Thorell 1870 : 388 Lycosa leuckartii (Thorell) Koch 1877 : 896 Rainbow 1911 : 269 Bonnet 1957 : 2649 Main 1964 : 120 McKay 1975 : 320 McKay 1985 : 79 Hogg 1905 : 575 Rainbow 1911 : 270 Bonnet 1957 : 2653 McKay 1973 : 379 McKay 1975 : 326 McKay 1985 : 80 Hirst 1988 : 77 Platnick 1993 : 488 Lycosa leuckarti (Thorell) Simon 1909 : 182 Platnick 1993 : 488 Simon 1909 : 182 Rainbow 1911 : 266 Bonnet 1957 : 2638 Allocosa molyneuxi (Hogg) Roewer 1955 : 206 Avicosa christopheri (Simon) Roewer 1955 : 236 Rack 1961 : 37 Scaptocosa leuckartii (Thorell) Roewer 1955 : 291 Schizocosa christopheri (Simon) McKay 1973 : 381 McKay 1973 : 381 Revision of the Australian Union-Jack wolf spiders, genus Tasmanicosa (Araneae, Lycosidae, Lycosinae) Framenau, Volker W. Baehr, Barbara C. Zootaxa 2016 4213 1 1 82 54YJK Thorell, 1870 Thorell 1870 [151,623,1650,1676] Arachnida Lycosidae Tasmanicosa Animalia Araneae 30 31 Arthropoda species leuckartii comb. nov.  ( Figs 1E–F, 3A, 6D, 7G, 16, 17A–K)     Tarentula leuckartii  Thorell 1870: 388–389.    Lycosa leuckartii(Thorell).—  Koch 1877: 896–899, pl. 77, figs 3, 3A; pl. 81, figs 1, 1A;  Rainbow 1911: 269;  Bonnet 1957: 2649;  Main 1964: 120, figs E–F;  McKay 1975: 320–325, figs 1 A–E, 2 A–I, 3 E–F;  McKay 1985: 79.    Lycosa molyneuxi  Hogg 1905: 575–577, figs 82, 82 A–B;  Rainbow 1911: 270;  Bonnet 1957: 2653;  McKay 1973: 379;  McKay 1975: 326–328;  McKay 1985: 80;  Hirst 1988: 77;  Platnick 1993: 488. New synonymy.    Lycosa leuckarti(Thorell).—  Simon 1909: 182;  Platnick 1993: 488.    Lycosa christopheri  Simon 1909: 182;  Rainbow 1911: 266;  Bonnet 1957: 2638(synonymy established in McKay, 1975).    Allocosa molyneuxi(Hogg).—  Roewer 1955: 206.    Avicosa christopheri(Simon).—  Roewer 1955: 236;  Rack 1961: 37.  Scaptocosa leuckartii(Thorell).—  Roewer 1955: 291.    Schizocosa christopheri(Simon).—  McKay 1973: 381.     Schizocosa leuckartii(Thorell).—  McKay 1973: 381.     Typedata. Lectotype(designated here) of  Tarentula leuckartii. Female, locality label fainted, possibly Echuka, =? Echuca, 36°08’S, 144°45’E( Victoria, AUSTRALIA), ‘ Leuckartded.’, Collectio T.Thorell ( SMNH) (examined).  Paralectotypeof  Tarentula leuckartii. Penultimate female, data as lectotype(examined).   Lectotype(designated here) of  Lycosa christopheri. Female, Fremantle [ 32°03’S, 115°44’E,  WesternAustralia, AUSTRALIA], W. Wöltingleg. 1907, H. Christopherded.  1.vii.1907( ZMH,  Rack(1961)-catalogue 448) (examined). Paralectotype of  Lycosa christopheri. Juvenile, same data as lectotype (ZMH, Rack (1961)-catalogue 448) (examined).   Holotypeof  Lycosa molyneuxi. Female, Gilbert River, Riverton[ 34°10’S, 138°45’E,  SouthAustralia, AUSTRALIA], A. Molineux( SAMNN462) (examined).  Other material examined.1,768 males, 764 females( 29 femaleswith eggsac, 41 femaleswith spiderlings) and 619 juvenilesin 957 records (Appendix B).   Diagnosis.  Tasmanicosa leuckartiiis the only species in the genus which has a light patch of variable size in the centre of the venter ( Figs 17C–D). Genital morphology is similar to  T. gilbertaand  T. fulgor. Males are most similar to  T. gilberta, but can be distinguished by the shape of the terminal apophysis, which is broad and apically bent in  T. gilberta( Fig. 7H), but twisted in  T. leuckartii( Fig. 7G) (that of  T. fulgoris broadly sickle-shaped without apical modifications ( Fig. 9J)). Females are most similar to  T. fulgor( Fig. 4H), but the epigyne is much shallower and overall narrower in  T. leuckartii( Fig. 17G) (that of  T. gilbertahas a much narrower median septum ( Fig. 4G)). Care should be taken and genitalia examined in detail for each specimens when large series of pitfall trap material of  T. leuckartiiare identified, as the species can be found sympatrically with  T. godeffroyi,  T. gilbertaand  T. fulgor, all of which have been found as singletons within large numbers of  T. leuckartiiin traps.   Description.Male (based on NMV K11541). Total length 17.6.  Prosoma.Length 10.0, width 7.7; reddish-brown with genus-specific Union-Jack pattern and narrow median and lateral bands ( Fig. 17A); sternum very dark brown to black ( Fig. 17C).  Eyes.Diameter of AME 0.33, ALE 0.21, PME 0.81, PLE 0.73.  Chelicerae. Black, with an elongated patch of golden setae frontally.  Labium.Black with lighter anterior rim ( Fig. 17C).  Endites. Glabrous dark brown, anteriorly somewhat lighter ( Fig. 17C).  Legs.Greyish-brown, covered with silvery setae; venter of coxae dark brown ( Fig. 17C).  Opisthosoma.Length 8.7, width 6.4; dorsally with folium pattern that is bordered by light patches in particular anteriorly ( Fig. 17A); venter black with light discolouration centrally ( Fig. 17C).  Pedipalps.Cymbium dorsally with dense layer of silvery setae; tip with ca. 7–10 macrosetae ( Figs 17E–F); tegular apophysis with almost straight ridge which is almost as long as tegular apophysis width ( Figs 6D, 17J–K). Embolus broad at base, narrowing apically into a sharp tip; terminal apophysis tip flat and broad with subapical twist ( Figs 7G,  17I). Female (based on NMV K11546). Total length 17.3.  Prosoma.Length 10.0, width 7.7; colouration of carapace and sternum as male, but with less distinct radial pattern on carapace ( Figs 17B, D).  Eyes.Diameter of AME 0.15, ALE 0.14, PME 0.77, PLE 0.65.  Chelicerae, labium, endites, legsand opisthosoma. Opisthosoma length 12.0, width 8.2, otherwise as male, but light ventral spot larger and more distinct ( Fig. 17D).  Epigyne.Longer than wide; median septum inverted T-shaped with irregular edges ( Fig. 17G); spermathecal heads kidney-shaped, situated laterally at half of the length of the epigyne length; spermathecal stalks twisted and bent ( Fig. 17H).   Remarks. Thorell (1870)listed two adult females in the original species description of  T. leuckartii; however, only one of the two females in the syntypeseries is mature and here designated as lectotypeto unequivocally fix the species-group name of the taxon. The female is redescribed here based on more recent material, as the lectotypeis in poor condition.  McKay (1975)synonymised  Lycosa christopheri Simon, 1909with  T. leuckartiibased on the examination of the (p. 320) ‘Holotype female, Hamburg. Zool. Mus. Inst. No. 448’. In contrast, Rack (1961: 37)listed a (translated from German), ‘♀syntype (damaged)’ as her ZMH catalogue no. 448. Her syntype designation may be due to the presence of an immature spider in the same vial. Simon’s (1909) original description of  L. christopherishows that it was based on more than one specimen, as he gave a size range for the total length of the species, rather than a distinct size for a single specimen. We therefore support Rack’s (1961) assumption of a syntype series of the species consisting of a female and juvenile and here designate the female as lectotype to unequivocally fix the species-group name of this taxon.  McKay (1975)already pointed to the possibility that  Lycosa molyneuxiand  T. gilbertamay represent junior synonyms of  T. leuckartii. This is confirmed here for  L. molyneuxi, of which the holotypefemale conforms to the species diagnosis of  T. leuckartiias presented here.  Lycosa molyneuxiis here considered a junior synonym of  T. leuckartii. The original typelocality for  L. molyneuxi, ‘Gilbert River, Riverina, New SouthWales’ was amended to a SouthAustralian locality by Hirst (1988). We consider the correct original spelling for the species-group name of Leuckart’s wolf spider to be  T. leuckartiirather than  T. leuckarti. This is in accordance with article 33.4 inthe fourth edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature( ICZN 1999), which states the change from - iito - iis a subsequent incorrect spelling.  Life history and habitat preferences.Habitat preferences of  T. leuckartiiare typical for those in the genus  Tasmanicosa, with records from a variety of forest and bushland habitats (Yate, River Red Gum, Black Box, old growth mallee, Casuarina,  Callitris, Acacia) to semi-arid grasslands and paddocks. However, this species appears to be more common than other  Tasmanicosaspecies in floodplains or near permanent to ephemeral waterbodies of varying salinity. Frequent habitat descriptions included samphire, saltbush country, river terrace, alluvial flats and clayey soil with crab holes. This is consistent with McKay’s (1975: 323) habitat description of ‘lateritic gravels, loam, or clay soils, especially on alluvial clay soils near swamps, streams, and on riverbanks’ and Main (1976)detailing ‘dry open woodland and forest with expanses of bare to lightly littered ground; invade dry pasture and crop.’ Burrows of  T. leuckartiiare shallow with depth ranging from approximately 60 to 110 mmin a study on SouthAustralian floodplain populations. Burrow depth increased over summer apparently counteracting increasing temperatures, but there was no direct correlation with decreasing soil moisture ( Steggles 2001; Steggles et al.2003). Burrow fidelity was low in this study, with spiders frequently vacating but also re-occupying empty burrows. Apparently, spiders take advantage of soil fissures in cracking clays that provide ample opportunity as day-time hideouts ( Steggles et al.2003). Laboratory studies confirmed that an association with burrows was highest in reproductive females ( Steggles et al.2003). The senior author of this study (VWF) has found  T. leuckartiifemales building a thin, trapdoor-like lid on their burrow in Quorn (  South Australia). With a similar distribution pattern, the phenology of  T. leuckartiiappears to be very similar to that of  T. godeffroyi. Females with eggsac were found predominantly between January and April, with single records from June and October. Consistent with this, most females carrying spiderlings were found in April, but also in January to March and May to June. In some areas  T. leuckartiiis called the hay spider because of its abundance around stooks and bales of cut hay where it is a nuisance to farm workers ( Main 1976). Recent experiments on the effect of  T. leuckartiias natural control agents for the cotton bollworm,  Helicoverpa armigera(Hübner, 1808), indicated that these spiders can be effective predators of the cotton bollworm late instars and moths, but also suggested that, under some conditions, the presence of spiders could increase the damage to individual cotton bolls ( Rendon et al.2016).   Distribution.  Tasmanicosa leuckartiiis very common south of approximately 25°S Latitude in New South Wales,  South Australiaand  Western Australia( Fig. 16). Records in southern Victoriaand Tasmaniaare rare and the species has only occasionally been found in Queensland. 1437756154 SMNH Female & Echuka & Echuca & Leuckart & Collectio T. Australia -36.133335 Victoria 1189 144.75 31 32 2 Victoria lectotype 1437756142 1907-07-01 ZMH W. Wolting & H. Christopher & Rack Australia -32.05 Western Australia 1213 115.73333 31 32 1 Western Australia lectotype 1437756159 SAM Female & Riverton & A. Molineux Australia -34.166668 Gilbert River 1200 138.75 31 32 1 South Australia holotype