Phlegra proszynskii, Żabka, Marek, 2012

Żabka, Marek, 2012, Phlegra Simon, 1876, Phintella Strand 1906 and Yamangalea Maddison, 2009 (Arachnida: Araneae: Salticidae) — new species and new generic records for Australia, Zootaxa 3176, pp. 61-68 : 63

Phlegra proszynskii new species

Figs 1–7

Type material. 1Ƥ holotype, Australia, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island, on cliff face, Goat House, 31º33'S, 159º5'E, Feb. 1971, M.R. Gray, AMS KS19170.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Prof. Jerzy Prószyński (Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw), world authority in jumping spider systematics and biogeography.

Diagnosis. In comparison to other species of the genus, spermathecae one-chambered, not twisted and cheliceral dentition of fissidentate instead of unidentate pattern.

Description. Female holotype ( Figs 1–4 ). Cephalothorax orange-brown, eye surrounding darker, a pair darkbrown spots on eye field. White hairs present along the lower margin and antero-lateral surfaces of cephalothorax. Abdomen grey, darker along the central part, with a mosaic of beige spots and lines. Spinnerets light. Clypeus very narrow, orange-brown, with a fringe of long delicate hairs overhanging downwards. Chelicerae rather massive, orange-brown, vertical, with two prolateral teeth and fissidentate retrolateral tooth. Pedipalps light-yellowish with long light hairs. Maxillae and labium dirty-orange with yellowish tips. Sternum dirty-yellowish with darker margin. Venter light-pale. First legs massive, proximal podomeres light, further ones darker and darker, tarsi orange brown. Tibia and metatarsus with two distinctive prolateral spines. Other legs lighter and more delicate, median parts of podomeres lighter, the rest grey. Epigyne ( Fig. 5 ) with two large oval fossae divided by median guide. Insemination ducts short, bell-shaped, joining pear-shaped spermathecae ( Figs 6, 7 ). Dimensions: CL 2.70, CW 1.97, EFL 1.01, AEW 1.40, PEW 1.40, CH 1.09, AL 3.01, CW 1.97, L1 4.45 (1.35+0.98+0.98+0.67+0.47), L2 3.94 (1.09+0.78+0.83+0.72+0.52), L3 4.09 (1.14+0.72+0.78+0.83+0.62), L4 5.23 (1.50+0.98+1.14+1.04+0.57).

Distribution. Known only from Lord Howe Island.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Phlegra proszynskii sp. nov. Holotype: 1 dorsal view; 2 fromtal view; 3 ventral view; 4 side view; 5 – 7 epigyne and internal genitalia.