Hortophora tatianeae Framenau & Castanheira, 2021

Framenau, Volker W., Baptista, Renner L. C., Oliveira, Francisca Samia M. & Castanheira, Pedro de S., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the new spider genus Hortophora, the Australasian Garden Orb-weavers (Araneae, Araneidae), Evolutionary Systematics 5 (2), pp. 275-334 : 275

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.5.72474

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9AC22770-F300-4265-A21F-841EA364FFD5

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/C49FFFC7-8FC4-47CA-8F06-4827E971FBF7

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:C49FFFC7-8FC4-47CA-8F06-4827E971FBF7

treatment provided by

Evolutionary Systematics by Pensoft

scientific name

Hortophora tatianeae Framenau & Castanheira
status

sp. nov.

Hortophora tatianeae Framenau & Castanheira sp. nov.

Figs 1D-F View Figure 1 , 2G View Figure 2 , 21 View Figure 21 , 22 View Figure 22 , 23 View Figure 23

Type material.

Holotype male, Hume St, Ringwood East, unnamed park (37°49'26.88"S, 145°15'31.97"E, Victoria), 7 January 2019, V.W. Framenau, spotlighting (MV K-14612).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a matronym in apposition honouring Tatiane Almeida Diorio, wife of one of the junior authors (PSC), for her support during his research career.

Other material examined.

See Appendix 1.

Diagnosis.

Male and female genital morphology of H. tatianeae sp. nov. is most similar to H. biapicata comb. nov. and H. transmarina comb. nov., but differs from both species in the distinctly different ventral abdomen colouration that lacks the broad transverse light bands (Fig. 1E View Figure 1 , 21B View Figure 21 , 22B View Figure 22 vs 1E, G, 6B, D, F, H, 24B, 25B).

Description.

Male (holotype, MV K-14612): Total length 7.8. Carapace 4.5 long, 3.5 wide, centrally beige and with dark brown lateral flanks, white setae particularly centrally (Fig. 21A View Figure 21 ). Eye diameter AME 0.29, ALE 0.13, PME 0.20, PLE 0.14; row of eyes: AME 0.68, PME 0.47, PLE 1.66. Chelicerae dark brown, three promarginal teeth widely separated on sclerotised irregular ridge, three retromarginal teeth of same size. Legs dark brown with light discolourations, particularly basally on all femora and hooks on coxae I (Fig. 21A, B View Figure 21 ). Tibiae of leg II enlarged with apico-ventral megaspur that carries a strong spine, additional strong spines ventrally and prolaterally (Fig. 2G View Figure 2 ). Metatarsus of leg II heavily bent (Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ). Leg formula I > IV > II > III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 4.7 + 1.9 + 4.0 + 3.4 + 1.1 = 15.1, II - 3.9 + 1.8 + 3.3 + 0.9 + 1.0 = 10.9, III - 2.8 + 1.1 + 1.8 + 1.7 + 0.8 = 8.2, IV - 3.5 + 1.4 + 2.8 + 2.7 + 1.0 = 11.4. Labium 0.45 long, 0.72 wide, dark brown, endites dark brown (Fig. 21B View Figure 21 ). Sternum 1.8 long, 1.3 wide, brown, with darker discolorations (Fig. 21B View Figure 21 ). Abdomen 4.0 long, 2.8 wide, dorsum with humeral humps, dark brown folium pattern and central white guanine patches (Fig. 21A View Figure 21 ); venter olive-brown with two white lateral lines and ca. four pairs of white spots centrally (Fig. 21B View Figure 21 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.5 + 0.4 + 0.3 + 1.9 = 3.1; paracymbium elongated with terminal hook (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 21D View Figure 21 ); median apophysis transverse elongate with central pointy protrusion and terminating in two sclerotized apical tips (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 21C View Figure 21 ); conductor lobe of standard size (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 21C View Figure 21 ); terminal apophysis bubble-shaped tapering into a short sclerotised tip (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 21C View Figure 21 ); conductor apically and basally sclerotised and with a lamellar, excavated central portion (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 21C View Figure 21 ); embolus sinuous with acute tip (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 21C View Figure 21 ).

Female (MV K-14613): Total length 10.1. Carapace 4.5 long, 3.9 wide; reddish-brown with darker lateral flanks (Fig. 22A View Figure 22 ). Eye diameter AME 0.22, ALE 0.14, PME 0.15, PLE 0.14; row of eyes: AME 0.68, PME 0.50, PLE 2.44. Chelicerae brown, three promarginal teeth (median largest) and three retromarginal teeth (similar size). Legs brown, variously ringed lighter and darker (Fig. 22A, B View Figure 22 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 1.3 + 0.6 + 0.8 + - + 1.6 = 4.3. Leg formula I > IV > II > III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 4.4 + 2.5 + 4.2 + 4.1 + 1.4 = 16.6, II - 4.2 + 2.2 + 3.7 + 0.9 + 1.3 = 12.3, III - 3.0 + 1.2 + 1.6 + 1.7 + 0.9 = 8.4, IV - 4.3 + 2.0 + 3.0 + 3.2 + 1.2 = 13.7. Labium 0.81 long, 1.15 wide, as in male; endites as in male (Fig. 22B View Figure 22 ). Sternum 2.0 long, 1.7 wide, but reddish-brown with dusky markings (Fig. 22B View Figure 22 ). Abdomen 6.0 long, 4.9 wide; dorsum with indistinct humeral humps, olive-grey folium pattern with light lines and patches (Fig. 22A View Figure 22 ); venter as in male (Fig. 22B View Figure 22 ). Epigyne (Fig. 22C-E View Figure 22 ) base about as wide as long in ventral view; scape very elongated, basally with transverse ridge, very sparse setae; central division narrow with parallel sides.

Variation.

Size variation: total length males 6.3-11.3 (n=21), females 6.3-14.0 (n=31). There was no incidence of epigyne scape breaking in H. tatianeae sp. nov. in any of the specimens examined by us. Dorsal abdominal colour variations are similar to that of H. biapicata comb. nov. and H. transmarina comb. nov., which range from a fairly uniform light to dark brown colour, faint to distinct folium pattern as described here and variable guanine patterns, as for example in the holotype male (Fig. 1F View Figure 1 , 21A View Figure 21 ).

Life history and habitat preferences.

Mature males of H. tatianeae sp. nov. have been found from December to April, with a single record in May. Mature females have been found throughout the year, but with very low numbers between June and November. Therefore, the species is largely summer- to autumn mature. Habitat descriptions include open, dry sclerophyll and rainforest, but the species has also been found in urban parks and gardens.

Distribution.

Hortophora tatianeae sp. nov. has been found along the east coast of Australia, from northern Queensland to Tasmania (Fig. 23 View Figure 23 ).

Kingdom

Animalia

Order

Araneae

Family

Araneidae

Genus

Hortophora