Hortophora walesiana (Karsch, 1878) Framenau & Baptista & Oliveira & Castanheira, 2021

Framenau, Volker W., Baptista, Renner L. C., Oliveira, Francisca Samia M. & Castanheira, Pedro de S., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the new spider genus Hortophora, the Australasian Garden Orb-weavers (Araneae, Araneidae), Evolutionary Systematics 5 (2), pp. 275-334 : 275

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/evolsyst.5.72474
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9AC22770-F300-4265-A21F-841EA364FFD5
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/580DA659-ECA0-535C-A3A3-E52F01AF683A
treatment provided by	Evolutionary Systematics by Pensoft
scientific name	Hortophora walesiana (Karsch, 1878)
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Hortophora walesiana (Karsch, 1878) comb. nov.

Figs 2J View Figure 2 , 5 View Figure 5 , 30 View Figure 30 , 31 View Figure 31 , 32 View Figure 32

Epeira walesiana Karsch 1878: 805-806.

Epeira rhombocephala Thorell 1881: 98-101. New synonymy.

Cyclosa rhombocephala (Thorell).- Simon 1895: 780.

Epeira lutulenta Keyserling 1886: 143-144, plate 11, figs 6, 6a. New synonymy.

Type material.

Holotype of Epeira walesiana Karsch, 1878: Male, New South Wales (no exact locality), Daemel ( ZMB 1429). Examined.

Holotype of Epeira rhombocephala Thorell, 1881: Male, Somerset, Cape York (10°43'S, 142°31'E, Queensland, Australia) 1875, L. D’Albertis ( MSNG). Photographs examined.

Holotype of Epeira lutulenta Keyserling, 1886: Female, Peak Downs (22°56'S, 148°05'E, Queensland, Australia) ( ZMH, Rack (1961) -catalogue no. 249). Examined.

Other material examined.

See Appendix 1.

Diagnosis.

Males of H. walesiana comb. nov. are most similar to those of H. lodicula comb. nov. due to the comparatively short median apophysis of the pedipalp that terminates in an apically pointing lobe. (Fig. 12C View Figure 12 vs 30C). However, the terminal apophysis of H. walesiana comb. nov. is large and bubble-shaped, but inconspicuous in H. lodicula comb. nov. The strong, curved lateral borders of the epigyne of female of H. walesiana comb. nov. (Fig. 31C View Figure 31 ) are somewhat similar to those of H. porongurup comb. nov. (Fig. 19C View Figure 19 ), but overall much slimmer and therefore the atrium much larger.

Description.

Male ( WAM T75383): Total length 5.9. Carapace 3.3 long, 2.9 wide, dark-brown, cephalic area slightly lighter and with white setae (Fig. 30A View Figure 30 ). Eye diameter AME 0.23, ALE 0.18, PME 0.16, PLE 0.16; row of eyes: AME 0.72, PME 0.54, PLE 1.62. Chelicerae dark-brown; four promarginal teeth (apical group of three, median largest) and one retromarginal tooth (Fig. 30B View Figure 30 ). Legs brown with beige annulations, femora basally beige (Fig. 30A, B View Figure 30 ). Tibiae of leg II with thickened setae but without a megaspur (Figs 2I View Figure 2 , 30A View Figure 30 ). Leg formula I > IV > II > III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 3.3 + 1.7 + 2.5 + 2.3 + 0.9 = 10.7, II - 2.9 + 1.3 + 2.1 + 0.9 + 0.9 = 8.1, III - 2.0 + 1.0 + 1.3 + 1.0 + 0.7 = 6.0, IV - 2.9 + 1.1 + 2.3 + 2.0 + 0.9 = 9.2. Labium 0.41 long, 0.59 wide, brown; endites brown (Fig. 30B View Figure 30 ). Sternum 1.6 long, 1.1 wide, brown, irregularly lighter centrally (Fig. 30B View Figure 30 ). Abdomen 2.9 long, 2.7 wide, dorsum with distinct humeral humps, dark olive-grey with dark folium pattern and light lines and spots (Fig. 30A View Figure 30 ); venter dark olive-brown, some lighter discolourations (Fig. 30B View Figure 30 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.5 + 0.4 + 0.3 + 1.00 = 2.2; paracymbium short, ending in a hook-like rounded tip (Fig. 30D View Figure 30 ); median apophysis transverse, terminating in an apically bent lobe (Fig. 30C, D View Figure 30 ); conductor lobe of standard size (Fig. 30C View Figure 30 ); terminal apophysis, bubble-shaped and directed basally, terminating in a slightly cured spine (Fig. 30C View Figure 30 ); conductor heavily sclerotized; embolus heavily sclerotised, thick and short (Fig. 30C View Figure 30 ).

Female ( WAM T88936): Total length 8.40. Carapace 3.10 long, 2.90 wide; light brown, flanks dark brown, covered with white setae (Fig. 31A View Figure 31 ). Eye diameter AME 0.23, ALE 0.13, PME 0.18, PLE 0.13; row of eyes: AME 0.67, PME 0.47, PLE 1.92. Chelicerae yellow-brown; four promarginal teeth (apical and third largest) and three retromarginal teeth (basal largest). Legs yellow-brown, mottled with brown spots (Fig. 31A, B View Figure 31 ). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 1.0 + 0.5 + 0.6 + - + 1.1 = 3.2. Leg formula I > IV = II > III; and length of segments: I - 3.0 + 1.6 + 2.3 + 2.0 + 1.0 = 9.9, II - 2.5 + 0.9 + 2.1 + 1.9 + 1.0 = 8.4, III - 2.0 + 0.8 + 1.3 + 1.2 + 0.8 = 6.1, IV - 2.7 + 0.9 + 2.1 + 1.8 + 0.9 = 8.4. Labium 0.58 large, 0.77 wide, orange-brown; endites orange-brown (Fig. 31B View Figure 31 ). Sternum 1.6 long, 1.3 wide, yellow-brown, lighter centrally (Fig. 31B View Figure 31 ). Abdomen 6.0 long, 6.0 wide, dorsum with distinct humeral humps, beige with indistinct folium pattern and mottled with small brown spots (Fig. 31A View Figure 31 ); venter light olive-brown and covered by guanine crystals (Fig. 31B View Figure 31 ). Epigyne ( HBI N25742-6) (Fig. 31C-E View Figure 31 ) with large atrium and thick borders; scape shorter than epigyne long with few setae.

Variation.

Size variation: total length males 5.2-6.4 (n=15), females 8.2-10.1 (n=6). We did not observe any scape break-off in H. walesiana comb. nov. Colour variations are as reported for other Hortophora gen. nov. species, from fairly dark (as in the male described here) to the light colouration of the female illustrated, but the folium pattern is generally fairly indistinct.

Remarks.

Somatic and genitalic characters, specifically male pedipalp morphology of the holotype of Epeira rhombocephala Thorell, 1881 match H. walesiana comb. nov. as diagnosed here. Epeira rhombocephala is therefore proposed as junior synonym of H. walesiana comb. nov. Similarly the female holotype of Epeira lutulenta Keyserling, 1886 matches in somatic and genitalic morphology those belonging to H. walesiana comb. nov. and therefore Epeira lutulenta is proposed as junior synonym of H. walesiana comb. nov.

Life history and habitat preferences.

Mature males have been found in January and February, with a single record from June. Mature females have been found from January to April, with a single record in August. Hortophora walesiana comb. nov. therefore appears to be most active in the late dry season, considering that the species is limited to the northern half of the country.

Distribution.

Hortophora walesiana comb. nov. has been found mainly towards the coastal areas in the northern half of Australia, north of ca. 27°S Latitude in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia (Fig. 32 View Figure 32 ). The holotype was collected at an unspecified location in New South Wales ( Karsch 1878) and it can be assumed that the type locality, if not erroneously reported, was in the north-eastern part of that state.