Karaops jarrit, Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 27-30

Karaops jarrit sp. n. Figs 23-26Map 6

Type material.

Holotype male (WAM T55003): 11 km NW of Roe’s Rock (16A), Fitzgerald River National Park, 33°57'47"S, 119°16'39"E, Western Australia, Austral ia, XI.1996, A. Saunders. Paratype: conveyor #2, Worsley Alumina Overland Conveyor Belt, SW of Boddington, 33°07'43"S, 116°07'34"E, Western Australia, Australia, 8.VI.2007, J. Hynes, 1♀ (WAM T87168).

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Duncraig, 31°50'S, 115°47'E, 17.XII.1987, D. Robinson, 1♀ (WAM T93/1329); 24.2 km WNW of Quindanning, Worsley Alumina conveyor #1, 32°59'52.6"S, 116°19'05.3"E, 30.XI.2009, J. Hynes, 1♂ (WAM T99505); 33.5 km W. of Quindanning, Worsley Alumina conveyor #1, 33°02'34.3"S, 116°12'36.9"E, 1.XII.2009, J. Hynes, 1♂ (WAM T99504); 26.8 km NW of Quindanning, Worsley Alumina conveyor #1, 33°00'38.5"S, 116°17'14.2"E, 9.XII.2009, J. Hynes, 1♂ (WAM T99759); 23.8 km NW of Quindanning, Worsley Alumina conveyor #1, 32°59'42.8"S, 116°19'28.3"E, 9.XII.2009, J. Hynes, 1♂ (WAM T99760); 24.3 km NW of Quindanning, Worsley Alumina conveyor #1, 32°59'53.3"S, 116°19'03.0"E, 9.XII.2009, J. Hynes, 1♂ (WAM T99761).

Etymology.

The specific name comes from the Nyoongar jarrit, meaning jarrah. Jarrah trees ( Eucalyptus marginata ) are common throughout the area where this species is found. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Males of this species can be separated from all other species except Karaops raveni sp. n. by having unpaired spines on Ti I and II, and can be separated from Karaops raveni by having the MA with a quadrangular base. Females can be separated from other species by the a diamond shaped median septum, small posterodorsal folds, and coiled internal ducts (Figs 23-26).

Remarks.

Though the male and female have not been collected together, it is clear from their morphologies that they are the same species. Additionally, and interestingly, this species is morphologically similar to Karaops raveni sp. n. and Karaops marrayagong sp. n. from eastern Australia. The cephalothorax of all three species is strongly flattened, giving the habitus a very truncate, or short and squat, appearance. The females have 5 paired spines on the ventral tibiae I and II, and 3 pairs on the metatarsi, whereas the male has either 4 or 5 spines (unpaired) on tibiae I and II, and no spines on the ventral surface of the metatarsi, though the male of Karaops marrayagong sp. n. is unknown.

Description.

Male (holotype):Color: carapace yellow-brown, with slightly darker marks laterally; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae uniformly dark red-brown; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with darker markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs uniformly pale red-brown. Cephalothorax:setae long and thin, carapace strongly flattened; 0.75 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER slightly recurved; PER recurved; PME same size as AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.81; eye diameters, AME 0.21, ALE 0.21, PME 0.12, PLE 0.3; interdistances AME-ALE 0.34, PME-PLE 0.25, ALE-PLE 0.15, AME-PME 0.05; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.59, PME-PME 1.08; clypeus 0.12 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.66 times longer than broad, p osteriorly indented. Pedipalp:femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 2; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 2 processes, dorsal apophysis long and slender, curved ventrally in lateral view, pointed at tip, slightly bent laterally at tip in ventral view, ventral apophysis broad and blunt, rounded to quadrangular distally; retrolateral basal cymbial process absent; cymbial scopulae absent; cymbium round to triangular, angled bottom right; conductor large, slightly crescent shaped, with slightly rounded to triangular processes, one in the center of the bulb, and two near the tip, one atop the other, the top one more pointed and directed ventrally; embolus very long and slender, arising off of a large ovoid base and tapering abruptly, beginning at 6 o’clock, terminating at 2 o’clock; MA ovoid, with a single finger-like process arising medially, directed ventrolaterally, MA only lightly sclerotized (Figs 23-24). Legs:leg I much shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 2341; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claws with c. 10-15 teeth, rl claws lacking teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 1 –1–1– 1, or d 0, v 1 –1–1–1– 1; Mt 0; Ti and Mt I and II with very weak spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti absent; Mt 0; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:without tufts of setae, but hairs worn off. Dimensions: Total length 5.31. Cephalothorax length 2.61, width 3.50. Sternum length 0.66, width 1.00. Abdomen length 2.72, width 2.86. Pedipalp: Fm 0.97, Pt 0.54, Ti 0.50, Ta 0.83, (total) 2.84. Leg I: Fm 3.94, Pt 1.57, Ti 3.93, Mt 3.33, Ta 1.43, (total) 14.20. Leg II: Fm 6.67, Pt 1.87, Ti 6.24, Mt 5.96, Ta 2.02, (total) 22.76. Leg III: Fm 6.14, Pt 1.60, Ti 5.18, Mt 4.89, Ta 1.77, (total) 19.58. Leg IV: Fm 4.81, Pt 1.29, Ti 4.18, Mt 4, Ta 1.56, (total) 15.84.

Female (paratype): Color: carapace yellow-brown, with slightly darker marks laterally and medially; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae yellow-brown; labium pale yellow-brown, lightening distally; abdomen dorsally dark grey with lighter cardiac area and lighter patches laterally and posteriorly; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs: femora prolaterally with dark annulations connected along the length giving the appearance of dark grey femora with four yellow spots, patellae and tibiae with annulations, retrolaterally and dorsally dark, ventrally yellow to yellow-brown, metatarsus and tarsus dark. Cephalothorax: setae long and thin, carapace strongly flattened; 0.72 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; AME slightly larger than PME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.53; eye diameters, AME 0.19, ALE 0.10, PME 0.17, PLE 0.29; interdistances AME-ALE 0.40, PME-PLE 0.33, ALE-PLE 0.29, AME-PME 0.08; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.19; clypeus 0.06 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.68 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present with less than 6 teeth. Legs:leg I much shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; pr claws with c. 10 teeth, rl claws with none; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 1 –0– 0; mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 1-1; Mt 1-0. Abdomen:terminal setal tufts present. Epigyne:two lobes surrounding median area, giving the median field a long diamond shaped appearance, truncated posteriorly, copulatory openings located anterolaterally, at sides of median field, epigynal pockets absent, very small posterodorsal fold barely covering bottom of internal ducts, spermathecae ovoid, located anteriorly, ducts coiled, with the anterior most coil flattened, fertilization ducts located posteriorly (Figs 25-26). Dimensions: Total length 6.21. Cephalothorax length 2.67, width 3.70. Sternum length 1.40, width 2.06. Abdomen length 3.54, width 3.52. Pedipalp: Fm 0.94, Pt 0.57, Ti 0.61, Ta 0.84, (total) 2.06. Leg I: Fm 3.26, Ti 2.79, Mt 2.38, Ta 0.99, (total) 10.80. Leg II: Fm 4.59, Pt 1.47, Ti 3.62, Mt 2.96, Ta 1.22, (total) 13.86. Leg III: Fm 5.15, Pt 1.44, Ti 3.73, Mt 2.93, Ta 1.38, (total) 14.63. Leg IV: Fm 4.25, Pt 1.15, Ti 3.05, Mt 2.64, Ta 1.09, (total) 12.18.

Natural history.

Found in pitfall traps, and at night along overland conveyors.

Distribution.

Near the south and west coasts of southwestern Australia (Map 6).