Couranga diehappy, 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 : 25

Couranga diehappy n.sp.

Figs 7a–e , 8b

Type material. New South Wales: HOLOTYPE:?, KS61689, Diehappy SF, Horseshoe Rd , 0.5 km N of Scotchman Peak, 30°28'30"S 152°39'43"E, 11–24 Nov. 1999, M. Gray, G. Milledge & H. Smith, NE NSW Hotspots, site 18, pit trap . PARATYPES:!, KS75360, Scotchman SF, Horseshoe Rd & Kirklands Rd junction, 30°28'08"S 152°44'00"E, 23 Nov.2001, G.Milledge & H. Smith, stop 4, sheet web in earth bank;?, KS74070, Maroota SF, 33°31'S 150°59'E, 5 Oct. 1979, G.A.Webb, NSW State Forests, pit trap;!, KS79583, Hornsby, Waitara Creek, 33°42'52"S 151°05'22"E, 1 Sep. 2002, H. Smith & G. Milledge, sheet web with retreat into earth bank;?, KS89868, data as for KS79583, Autumn 2004 (matured Aug. 2004), H.M. Smith. Queensland:?,!, S55468 ( QM), N. Stradbroke Island Enterprise, 27°33'S 153°28'E, 90 m, 8 Jan. 2002, QM party, Blackbutt #1, day;?, S64481 ( QM), 0.5 km NW Mt Beecher, 23°55'S 151°11'E, 15 Dec. 1999 – 20 Mar. 2000, G. Monteith, vine scrub, intercept trap 20 m;?, S64487 ( QM), 0.5 km S of Fairlies Knob, 25°31'S 152°17'E, 21 Jul.–20 Oct. 2000, Cook, Wright, Vanderduys, vine scrub, pitfall, 300 m; 2 !!, S56406 ( QM), Fraser Island , 25°15'S 153°10'E, 11–14 Feb. 2000, B. Baehr & R. Raven .

Other material. New South Wales:?, SAM BS1550, Kunderang Cave KB4, 30°55'S 152°10'E, 11 Dec. 1966, P. Hudson; 3 !!, KS34569, Willoughby, 33°48'S 151°12'E, 2 Aug.1969, G.S. Hunt, under rotting logs, fairly moist; 3 !!, KS34575, 6 miles W of Kempsey on Sherwood Rd, 31°04'S 152°44'E, 24 Apr. 1974, M.R. Gray, sheet webs in moist bank;!, KS34577, Camden Razorback, 34°07'S 150°38'E, 1 May 1969, M.R. Gray;!, KS34578, Kuring-gai Chase NP, 33°39'S 151°13'E, 8 Sep. 1972, M.R. Gray, under rock in silk case with egg sac;!, KS34579, Ku-ring-gai Chase NP Bobbin Head, 33°39'S 151°09'E, 10 May 1974, M.R. Gray, in logs; 3 !!, KS34580, data as KS34579, 10 Apr. 1974, in logs, sheet web, moist forest nr creek;!, KS34581, 18 km E of Woodford, 33°44'S 150°33'E, 17 Apr. 1974, M.R. Gray, low woodland-heath, in logs;!, KS34583, Mt Wilson, Cathedral of Ferns, 33°30'S 150°23'E, 26 June 1974, M.R. Gray & C. Horseman;!, KS58105, Ku-ring-gai Chase NP, near Mt Colah, 33°40'S 151°07'E, 2 July 2000, G. Milledge & H. Smith;!, KS68262, Hornsby, Waitara Creek, 33°42'52"S 151°05'22"E, 25 Sep. 2000, G. Milledge, under rock, with egg sac; 2 !!, KS69657, KS79576, data as KS68262, 21 Sep. 2000, H. Smith & G. Milledge; 5 !!, KS78346, data as KS68262, 28 Oct. 2001, H. Smith; 3 !!, KS79584–6, data as KS68262, 20 July 2002, G. Milledge, under rocks;?, KS74069,Maroota SF, 33°31'S 150°59'E, 7 Nov.1979, G.A.Webb, NSW State Forests, B/40, pit trap; 4 !!, KS75357, KS75359, KS79579–80, Scotchman SF, junction of Horseshoe Rd & Little Boggy Track, 30°26'08"S 152°48'55"E, 23 Nov. 2001, G. Milledge & H. Smith, stop 3, sheet webs in earth bank; 4 !!, KS75366–7, KS79577–8, Mt Kaputar NP, 0.8 km W of Coryah Gap Carpark, 30°16'44"S 150°07'40"E, 13 Nov. 2001, M. Gray, G. Milledge & H. Smith, stop 20, sheet webs in earth bank;!, KS75368, Mt Kaputar NP, 1.6 km W of Coryah Gap Carpark, 30°16'13"S 150°07'11"E, 13 Nov. 2001, M. Gray, G. Milledge & H. Smith, stop 21, sheet web in earth bank; 2 !!, KS75369–70, Mt Kaputar NP, 1.9 km W of Bark Hut Campsite, 30°16'50"S 150°07'55"E, 13 Nov. 2001, M. Gray, G. Milledge & H. Smith, stop 19, sheet webs in earth bank. Queensland:?, KS69420, Brisbane Forest Park, 27°25'04"S 152°49'48"E, 11–16 Jan. 1998, N. Power, malaise trap 3;?, KS69497, data as KS69420, 27 Sep–2 Oct. 1998, trap 2;?, KS69467, Bribie Island, 27°03'30"S 153°11'32"E, 9–14 Aug. 1998, N. Power, heathland/acacia regrowth, malaise trap 1;!, KS69654, Blackdown Tableland NP, campsite area, 23°47'49"S 149°04'14"E, 8 May 2000, G. Milledge & H. Smith, ex rotting tree stump;?, S55720 ( QM), N Stradbroke Island Enterprise, 27°34'S 153°27'E, 60 m, 9 Jan.2002, QM party, Blackbutt #2,day,hand coll.;!, S55737 ( QM), N Stradbroke Island Enterprise, 27°36'S 153°27'E, 70 m, 10 Jan. 2002, QM party, Scribbly Gum #3, day, hand coll.;!, S55539 ( QM), as S55737, J. Burwell, berlesate, sifted litter;!, S55748 ( QM), N Stradbroke Island Enterprise, 27°33'S 153°28'E, 90 m, 8 Jan. 2002, QM party, Blackbutt #1, day, hand coll.; 2 !!, S64486 ( QM), foot of Blackbutt Ra. nr Benarkin, 26°53'S 152°08'E, 25 Aug. 1979, R. Raven, under rock, sheet web;!, S64484 ( QM), Mt Coottha, SEQ, 1 Jan. 1974, R. Raven;? S64483 ( QM), Conondale Ra., Kenilworth, 26°35'S 152°43'E, 1 Sep.1974, R. Raven,rainforest;?, S64482 ( QM), 1 km S Blue Mtn, 21°37'S 148°58'E, 22 Mar.–31 May 2000, Monteith & Cook, pitfall, 680 m, wet sclerophyll;?, S64485 ( QM), top of Blackbutt Ra., 26°52'S 152°11'E, 24 Oct.–24 Nov. 1995, G. Monteith, intercept trap, 400 m;?, S64480 ( QM), Gold Ck Reservoir, Brookfield, 27°27'S 152°49'E, 1 Oct. 1980, V. Davies, R. Raven, closed forest;?, S64479 ( QM), Searys Scrub, Cooloola, 26°02'S 153°03'E, 3–7 Feb.1976,R.Raven,V.Davies, pit traps;2 ??, 9 !!, S64474 ( QM), Searys Scrub,Cooloola, SEQ, 4 Feb. 1976, R. Raven,V.Davies, males from pit traps, females from horizontal sheet web back into log;!, S64476 ( QM),Freshwater Road, Cooloola, 26°00'S 153°08'E, 26 Dec.1974 – 28 Mar. 1975, G.B. & S.R. Monteith, pitfall trap;!, S64478 ( QM), Wild Horse Mtn, Beerwah, 26°56'S 153°00'E, 10 Sep. 1975, R. Raven;!, S64466 ( QM), Conondale Ra, ca 26°40'S 152°40'E, 31 Aug. 1974, R. Raven, sheet web & ventral retreat in bank;!, S64470 ( QM), Conondale Ra, 31 Aug. 1974, R. Raven, sheet web with funnel (ventral) as retreat;!, S64469 ( QM), Teviot Stream, Boonah, 27°59'S 152°41'E, 3 Oct.1973,V.Davies, under lattice sheet web on bank;!, S64471 ( QM), Rochedale SF, 27°36'S 153°09'E, 23 Nov. 1979, R. Raven, V. Davies, web under log;!, S64477 ( QM), Rochedale SF, SEQ, 20 Sep. 1979, R. Raven, V. Davies, sheet web under log;!, S64472 ( QM), Paul Lenz Plain at Bunya Mts NP, 26°50'S 151°33'E, 7 Nov. 1994, pitfalls,tussock grassland;!, S64473 ( QM),Teewah Ck,Cooloola Rainforest, 26°05'S 153°02'E, 14 Sep. 1973, R. Raven, sheet web with retreat under log, spider using lower surface of sheet;?, S64475 ( QM),Ravensbourne, 27°20'S 152°09'E, 16 Feb. 1974, R. Raven.

Diagnosis. Differs from C. kioloa as follows: palpal RVTA with short stalk; RDTA a thick, undulate spine-like process; MA with lateral process largest & weakly sclerotized. Epigynal septum not widened at middle; paired fossae with lateral extensions often longer than in C. kioloa (“dumbbellshaped”).

Description

Male (holotype). BL 5.83, CL 2.50 (male range 2.25–3.17), CW 1.92, CapW 0.94, EGW 0.71, LL 0.31, LW 0.39, SL 1.22, SW 1.06. Legs: 1423 (I: 11.08; II: 8.67; III: 7.50; IV: 9.75); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.66. Male palp ( Fig. 7a,b ). RVTA like C. kioloa but with shorter, wider stalk; RDTA a thick, undulate, spine-like process. Distal loop of sperm duct V-shaped with limbs. Embolus longer and thinner than in C. kioloa , and conductor apex less strongly “crested”. MA lateral process usually weakly sclerotized and larger than in C. kioloa .

Female (KS75360). BL 6.08, CL 2.58 (female range 2.42–3.25), CW 1.67, CapW 1.14, EGW 0.75, LL 0.35, LW 0.41, SL 1.31, SW 1.10. Legs: 1423 (I: 9.10; II: 7.27; III: 6.41; IV: 8.24); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.72. Epigynum ( Fig. 7c–e ). Median septum relatively narrower than in C. kioloa and not obviously widened at middle. Paired fossae often with longer lateral extensions and more obviously narrowed centrally (more or less “dumbbell-shaped”, cf. C. kioloa ). Internal genitalia similar to C. kioloa .

Distribution. Central eastern New South Wales to southeast Queensland.

Etymology. The species name is taken from the type locality.

Figures

Fig. 7. Couranga diehappy. (a,b), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. (c–e), epigynum: c, ventral (KS75360); d, ventral, with plug (KS58105); e, dorsal—internal genitalia (KS75366). Scale line 0.5 mm.

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.