Pillara coolahensis, Gray & Smith, 2004

Gray, M. R. & Smith, H. M., 2004, The “ Striped ” Group of Stiphidiid Spiders: Two New Genera from Northeastern New South Wales, Australia (Araneae: Stiphidiidae: Amaurobioidea), Records of the Australian Museum 56 (1), pp. 123-138 : 123-138

Pillara coolahensis n.sp.

Figs. 8b , 12a–d

Etymology. The speciesname istakenfrom the type locality.

Types. Australia, New South Wales. HOLOTYPE Ƌ KS75016, Coolah Tops NP, Breeza Lookout , 31°49'17"S 150°11'28"E, 7 Nov 2001, M. Gray, G. Milledge & H. Smith, fine sheet webs with retreats in earth banks and rotting logs . PARATYPES: ♀ KS75023, data as holotype; ƋƋ KS75017–9, KS75386, KS75402, ♀♀ KS75020–22, data as holotype; ♀♀ KS75024–5, ♀♀ KS75387, KS77103, Ƌ KS77104, Coolah Tops NP, Grass Tree Track, 31°44'06"S 150°00'05"E, 8 Nov 2001, M. Gray, G. Milledge & H. Smith, fine sheet webs with retreats in rotting logs; Ƌ, KS75400, ♀ KS75401, Coolah Tops NP, Bald Hill Track, 2.5 km from The Forest Rd, 31°45'S 150°01'E, 8 Nov 2001, M. Gray, G. Milledge & H. Smith, sheet webs, ♀ with eggsac .

Other material. Australia, New South Wales. ♀ KS75399, Coolah Tops NP, Grass Tree Track, data as KS75024, abdomen used for SEM .

Diagnosis. Large T-shaped conductor; tegular lobe and embolus origin retrolateral. Epigynum and fossa deeply sclerotized, fossa circular.

Male (holotype). BL 6.41, CL 3.06 (2.73–3.67), CW 2.24, CapW 1.39, EGW 0.82, LL 0.45, LW 0.46, SL 1.51, SW 1.37. Legs: 1423 (I: 15.25; II: 12.67; III: 9.75; IV: 12.83); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.57. Male Palp: ( Fig. 12a,b ). Cymbium with well-developed retrolateral flange. Ventral

process of RTA larger and set higher than curved dorsal process, angled at about 45° to each other. RVTA slender with a prominent retroapical tubercle which projects into the relatively wide gap between the tegular lobe and the subtegulum. Bulb wider than long. Tegular lobe placed retrolaterally, distally truncate, with the tightly looped part of sperm duct contained largely within the lobe. Conductor a large, weakly sclerotized to membraneous T-shaped fan, with stronger sclerotization confinedmainly toa corrugated lamina on the retrodorsal side of conductor stalk and the spine-like, ventrally curved, distal part of the conductor. Embolus long, strongly curved, origin retrolateral. Tegular window large, probasally placed. MA a thin, curved rod, distally sclerotized.

Female (KS75023). BL 8.58, CL 3.42 (2.45–3.35), CW 2.24, CapW 1.59, EGW 1.02, LL 0.53, LW 0.51, SL 1.63, SW 1.43. Legs: 1423 (I: 13.25; II: 10.67; III: 9.25; IV: 11.33); ratio tibia I length:CW = 1:0.65. Epigynum: ( Fig. 12c ). Fossa a sclerotized, circular pit with posterior groove, sometimes flanked by two small “dimples”. Internal genitalia (KS75025, Fig. 12d ). Copulatory ductsbroad, with wide openings along lateral fossa; spermathecae large, in broad contact medially.

Distribution. Known only from Coolah Tops NP, NSW.

Comments. The unique position of the palpal bulb in this species was at first thought to be due to torsion of the bulb during preservation. However, all males examined show the samebulb orientation, whichalsocorrelateswiththe T- shaped expansion of the conductor and the elongate embolus.

Figures

Fig. 8. Locality records for Borrala n.gen. (map a) and Pillara n.gen. (map b) species, northeastern New South Wales.

Fig. 12. Pillara coolahensis n.sp. (a,b) male palp (KS75016): (a) ventral, (b) retrolateral.(c–d) Female epigynum:(c) ventral (KS75020), (d) dorsal-internal genitalia (KS75025). Scale lines 0.5 mm.