Miturgopelma buckaringa, Raven & Hebron & Williams, 2023

Raven, Robert J., Hebron, Wendy & Williams, Kylie, 2023, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae), Zootaxa 5358 (1), pp. 1-117 : 31-35

Miturgopelma buckaringa sp. nov.

Figs 20–22

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of Miturgopelma watarrka sp. nov. in the centrally directed hair and thickened setae on the sternum ( Fig. 20c ), the median apophysis with a deep scoop for its length and an opposing distal hook ( Fig. 22a ). The embolus arises basally from the bulb, whereas in M. watarrka sp. nov. it arises just basal to the base of the median apophysis. Males most closely resemble those of Miturgopelma yarmina sp. nov. in the basally directed origin of the embolus, but differ in the strong sternum setation, the narrow median apophysis, which is narrowest medially (cf. wide and widest medially), and the tibia with a ventral, longitudinal ridge. Female unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition from the type locality.

Type material. South Australia: male holotype, Buckaringa Gorge, Flinders Range, 16 May 1976, W. Humphreys, QM S31086 .

Paratypes. 5 ma., Renmark , 14 km WNW, 34°07’S, 140°37’E, mallee on dune, pitfall, 2 May–7 Jun 1995, K. R . Pullen , QM S39100 ; 1 ma., same data but 9 km 19 km N, 34°00’S, 140°47’E, chenopod scrubland, flight/ ground intercept trap, 28 Mar–4 May 1995, QM S39276 ; 8 ma., same data but 31 km NW, 33°59’S, 140°30’E, mallee, pitfall & intercept traps, 30 Mar 1995 – 2 May 1995, QM S35772 ; 1 ma., Lake Eyre Basin , Johnson Bore, 8.7 km WSW, 29°33’30”S 136°08’21”E, 13 Apr. 1987, D. Hirst, SAM NN1998.152 .

Victoria: 1 ma., 7.1 km N of Millewa Sth Bore , 34°43’S 141°05’E, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4500 ; 20 ma., 2 km N of Hattah , 34°45’S 142°16’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4781 ; 8 ma., 17 km SW of Hattah , 34°50’S 142°07’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4791 ; 1 ma., 14.6 km S of Hattah , 34°54’S 142°16’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4493 ; 18 ma., 9 km NNE of Hattah , 34°40’S 142°17’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4785 ; 1 ma., 8.3 km SE of confluence of Lindsay River and Mullaroo Creek , 34°11’S 141°10’E, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4681 ; 1 ma., 6, 3 km N of Hattah , 34°43’S 142°16’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4782 ; 7 ma., 9.2 km NE of Hattah , 34°40’S 142°19’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4784 ; 11 ma., 17 km SW of Hattah , 34°50’S 142°08’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4788 ; 11 ma., 18.9 km SW of Hattah , 34°54’S 142°08’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4787 ; 7 ma., 20.4 km NE of Lascelles , 35°13’S 142°19’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4802 ; 33 ma., 3 km NE of Hattah , 34°45’S 142°16’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4780 ; 1 ma., 3 km NE of Hattah , 34°45’S 142°16’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4501 ; 1 ma., Lake Torrens , 30°39’S 137°39’E, 17 May 1977, I. Edwards, MV K4453 ; 1 ma., 15.7 km WSW of Hattah , 34°47’S 142°07’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4675 ; 21 ma., 8.1 km S of Murray Valley Hwy & Annuello Rd junction, 34°52’S 142°36’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4771 ; 1 ma., 5.4 km NE of Murray Valley Hwy & Annuello Rd junction, 34°43’S 142°19’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4776 ; 10 ma., 15 km SSE of Hattah , 34°54’S 142°14’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4786 ; 1 ma., 12.1 km ESE of confluence of Lindsay River & Mullaroo Creek , 34°09’S 141°14’E, Jun 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4499 ; 1 ma., 14.6 km S of Hattah , 34°54’S 142°16’E, May 1986, A.L. Yen, MV K4493 ; 1 ma., Big Desert Survey site 6, 3.3 km NNW of Chinaman Well, 35°51’S 141°39’E, Apr–May 1980, pitfall, J. Coventry, MV K4347 ; 2 ma, Big Desert site 11, 4.7 km ENE of Chinaman Well, 35°52’S 141°41’E, Apr–May 1980, J. Coventry, MV K4355 ; 1 ma., Big Desert Survey site 7, 5.1 km NNW of Chinaman Well, 35°52’S 141°41’E, Apr–May 1980, J. Coventry, MV K4351 ; 2 ma., Big Desert site 13, 6.6 km ENE of Chinaman Well, 35°52’S 141°42’E, Apr–May 1980, J. Coventry, MV K4361 .

Description. Male, holotype QM S31086.

Carapace 2.63 long, 1.83 wide. Opisthosoma 2.33 long, 2.08 wide. Total, 5.0.

I: 5.44, 1.77, -,-, --. II: 5.69, 1.69, 5.31, 5.92, 3.61, 22.22. III: 6.20, 1.77, 5.77, 7.38, 4.38, 25.50. IV: 5.85, 1.69, 5.92, 7.61, 4.61, 25.68. Palp: 1.85, 0.85, 0.85, -, 1.85, 5.40.

Colour: carapace yellow brown with central dark union jack pattern edging around strial edges distally, along back caput margin and up to PLE; reticulate darker areas between. Opisthosoma dorsally gray medially with central band edged in black, becomes wider at mid-opisthosoma length and breaks into transverse dark bands interleaved with lighter bands, venter pallid. Femora with large dark areas at base of spines, not banded; rest yellow brown.

Carapace: smoothly curved, widest near front of fovea. Pilosity: short dark hairs medially accentuate dark central area, margin edges hirsute with intervening area almost glabrous. Clypeus short, low, steep, strong setae below AME on edge.

Eyes: in tight group of 2 strongly recurved rows; from above almost in 4 rows— front edge of ALE in base of back edge of AME, likewise in back row; all of similar size but ALE smallest; PLE behind ALE and look sideways and up. Group front width: back width: length, 56: 71: 40. AME 11, ALE 9, PME 11, PLE 13. AME–AME, 8; AME–ALE, 3: PME–PME, 9; PME–PLE=13. Labium: slightly longer than wide apical edge and sides thicker pallid. Palpal coxae widest posteriorly converging slightly to front, apical 2/3 pallid. Sternum: subcircular, corners indistinct; centrally distinctly domed. Margins with fringe of pallid hair outwardly directed; most of sternum with centrally directed hair, inner posterior third with cluster of 100 or more radially inwardly directed short, thick lanceolate setae prostrate.

Legs: very long; lightly setose. Tarsi very long, slender, thicker distally, III & IV distinctly bowed down centrally. Trochanters with shallow but distinct notches. Scopula: similar on all legs; thin for 2/3–3/4 of metatarsi II–IV; denser but still thin on tarsi I–IV, extends just beyond tip as pseudotufts; claw tufts absent. Claws, long curved two each with 6 long teeth.

Spines: all long strong. I: fe p2d3r3; pa 0; ti broken to stub. II: fe p4d3r4; pa 0; ti p2d3r2v2.2.2; me p2r2v2.2. III: fe p3d3r3; pa 0; ti p2d3r2v2.2.2; me p4r3v4+1 apical. IV: fe p4d3r2; pa 0; ti p2d3r2v2.2.2; me p4d3r3v4+1 ap V. Palp: fe d4 pa p1d1; ti p3.

Trichobothria: two lines on tarsi; irregular line on metatarsi, not evident on tibia, small but ca. 6 fine erect hairs in line on lateral tibia II distally.

Palp: tibia short, apophysis includes proventral ridge apically in rounded knob with low glabrous retrolateral zone; RTA two triangular shields, each ectally with folded tip forming point crossing apically; shields separated by tumid, less sclerotised area; dorsal shield with long folded edge. From apical ridge prolaterally, tibial edge bows away from cymbium and returns to triangular edge; cymbium there widened with no obvious process/lock. Cymbial groove not evident. Bulb: median apophysis long, slender with apical hook arising off scoop; with median hyaline zone but basally fused to base of embolus; embolus base simple, tapers quickly and passes around small mounded “subtegulum”, cradled distally by translucent narrow conductor flared apically. Tegulum bipartite; basally acute which may interact with locking knob on adjacent tegular process.

Spinnerets: both PLS and ALS long cylinders; ALS ca. 1/2 diameter of PLS; ALS with edge of crown of large spigots; apical PLS similar but crown smaller.

Distribution. Known only from Victoria and South Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Miturgopelma buckaringa sp. nov., a, b, male, MV K4499: a, carapace; b, opisthosoma, dorsal view; c, male, MV K4788, sternum and coxae showing spines.

FIGURE 21. Miturgopelma buckaringa sp. nov., MV K4357, male palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, median apophysis, ventral view; c, RTA, dorsal view.

FIGURE 22. Miturgopelma buckaringa sp. nov., male palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia, scanning electron micrographs: a, bulb, ventral view; b, median apophysis, ventral view; c, RTA, ventral view.