Kangaraneus amblycyphus (Simon, 1908) Castanheira & Framenau, 2023

Castanheira, Pedro de S. & Framenau, Volker W., 2023, Kangaraneus, a new genus of orb-weaving spider from Australia (Araneae, Araneidae), Zoosystematics and Evolution 99 (2), pp. 307-323 : 307

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zse.99.101417
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F1A740F4-6BC2-44B4-9F9F-3222C428B23C
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1FA96010-688F-50A5-8709-35C725D7164F
treatment provided by	Zoosystematics and Evolution by Pensoft
scientific name	Kangaraneus amblycyphus (Simon, 1908)
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Kangaraneus amblycyphus (Simon, 1908) comb. nov.

Figs 6A-E View Figure 6 , 7A-D View Figure 7 , 8A-E View Figure 8 , 12 View Figure 12

Araneus amblycyphus Simon 1908: 427.

Araneus amblycyphus Simon, 1908.- Rainbow 1911: 182; Bonnet 1955: 432.

Type specimens.

Lectotype of Araneus amblycyphus Simon, 1908 (designated here): 1 female Busselton (33°38'S, 115°20'E, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA) (MNHN 13309), examined. Paralectotype: 1 juvenile, same locality (ZMB 13485), examined.

Other material examined.

AUSTRALIA - Australian Capital Territory • 1 female, Corin Dam , 57 km W of Canberra, 35°34'S, 148°50'E (AM KS.32942) GoogleMaps ; New South Wales • 1 female, Brooklana, W of Dorrigo , 30°16'S, 152°51'E (AM KS.34050) GoogleMaps ; • 1 male, Hornsby, Waitara Creek , 33°42'S, 151°05'E (AM KS.91125) GoogleMaps ; • 1 female, same data (AM KS.91105) GoogleMaps ; • 1 female, Howes Valley , 32°51'S, 150°51'E (AM KS.34043) GoogleMaps ; • 1 male, Jamberoo Mountain , 34°40'S, 150°43'E (AM KS.54098) GoogleMaps ; • 2 females, Scheyville, 33°36'S, 150°53'E (AM KS.98752); • 1 female, same data (AM KS.131276) GoogleMaps ; • 1 female, Sydney, 33°53'S, 151°13'E (NHM 1890.7.1.4139; paralectotype of K. arenaceus comb. nov.); • 1 female, 3 juveniles, Wilson River Flora Reserve, Bellangry State Forest , 31°18'S, 152°29'E (AM KS.9666) GoogleMaps ; Queensland • 1 female, Braemar State Forest , 27°13'S, 150°50'E (QM) GoogleMaps ; • 1 male, same locality (QM) GoogleMaps ; • 1 male, 6 juveniles, same locality (QM) GoogleMaps ; • 1 female, 1 juvenile, Camira, 27°38'S, 152°55'E (QM S2462); • 5 females, same locality (QM) GoogleMaps ; • 2 males, Malanda, SW, Lot 2, Meragallan Road , 17°25'S, 145°32'E (AM KS.86086) GoogleMaps ; • 1 male, same data (AM KS.131277) GoogleMaps ; • 1 male, Mt Lewis , 16°35'S, 145°17'E (QM) GoogleMaps ; • 1 male, Mulgowie, 27°43'S, 152°22'E (QM); • 1 female, Tweed River , 28°18'S, 153°27'E (AM KS.32649) GoogleMaps ; South Australia • 2 females, Dudley Conservation Park, Kangaroo Island , 35°48'S, 137°51'E, (SAM) GoogleMaps ; Victoria • 1 female, German Creek, near Bright , 36°43'S, 147°02'E (QM) GoogleMaps ; • 2 females, Snobs Creek , 37°15'S, 145°52'E (MV K-9440) GoogleMaps . Western Australia: • 2 males, 5 females, Stirling Range National Park, Moingup Spring , 34°24'S, 118°06'E (WAM T74424 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

Male K. amblycyphus comb. nov. can be distinguished from those of the very similar K. arenaceus comb. nov. by the double central protrusion on the median apophysis, the bubble-shaped terminal apophysis, and the shorter and thicker basal protrusion of the conductor with a lamellar apical protuberance (Figs 6A-E View Figure 6 , 7A-D View Figure 7 ). Females of K. amblycyphus comb. nov. can be differentiated from those of other Kangaraneus gen. nov. species by the epigyne scape not entirely covering the atrium (Fig. 8A, C View Figure 8 ).

Redescription.

Male (based on AM KS.131277). Total length 5.8. Carapace 2.6 long, 2.4 wide, light brown, anteriorly darker (Fig. 6A View Figure 6 ). Eye diameter AME 0.12, ALE 0.11, PME 0.15, PLE 0.13; row of eyes: AME 0.54, PME 0.46, PLE 1.0. Chelicerae light brown, basally mottled dark brown; with four promarginal teeth (second from base largest) and three retromarginal teeth of similar size. Legs light brown, mottled in dark brown mainly on femora (Fig. 6A, B View Figure 6 ). Leg length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 2.9 + 1.4 + 2.9 + 2.2 + 1.2 = 10.6, II - 1.9 + 1.2 + 2.3 + 1.8 + 1.1 = 8.3, III - 1.0 + 0.9 + 1.2 + 1.0 + 0.8 = 4.9, IV - 1.6 + 1.1 + 1.5 + 1.4 + 0.8 = 6.4. Labium 0.30 long, 0.43 wide, yellowish brown; maxillae yellowish brown (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Sternum 1.0 long, 0.9 wide, light brown with black radial shading (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Abdomen 2.8 long, 2.8 wide, oval with inconspicuous shoulder humps; dorsum with beige background and large olive-grey, irregular folium bordered anteriorly and posteriorly by brown bands, laterally beige with dark streaks (Fig. 6A View Figure 6 ); venter olive-grey, laterally with two pale bands (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Pedipalp (Figs 6C-E View Figure 6 , 7A-D View Figure 7 ) length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.7+ 0.2 + 0.3 + 1.1 = 2.3; paracymbium short, hook-like and slightly curved apically; median apophysis C-shaped, terminating in an acute tip, central protrusion accompanied by smaller bulge apically; radix comparatively slim; terminal apophysis elongate, slightly inflated and bubble-shaped, terminating in an acute spine-like tip; basal conductor lobe large; conductor prominent, bearing a strong protrusion tapering to a bifid tip; embolus short and elongate, heavily sclerotised with its tip curved apically.

Female (based on AM KS.131276): Total length 5.8. Carapace 2.7 long, 2.6 wide; dark brown, (Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ). Eye diameter AME 0.09, ALE 0.08, PME 0.10, PLE 0.07; row of eyes: AME 0.46, PME 0.41, PLE 1.15. Chelicerae dark brown, four promarginal teeth (second basal largest) and three retromarginal teeth of similar size. Legs brown with yellowish setae (Fig. 8A, B View Figure 8 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 0.9 + 0.5 + 0.7 + 0.8 = 2.9. Leg length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 3.4 + 1.5 + 2.8 + 2.2 + 1.0 = 10.9, II - 3.4 + 1.4 + 2.7 + 2.2 + 1.1 = 10.8, III - 1.7 + 0.9 + 1.4 + 1.0 + 0.7 = 5.7, IV - 2.4 + 1.1 + 1.5 + 1.4 + 0.8 = 7.2. Labium 0.22 long, 0.49 wide, beige; maxillae beige (Fig. 8B View Figure 8 ). Sternum 1.3 long, 1.2 wide, dark brown, with yellow streaks (Fig. 8B View Figure 8 ). Abdomen 3.9 long, 5.4 wide; dorsum with two conspicuous shoulder humps, uniformly beige with indistinct darker line between humeral humps (Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ); venter dark olive grey (Fig. 8B View Figure 8 ). Epigyne base almost circular, slightly wider than long, with large and elevated borders (Fig. 8C View Figure 8 ); central division narrow (Fig. 8E View Figure 8 ); scape elongate, longer than the epigyne base, with broad wrinkled base (Fig. 8C, D View Figure 8 ); spermathecae oval, almost as long as half of the epigyne length, copulatory ducts C-shaped and heavily sclerotised, copulatory openings near the base of scape (Fig. 4C, D View Figure 4 ).

Variation.

Males total length 3.2-5.8 (n = 4); females total length 3.5-6.0 (n = 7). There was little colour variation in male K. amblycyphus comb. nov. Some female specimens had a large white patch completely covering the ventral part of abdomen and/or a rounded white patch in the cardiac area, similar to males of K. arenaceus comb. nov. and K. farhani sp. nov.

Remarks.

There are only two syntypes for this species, one female deposited in Paris (MNHN 13309) and a juvenile deposited in Berlin (ZMB 13485), both from the type-locality of Busselton (Western Australia). We here designate the female as the lectotype of this species as the juvenile cannot be unequivocally identified and may be K. arenaceus comb. nov., which also occurs in Western Australia.

Life history and habitat preferences.

Mature specimens of K. amblycyphus comb. nov. were mainly collected between September and December with few specimens collected in February and April; the species therefore appears to be spring to early summer mature.

Habitat descriptions on the labels include "cypress and brigalow" and " Callitrus "; the species was also found in a "wasp nest".

Distribution.

The distribution of K. amblycyphus comb. nov. is very similar to that of K. arenaceus comb. nov. although it has been found much further north in Queensland. It occurs in all Australian states except Northern Territory and Tasmania (Fig. 12 View Figure 12 ).