Maratus chrysomelas

Baehr, Barbara C. & Whyte, Robert, 2016, The Peacock Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae: Maratus) of the Queensland Museum, including six new species, Zootaxa 4154 (5), pp. 501-525 : 503

The Maratus chrysomelas group

( FIGURES 1 A, B, D, E, G, H)

Otto & Hill (2016a) described the Maratus chrysomelas group ( M. chrysomelas and M. nigromaculatus ) as having a wide fringe at the sides of the opisthosoma and similar courtship displays. We find also this group contains species which have an embolic disc with a wide rim covered with frontal ridges and a flat retrolateral groove ( Fig. 1 G); the embolus opening is at the tip of the embolus ( Figs 1 D, E); and there is no lateral process of the embolic disc ( Fig. 1 G).

Species: Maratus chrysomelas from Western Australia to New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Maratus nigromaculatus ( Keyserling, 1883) plus the new species Maratus kiwirrkurra from the Gibson Desert.

Figures

FIGURE 1 (A ‒ I). Maratus species groups males: A, D, G, M. kiwirrkurra Baehr & Whyte, sp. nov. holotype (WAM-T 138587); B, E, H, M. chrysomelas (QM-S 96329); C, F, I, Maratus licunxini Baehr & Whyte, sp. nov. holotype (QM-S 96330); A ‒ C, palpal tip with embolic disc; D ‒ F, embolic disc frontal view; G, I, embolic disc retrolateral view; H, embolus tip.