Jamberoo, 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 : 26-27

Jamberoo n.gen.

Type species. Jamberoo johnnoblei n.sp.

Etymology. The generic name is taken from the Jamberoo region of New South Wales where these spiders are abundant. It is considered masculine in gender

Diagnosis. Palpal cymbium with large retrolateral flange; bulb with tegular lobe basal to retrobasal; MA large, bipartite—with membraneous and bifurcate sclerotized processes; RVTA short, blunt, beak-like; RDTA short, concave. Epigynal fossa divided by median septum with a knob to keel-like process posteriorly (except J. australis ); spermathecae separated, placed at mid-posterior half of fossa. 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 Asmea by the well sclerotized, bifurcate lateral MA process.

Description. Medium-sized, cribellate spiders (CL 2.65–4.24). Similar to Couranga in general characters. Legs. 1243 or 1423. Male metatarsi I, II bowed (but not flattened), more noticeable in larger specimens. Representative leg spination ( J. johnnoblei ): Male (KS84009)—I: femur d1202, p01110; tibia d0010, v2020, p1110, r1010; metatarsus d0001, v2021, p0101, r1102. II: femur d1202, p01110; patella d001; tibia d0010, v2020, p1110, r1010; metatarsus d0102, v2021, p1101, r1101. III: femur d1202, p01101; patella d001; tibia d1010, v010, p1010, r1010; metatarsus d0100, v221, p1102, r1101. IV: femur d10102, p0001; patella d001; tibia d1010, v1102, p0001, r0001; metatarsus d010, v221, p112, r1012. Female (KS70125)—I: femur d1202, p0011; tibia d1000, v1100, p1010, r0110; metatarsus d0102, v2021, p1010, r0110. II: femur d1102, p0101; tibia d0001, v2200, p1010, r110; metatarsus d0102, v2021, p0101, r0101. III: femur d1202, p01101; patella d001; tibia d1010, v1100, p0110, r1010; metatarsus d0102, v221, p1102, r1101. IV: femur d1102, p001; patella d001; tibia d1010, v1101, p0110, r01010; metatarsus d10101, v211, p1012, r1011.

Male palp ( Figs 2h–i , 10a–b ). Cymbium with a large retrolateral flange and a short coniform to digitiform apex with 2–3 bristle-like spines. Bulb subcircular to ovoid. Tegulum with a basal-retrobasal TL of moderate size, variably offset from base of embolus. Sperm duct visible on the basal tegulum as a long, diagonal S-shaped loop. Embolus spiniform, curving 180° or more from its basal tegular origin to the conductor apex. Conductor T-shaped, with a simple, smooth marginal groove; retrolateral limb tapering to a pointed tip that curves ventrad. Tegular window large to very large, prolaterally placed. MA large, bipartite: medial process a membraneous lobe; lateral process large, strongly sclerotized and distally bifurcate spiniform—a large terminal spine with a smaller spine at its base, giving the process a “claw-like” appearance ( Figs 2i , 11b ) (except in J. australis where the smaller spine is greatly reduced [ Fig. 12b ]). Tibia about as long as wide, with 2–3 long prolateral bristles and two distal apophyses— RVTA short, bluntly beak-like ventrally, widest in lateral view and extended dorsally into a more or less pointed process; RDTA a short, concave, pointed process. Patella about as long as wide with a dorsal bristle.

Epigynum ( Fig. 9c–g ). Fossa divided or undivided ( J. australis — Fig. 12c ); divided fossae with a sclerotized longitudinal septum, enlarged posteriorly as a prominent ventral protuberance varying in shape from a rounded knob to a narrow, keel-like ridge. Internal genitalia simple, with a pair of copulatory ducts opening anterolaterally and curving dorsally above the spermathecae; spermathecae globose and separated, wider than copulatory ducts and placed in middle or posterior half of fossa (visible through cuticle).

Spinnerets ( Figs 3a–f , 4e ). Cribellar plate bipartite, each field about 4.5× as wide as long and separated by a moderately wide seam (about 0.3× a field width); seam and posterior plate margin strongly sclerotized, latter medially indented. In male, cribellum almost as wide as in female with small, non-functional fields. Spigots (female, J. johnnoblei — KS59252). ALS: 2 MAP spigots, mesal, adjacent, unequal; c. 65 piriform spigots; PMS: 1 mAP with 5–6 fused paracribellar bases (each with c. 6–11 spigots) grouped anteroectally around mAP; 13 aciniform spigots (1 anterior, rest distributed); 1 cylindrical spigot; PLS: c. 30 aciniform spigots, distributed; 1 subapical “modified PLS” spigot flanked by 3 paracribellar spigots, all free; 2 cylindrical spigots (1 basal, 1 subapical).

Included species. Jamberoo johnnoblei n.sp., J. australis n.sp., J. boydensis n.sp., and J. actensis n.sp.

Remarks.

In Jamberoo spp. the conductor is of the unmodified “T-shaped” type, the limbs of the T showing some specific size variation. The bipartite median apophysis is distinctive, typically consisting of a fleshy medial process and a sclerotized, bifurcate spiniform (“claw-like”) lateral process. The epigynal fossa is typically divided by a well-defined, sclerotized septum terminating posteriorly in a prominent ventral protuberance (this protuberance may be broken off or obscured, along with the fossae openings, by mating plug secretions). Jamberoo australis varies from this typical plan—the fossa lacks a septum and the smaller spine of the lateral MA “claw” is greatly reduced. Such intrageneric genitalic variation has also been noted in other borraline genera— Therlinya , Pillara and Elleguna .

Figures

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. 10. Jamberoo boydensis. (a,b), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. (c–f), epigynum: c,d, ventral (KS34761, KS34759); e, lateral (KS34759); f, dorsal—internal genitalia (KS10256). Scale lines 0.5 mm: upper, a,b; lower, c–f.

Fig. 11. Jamberoo actensis. (a,b), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral. (c–e), epigynum (KS60770): c, ventral; d, lateral; e, dorsal—internal genitalia. Scale lines 0.5 mm: upper, a,b; lower, c–e.

Fig. 12. Jamberoo australis. (a,b), male palp (holotype): a, ventral; b, retrolateral (arrow to spicule on lateral process of MA). (c–e), epigynum: c, ventral, d, lateral (KS77020); e, dorsal—internal genitalia (KS46081). Scale lines 0.5 mm: upper, a,b; lower, c–e.

Fig. 9. Jamberoo johnnoblei. (a,b), male palp: a, ventral (holotype); b, retrolateral (KS46335). (c–g), epigynum: c, ventral, d, lateral (KS84010); e,f, plugged and damaged (KS69656); e, ventral; f, lateral; g, dorsal—internal genitalia (KS69656). Scale lines 0.5 mm: upper lines, a,b; lower line, c–g.

Fig. 3. a–i, Jamberoo johnnoblei (KS55724, female).(a–f), spinnerets:a, spinneret field and spiracle; b, cribellum; c, ALS (LHS); d, PMS (LHS); e, PLS (RHS); f, PLS, apical (RHS). (g–i), tarsal sensillae: g, hair types, ventral; h, tarsal organ; i, trichobothrium and cuticular sculpturing. (j,k), serrate accessory claw setae, tarsus I (arrows): j, J. johnnoblei (Mogo SF, NSW); k, Stiphidion facetum (KS53620).

Fig. 4. a–g, Jamberoo johnnoblei (Royal National Park, NSW): (a–e), body, subadult male; (f,g), eyes, female. a, carapace; b, sternum and mouthparts; c,d, abdomen, dorsal and ventral; e, spinnerets, ventral; f, eye group, anterior; g, PME tapetum. (h–j), Stiphidion facetum, female: h, eyes, left side; i, PME tapetum (Hornsby, NSW); j, PLE tapetum (Jenolan, NSW).