Miturgopelma echinoides, 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 : 44-46

Miturgopelma echinoides sp. nov.

Figs 2g , 31–32

Diagnosis. Males are similar to those of Miturgopelma echidna sp. nov. in the presence of dorsal spines on the cymbium but differ in that RTA very short and the spines few and marginal on cymbium. The diagnostic feature of the median apophysis of M. echinoides sp. nov. is the median apophysis with an extensive unsclerotised area that projects as a rounded shelf retrolaterally ( Fig. 31a , arrow). Epigyne with median septum short and wide, anterior septum, and procurved ridges with deeper median zone.

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the spinose form of the cymbium.

Type material. Western Australia: male holotype, Barrow Island, Bandicoot Bay , 20°52 115°20, 4 Nov –3 Dec 1993. M.S. Harvey, J.M. Waldock, Wet Pitfall traps, WAM98 /752.

Paratypes. 2 ma., 7–8 km. WNW of Point Salvation , 28°12”S 123°36”E, 1–3 Dec 1990, E. R . Pianka , pitfall trap, WAM T74061 , 74062–73 ; 1 ma., 2 fem., Woodstock Stn , site WS2, 21°36”S 118°57”E, 23–30 Sep 1988, J. Dell et al., Acacia orthocorpa and spinifex, WAM 97 / 749–751; 5 ma., Boodarie Hill area , 15 km SW Port Headland, 20°24’S, 118°31’E, 11–17 Oct 1994, G. Harold J. Dell, dry pit trap, WAM98 / 878–887; 9 ma., Woodstock Stn , 21°36’35”S, 118°57’44”E, 23–30 Sep 1988, J. Dell et al., Wet pit trap, site W53, WAM98 / 840–850; 5 ma., Woodstock Stn. Site WS5, 21°36’35”S, 118°59’16”E, 23–30 Sep 1988, J. Dell et al., Wet pit trap, WAM98 / 858– 872; 18 ma., 7–8 km WNW of Point Salvation , 28°12’S, 123°36’E, 13–14 Nov 1990, E. R . Pianka , pitfall traps, WAM98 /920–940.

Queensland: 8 ma., Thorntonia, 12 km NNE on Gregory Downs-Camooweal R, 19°24’25.74”S 138°59’8.52”E, 228m , Pitfall Trap, 30 Jun–23 Sep 2006, QM S77093 , S77105 .

Description. Male, holotype WAM98/752

Carapace 3.08 long, 2.60 wide. Opisthosoma 3.32 long, 2.60 wide. Total, 6.7.

I: 3.12, 1.28, 2.72, 2.72, 1.92, 11.76. II: 2.72, 1.20, 2.56, 2.80, 1.60, 10.88. III: 3.04, 1.04, 2.24, 3.12, 1.68, 11.12. IV: 4.00, 1.20, 2.88, 4.24, 1.68, 14.00. Palp: 1.28, 0.64, 0.64, -, 1.28, 3.84.

Colour: Carapace pallid; opisthosoma, dorsally pattern not discernible, poor condition; entirely pallid; ventrally none, pallid. Eyes: AME very much bigger than PME. Legs moderately long.

Palp: Tibia and patella similar sized; cymbial hairs all similar, but with small ovoid scopula for distal third, but two large separated spines on prolateral edge and two slightly smaller almost adjacent to them but on prodorsal surface; retrobasally with unmodified, narrow edge; apex of ventral lobe short, triangular, laterally broad where it distally joins short sclerotised dorsal hook. Embolus origin at mid-length or just basal of it, base curves broadly and slowly. MA much longer than wide with broad unsclerotised zone almost to tip, unsclerotised area widens apically and projects as a rounded shelf retrolaterally.

Female WAM 97/750

Carapace 6.82 long, 5.45 wide. Opisthosoma 4.00 long, 3.64 wide. Total, 10.82.

I: 4.00; 1.64; 3.36; 2.91; 2.00; 13.91. II: 4.00; 1.64; 3.36; 2.82; 1.91; 13.73. III: 4.09; 1.73; 3.18; 3.45; 1.36; 13.82. IV: 5.18; 1.91; 4.45; 5.36; 2.27; 19.18. Palp: 2.18; 1.00; 0.91; -; 2.71; 5.64.

Scopula on tibia I narrow, ventral and lateral bands for distal 0.4 of I only. Epigyne: Median septum short wide anterior septum, procurved ridges with deeper median zone.

Distribution. Known from Barrow Island to Point Salvation, Western Australia, and western Queensland.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Miturginae. a, Knotodo gracilis (Hickman, 1950), female, habitus, image Mark Newton; b, Xistera coventryi sp. nov., female, left leg I, showing pseudoscopula hairs parallel to long axis, image, M. Ramírez; c, Miturgopelma spinisternis sp. nov., male, showing inward facing cymbium and bulb; d, Miturgopelma echidna sp. nov., eyes, showing relatively small AME and grate-shaped tapetum in PME; e, f, Xistera coventryi sp. nov., female, tarsal trichobothrium (e), dorsal leg I showing brighter trichobothria (f); g, Miturgopelma echinoides sp. nov., showing relatively large AME.

FIGURE 31. Miturgopelma echinoides sp. nov., male, WAM 97/749: a, b, palpal tibia, cymbium and bulb, ventral (a, arrow shows “shelf”) and dorsal (b) views.

FIGURE 32. Miturgopelma echinoides sp. nov.: a–c, male, WAM 98/752; a, median apophysis showing extended unsclerotised plate (arrow), retrolateral view. b, c, RTA, ventral (b) and retrolateral (c) views; d, male, WAM 97/749, habitus; e, f, female, WAM 98/750, epigyne, ventral view (e), and internal genitalia, dorsal view (f).