Jotus auripes L. Koch, 1881

Baehr, Barbara C., Schubert, Joseph & Harms, Danilo, 2019, The Brushed Jumping Spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Jotus L. Koch, 1881) from Eastern Australia, Evolutionary Systematics 3 (1), pp. 53-73 : 53

Jotus auripes L. Koch, 1881 Figs 4A-E, 12A, 13A, 14 Golden-thighed Brushed Jumping Spider

Jotus auripes L. Koch, 1881a: pp. 1243-1245, pl. 107, figs 1 a–d.

Material examined.

Lectotype male: AUSTRALIA: New South Wales, Sydney [ca. 33°51'S, 151°12'E] (ZMH-A0001633; GODEFFROY Nr. 8636); 2 paralectotypes male & 1 paralectotype juvenile: same data (MV, GODEFFROY Nr. 8636); coll. C.F.E. Dämel.

Diagnosis.

Males of Jotus auripes differ from congeners by femora I and II comparably thick (0.5 as wide as long) and covered prolaterally with a field of orange setae, pedipalp patella densely covered with long white setae (Fig. 1D), tibia and cymbium densely covered with long iridescent setae and bulb with extremely small embolic disc (Figs 1D, 12A).

Description.

Male (Lectotype ZMH-A0001633).

Total length 4.8.

Prosoma. Length 2.6, width 1.8; carapace dark brown; front covered with long white setae, eye region with white and golden setae; lateral margin and central dot with white setae, (Figs 1D, E); sternum length 1.2, width 0.8, pale (Fig. 4B).

Eyes (Figs 1D, E). Diameter of AME: 0.47; ALE: 0.32; PME: 0.26; PLE: 0.08. Front eyes with fringe of white setae.

Eye rows (Fig. 4A). Anterior 1.68 wide, posterior 1.46 wide.

Clypeus (Fig. 1D). Length 0.3, covered with long white setae.

Chelicerae. Medium brown, paturon with 0 prolateral and 1 retrolateral tooth.

Labium. Pale, with lighter anterior rim (Fig. 4B)

Endites. Pale, with lighter anterior rim (Fig. 4B).

Legs. Reddish brown slightly annulated all tarsi white. Femur I, II covered with a prolateral field of orange setae, tibia and metatarsus I with long dark setae prolaterally (Figs 1D, E).

Opisthosoma. Length 2.2, width 1.5; with dark median band and lateral bands with white setae (Fig. 1E). Venter and spinnerets cinnamon brown (Fig. 4B).

Pedipalps (Figs 4 C–E, 12A). Pedipalp femur with a cluster of long bright white setae dorsally (Figs 1D, E); tibia longer than wide, covered with long scaled setae except ventral part; retrolateral tibial apophysis finger-shaped, tip serrated; cymbium oval, covered with long scaled, iridescent setae, tip stout with distal scopula. Embolic disc small, wider than long, with smooth, narrow rim and semicircular embolus, tip pointed, accompanied by semicircular conductor (Fig. 12A arrow).

Female unknown.

Distribution.

Jotus auripes L. Koch, 1881 was originally described from Sydney (Fig. 14). According to the Atlas of Living Australia (online at https://bie.ala.org.au/) this species is widespread in mesic eastern Australia between Tasmania and southern Queensland but many of these records are based on observations and cannot be confirmed.

Remarks.

Koch probably described this species from multiple males although the original description does not state the number of specimens. The specimens at ZMH and MV share the same Godeffroy number and the Museum Godeffroy sold the specimens to the MV as “duplicates” in 1877 after L. Koch returned them to Hamburg. All specimens are syntypes and were probably collected by Eduard Dämel from New South Wales between 1871-1875. The MV specimens carry the access label "Recd: 25.2.88".