Karaops mareeba, 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 mareeba sp. nov.

Fig. 42A-C, E, G , Maps 1 , 8

Material examined.

Holotype: Queensland • ♀; Desailly Range, base on south side, 16°28'56.8"S, 144°53'03.2"E; 6 Sep.-18 Oct. 2008; R. Raven, G.B. Monteith leg.; (QMS 110872). Paratype: ♀; same data as holotype (QMS 120908) .

Diagnosis.

The endogyne of Karaops mareeba sp. nov. (Fig. 42A, B ) is somewhat similar to that of K. madhawundu sp. nov. by the large, round accessory bulbs, but medially they are nearly in contact with one another in K. mareeba sp. nov. (Figs 41C, D , 42C, E ) but separated in K. madhawundu sp. nov. Karaops mareeba sp. nov. also differs in having the lateral lobes distinct posteriorly and a lobe in the median field whereas K. madhawundu sp. nov. has a depression in the median field, and there is no clear separation of the lateral lobes.

Description.

Female (holotype). Total length 7.06. Carapace: length 2.96, width 3.40. Chelicerae: promargin with three teeth, retromargin with one tooth on left side, two teeth on right. Eyes: AER slightly recurved, PER recurved; diameters AME 0.13, ALE 0.08, PME 0.19, PLE 0.27; interdistances AME-PME 0.04, PME-ALE 0.23, ALE-PLE 0.18, PME-PME 0.84, ALE-ALE 1.43, AME-AME 0.45, PLE-PLE 1.50. Sternum: length 1.50, width 1.46. Abdomen: length 4.10, width 3.15. Color: Carapace: brownish orange, three marks each on lateral margins, somewhat faded, flat, white setae around eyes, patches elsewhere interspersed with slender, dark setae. Chelicerae: brownish orange, paturon with longitudinal curved mark frontally, setae white, long. Maxillae: yellowish white. Labium: gray, pale distally. Sternum: tan. Abdomen: dorsally grayish, yellow around perimeter, faded, markings indistinguishable; ventrally grayish yellow. Spinnerets: black dorsally. Legs: orangish brown, Cx with jagged, dusky mark prolaterally, Tr with pr dark spot, Fm with two jagged lines basally and two apically, forming annulations, orange on both Fm and Pt at joint, Pt with dark mark ventrally, Ti orange basally and apically, dark mark on Ti at Pt-Ti joint, dark annulation apically, Mt orange with dark annulations at Ti-Mt joint and Mt-Ti joint, Ta orange and dusky at tip; spination leg I missing; leg II Fm d 1-1-1, pr 0-0-1, Ti v 2-2-2-2-2-2, Mt v 2-2-2-2; leg III Fm d 1-1-1, pr 0-0-1; leg IV Fm d 1-1-1, pr 0-0-1, rl 0-0-1; measurements leg I missing; leg II 11.44 (3.94, 1.30, 2.96, 2.16, 1.08); leg III 12.01 (3.85, 1.15, 3.15, 2.66, 1.02); leg IV 11.21 (3.82, 0.90, 2.78, 2.50, 1.22). Palp Fm spination d 0-1-3; 2.66 (0.82, 0.48, 0.54, 0.83); claw with five teeth. Epigyne: EP triangular; MF with truncate lobe extending slightly posteriorly over LLs; LLs separated posteriorly; COs at lateral edges of lobe (Fig. 23D ). Endogyne: CDs very short; ABs large, round; S small, oval; FDs directed laterally.

Male. Unknown.

Variation.

(n = 2) Paratype with two very small teeth on left promargin and two regular size teeth on right; retromargin with two teeth on left, three on right.

Etymology.

This species is named after the Shire of Mareeba, where the type locality is located. Noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality, Desailly Range, Queensland (Map 8 ).

Natural history.

Karaops mareeba sp. nov. is found in the Hodgkinson Basin subregion of the Einasleigh Uplands bioregion ( Bastin 2008). This bioregion is savanna and woodland on a plateau. There is a wet season December-March. Adult females were collected between September and October when the climate is drier and slightly cooler than other times of year (Suppl. material 2: table S1).

Discussion.

The Einasleigh Uplands are home to many unique habitats, including gorges and caves, that are home to many endemic species of plants and animals ( Bastin 2008). Little is known of the terrestrial arthropod fauna with the exception of a few wetland insect species. Endemism is likely in arthropods found in the subregion.

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.

Map 8. Species that are not currently placed in a species group. Diamonds (juveniles): blue = Little Mertens, red = Ruby Plains, pink = Nackeroo Lookout; Circles: yellow = Karaops yumbubaarnji sp. nov., green = Karaops markharveyi sp. nov., purple = Karaops kennerleyorum sp. nov., blue = Karaops madhawundu sp. nov., red = Karaops mareeba sp. nov. Juveniles are treated as distinct species based on molecular data.

Figure 23. Karaops dalmanyi sp. nov., holotype female, Dalmanyi (Bell Gorge), Western Australia (sel _ 1236, WAM T 155612) A epigyne B endogyne C adult female. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 41. Karaops madhawundu sp. nov., Cobbold Gorge and Gilberton, Queensland A Karaops madhawundu sp. nov., holotype female, Cobbold Gorge (QMS 5430) B Karaops madhawundu sp. nov., paratype female, Gilberton Station (QMS 5413) C Karaops madhawundu sp. nov., holotype female, Cobbold Gorge (QMS 5430) D same, endogyne E Cobbold Gorge, Queensland, habitat of Karaops madhawundu sp. nov. (Photo: J. DeJong). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (C, D); 2 mm (A, B).

Figure 42. Karaops mareeba sp. nov. and Karaops markharveyi sp. nov. A Karaops mareeba sp. nov., paratype female, Desailly Range, Queensland (QMS 120908) B Karaops mareeba sp. nov., holotype female, Desailly Range, Queensland (QMS 110872) C same, epigyne D Karaops markharveyi sp. nov., 4.6 km from Drysdale River Road, Gibb River Road, Western Australia, holotype female (sel _ 1249, WAM T 155625) E Karaops mareeba sp. nov., holotype female, endogyne, Desailly Range, Queensland (QMS 110872) F sandstone ridge habitat of Karaops markharveyi sp. nov. G Karaops mareeba sp. nov., holotype female, epigyne, caudal, Desailly Range, Queensland (QMS 110872). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (C, E, G); 2 mm (A, B, D).