Stephanopis fissifrons Rainbow, 1920

Machado, Miguel, Teixeira, Renato Augusto & Milledge, Graham A., 2019, On the Australian Bark Crab Spider Genus Stephanopis: Taxonomic Review and Description of Seven New Species (Araneae: Thomisidae: Stephanopinae), Records of the Australian Museum 71 (6), pp. 217-276 : 249-251

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3853/j.2201-4349.71.2019.1698
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7EDBAB7F-0E3B-47D7-AA29-0906728ADA05
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/26714D71-FF91-FFD4-041E-FB76FEDBF874
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Stephanopis fissifrons Rainbow, 1920
status

Treatment

Stephanopis fissifrons Rainbow, 1920 View in CoL

Figs 25–26 View Figure 25 View Figure 26

Stephanopis fissifrons Rainbow, 1920: 253 View in CoL , pl. 29, figs 67–68.

Type material examined. Syntypes: Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia , AMS KS.6682, 1♂, 1♀, 31°33'S 159°05'E, A. M. Lea, December 1915 GoogleMaps to January 1916; SAM NN262 View Materials , 13 juveniles, 31°30'S 159°4'E, December 1915 GoogleMaps to January 1916; SAM NN26 View Materials , 1♀, 31°30'S 159°4'E, December 1915 GoogleMaps to January 1916.

Other material examined. Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia : AMS KS.86884, 1♀, 31°31'49"S 159°04'38"E GoogleMaps , T. Kingston & B. Miller, 19 September 1978 ; AMS KS.86886, 1♀, 8 February 1980 ; AMS KS.86885, 1♂, 31°32'05"S 159°04'23"E, 26 October 1978 GoogleMaps ; AMS KS.76088, 1♂, 31°32'51"S 159°05'10"E GoogleMaps , AMS staff, 26 November–3 December 2000 ; AMS KS.83210, 1♀, 31°33'S 159°05'E, M. Gray, February 1971 GoogleMaps ; AMS KS.90928, 1♂, H. M. Smith, 3 December 2000 ; AMS KS.84026, 1♀, 31°33'15"S 159°04' 50"E, J. Tarnawski, 20 February 2001 GoogleMaps ; AMS KS.8403, 2♀♀, 31°33'19.19"S 159°4'55.63"E, M. Gray, February 1971 GoogleMaps ; AMS KS.83209, 1♀, 31°33'48"S 159°05'12"E GoogleMaps ; KS.108719, 1♂ ; AMS KS.86883, 1♀, 31°34'47"S 159°04'34"E GoogleMaps , T. Kingston , 26 April 1979 ; AMS KS.108703, 1♂, 31°34'59.00"S 159°4'51.00"E GoogleMaps , T. Kingston , 29 March 1979 ; AMS KS.84023, 1♀, Ball’s Pyramid , 31°45'8.03"S 159°14'58.38"E GoogleMaps , T. Kingston , 21 January 1980 ; AMS KS.51686, 1♂, Jamberoo Mountain , 34°39'S 150°46'E, J. Noble, 20 April 1995 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Females of S. fissifrons resemble those of S. lata in having a trapezoid opisthosoma, prosoma as long as wide and triad of projections on the dorsal surface of their anterior patellae and tibiae (I and II). However, they can be distinguished by their smoother and more flattened habitus ( Fig. 25A View Figure 25 ), absence of cephalic prominence ( Fig. 25B View Figure 25 ), discrete dorsal leg projections and CO positioned on the posterior border of the epigynal plate ( Fig. 25C View Figure 25 ). Male palpi are similar to those of S. lata , however they differ by the discrete Pcym and trapezoid RTA instead of an acute one ( Fig. 26C View Figure 26 ), rounded tegulum and thick cymbium ( Fig. 26D View Figure 26 ). Moreover, males of S. fissifrons have long, thin and smooth femora and tibiae ( Fig. 26A View Figure 26 ) instead of the armed and robust legs of S. lata males.

Description. Female (AMS KS.84037): Eyes arranged in a recurved anterior row ( Fig 25A View Figure 25 ) and a straight posterior one ( Fig. 25B View Figure 25 ). Prosoma and legs predominantly reddish-brown except by the proximal part of the posterior femora, which are yellow ( Fig. 25A View Figure 25 ); tibiae I and II ventrally armed with four pairs of macrosetae. Opisthosoma brown with many lighter circular maculae on its dorsum; trapezoid. Epigynum in dorsal view presents a pair of globose anterior chambers, glandular-heads disposed sideways and spermathecae beanshaped ( Fig. 25D View Figure 25 ).

Measurements: eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.09, ALE 0.20, PME 0.14, PLE 0.14, AME–AME 0.14, AME–ALE 0.18, PME–PME 0.25, PME–PLE 0.15, MOQ length 0.46, width 0.31; leg formula: 1-2-4-3: leg I—femur 3.70/ patella 1.89/ tibia 2.76/ metatarsus 1.84/ tarsus 0.95/ total 11.14; II—3.51/ 1.70/ 2.49/ 1.67/0.95/ 10.32; III—2.26/ 1.10/ 1.80/ 1.19/ 0.55/ 6.90; IV—2.64/ 1.02/ 1.86/ 1.30/ 0.71/ 7.53. Total body length 7.59; prosoma length 3.93, width 3.58; opisthosoma length 3.66; clypeus height 0.25; sternum length 1.78, width 1.41; gnathocoxae length 0.98, width 0.47; labium length 0.55, width 0.63.

Male (AMS KS.86882): Eye arrangement as in female ( Fig. 26B View Figure 26 ). Prosoma covered by hyaline setae, entirely brown with darker marks on the sides of the cephalic portion ( Fig. 26A View Figure 26 ). Anterior legs (I and II) entirely brown and posterior ones (III and III) yellow only on the proximal half of the femora ( Fig. 26A View Figure 26 ). Embolus short, curved on itself ( Fig. 26C View Figure 26 ).

Measurements: eye diameters and interdistances: AME 0.10, ALE 0.15, PME 0.13, PLE 0.13, AME–AME 0.10, AME–ALE 0.08, PME–PME 0.16, PME–PLE 0.11, MOQ length 0.37, width 0.29; leg formula: 1-2-4-3: leg I—femur 2.33/ patella 1.12/ tibia 1.70/ metatarsus 1.14/ tarsus 0.68/ total 6.97; II—2.06/ 1.06/ 1.51/ 1.01/0.61/ 6.25; III—1.20/ 0.62/ 0.88/ 0.56/ 0.47/ 3.73; IV—1.43/ 0.58/ 0.91/ 0.66/ 0.44/ 4.02. Total body length 4.57; prosoma length 2.22, width 2.10; opisthosoma length 2.35; clypeus height 0.21; sternum length 0.92, width 0.87; gnathocoxae length 0.49, width 0.28; labium length 0.26, width 0.39.

Distribution. Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia ( Fig. 35 View Figure 35 ).