Diahogna Roewer, 1960

Framenau, Volker W., 2006, Revision of the wolf spider genus Diahogna Roewer, 1960 (Araneae, Lycosidae), Journal of Natural History 40 (5 - 6), pp. 273-292 : 275-279

Diahogna Roewer, 1960

Type species. Lycosa martensii Karsch, 1878 . By original designation.

Diagnosis

Diahogna differs from all other wolf spider genera by the following combination of somatic and genitalic characters. The dorsal carapace profile is straight in lateral view ( Figure 2B ), the carapace itself is uniformly brown with a lighter area medially, sometimes in the form of a Y-shaped median band ( Figure 1 A–D). The row of the AE is straight or slightly procurved and wider than the row of the PME ( Figure 2C ). The row of the PLE is much wider than that of the PME giving the spider a pisaurid appearance ( Figures 1 A–D, 2A). The abdomen is uniformly brown to olive-grey, a lanceolate heart mark can be present. Unique within the Australasian Lycosidae , in particular in contrast to the affiliated Artoria , Tetralycosa , Anoteropsis , and Notocosa , the tegulum of the male pedipalp is drawn out apically, i.e. it has a distinct apical tip ( Figures 2E , 5A , 7A , 9A). The tegular apophysis points apically or retrolaterally and has a truncated tip. The epigyne forms a heavily sclerotised plate without a clearly distinguishable median septum.

Description

Medium-sized wolf spiders (TL ca 6.0–14.0 mm). Males smaller than females. Carapace longer than wide, dorsal profile straight in lateral view ( Figure 2B ). Head flanks in frontal view a gentle slope ( Figure 2C ). Carapace brown, medially lighter (sometimes in the form of a Y-shaped median band) and with marginal or submarginal light bands enhanced by white setae. Anterior median eyes generally larger than anterior lateral eyes (of equal size in male D. pisauroides ), row of anterior eyes wider than row of posterior median eyes; row of anterior eyes straight or slightly procurved. Chelicerae with three promarginal and three (rarely two or four) retromarginal teeth. Labium generally longer than wide (except female D. exculta and male D. pisauroides ). Abdomen olive-grey with light lanceolate heart mark formed by white setae. Leg formula VI.I.II>III ( VI.III.I.II in male D. exculta ). Spination of legs: femur: two or three dorsal, one apicoprolateral, zero or two retrolateral; patella: zero or one prolateral; tibia one to three ventral pairs (basal pairs sometimes reduced to one or no spine), zero or one prolateral; metatarsus: three ventral pairs, one apicoventral.

Tegulum longitudinally divided, retrolateral part narrow in ventral view. Tegular apophysis located retrolaterally at apical tip of tegulum, without basal lobe. Embolus originating prolaterally on palea and curving ventrally around it, long and slender. Basoembolic apophysis forms a white or transparent, membranous lobe. Terminal apophysis with bulging base. Epigyne with a heavily sclerotised plate, with two small ( D. exculta , D. hildegardae ) or a single, wide opening ( D. martensii ). Spermathecae round or ovoid, copulatory ducts distinctly narrower than spermathecae.

Remarks

A recent molecular phylogeny inferred from 12S rRNA and NADH 1 including 70 worldwide lycosid species with the majority from the Australasian region, included D. pisauroides (as ‘‘New Genus 2 sp. ’’) as representative of Diahogna ( Murphy et al. 2006) . Independent of the phylogenetic analysis used (parsimony, Bayesian), D. pisauroides represented the sister taxon of Tetralycosa oraria (L. Koch, 1876) within a distinct Australasian/Pacific clade at the subfamily level. Morphologically, this clade is characterised by the presence of a unique basoembolic apophysis on the male pedipalp and had previously been argued to represent a new lycosid subfamily ( Framenau 2002; Vink 2002; Framenau et al. forthcoming). A formal description of this subfamily is forthcoming as part of my revision of the Australian Lycosidae .

Distribution

Australia and New Caledonia.

Figures

Figure 1. Photographs (dorsal view) of species of Diahogna. (A) Female of D. martensii (Karsch) from Blackmans Lagoon, Tasmania, Australia (QVMAG 13:42205); (B) female of D. exculta (L. Koch) from O’Brians Gap, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia (AM KS58056); (C) female of D. hildegardae n. sp. from Tambo River at Doctors Flat, Victoria, Australia (WAM T48116); (D) male holotype of D. pisauroides n. sp. from Adelaide River, Northern Territory, Australia (NTMAG A485). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 2. Male of Diahogna martensii (Karsch) from Cape Naturaliste, Tasmania, Australia (QVMAG 13:42218). (A, B) Carapace profile, dorsal and lateral views, respectively; (C) eye pattern in frontal view; (D) left male pedipalp, apical part of bulbus; (E, F) left male pedipalp, ventral and lateral views, respectively. Scale bar: 3.93 mm (A); 4.17 mm (B); 1.16 mm (C); 1.04 mm (D); 0.77 mm (E, F).

Figure 5. Diahogna exculta (L. Koch), male from Noumea, New Caledonia (MHNP 3877) and from O’Brians Gap, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia (AM KS58056). (A, B) Left pedipalp, ventral and lateral views, respectively; (C) left male pedipalp, apical part of bulbus; (D, E) female epigyne, ventral and dorsal views, respectively. Scale bar: 0.81 mm (A, B); 0.63 mm (C); 0.67 mm (D, E).

Figure 7. Diahogna pisauroides n. sp., male holotype from Adelaide River, Northern Territory, Australia (NTMAG A485). (A, B) Left pedipalp, ventral and lateral views, respectively; (C) left male pedipalp, apical part of bulbus. Scale bar: 0.68 mm (A, B); 0.37 mm (C).