Helpis abnormis, Żabka, 2002

Żabka, Marek, 2002, Salticidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from the Oriental, Australian and Pacific Regions, XV. New Species of Astieae from Australia, Records of the Australian Museum 54, pp. 257-268 : 259

Helpis abnormis n.sp.

Fig. 3

Type material. HOLOTYPE Australia: Queensland: 3, Mt Lewis Rd , 11.3 km by road E of Mossman –Mt Molloy Rd, 16°35'31"S 145°16'15"E, rainforest, 20 Apr 1998, G. Milledge, AMS KS38811 .

Diagnosis. Differs from other species of Helpis by very distinctive palpal organ structure, longer and thinner legs.

Description

Male. Cephalothorax ( Fig. 3E) brown, eye field and median thorax slightly lighter. Fovea region, sides and anterior part of eye field with clusters of white hairs. Brown bristles sparse, more numerous anteriorly. Abdomen macerated. Clypeus brown with sparse white and a few darker hairs. Chelicerae brown with lighter apices, promargin with 5, retromargin with 6 teeth ( Fig. 3D). Maxillae and labium brown with lighter apices. Sternum smudged orange. Legs I long and slender ( Fig. 3C), tarsi yellow, other podomeres brown, tibiae with 4 and metatarsi with 2 pairs of ventrolateral spines. Other legs similar in colour but more greyish, proximal parts of femora lighter dorsally and ventrally, following podomeres with darker and lighter bands around them. Palpal organ ( Fig. 3A,B). Tibial apophysis massive, curved ventrally, furcate at the top. Tegulum with posterior lobe and thin seminal duct across it. Embolus dagger-like. Dimensions: CL 2.39, EFL 1.04, AEW 1.66, PEW 1.40, CW 1.92, AL 2.96.

Distribution ( Fig. 2). Known only from type-locality.

Etymology. For abnormal palpal organ structure.