Elleguna minor, 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

Elleguna minor n.sp.

Figs 8d , 17a–e

Type material. Queensland: HOLOTYPE:?, S74216 ( QM), Crediton , c. 21°16'S 148°32'E, R. Kohout & V. Davies, 14–21 Apr. 1975, sheet web (running underneath) . PARATYPES:!, KS79572, 2 ??, KS79581–2,?, KS57652, Eungella NP, Broken River rainforest walk, 0.5 km from carpark, 21°10'S 148°30'E, 18 Apr. 1998, G. Milledge, sheet webs on banks of pathway; 3 !! , S62169 ( QM), data as holotype ;?, S62165 ( QM), Mt Dryander summit, 20°15'S 148°33'E, 740 m, 24 Apr. 1979, G.B. Monteith, rainforest,berlesate, moss on rocks & trees ;!, S62167 ( QM), Mt Dryander , 20°15'S 148°33'E, 700–800 m, 21 Nov. 1992, Monteith, Thompson, Cook & Janetzki .

Other material. Queensland:?, 2 !!, S62168 ( QM), Eungella NP, c. 21°10'S 148°30'E, 9 Nov. 1991, R. Raven, P. Lawson, night coll .;!, S62164 ( QM), Crediton , Eungella, 21°11'S 148°33'E, 750 m, 17 Nov. 1992, Monteith, Thompson, Cook & Janetzki ;?, S27427 ( QM), Mt Dryander , 20°15'S 148°33'E, 650 m, 21 Nov. 1992 –mid Apr. 1993, D. Cook & G.B. Monteith, RF intercept & pitfalls; 7 !! , S62170 ( QM), Finch Hatton , c. 21°06'S 148°37'E, 7–14 Apr. 1975, R. Kohout, V. Davies, L. Myberg, running on underside of sheet webs with retreat in rotting wood or bank .

Diagnosis. Differs from E. major as follows: male palp with a small ventral conductor process; semicircular embolus; short RDTA; MA often with a sclerotized spot; epigynal fossa divided by a definite septum.

Description

Male (holotype). BL 7.27, CL 3.71(range 3.35–3.96), CW 3.02, CapW 1.43, EGW 0.98, LL 0.51, LW 0.49, SL 1.71, SW 1.47. Legs: 1423 (I: 16.25; II: 14.08; III: 12.33; IV: 15.67); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.79. Male palp ( Fig. 17a,b ). Cymbial flange large. Bulb with a small, retrobasal TL, the looped sperm duct visible ventrally. Embolus an evenly curved, semicircular spine. TW prolateral-basal. VCP a short, apically rounded plate. Curved conductor margin with two low, flange-like processes; retrolateral limb of conductor divided into a dorsal spine-like process and a ventral tapering, spatulate process, grooved for the embolus; both processes curve retroventrally. Membraneous MA often with a small, sclerotized spot. RDTA short, with subterminal cusp.

Female (KS79572). BL 8.08, CL 3.92, CW 2.50, CapW 1.67, EGW 1.08, LL 0.56, LW 0.53, SL 1.71, SW 1.43. Legs: 1423 (I: 13.25; II: 11.08; III: 9.83; IV: 12.17); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.75. Epigynum ( Fig. 17c–e ). Fossa divided by a septum with a pair of shallow recessed “sockets” in the adjacent posterior walls. Copulatory duct openings anterolaterally placed. Internal genitalia. Copulatory ducts short, about as wide as spermathecae.

Comments. The septum dividing the epigynal fossa is variable in width. Some thinner septa may be broken off towards the posterior end.

Distribution. Eungella NP area to Mt Dryander, mid-eastern Queensland.

Etymology. The species name refers to the small size of male palpal ventral conductor process.

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. 17. Elleguna minor. (a,b), male palp (KS57652): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. (c–e), epigynum (KS79572): c, ventral; d, lateral; e, dorsal—internal genitalia. Scale lines 0.5 mm: upper, a,b; lower, c–e.