Hortophora megacantha 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/69AC16B8-2527-480D-AD11-C0781137C67C
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:69AC16B8-2527-480D-AD11-C0781137C67C
treatment provided by	Evolutionary Systematics by Pensoft
scientific name	Hortophora megacantha Framenau & Castanheira
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hortophora megacantha Framenau & Castanheira sp. nov.

Figs 2D View Figure 2 , 4 View Figure 4 , 15 View Figure 15 , 16 View Figure 16 , 17 View Figure 17

Type material.

Holotype male, Enterprise Mine, North Stradbroke Island (27°33'37"S, 153°27'06"E, Queensland, Australia), QM Party, 8 January 2002, Blackbutt #2 ( QM S116474).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a compound noun in apposition derived from the Ancient Greek mega (μέγας) - great, and acantha (Ἀκάνθα) - thorn, and refers to the large megaspur and spine on tibia of leg II in males.

Other material examined.

See Appendix 1.

Diagnosis.

Males of Hortophora megacantha sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all Hortophora by the presence of a large apico-ventral megaspur on the tibia of the second leg that is armed with a strong spine (Fig. 2D View Figure 2 ). Females of H. megacantha sp. nov. are most similar to those of H. tatianeae sp. nov., however, H. megacantha sp. nov. is identified by the much narrower atrium of the epigyne, specifically visible in posterior view (Fig. 16E View Figure 16 vs Fig. 22E View Figure 22 ). In addition, the scape of H. megacantha sp. nov. is much more wrinkled than in H. tatianeae sp. nov. (Fig. 16C View Figure 16 ).

Description.

Male (holotype, QM S116474): Total length 7.1. Carapace 3.5 long, 2.8 wide, orange-brown, slightly darker along borders (Fig. 15A View Figure 15 ). Eye diameter AME 0.27, ALE 0.13, PME 0.18, PLE 0.13; row of eyes: AME 0.65, PME 0.54, PLE 1.60. Chelicerae brown; four promarginal teeth (third largest), and four retromarginal teeth on left chelicera (three on the right; basal tooth largest in both sides). Legs brown, femora basally light (Fig. 15A, B View Figure 15 ). Tibia of leg II with strong apico-ventral megaspur that is armed with a strong spine ( QM S116493; Fig. 2D View Figure 2 ). Metatarsus of leg II strongly bent ventrally in basal half (Fig. 2D View Figure 2 ). Leg formula I > IV > II > III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 4.1 + 1.9 + 3.5 + 3.0 + 1.2 = 13.7, II - 3.6 + 1.5 + 2.3 + 0.9 + 1.2 = 9.5, III - 2.5 + 1.0 + 1.2 + 1.3 + 0.7 = 6.7, IV - 3.3 + 1.5 + 2.1 + 2.5 + 1.0 = 10.4. Labium 0.45 long, 0.58 wide, reddish-brown; endites yellowish-brown (Fig. 15B View Figure 15 ). Sternum 1.5 long, 1.1 wide, light brown, with somewhat greyish shade (Fig. 15B View Figure 15 ). Abdomen 3.8 long, 3.2 wide, dorsum with distinct humeral humps, distinct folium pattern of olive-grey, mottled white (Fig. 15A View Figure 15 ; venter olive-brown, with two parallel dusky and two white lateral lines (Fig. 15B View Figure 15 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.6 + 0.4 + 0.3 + 1.2 = 2.5; paracymbium elongated with rounded tip (Figs 4A-C View Figure 4 , 15C, D View Figure 15 ); median apophysis transverse elongate, with greatly enlarged arch over the radix and terminating in two tips with a smaller hump basal of those (Figs 4A-C View Figure 4 , 15C, D View Figure 15 ); conductor lobe of standard size (Figs 4C View Figure 4 , 15C View Figure 15 ); terminal apophysis elongate and not inflated, ventrally projected to an elongated, thin and acute tip (Figs 4A-C View Figure 4 , 15C, D View Figure 15 ); conductor well-developed, subquadrate, flattened and bearing an sclerotized and dented ventral border (Figs 4A, B View Figure 4 , 15C, D View Figure 15 ); embolus sinuous and sclerotized, with a broad and well-developed basis, thick and elongated (Figs 4A-C View Figure 4 , 15C View Figure 15 ).

Female ( QM S116473): Total length 8.9. Carapace 3.9 long, 3.5 wide, brown, laterally darker and with white setae in cephalic area (Fig. 16A View Figure 16 ); chelicerae reddish-brown; four promarginal teeth (third largest) and three promarginal teeth (similar size). Eye diameter AME 0.23, ALE 0.14, PME 0.20, PLE 0.14; row of eyes: AME 0.67, PME 0.59, PLE 2.20. Legs light brow with some darker discolourations, specifically on femora (Fig. 16A, B View Figure 16 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 1.3 + 0.6 + 0.7 + 1.4 = 4.0. Leg formula I > IV > II > III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 4.2 + 1.9 + 3.3 + 3.1 + 1.2 = 13.7, II - 3.7 + 1.9 + 2.9 + 0.9 + 1.1 = 10.5, III - 2.3 + 1.2 + 1.4 + 1.4 + 0.9 = 7.2, IV - 3.5 + 1.6 + 2.1 + 2.5 + 1.0 = 10.7. Labium 0.68 long, 0.86 wide, colouration as in male; endites as in male (Fig. 16B View Figure 16 ). Sternum 1.9 long, 1.7 wide, orange-brown with sparse white setae (Fig. 16B View Figure 16 ). Abdomen 4.7 long, 4.1 wide, folium colouration as in male (Fig. 16B View Figure 16 ). Epigyne (Fig. 16C-E View Figure 16 ) wider than long with small atrium; scape elongated, anteriorly heavily sclerotized, basally wide and tapering from its first third to a thin and pointed less sclerotized tip, wrinkled and with sparse setae.

Variation.

Size variation: total length males 5.6-7.5 (n=11), females 6.3-9.9 (n=16). The incidence of epigyne break-off was high in this species (ca. 75%), as only four of the 16 females measured had an intact scape. Colour pattern of the preserved specimens was fairly uniform as here described for the male and female with little major variation. Guanine patterns are prominent mainly in the anterior parts of the abdomen in some species.

Life history and habitat preferences.

Mature males and females of H. megacantha sp. nov. can generally be found between November and February, with single records of males in April and September and a few records of females in April. Therefore, the species appears to be largely summer-mature. The species was found in a variety of forests and bushlands, including those with Blackbutt ( Eucalyptus pilularis ), and in vine thickets. Other habitat descriptions include mallee, scrubby gully and softwood scrub.

Distribution.

Hortophora megacantha sp. nov. has been found east and west of the Great Dividing Range from northern Queensland to central New South Wales (Fig. 17 View Figure 17 ).