Tauala Wanless, 1988

Żabka, Marek & Patoleta, Barbara M., 2015, New species of Taual a Wanless, 1988 from Australia (Araneae: Salticidae: Astioida: Astiae), with a redefinition of the genus, Zootaxa 4000 (5), pp. 501-517 : 502

Genus Tauala Wanless, 1988

Tauala Wanless, 1988: 120 –132; Davies & Żabka 1989: 206, 209; Gardzińska 1996: 299 –304; Patoleta & Żabka 1999: 230, 233–234; Maddison et al. 2008: 53 –54, 58– 59; Peng & Li 2002: 340 –342.

Type species: Tauala lepidus Wanless, 1988 , by original designation.

List of valid species. T. alveolatus Wanless, 1988 , T. athertonensis Gardzińska, 1996 , T. australiensis Wanless, 1988 , T. bilobatus sp. nov., T. daviesae Wanless, 1988 , T. lepidus Wanless, 1988 , T. minutus Wanless, 1988 , T. ottoi sp. nov., T. palumaensis sp. nov., T. setosus sp. nov., T. splendidus Wanless, 1988 , T. zborowskii sp. nov.

Remark. T. elongata , described from Taiwan ( Peng & Li 2002), is geographically and morphologically distant and is considered here a non-congener. Because the species is known only from the female, we do not propose any formal placement for it before the male is described.

Diagnosis. The genus differs from the related Jacksonoides by the following combination of characters: epigyne with two separate depressions and a small posterior pocket (most species). Embolus small or minute, fixed. Tegulum pear-shaped, with retrolateral apophysis (in most species). Tibial apophysis single or bi-lobate, hooked in ventral view.

Description (after Wanless 1988, modified). Spiders about 2.40 to 7 mm long. Sexes similar in appearance ( Figs 1 , 6 , 17, 25 for females; Figs 14 , 32 , 41–42 , 51 for males), but male chelicerae more robust and first legs sometimes fringed ( T. lepidus , T. alveolatus , T. daviesae , T. palumaensis ; Fig. 32 ). Cephalothorax rather high, longer than broad, with distinctive thoracic slope and with depression between PLE. Fovea placed behind PLE. Eyes on moderately pronounced tubercles, PME small, set midway between ALE and PLE. Male chelicerae robust, their anterior surface rugose ( Fig. 35 ) and sometimes with depression ( Fig. 34 ) or with tooth-like apophysis ( T. lepidus , T. splendidus , T. daviesae , T. palumaensis , T. bilobatus ; Fig. 41 ). Promargin with 1–3 teeth, retromargin with 7–10 teeth. Cheliceral fang sometimes with a keel ( T. bilobatus ; Fig. 45 ). Female chelicerae less robust, anterior surface with rugose sculpturing, pro- and retromargin with pluridentate dentition (1–3 and 7–11, respectively). Maxillae rather long, sometimes with antero-lateral projection ( T. palumaensis ; Fig. 36 ). Abdomen elongate ovoid, spinnerets not modified. Tracheal spiracle sometimes accompanied by a patch of dark stiff setae ( T. athertonensis , T. palumaensis , T. zborowskii , Figs 7–8 , 22, 33). Legs I the strongest, in males sometimes with ventral fringe ( T. lepidus , T. daviesae , T. australiensis , T. palumaensis ; Fig. 32 ), tibiae and metatarsi usually with 4 and 2 pairs of ventral spines, respectively (modifications possible). Male palpal cymbium elongate, flange missing or slightly marked ( Figs 16 , 39 , 49 ). Tibial apophysis hooked (ventral view), sometimes bi-lobate (lateral view in T. bilobatus , T. setosus ; Figs 50 , 57 ). Tegulum more or less pear-shaped, sometimes with retrolateral apophysis [ T. lepidus , T. splendidus , T. alveolatus , T. daviesae , T. palumaensis ( Figs 16 , 37 ). According to Wanless (1988, p. 121), the apophysis is part of subtegulum rather than tegulum, but the former is only apparent in some species and is visible either on pro- or retrolateral sides. Embolus minute or small. Epigyne simple, elongate, usually bordered by lightly sclerotised margins, sometimes with posterior small pocket ( T. lepidus , T. splendidus , T. daviesae , T. ottoi ; Figs 4–5 , 23–24, 30–31), copulatory openings accompanied by slit-like edge; insemination ducts usually long and slender, wavy or bent (except for T. minutus ), with distinctive accessory glands; spermathecae rounded.

Relationships. Wanless (1988) placed Tauala within the Astieae group and suggested that Jacksonoides Wanless, 1988 was its closest relative. Indeed, both genera share similarities in habitus, leg spination and cheliceral dentition, and some species (e.g. Tauala setosus sp. nov. vs Jacksonoides distinctus ) show intermediate genitalic patterns.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Tauala lepidus (Wanless, 1988), female. 1 dorsal view; 2 ventral view; 3 frontal view, 4 epigyne; 5 vulva (ag: accessory gland, co: copulatory opening, id: insemination duct, p: pouch, s: spermatheca). Scale: 1 – 3 = 1 mm, 4 – 5 as in fig.

FIGURES 6 – 13. Tauala athertonensis Gardzińska, 1996, female. 6 dorsal view; 7 ventral view; 8 lateral view; 9 frontal view; 10 cheliceral dentition, endites and labium; 11 – 12 epigyne; 13 vulva (ag: accessory gland, as: abdominal setae, co: copulatory opening, id: insemination duct, s: spermatheca). Scale: 6 – 10 = 1 mm, 12 as in fig.

FIGURES 14 – 16. Tauala splendidus Wanless, 1988, male. 14 dorsal view; 15 fronto-lateral view; 16 palpal organ, ventral view (cf: cymbial flange, e: embolus, rta: retrolateral tibial apophysis, sd: seminal duct; tla: tegular lateral apophysis). Scale: 14 – 15 = 1 mm, 16 as in fig.

FIGURES 32 – 40. Tauala palumaensis sp. nov., male holotype. 32 dorsal view (arrow shows fringe); 33 ventral view; 34 fronto-lateral view; 35 frontal view; 36 cheliceral dentition, endites and labium; 37 palpal organ, ventro-lateral view (arrow shows tla); 38 prolateral view; 39 ventral view; 40 retrolateral view (as: abdominal setae, cf: cymbial flange, e: embolus, rta: retrolateral tibial apophysis, sd seminal duct; tla: tegular lateral apophysis). Scale: 32 – 36 = 1 mm, 39 as in fig.

FIGURES 41 – 50. Tauala bilobatus sp. nov., male holotype. 41 cephalothorax, dorsal view (arrow shows tooth-like apophysis); 42 abdomen, dorsal view; 43 abdomen, ventral view; 44 cephalothorax, lateral view; 45 frontal view (arrow shows keel); 46 cheliceral dentition, endites, labium and sternum; 47 palpal organ, ventro-lateral view; 48 retrolateral view; 49 ventral view; 50 retrolateral view (cf: cymbial flange, e: embolus, rta: retrolateral tibial apophysis, sd seminal duct, t: tegulum). Scale: 41 – 48 = 1 mm, 49 – 50 as in fig.

FIGURES 51 – 57. Tauala setosus sp. nov., male holotype. 51 dorsal view; 52 fronto-lateral view; 53 cheliceral dentition, endites and labium; 54 palpal organ, ventro-lateral view; 55 retrolateral view; 56 ventral view; 57 retrolateral view (e: embolus, rta: retrolateral tibial apophysis, sd: seminal duct, st: subtegulum, tl: tegular lobe, ts: tibial setae). Scale: 51 – 53 = 1 mm, 56 – 57 as in fig.