Australophantes Tanasevitch, 2012

Tanasevitch, Andrei V. & Stenchly, Kathrin, 2012, On linyphiid spiders from Sulawesi, Indonesia (Arachnida, Araneae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 119 (2), pp. 169-180 : 171-172

Australophantes Tanasevitch gen. n.

TYPE SPECIES: Agyneta laetesiformis Wunderlich, 1976 .

ETYMOLOGY: The genus name Australophantes is a combination of “ Australia ” and “ phantes ” (from the Greek υφαίνω = hyphaino, which means “to weave”); the gender is masculine.

DIAGNOSIS: The new genus is characterized by the peculiar structure of its epigyne, notably by the modified distal part of the scape (see Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996): lateral lobes transformed into elongated pipes, terminating in a funnel-shaped bursa copulatrix; by the presence of a pair of flat lobes instead of a stretcher; as well as by the absence of a posterior median plate. The male is characterized by the hummingbird-beak-shaped distal suprategular apophysis, by the peculiar and complex shape of the embolus, as well as by the absence of the Fickert’s gland in the embolic division.

DESCRIPTION: Small-sized micronetine, total length 1.70-1.95. Carapace unmodified, eyes normal, not enlarged. Chelicerae unmodified, stridulatory fields large, furrows fine. Chaetotaxy: FeI-IV: 0-0-0-0; TiI-IV: 2-0-0-0; MtI-II: 1-0-0-0, III-IV: 0-0-0-0. Metatarsus IV without trichobothrium. TmI 0.27-0.30. Palp (Figs 2-5): patella without special setae. Cymbium with a small and narrow posterodorsal process and a short posteroventral outgrowth. Paracymbium toothless, its anterior and apical pockets merged into a single deep pocket. Distal suprategular apophysis long, thin and slightly curved, resembling the beak of a hummingbird. Embolic division: embolus relatively large, elongated and complex in shape (Fig. 5); terminal apophysis consisting of two flat parts; lamella characteristica developed as a short and narrow band, broom-shaped distally. Fickert’s gland absent. Epigyne (Figs 6): proscape long and narrow; lateral lobes extended into narrow pipes, terminating in a funnel-shaped bursa copulatrix; entrance grooves/tubes (?) in distal part of scape considerably wider than in middle part of scape and in proscape; a pair of flat lobes present instead of a stretcher; posterior median plate absent.

TAXONOMICAL REMARKS: The specific structure of the distal part of the scape (see above) in Australophantes gen. n. has no analogues in known Micronetinae . The relatives of this genus should be expected to occur in the Australian and Pacific regions.

SPECIES INCLUDED: Only the type species, A. laetesiformis .

DISTRIBUTION: Australian Region and Wallacea: Australia (Queensland) and

Sulawesi ( Kulawi Valley ) .