Knotodo muckera, 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 : 81-84

Knotodo muckera sp. nov.

Figs 65–66

Diagnosis. Males of this very large species are unique in the plate-like apex of the median apophysis, in association with the retromarginal groove for almost the whole basal half of cymbium ( Fig. 65a ). Epigyne Y-shaped.

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition from one of the localities of the species.

Type Material. South Australia: male holotype, Port Germein, Redcliff Plant site, 33°01’S 138°00E, 20 Mar 1992, D. Hirst, SAM N1998265 .

Paratypes. male, Nullarbor Plains , Muckera Rockhole, 30°02’S 130°03’E, 20 Mar 1992, D. Hirst, SAM N1998242 ; 2 ma., Muckera Rockhole , 30°02’S 130°03’E, Sept 1984, B. Guerin, SAM NN1998.263 – 5 ; 3 ma., same data, SAM N1998.172 – 174 ; 1 ma., Eyre Peninsula , Inila Rockwaters, Yumbarra CP 7 km W, 31°41’14”S 133°24’05”E, 10–15 Oct 1987, Yellabina Survey, SAM NN1998.128 ; 1 ma., 1 fem., Clover Lake , Calperum Stn ,, 34°00’S 140°47’E, 29 Aug 1978, J. White, SAM N199875–76 .

Western Australia: 2 ma., Laverton , 39 km E, 28°28’S 122°05’E, 19–22 Oct 1990, E. R . Pianka, Pitfall traps, WAM98 /700–701.

Description. Male, holotype SAM N1998265

Carapace 7.44 long, 5.76 wide. Opisthosoma 5.60 long, 3.04 wide. Total length, 13.04.

I: 9.52; 3.23; 8.55; 8.39; 3.23; 32.90. II: 10.00; 2.90; rest missing. III: 9.68; 3.06; 8.06; 10.00; 3.55; 34.35. IV: 11.29; 3.06; 9.68; 12.26; 5.65; 41.94. Palp: 5.16; 4.03; 2.90; -; 2.71; 20.65.

Colour: Carapace with dark shell-like areas reduced to 3 paired dark areas; caput laterally defined by dark lines; opisthosoma, dorsally laterally pallid mottled lightly with distinct dark median stripe with 2 lateral ostiate branches; ventrally no markings, pallid; femora basally strongly mottled fading gradually to patellae. Eyes. All similar, small but ALE clearly smallest. Posterior row eyes more or less overlapping; PME and PLE inner edges well separated. Sternum: hairs all similar; coxae I–IV with long white hairs mixed strongly with dense cover of short, uniformly brown bristles and lighter coloured bristles with dark bases. Legs: Very long. Spines: Femora pv1 on I–IV; tibia I, II p2d3–4r2 on I, II; palp fe with p1; ti with d1–2; cymbium 0.

Palp: Tibia clearly larger than patella. Cymbium hairs all similar; retrobasally with a broad shallow groove for 0.7 of length, basal two-thirds of groove with retromarginal band of short strong curved bristles. RTA distal; short, directed laterally; two plates sandwiching unsclerotised zone; base of ventral lobe darkly sclerotised conical process; ventral lobe broad, blunt lobe with large distal sclerotised hook, triangular process basally; dorsal lobe a darkly sclerotised rectangular plate; embolus basal, directed to basad of palp.

Female. SAM N199975

Carapace 5.61 long, 4.29 wide. Opisthosoma 7.33 long, 5.06 wide. Total, 13.0. Legs incomplete.

Carapace brown with paler ovoid zones on caput and paler hirsute margins. Eyes. Both rows recurved with non-overlapping rows. PME slightly larger than AME, ALE smaller. Opisthosoma pallid, ostiate pattern on pale background. Epigyne externally with broadly Y-shaped ridges separated slightly by unsclerotised zone; internally, with transverse ducts folded three times.

Distribution. Known from Port Germein and Muckera, South Australia, and Laverton, Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 65. Knotodo muckera sp. nov., a, c, d, male holotype, SAM N1998265: a–c, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view, arrow shows groove; b, female, habitus, dorsal view; c, RTA, retrolateral view; d, median apophysis, ventral view.

FIGURE 66. Knotodo muckera sp. nov., a–c, male, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, RTA, ventral view; c, retrolateral view; d, e, female, SAM NN199875: d, epigyne, ventral view; e, internal genitalia, dorsal view.