Notsodipus visio, PLATNICK, 2000

PLATNICK, NORMAN I., 2000, A Relimitation And Revision Of The Australasian Ground Spider Family Lamponidae (Araneae: Gnaphosoidea), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2000 (245), pp. 1-328 : 287-288

Notsodipus visio , new species

Figures 702–705 ; Map 78

TYPES: Male holotype and female allotype taken in Eucalyptus wandoo litter at Mount Observation , 318549S, 1168339E, Western Australia (Aug. 13, 1994; M. Harvey, M. Blosfelds), deposited in WAM (96/1550, 1551) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

DIAGNOSIS: This aberrant species (and its hypothesized sister taxon, N. blackall , new species) are easily distinguished from all oth­ er Notsodipus by the very small size and very narrow abdomen. Males have a uniquely developed tegular lobe (figs. 702, 703); females of both have a distinctively elongat­ ed epigynum (figs. 592, 704) that nevertheless has the posteriorly directed duct extensions found in other species of the genus; in N. visio , the median ducts are much shorter than in N. blackall (fig. 705).

MALE: Total length 1.8. Abdominal dorsum long, narrow, dark gray with scattered white hairlines under full scutum, venter pale white with large rectangular orange scutum covering most of surface behind epigastric furrow. Legs without spines. Retrolateral tibial apophysis incised at tip (fig. 703); tegular knob enormously enlarged into distinctive apophysis (fig. 702).

FEMALE: Total length 1.9. Coloration as in male except dorsal and ventral abdominal scuta absent. Legs without spines. Epigynum long, atrium situated anteriorly, with two anterior hoods (fig. 704); median ducts relatively short, with short, posteriorly directed extensions (fig. 705).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: South Australia: 79 km NNW Renmark, 318319S, 1408249E, Aug. 9–Sept. 7, 1995, intercept trap (K. Pullen, QMB), 1?. Western Australia: Trigg Dune Bush, 318539S, 1168469E, Sept. 25–Nov. 28, 1995, pitfall (M. Harvey,

288 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NO. 245

J. Waldock, WAM 96 /717), 1 ?; near York, 318539S, 1168469E, Nov. 16, 1991, powderbark leaf litter (J. Bannister, WAM 96 /716), 1 ?.

DISTRIBUTION: Despite the large geographic gap between them, I’ve found no characters by which to distinguish the South Australian male from those known from southwestern Australia (map 78).

Figures

Map 78. Records of Notsodipus visio, new species (circles), and N. blackall, new species (square).

Figs. 702–705. Notsodipus visio, new species. 702. Left male palp, ventral view. 703. Same, retro­ lateral view. 704. Epigynum, ventral view. 705. Same, dorsal view.