Gelotia robusta Wanless, 1984

Patoleta, Barbara M. & Żabka, Marek, 2020, New record of Gelotia Thorell, 1890 and a new species of Parahelpis Gardzińska & Żabka, 2010 (Araneae: Salticidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4899 (1), pp. 280-286 : 281

Gelotia robusta Wanless, 1984

Figures 1–17 , 27

Diagnosis. Unlike other species of the genus, the retrolateral tibial apophysis is laterally bent, not pointed or forked ( Figs 7–9 ). The ventral tibial apophysis and dorsal cymbial outgrowth are small, as in G. liuae Wang & Li, 2020 , but the retrolateral tibial apophysis is not hooked, and the tegulum is rather round versus ovoid in G. liuae . The cymbial concave (cc) is more distinctive than in other described species. The copulatory openings are closer to each other than in other species. In G. liuae , the copulatory ducts are straight and not curved as they are in this species. The fertilisation ducts are directed laterally versus posteriorly in “ Mintonia ” sp. ( Davies & Żabka 1989).

Description. Male (QMB S99891 , Figs 1–9 ). Described in detail by Wanless (1984: 174). Habitus and morphology in Figs 1–6 , palp in Figs 7–9 .

Female (QMB S99892 , Figs 10–17 ). Total length 6.0 mm. Carapace high, pear-shaped, widest behind PLE, with steep thoracic slope. PME large, distance between them smaller than that between PLE. Fovea slightly longer than PLE diameter, located behind PLE. Colouration brown, eye surroundings darker. Whole surface covered with dense whitish scales, except scales reddish in eye field. Clypeus low, brown, covered with dense white scales. Chelicerae brown, with 3 promarginal and 5 retromarginal teeth. Palps yellowish, with long white setae. Endites and labium light brown, with lighter tips, sternum elongate, brownish. Legs yellowish. Opisthosoma elongate, dorsally whitish, with 2 large grey spots and protruding white anterior setae. Ventral opisthosoma whitish, with numerous yellow spots. Spinnerets yellowish, indistinct.

Copulatory openings strongly sclerotized, close together, oriented anteriorly, leading to short, parallel insemination ducts. Spermathecae ovoid, strongly sclerotized, narrowing into fertilisation ducts.

Dimensions: CL 3.06, CW 2.60, CH 1.84, clypeus height 0.20, EFL 1.45, AEW 1.84, AME diameter 0.58, PEW 1.71, OL 4.22, OW 2.48, leg I 7.75 (0.45, 2.15, 1.23, 1.69, 1.52, 0.71), leg II 7.34 (0.43, 2.12, 1.14, 1.51, 1.48, 0.66), leg III 7.21 (0.43, 2.00, 0.97, 1.45, 1.63, 0.73), leg IV 8.62 (0.50, 2.31, 1.03, 1.85, 2.13, 0.80).

Material examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: near Cairns, leg. Iain R . Macaulay ( R. Whyte), 26.II.2013, 1#m ( QMB S99891 ); Same data, 1#f ( QMB S99892 ) .

Distribution. Recorded from Papua New Guinea and Australia ( Fig. 27 ).

Remarks. The copulatory organs indicate that G. robusta is most similar to “ Mintonia ” sp. studied by Davies & Żabka (1989) from NE Queensland and to G. liuae from China (Yunnan). This species is a rainforest vegetation dweller.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Male of Gelotia robusta Wanless, 1984. 1 Carapace, dorsal; 2 Opisthosoma, dorsal; 3–4 Habitus, ventral and lateral; 5 Prosoma, frontal; 6 Chelicerae, endites and labium, ventral; 7 Palp, dorsal; 8 Same, ventral; 9 Same, retrolateral. Abbreviations: cc—cymbial concave; dco—dorsal cymbial outgrowth; dta—dorsal tibial apophysis; e—embolus; l—tegular ledge; mb—membrane base of retrolateral tibial apophysis; pco—prolateral cymbial outgrowth; rco—retrolateral cymbial outgrowth; rta—retrolateral tibial apophysis; sd—sperm duct; t—tegulum; tf—tegular furrow; vta—ventral tibial apophysis). Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 10–17. Female of Gelotia robusta Wanless, 1984. 10–12 Habitus, dorsal, ventral and lateral; 13 Prosoma, frontal; 14 Chelicerae, endites and labium, ventral; 15 Epigyne, ventral; 16–17 Vulva.Abbreviations: cd—copulatory duct; co—copulatory opening; fd—fertilisation duct; s—spermatheca. Scales = 1 mm, 17 as in figure.

FIGURE 27–28. Distributional GPS records. 27 Gelotia robusta Wanless, 1984 (blue circle); 28 Parahelpis abnormis (Żabka, 2002) (green circle), P. smithi Gardzińska & Żabka, 2010 (yellow square) and P. wandae sp. nov. (red triangle).