Karaops joehaeneri, Crews, 2023

Crews, Sarah C., 2023, But wait, there's more! Descriptions of new species and undescribed sexes of flattie spiders (Araneae, Selenopidae, Karaops) from Australia, ZooKeys 1150, pp. 1-189 : 1

Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov.

Figs 54C-G, I, J , 55A-C , 56A, B, D, E , 57A-C , Maps 1 , 9A

Material examined.

Holotype: Western Australia • ♀; Kennedy Range National Park, along Escarpment Trail ; 24°39.909'S, 115°10.178'E; ~ 322 m; 9 May 2016; S. Crews, J. DeJong leg.; under rocks; sel_1130; SCC16_018; (WAM T155506) Paratypes: 2♂; same data as for holotype; sel_1131, 1134; (WAM T155507, T155510) Other material examined: 1 imm., 1 penultimate ♀; same data as previous; sel_1132-1133; (WAM T155508-155509) .

Diagnosis.

The female of Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov. is similar to other members of the group ( K. julianneae , K. karrawarla , K. martamarta , K. nyamal , K. badgeradda , K. morganoconnelli sp. nov.) in that there are two copulatory openings, close together, in the middle of the epigynal plate, connected to separate copulatory ducts (Fig. 55B ). In these species, the copulatory ducts are unsclerotized from their origin, becoming sclerotized to varying degrees depending on the species. They extend anteriorly, typically beyond the more sclerotized part of the plate, curve posterodorsally, with the small accessory bulb near the curve, come together medially, then extend laterally, wrapping around variously sized spermathecae which have an anterior bulb and may be shaped like a dumbbell or a light bulb. The new species differs from the others in that the copulatory openings have no hoods, and they are anterior of the accessory bulbs, nearer the level that the copulatory ducts curve in toward one another (Fig. 55B, C ).

The male is similar to several species found in the species group ( K. karrawarla , K. martamarta , K. morganoconnelli sp. nov.) by the large conductor that extends dorsally and ventrally (Fig. 56A, B, E ). It can be differentiated from K. morganoconnelli sp. nov. by the wider cymbium and smaller tegular lobe (Fig. 60A, B, E ) and from K. martamarta (Fig. 50C, D ) by the smaller, more ventrally projecting tegular lobe, the small retrobasal cymbial process, and the smaller RTA and longer tibia. It can be separated from K. karrawarla by the differently shaped conductor and the smaller tegular lobe (Fig. 58A, E, F ). Differences in the males of K. joehaeneri sp. nov., K. morganoconnelli sp. nov., and K. karrawarla are most easily seen in the conductor and median apophysis when the palp is expanded (Figs 56E , 58F , 60E ).

Description.

Female (holotype). Total length 4.72. Carapace: length 2.33, width 2.73. Chelicerae: promargin with three teeth, retromargin with two teeth (1-0-1). Eyes: AER recurved; PER strongly recurved; diameters AME 0.13, ALE 0.10, PME 0.18, PLE 0.24; interdistances AME-PME 0.04, PME-PLE 0.15, ALE-PLE 0.19, PME-PME 0.77, ALE-ALE 1.16, AME-AME 0.38, PLE-PLE 1.47. Sternum: length 1.27, width 1.50. Abdomen: length 2.39, width 2.32. Color (in life/preserved Fig. 54F ): Carapace: yellowish, with a pair of dark areas lateromedially and three pairs of dark areas laterally, with reddish setae. Chelicerae: yellowish brown, more reddish brown toward fang, paturon with curved, dark marks frontally and a small dark spot just below the clypeus (Fig. 54C ), setae paler laterally, darker anteriorly. Maxillae: pale yellowish white. Labium: pale yellowish white. Sternum: yellowish white. Abdomen: dorsally reddish orange, with two small, u-shaped dark marks between medial and lateral areas, one small u-shaped mark medially, larger dark marks extending from medial to lateral, two dark marks posterior to those, with several dots across the abdomen, with red and brown setae, brown setae sparse, but thicker and conspicuously long; ventrally yellowish white. Spinnerets: with dark marks laterally. Legs: yellowish white, Cx with dusky mark prolaterally, Tr with dark line prolaterally and retrolaterally, spots at Tr-Fm joint, dark mark prolaterally on Fm, wrapping around but not completely enclosed, annulation at Fm-Pt joint, darker around edges, dusky mark basally on Pt, Ti, Mt each with two annulations, one basal, one distal, Ta dusky at tip; spination leg I Fm pl 1-1-1, d 1-1-1, Ti v 2-2-2-2-2, Mt v 2-2-2-2; leg II Fm d 1-1-1, Ti v 2-2-2-2-2, Mt v 2-2-2-2; leg III F d 1-1-1; leg IV F d 1-1-1; leg formula 3241; measurements leg I 9.71 (2.86, 1.07, 2.5, 2.14, 1.14); leg II 11.10 (3.32, 1.21, 3, 2.29, 1.32); leg III 11.40 (3.57, 0.86, 2.86, 2.71, 1.36); leg IV 10.60 (3.36, 0.89, 2.57, 2.57, 1.25). Palp: spination Fm 0-1-3; 2.65 (0.77, 0.36, 0.61, 0.75); claw with six teeth. Epigyne: EP longer than wide, slightly plicate; MF keyhole shaped; LLs mostly separated but touching posteriorly; COs located anteriorly. Endogyne: CDs wide, unsclerotized, extend anterolaterally beyond more sclerotized part of EP, narrowing, curved posteromedially and dorsally, more sclerotization at this juncture, curved posterolaterally, wrapped around S; ABs small, located where CDs become more sclerotized; S allantoid, but large, round; FDs directed anterolaterally; small pdf laterally (Figs 54I , 55B, C ).

Male (paratype, sel_1131). Total length 4.18. Carapace: length 2.42, width 2.69. Chelicerae: promargin with three teeth, retromargin with two teeth. Eyes: AER recurved, PER strongly recurved; diameters AME 0.16, ALE 0.06, PME 0.22, PLE 0.27; interdistances AME-PME 0.02, PME-ALE 0.12, ALE-PLE 0.16, PME-PME 0.78, ALE-ALE 1.12, AME-AME 0.43, PLE-PLE 1.39. Sternum: length 1.26, width 1.52. Abdomen: length 1.76, width 1.64. Color (in life Figs 55A , 57A, B /preserved Figs 54D, G , 57C ): Carapace: yellowish white, with two dark marks anterolaterally, followed by three pairs of marks laterally/more whitish yellow with patches of red setae conspicuous. Chelicerae: yellowish white, slightly red hue, paturon with dark, curved mark frontally and a dark mark just below clypeus, setae sparse, pale laterally, darker anteriorly where chelicerae meet. Maxillae: yellowish white. Labium: yellowish tan with dusky mark, pale distally. Sternum: yellowish white. Abdomen: dorsally, yellow brown, red spots anteriorly and anteromedially, four around cardiac area, followed by pair of u-shaped marks, four more spots at cardiac area, two pairs of dark spots posteriorly, with white flecks/more orange-red with black marks, spots not as conspicuous; ventrally yellowish white. Legs: yellowish brown with black marks, not quite forming full annulations on Fm, dusky annulations on rest of legs; spination leg I Fm d 1-1-1, pl 1-1-1, Ti v 2-2-2-2-2-2, Mt v 1-1-2-1; leg II Fm d 1-1-1, pl 1-1-1, Ti v 2-2-2-2-2, Mt v 2-2-2-2; leg III Fm d 1-1-1; leg IV Fm d 1-1-1; leg formula: 3421; measurements leg I 8.42 (2.41, 1.33, 2.96, 1.06, 0.66); leg II 9.96 (2.54, 1.39, 3.09, 2.03, 0.91); leg III 13.80 (3.53, 1.45, 3.62, 3.45, 1.81); leg IV 12.4 (2.83, 1.08, 3.48, 3.30, 1.71). Palp: spination Fm d 0-1-0; 2.65 (0.87, 0.37, 0.39, 1.02); with some dark splotches dorsally on Ti and Cy (Figs 54D , 56B ); vRTA in ventral view inverted teardrop shaped, dRTA quadrangular in retrolateral view; rbcp smallish; Cy oval-triangular; C projects well beyond the cymbium ventrally and well into the cymbium dorsally (Fig. 56A, B, E ), the tip has a small groove (Fig. 56D ), plicate; E long, thin, begins at ~ 6 o'clock, ends at 2:30 o'clock, originating from a small TL that is projected ventrally, in sheath around edge of Cy; MA with large base, narrowed to short branch.

Variation.

Male (paratype, sel_1134, WAM T155510): spination leg I Fm 1-1-1, pl 1-1-0, rl 1-1-1, Ti 1-2-2-1, rl 1-1, d 1-0-0, Mt v 2-2-2; leg II Fm 1-1-1, pl 1-1-0, rl 0-1-0, Ti pl 1-0-1, rl 1-1-0, Mt v 2-2-2; leg III Fm, d 1-1-1 (leg Is new); leg IV Fm d 1-1-1, pr 0-1-1, rl 0-1-1; Ti d 1-1-1-1, pl 1-1, rl 1-1; leg formula different than sel_1131, but at least one leg re-grown. Total length 3.70.

Etymology.

The species is named in memory of Joe Haener. Name in genitive case.

Distribution.

Known from only the type locality, Kennedy Range National Park, in the Gascoyne Region, Western Australia (Figs 54J , Map 9A ).

Natural history.

The Gascoyne has an arid tropical climate, warm throughout the year, with mean maximum daily temperatures ranging from 22° in July to 35 °C in January. The region receives ~ 320 days of sunshine per year. The Kennedy Range is located in the Carnarvon xeric shrublands bioregion, with spinifex and mulga, and little tree cover. The region receives <250 mm of rain a year that occurs bimodally, a large portion from cyclonic activity. The IBRA bioregion is the Carnarvon, and the subregion is Wooramel, a shrubby steppe with red sand dunes that even occur on top of the Kennedy Range ( Desmond and Chant 2001).

Multiple instars were collected simultaneously and egg sacs with spiderlings present in May (Fig. 54E ). The egg sacs were quite thin to where the eggs and spiderlings were easily visible inside them, similar to the egg sacs of Karaops badgeradda (Fig. 54B ). This is in contrast to other species of Karaops , like K. strayamate (Fig. 6H ), and many Selenops species whose egg sacs are much more papery and stronger. Data indicate that adult females, spiderlings, and egg sacs are present from April to May, when temperatures are cooling, and it is becoming wetter. Males are present in November, when it is hotter and drier. After a full year, sel_1133 was not yet an adult (Suppl. material 2: tables S1, S16).

Discussion.

This ecoregion is on the onshore part of the Carnarvon Basin, part of the West Australian Shield. The terrain is low, and sediments are recent alluvial, aeolian, and marine sediments over Cretaceous strata ( Curry et al. 2008). The Gascoyne is poorly surveyed but from what is known, there are many endemic taxa, including Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov.

Figures

Map 1. Map of Australia showing areas that are expanded in subsequent figures. CD = Central Desert group, D = Karaops dawara group, F = Karaops francesae group, K = Kimberley group, UA = species that are not assigned to a group, PG = Pilbara-Gascoyne group.

Figure 6. Species and habitats of the Karaops strayamate species group A Karaops strayamate sp. nov., adult male, vic. Mt. Etna Caves National Park, Queensland B Karaops australiensis nom. dub., holotype, penultimate male, Bowen, Queensland (see text - this is likely a member of the Karaops raveni species group) (ZSMH A 0000791) C Karaops strayamate sp. nov., adult female, vic. Mt. Etna Caves National Park, Queensland D Karaops australiensis nom. dub., female, dorsal, Sydney, New South Wales (see text) (ZSMH A 0000792) E Karaops strayamate sp. nov., adult female, vic. Mt. Etna Caves National Park, Queensland F Karaops australiensis nom. dub., female, ventral, Sydney, New South Wales (see text) (ZSMH A 0000792) G Karaops strayamate sp. nov. habitat of rocks along roadside, Bowen, Queensland H Karaops strayamate sp. nov., egg sac beneath rock, Bowen, Queensland. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Map 9. Species of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group A diamonds (juveniles): blue = Erawandoo Hill, orange = Mt. Augustus, red = Nammuldi, yellow = Hillside-Corunna-Glenn Herring, black = Marble Bar-Glacier Valley, pink = Orebody 19, 31, teal = Wheelara North, orange with thick outline = Harding Dam (maybe Karaops ngarluma, see text); Circles: dark blue = Karaops julianneae, dark green = Karaops badgeradda, red = Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., teal = Karaops karrawarla, blue = Karaops durrantorum sp. nov., brown = Karaops burbidgei, green = Karaops martamarta, purple = Karaops nyangumarta, black = Karaops banyjima, yellow = Karaops morganoconnelli sp. nov., gray = Karaops nyiyaparli, red-brown = Karaops feedtime, bright pink = Karaops nyamal (probably, see text), white = Karaops kariyarra, bright green = Karaops yurlburr, orange = Karaops ngarluma, tan = Karaops jaburrara, peach = Karaops forteyi, teal = new species yet undescribed; small white diamonds are unidentifiable immatures for which no molecular data are available B boxed area expanded for clarity.

Figure 50. Members of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group, Western Australia A Karaops martamarta, adult male, 8 km NW of Mt. Berry (WAM T 79413) B habitat of Karaops martamarta, Robe Valley C Karaops martamarta, palp ventral, vic. Mt. Berry (WAM T 79411) D same, retrolateral E Karaops sp., Mundee, Mt. Augustus National Park (photo: J. DeJong) F Karaops julianneae, adult female, Lorna Glen Station (WAM T 107714). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (C, D); 1 mm (A); 2 mm (F).

Figure 54. Members and habitats of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group, Western Australia A Badgeradda Range, habitat of Karaops badgeradda B Karaops badgeradda egg sac, under rock, Badgeradda Range C Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., holotype female, Escarpment Trail, Kennedy Range National Park (sel _ 1130, WAM T 155506) D same, paratype male (sel _ 1131, WAM T 155507) E same, egg sac with spiderlings, arrows indicate spiderlings F same, holotype female, Escarpment Trail, Kennedy Range National Park (sel _ 1130, WAM T 155506) G same, paratype male (sel _ 1134, WAM T 155510) H Karaops badgeradda, epigyne, caudal view (sel _ 1118, WAM T 155494) I Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., holotype female, epigyne, caudal view (sel _ 1130, WAM T 155506) J habitat of Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., Kennedy Range National Park.

Figure 55. Members of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group, Western Australia A Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., paratype male, Escarpment Trail, Kennedy Range National Park (sel _ 1131, WAM T 155507) B same, holotype female, epigyne (sel _ 1130 WAM T 155506) C same, endogyne D Karaops karrawarla, female paratype, epigyne, Bush Bay, Western Australia (WAM T 76700) E same, endogyne. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 56. Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., Escarpment Trail, Kennedy Range National Park, Western Australia A paratype male, palp, ventral (sel _ 1131, WAM T 155507) B same, retrolateral, arrow indicates close-up in D, below C habitat of Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., Kennedy Range National Park D paratype male, close up of the tip of the conductor as indicated by arrow in B, above E same, palp expanded, retrolateral, light gray = tip of conductor, dark gray = median apophysis. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 57. Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., paratype male, Escarpment Trail, Kennedy Range National Park, Western Australia (sel _ 1131, WAM T 155507) A adult male B same C same. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 58. Karaops karrawarla, Bush Bay, Western Australia A male holotype, palp, ventral (WAM T 55001) B female paratype (WAM T 76700) C male holotype (WAM T 55001) D close up of embolus tip as indicated by arrow in E, below E palp, retrolateral F palp, expanded, light gray = tip of conductor, dark gray = median apophysis. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A, E, F); 2 mm (B, C).

Figure 60. Karaops morganoconnelli sp. nov. and Karaops nyamal from the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group A Karaops morganoconnelli sp. nov., paratype male, palp, ventral, Cathedral Gorge, ~ 40 km from Newman (sel _ 1207, WAM T 155583) B same retrolateral C Karaops nyamal, paratype female, epigyne, Mt. Webber (WAM T 107698) D same, endogyne E Karaops morganoconnelli sp. nov., paratype male, palp, expanded, (sel _ 1207, WAM T 155583); light gray = tip of conductor, dark gray = median apophysis. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.