The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level Rix, Michael Harvey, Mark ZooKeys 2010 2010-02-22 36 36 1 321 Rix & Harvey Rix & Harvey 2010 [140,529,1257,1284] Arachnida Micropholcommatidae Taphiassa Animalia Araneae 81 82 Arthropoda species robertsi sp. nov.   Figs 7P, 8B, 8D, 8F, 8H, 10E–F, 152A–B, 152F, 154C–D, 155–162, 215, 223F–G    Typematerial.  Holotypemale: Yanchep National Park,  Mambibby Cave(YN-12), Western Australia, Australia, web strand on rock wall near stair, 31°33'S, 115°41'E,  4.VII.1998, R. Foulds( WAMT94519).  Paratypes:  Allotypefemale,  Tuart Cave(YN-474), Carabooda area, A. Lombardo’sproperty, Western Australia, Australia, off soil cone litter, edge of daylight,  20.III.1999, R. Foulds( WAMT94520).    Othermaterial examined. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia:same data as holotype except  18.V.2002, 1♁ ( WAMT94521 SEM♁); same data as holotype ex-  cept web strand, twilight zone,  30.VI.2001, 1♀( WAMT94522);  Yanchep National Park,  Chingah Cave(YN-416), rock wall under daylight hole, twilight zone,  16.XII.2000, R. Foulds, 1♀( WAMT94523);  Yanchep National Park, unnamed cave (YN-420),  4 minto cave, twilight of entrance overhang, dragline,  16.IV.1996, R. Foulds, 1♀( WAMT94524);  Yanchep National Park,  Carpark Cave(YN- 18), web strand in rockwall, daylight edge,  7.VII.1998, R. Foulds, 1♀( WAMT94525 SEM ♀);  Bibbulmun Track, E. of Albany Wind Farm, sifting elevated leaf litter, 35°04'10"S, 117°48'26"E,  18.III.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 1♁ ( WAMT94529);  D’Entrecasteaux National Park, Chesapeake Road, sifting leaf litter, 34°51'30"S, 116°24'46"E,  14.III.2007, M. Rix, M. Harvey, M. Moir, 1♀( WAMT94528);  Gull Rock National Park, end of Ledge Point Road, 35°00'51"S, 118°00'23"E,  17.III.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 1♁ ( WAMT94492);  Limeburners Road, near Torndirrup National Park, sifting elevated leaf litter in deep gully, 35°05'27"S, 117°54'40"E,  14.III.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 3♁, 1♀( WAMT94527);  Margaret River region,  Foxhole Cave(MR-9), from web among rocks in breezeway, 33°55'S, 115°00'E,  2.XI.1996, R. Foulds, 1♁ ( WAMT94526);  Porongurup National Park, Waddys Hut, sifting elevated leaf litter, 34°40'55"S, 117°50'55"E,  29.IV.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 1♁ ( WAMT94482);  Sand Patch Beach Reserve, end of Mutton Bird Road, sifting elevated leaf litter, 35°02'41"S, 117°41'31"E,  18.III.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 1♀( WAMT94530);  Torndirrup National Park, Salmon Hole Road, sifting elevated leaf litter, 35°06'07"S, 117°58'03"E,  14.III.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 1♀( WAMT94493);  Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, near Picnic Area, sifting elevated leaf litter, 34°58'27"S, 118°10'42"E,  1.V.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, J. Newell, 1♀( WAMT94483);  Walpole-Nornalup National Park, litter,  9.II.1979, M. Gray, 1♀( AMS KS14625); same data, 1♀( AMS KS14636);  Walpole-Nornalup National Park, Anderson Road, near Valleyof the Giants Road, Tingle-Karri forest, leaf litter Tullgren funnel, 34°59'32"S, 116°52'17"E,  3.V.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 1♁, 2♀( WAMT94481);  West Cape Howe National Park, sifting leaf litter above Shelley Beach, 35°06'22"S, 117°37'39"E,  7.XI.2007, M. Rix, 1♁, 1♀( WAMT94532);  West Cape Howe National Park, off Torbay Beach Road, sifting elevated leaf litter in gully opposite Richard Island, 35°04'35"S, 117°38'49"E,  16.III.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, 1♁, 2♀( WAMT94531);  Westcliffefireline track, litter,  9.II.1979, M. Gray, 1♁, 1♀( AMS KS14646);  Witchcliffe region,  Pentorifice Cave(WI-122), off web near stalagmite drip at north-eastern end of cave,  25.III.1995, R. Foulds, 1♁ ( WAMT35078); near Yate Road, S. of Bremer Bay, sifting elevated leaf litter, 34°24'10"S, 119°22'43"E,  2.V.2008, M. Rix, M. Harvey, J. Newell, 1♀( WAMT94484).    Etymology.The specific epithet is a patronym in honour J. Dale Roberts, of the University of Western Australia(Perth), for his exceptional supervision, patient guidance and wonderful support during M. Rix’s postgraduate study at the University of Western Australia.    Diagnosis.Males and females of  Taphiassa robertsican be distinguished from all other described congeners by the distinctive, bi-coloured pattern on the abdomen ( Figs 7P, 155A–B), similar only to undescribed species in south-eastern Australia. In the field this species is likely to be confused only with the sympatric species  T. globosa, which is much smaller, with relatively shorter legs.    Description.  Holotypemale: Total length 1.43. Carapace 0.67 long, 0.49 wide. Abdomen 0.74 long, 0.61 wide. Leg I femur 1.29. Cephalothorax, anterior sclerite, abdominal sclerotic spots brown; legs, spinneret sclerite tan-yellow; abdomen dark grey, with cream mesal stripe and cream lateral patches. Carapace raised anteriorly, fused to sternum via pleural sclerites, with circular sclerotic rim around petiole; dorsal surface of pars cephalica slightly convex in lateral view; carapace and sternum heavily punctate. Eight eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica; AME 0.8x diameter of ALE; PME separated by slightly less than their own diameter. Chelicerae without bulging anterior projections; promargin without peg teeth. Legs relatively long (leg I femur-carapace ratio 1.93); macrosetae absent. Abdomen globose, covered with hair-like setae, each seta projecting from small sclerotic spot; dorsal scute and lateral sclerotic strips absent. Pedipalpal patella with retrolaterally-directed, hooked lRPA and strongly recurved distal apophysis; bulb spherical, with posteriorly-bulging subtegulum; tegulum smooth, with curved ETR; embolus long (length> 5× width), curving distally (Fig. 156).   Allotypefemale: Total length 1.55. Carapace 0.68 long, 0.50 wide. Abdomen 0.82 long, 0.76 wide. Leg I femur 1.29. Cephalothorax, anterior sclerite, abdominal sclerotic spots brown; legs, spinneret sclerite tan-yellow; abdomen dark grey, with cream mesal stripe and cream lateral patches. Carapace raised anteriorly, fused to sternum via pleural sclerites, with circular sclerotic rim around petiole; dorsal surface of pars cephalica slightly convex in lateral view; carapace and sternum heavily punctate. Eight eyes present on anterior margin of pars cephalica; AME 0.8x diameter of ALE; PME separated by slightly less than their own diameter. Chelicerae without bulging anterior projections; promargin without peg teeth. Legs relatively long (leg I femur-carapace ratio 1.90); macrosetae absent. Abdomen globose, covered with hair-like setae, each seta projecting from small sclerotic spot; dorsal scute and lateral sclerotic strips absent. Pedipalp entire, five-segmented. External epigyne indistinct (Fig. 155D); spermathecae globular, almost spherical; insemination ducts short; fertilisation ducts simple, curved (Fig. 154C).    Distribution.Known from the western and southern coasts of south-western Western Australia(Fig. 215).    Remarks.  Taphiassa robertsiis a common and relatively widespread species in south-western Western Australia, where specimens have been collected by beating and sifting low vegetation and elevated leaf litter in mesic habitats. The main population extends along the south coast from Margaret River in the west to at least Bremer Bay in the east, with outlying populations in the Porongurup National Park and in caves at Yanchep National Park, north of Perth (Fig. 215). Similar species are also known from throughout south-eastern Australia. 2608826000 1998-07-04 WAM R. Foulds Australia -31.55 Yanchep National Park 1215 115.683334 Mambibby Cave 81 82 1 Western Australia holotype 2608826068 1999-03-20 WAM A. Lombardo's & R. Foulds Australia Tuart Cave Carabooda area 81 82 1 Western Australia allotype 2608826038 2002-05-18 WAM R. Foulds Australia -31.55 Yanchep National Park 1215 115.683334 Mambibby Cave 81 82 1 Western Australia 2608826066 [795,1108,1645,1672] 1998-07-04 WAM R. Foulds Australia -31.55 Yanchep National Park 1215 115.683334 Mambibby Cave 81 82 1 Western Australia 2608826082 [140,936,166,193] 2001-06-30 WAM 82 83 1 1 2608826033 2000-12-16 WAM R. Foulds Chingah Cave Yanchep National Park 82 83 1 1 2608825939 1996-04-16 WAM Foulds 4 Yanchep National Park 82 83 1 1 2608825958 1998-07-07 WAM R. Foulds Carpark Cave Yanchep National Park 82 83 2 2 2608825984 2008-03-18 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey -35.069443 Albany Wind Farm 19 117.80723 Bibbulmun Track 82 83 1 2608825928 2007-03-14 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey & M. Moir -34.858334 Chesapeake Road 19 116.41278 D'Entrecasteaux National Park 82 83 1 1 2608826028 2008-03-17 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey -35.014168 Ledge Point Road 19 118.006386 Gull Rock National Park 82 83 1 2608825905 2008-03-14 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey -35.09083 Torndirrup National Park 19 117.91111 Limeburners Road 82 83 1 1 2608825938 1996-11-02 WAM R. Foulds -33.916668 Foxhole Cave 1202 115.0 Margaret River region 82 83 1 2608825941 2008-04-29 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey -34.681946 Waddys Hut 19 117.84861 Porongurup National Park 82 83 1 2608826012 2008-03-18 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey -35.044724 Mutton Bird Road 19 117.69195 Sand Patch Beach Reserve 82 83 1 1 2608826035 2008-03-14 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey -35.101944 Salmon Hole Road 19 117.9675 Torndirrup National Park 82 83 1 1 2608826062 2008-05-01 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey & J. Newell -34.974167 Picnic Area 19 118.17833 Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve 82 83 1 1 2608825965 2446290111 1979-02-09 AMS Gray https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/2446290111 Walpole-Nornalup National Park 82 83 KS14625 1 1 2608826018 [506,877,1011,1038] 1979-02-09 AMS Gray Walpole-Nornalup National Park 82 83 KS14636 1 1 2608825983 2008-05-03 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey Walpole-Nornalup National Park -34.99222 Valley 19 116.87139 Anderson Road 82 83 2 2 2608825972 2007-11-07 WAM M. Rix West -35.10611 Shelley Beach 19 117.6275 Howe National Park 82 83 1 1 Western Cape 2608825971 2008-03-16 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey West -35.07639 Beach Road 19 117.64694 Howe National Park 82 83 2 2 Western Cape 2608826014 1979-02-09 AMS M. Gray Westcliffe 82 83 KS14646 1 1 Western Cape 2608825995 1995-03-25 WAM Foulds Pentorifice Cave Witchcliffe region 82 83 1 Western Cape 2608826009 2008-05-02 WAM M. Rix & M. Harvey & J. Newell -34.40278 Bremer Bay 19 119.37862 Yate Road 82 83 1 1 Western Cape