Karaops nyamal Crews, 2013

Crews, Sarah C., 2023, But wait, there's more! Descriptions of new species and undescribed sexes of flattie spiders (Araneae, Selenopidae, Karaops) from Australia, ZooKeys 1150, pp. 1-189 : 1

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1150.93760
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A38C5FB6-9F66-4F85-8788-AAA53D21704D
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4B65DF0D-F213-5F03-99F4-C4D03E382015
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Karaops nyamal Crews, 2013
status

Treatment

Karaops nyamal Crews, 2013 View in CoL

Figs 59F View Figure 59 , 60C, D View Figure 60 , 61C-J View Figure 61 , Maps 1 View Map 1 , 9A, B View Map 9

Karaops nyamal Crews, 2013: 464, figs 31, 32 (♀, examined).

Diagnosis.

Karaops nyamal is similar to other species found in the Pilbara and Gascoyne region but can be differentiated by the genitalia. The copulatory openings are located beneath an m-shaped hood centrally on the epigynal plate (Fig. 60C View Figure 60 ). The epigyne is most similar to that of Karaops burbidgei ( Crews and Harvey 2011: fig. 38), K. karrawarla (Fig. 55D View Figure 55 ), and some specimens of K. martamarta (Fig. 49C View Figure 49 ). Karaops nyamal differs from these by the endogyne. In K. burbidgei , the spermathecae and accessory bulbs are oval to round and not located on the copulatory ducts, and the copulatory ducts are short. In K. karrawarla , the posterior part of each spermatheca is allantoid and the anterior part is round, and the accessory bulbs are found beyond where ducts turn 180° from anterior to posterior. In K. martamarta , the copulatory ducts are long, and the spermathecae look like dumbbells. The copulatory ducts curve gently inward then outward, connecting to the spermathecae in the center, narrow part (Fig. 49C-F View Figure 49 ). In K. nyamal , the curvature of the copulatory ducts is more severe, the accessory bulbs are located at the top of the curve, there is no narrow part between the anterior and posterior part of the spermathecae, and the copulatory duct connects to the anterior part (Figs 60C, D, F, H, I View Figure 60 ).

Description.

The description of the female can be found in Crews (2013).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Known from the type locality in the Northern Pilbara, Western Australia.

Natural history.

This species is only known from the type locality in the Pilbara ecoregion, Chichester subregion. This subregion consists of basalt ranges with a shrubby steppe on the plains and snappy gum steppes on the ranges. The climate is semi-desert-tropical, with the wettest months being December-March, the driest August-October, highest temperature November-March, and lowest temperatures May-September. All of the specimens collected are adult females, and they were collected by pitfall traps set from March 31-May 7, a time of transition to drying/cooling, from wettest/hottest in March.

Discussion.

The genitalia of the holotype female (WAM T107697) is illustrated for ease of comparison with similar species (Figs 59C View Figure 59 , 60C, D View Figure 60 ). The genitalia of the paratype female (WAM T107698) and others (Fig. 61C-M View Figure 61 ) are illustrated to show variation from the holotype (Fig. 61D, F, H, I View Figure 61 ). There is variation in the shape of the accessory bulb and the spaces between the turns of the copulatory ducts. The Chichester subregion is a center of endemism for many, many taxa. Despite several hours looking for the species, none were found, and what was collected nearby was another species. Permission to go to the type locality was not granted because of the large Mt. Webber Iron Ore Mine, which opened in 2013. The habitat and landforms have been severely altered by mining in this area (Suppl. material 2: table S1).