Salsa recherchensis (Main, 1954) Framenau & Castanheira, 2022

Framenau, Volker W. & Castanheira, Pedro de S., 2022, Revision of the new Australasian orb-weaving spider genus Salsa (Araneae, Araneidae), ZooKeys 1102, pp. 107-148 : 107

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1102.82388
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BCA0CCE5-141D-46DA-9D65-0DCA6B74DE69
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4F086C14-0D76-547B-98A7-3EC1F4888CFC
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Salsa recherchensis (Main, 1954)
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Salsa recherchensis (Main, 1954) comb. nov.

Figs 5D View Figure 5 , 11 View Figure 11 , 17A-D View Figure 17 , 18A-G View Figure 18

Aranea recherchensis Main 1954: 41, pl. 3, figs 5, 8.

Type specimen.

Holotype female, Figure of Eight Island, Recherche Archipelago, (34°01'S, 122°14'E, Western Australia, Australia), 7 November 1950, V. Serventy (WAM 55/4984). Examined.

Other material examined.

34 males, 321 females, 175 juveniles (in 74 records) (see Suppl. material 1).

Diagnosis.

The genital morphology of male S. recherchensis comb. nov. is most similar to that of S. fuliginata comb. nov.; however, S. recherchensis comb. nov. males can be distinguished by the comparatively shorter median apophysis and the distinct basal spine-like prong on the terminal apophysis (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 vs. Fig. 17C View Figure 17 ). The epigyne of female S. recherchensis comb. nov. is most similar to that of S. fuliginata comb. nov. However, in ventral view, the epigyne plate of S. fuliginata comb. nov. is inconspicuous (Fig. 7F View Figure 7 ), whereas it is pronounced in S. recherchensis comb. nov. (Fig. 18C View Figure 18 ).

Redescription.

Male (based on WAM T73696). Total length 5.1. Carapace 2.9 long, 2.4 wide, brown, paler in cephalic area and with yellowish setae throughout (Fig. 17A View Figure 17 ). Eye diameter AME 0.18, ALE 0.14, PME 0.09, PLE 0.09; row of eyes: AME 0.50, PME 0.43, PLE 1.39. Chelicerae brown; with four promarginal teeth (second basal and apical largest) and three retromarginal teeth (basal largest). Legs brown, femora basally yellow-brown, except in leg I (Fig. 17A, B View Figure 17 ). Leg formula I> II> IV> III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 4.2 + 1.6 + 3.2 + 3.3 + 1.0 = 13.3, II - 3.4 + 1.3 + 2.2 + 2.8 + 1.0 = 10.7, III - 2.2 + 0.9 + 1.1 + 1.4 + 0.7 = 6.3, IV - 3.2 + 1.1 + 2.2 + 2.5 + 0.9 = 10.0. Labium 0.34 long, 0.56 wide, brown; endites orange-brown (Fig. 17B View Figure 17 ). Sternum 1.5 long, 1.0 wide, brown (Fig. 17B View Figure 17 ). Abdomen 2.3 long, 2.1 wide, dorsum with dark grey, irregular folium on a beige background, laterally olive-grey (Fig. 17A View Figure 17 ); venter olive-grey, laterally with two elongate, curved longitudinal bands (Fig. 17B View Figure 17 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.6 + 0.2 + 0.15 + 0.8 = 1.75; paracymbium stout and slightly curved apically (Fig. 17D View Figure 17 ); median apophysis short with thick rounded tip, numerous small teeth-like tubercles inside basal arch (Fig. 17C View Figure 17 ); conductor lobe short (Fig. 17C View Figure 17 ); terminal apophysis conspicuous, sub-rectangular and bearing spine-like basal prong (Fig. 17C View Figure 17 ); conductor slightly folding over itself, broadly lapped and heavily sclerotised (Fig. 17C, D View Figure 17 ); embolus short (Fig. 17C View Figure 17 ).

Female (based on WAM T77362): Total length 8.0. Carapace 3.7 long, 2.7 wide; similar to male but slightly darker and more setae (Fig. 18A View Figure 18 ). Eye diameter AME 0.20, ALE 0.18, PME 0.13, PLE 0.11; row of eyes: AME 0.52, PME 0.47, PLE 1.76. Chelicerae pale brown, four promarginal teeth (apical and second basal largest) and three retromarginal teeth (basal largest). Legs pale brown mottled in dark (Fig. 18A, B View Figure 18 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 0.9 + 0.5 + 0.7 + 1.1 = 3.2. Leg formula I> II> IV> III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 3.4 + 1.5 + 2.7 + 2.9 + 1.1 = 11.6, II - 2.8 + 1.3 + 2.3 + 2.4 + 1.0 = 9.8, III - 2.0 + 1.0 + 1.3 + 1.3 + 0.7 = 6.3, IV - 3.0 + 1.2 + 2.0 + 2.2 + 0.8 = 9.2. Labium 0.34 long, 0.72 wide, dark brown; endites dark brown (Fig. 18B View Figure 18 ). Sternum 1.5 long, 1.4 wide, dark brown (Fig. 18B View Figure 18 ). Abdomen 5.1 long, 4.7 wide; folium pattern as in male, but more distinct (Fig. 18A, B View Figure 18 ). Epigyne base slightly longer than wide; atrium heart-shaped (Fig. 18C View Figure 18 ); central division ca. as wide as the epigyne base, slightly narrowing dorsally (Fig. 18E View Figure 18 ); spermathecae spherical (Fig. 5D View Figure 5 ); scape (Fig. 18F, G View Figure 18 .) (WAM 90/2120) broadest at base, tapering, curved in lateral view.

Variation.

Only a single male was measured for this study; female total length 4.5-8.0 (n = 6). The colour variation in this species is very similar to that of S. fuliginata comb. nov. and S. brisbanae comb. nov. with abdominal shades of beige to reddish brown and more or less conspicuous folium pattern. Of the six females measured for this study, all but one had their scapes broken off.

Life history and habitat preferences.

All specimens were collected between October and May, with peak collection numbers in November and January. There is not much information about habitat preferences of Salsa recherchensis comb. nov., but they seem to be more common in lower vegetation layers based on descriptions on specimen labels, which include "web in garden", "understorey Karri forest", “bushes”, “granite”, "between limestone", and “camp”.

Distribution.

Salsa recherchensis comb. nov. is the only species of the genus found in Western Australia, although its range extends into southern South Australia (Fig. 11 View Figure 11 ).