Miturgopelma bandalup, 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 : 22-23

Miturgopelma bandalup sp. nov.

Figs 12–13

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of Miturgopelma yarmina sp. nov. in the long, curved median apophysis ( Fig. 13a ). Female unknown.

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

Type material. Western Australia: male holotype, Bandalup Hill, 33°38”S 120°22”E, Nov 1993, G. Harold, mallee/heath, WAM98 /744.

Description. Male, holotype WAM98/744.

Carapace 4.36 long, 3.82 wide. Opisthosoma 5.45 long, 3.27 wide. Total, 9.8.

I: 5.00; 1.82; 5.00; 5.09; 2.73; 19.64. II: 5.18; 1.82; 5.18; 5.18; 2.73; 20.09. III: 5.45; 1.91; 5.18; 5.73; 3.00; 21.27. IV: 6.45; 1.64; 5.73; 7.27; 3.09; 24.18. Palp: 1.64; 0.82; 0.82; -; 2.71; 5.99.

Colour: Carapace with two moderately dark shell-like areas laterally; opisthosoma, dorsally laterally pallid mottled lightly with distinct dark median stripe with 2 lateral ostiate branches; ventrally none, pallid; femora strongly mottled fading gradually to metatarsus. Eyes: AME=PLE clearly bigger than PME, much more than ALE (but eye group damaged). Posterior row more or less overlapping; PME and PLE inner edges well separated. Legs: Very long. Spines: fe pv1 on I–IV; tibia I, II p2d3–4r2 on I, II; palp fe with p1; ti with d1–2; cymbium 0.

Palp: Patella dorsally with distal point interlocking with sclerotised notch on basal tibia; tibia and patella similar sized; ventral ridge on tibia rounded, defining glabrous ventral concavity on tibia; cymbial hairs all similar; retrobasally with unmodified, narrow edge; and with dense band of strong hairs in basal third; ventral lobe short with sclerotised thumb-like process, dorsally a broad, apically flared plate; RTA distal; short, directed laterally; two plates sandwiching unsclerotised zone; ventral lobe short with sclerotised thumb-like process, dorsally a broad, apically flared plate; embolus central, directed transversely prolateral.

Distribution. Known only from Bandalup, Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Miturgopelma bandalup sp. nov., male holotype, WAM 98/44: a, b, male habitus, lateral (a) and dorsal (b) views.

FIGURE 13. Miturgopelma bandalup sp. nov., male holotype, WAM 98/44, male palpal tibia, cymbium and bulb: ventral (a), retrolateral (b) and dorsal (c) views, showing dorsal patellar process and bifid dorsal lobe of RTA.