 19. Asmea hayllari. (a,b), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. (c–f), epigynum (SAM BS1120): c, ventral; d, lateral; e, posterior; f, dorsal—internal genitalia. Scale lines 0.5 mm: upper, a,b; lower, c–f.