Maratus licunxini Baehr & Whyte

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 : 506-509

Maratus licunxini Baehr & Whyte , sp. nov.

( FIGURES 1 C, F, I, 4A‒I, 5A‒F, 6)

Material examined. MALE HOLOTYPE (QM-S96330) from Australia, Queensland, Bush Blitz, Carnarvon Station Homestead , 24°48’S, 147°45’E, 755 m, B. Baehr, 10 Oct. 2014, hand coll . PARATYPES: 2 male, 1 female (QM-S96331), same data as holotype, S. Wright, J. Wilson, 12 Oct. 2014, shallow pit fall pans.

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of the artistic director of the Queensland Ballet Li Cunxin, who is well known for his passionate dancing performances, now motivating his dancers, giving them guidance and vision.

Diagnosis. M. licunxini belongs to the Maratus fimbriatus group with a shiny black opisthosoma and enormous white bluish iridescent setae along the sides. M. licunxin can be separated from M. fimbriatus by the shiny black opisthosoma with an inverted Y-shaped patch of dense white setae at the anterior edge and a chimneylike embolus opening at the prolateral part of the embolus ( Fig. 1 F).

Description. Male (holotype, QM-S96330). Total length 3.94. Prosoma 1.99 long, 1.45 wide, pl/pw 1.37; sternum 0.87 long, 0.57 wide, sl/sw 1.52; abdomen 1.95 long, 1.60 wide; abdomen longer than wide, ol/ow1.21. Ocular quadrangle 0.81 long. Anterior eye row 1.16, posterior eye row 1.11 wide. AME largest; posterior eye group width 0.86 of caput width; AME 0.38; ALE 0.24; PME 0.20; PLE 0.05; AME‒AME 0.05; AME‒ALE 0.04; PME‒PME 1.11; PME‒PLE 0.20; ALE‒PLE 0.33. Clypeus 0.21 high. Paturon with no promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Length of leg III, femur: 1.44, patella: 0.60, tibia: 0.82, metatarsus: 0.77, length of metatarsus III 0.94 the length the length of tibia III, tarsus: 0.49. Leg formula: 3421. Prosoma dark brown, margin black, covered with black and white setae. Ocular quadrangle dark brown; AME with white fringe, frontally with a line of long black setae, sides of prosoma with a band and an elongated central patch of white setae. Endites, labium and chelicerae pale, sternum cinnamon with dark reticular pattern; opisthosoma black, shiny, sparsely covered with long, erect black setae; at the anterior corner of the opisthosoma an inverted Y-shaped patch of dense white setae; venter cinnamon, with reticulated bands along the sides; sides with long dense fringe of bluish iridescent setae. Leg I‒IV cinnamon with dark reticular pattern, femur I thickly covered with black setae ( Fig. 4 E). Male palp ( Figs 4 G‒I): cymbium short, 1.6 times longer than wide, thickly covered with long white setae, prolateral margin with long black setae; tip stout with dark distal scopula. Embolic disc as long as wide, with deep lateral groove; dorsally with broad flat front, embolus with wide area of ridges retrolaterally; embolic tip chimney-shaped; without lateral process of embolic disc ( Figs 1 C, F, I); retrobasal tegular lobe (TL) with long, broad v-shaped tip only prolateral side concave ( Fig. 4 H); Palpal femur dorsally covered with long black setae, base of patella with shorter black setae, distal part and tibia, densely covered with white setae; retrolateral tibial apophysis long and finger-shaped ( Fig. 4 I).

Female (Paratype, QM-S96331). Total length 4.73. Prosoma 2.46 long, 1.78 wide, pl/pw 1.38; sternum 1.09 long, 0.64 wide, sl/sw 1.52; abdomen 2.28 long, 1.64 wide; abdomen longer than wide, ol/ow1.39. Ocular quadrangle 0.86 long. Anterior eye row 1.39, posterior eye row 1.41 wide. AME largest; posterior eye group width 0.89 of caput width; AME 0.43; ALE 0.26; PME 0.23; PLE 0.07; AME‒AME 0.05; AME‒ALE 0.04; PME‒PME 1.12; PME‒PLE 0.21; ALE‒PLE 0.32. Clypeus 0.12 high. Paturon with two promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Prosoma dark brown covered with black setae. Ocular quadrangle black; AME with white fringe. Endites, labium and chelicerae, sternum medium brown with dark reticular pattern; opisthosoma dark brown with lighter reticular pattern; venter cinnamon, with reticulated bands along the sides. Leg I‒IV cinnamon with dark reticular pattern. Epigyne ( Figs 5 E, F) with large semicircular windows and median septum, copulatory opening (CO) close to median septum, primary spermatheca sausage-shaped. Accessory glands at anterior part of copulatory ducts; fertilisation ducts to the side of primary spermathecae.

Remarks. Males and a female have been collected together but no courtship behaviour has been observed. The conspecifity may be established when the courtship of this species is observed and the DNA is tested.

Distribution. Known only from Carnarvon Station (Fig. 6) in Central Queensland.

FIGURE 6. Carnarvon Station Homestead, 24°48’S, 147°45’E, 755 m.

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.

FIGURE 4 (A ‒ I). Maratus licunxini Baehr & Whyte, sp. nov. male holotype (QM-S 96330). A, habitus, dorsal view; B, habitus, lateral view; C, habitus, ventral view; D, prosoma, anterior view; E, right I leg, prolateral view; F, right III leg, prolateral view; G, male palp, prolateral view; H, same, ventral view; I, same, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 5 (A ‒ F). Maratus licunxini Baehr & Whyte, sp. nov. female paratype (QM-S 96331). A, habitus, dorsal view; B, habitus, lateral view; C, habitus, ventral view; D, prosoma, anterior view; E, epigyne, ventral view; F, epigyne, dorsal view.