Miturgopelma harveyi, Raven & Hebron & Williams, 2023

Raven, Robert J., Hebron, Wendy & Williams, Kylie, 2023, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae), Zootaxa 5358 (1), pp. 1-117 : 48-49

Miturgopelma harveyi sp. nov.

Fig. 34

Diagnosis. Males are very similar to those of Miturgopelma echidna sp. nov., but differ in having no spines on the cymbium and the MA short and square, with a shepherd’s crook-like hook, with similar width for much of its length and tapering quickly at the tip. Female unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is patronym in honour of Dr Mark Harvey, mentor of many fine students of arachnology, and initiator of the much-lauded Short Range endemics (SRE), leading to the protection of many invertebrates in Western Australia.

Type Material. Western Australia: male holotype, Corackerup Nature Reserve , 34°11”S 118°44”E, Dec 1993, G. Harold, Yate Woodland, 30 km SW of Jerramungup, WAM T74055 . Paratypes. 1 ma., same data, WAM T74056 ; 1 ma., Jarrahdale, K. Brennan collection, WAM T74057 ; 1 ma., Cocanarup Timber Reserve , 33°38”S 119°54”E, Nov 1993, G. Harold, Salmon gum woodland, WAM 98 /748.

Description. Male, holotype WAM T74055

Carapace 4.00 long, 2.91 wide. Opisthosoma 3.64 long, 2.09 wide. Total, 7.64.

I: 3.64; 1.36; 3.27; 3.36; 2.18; 13.81. II: 3.73; 1.36; 3.27; 3.27; 2.09; 13.72. III: 3.73; 1.45; 4.09; 3.64; 2.09; 15.00. IV: 5.00; 0.64; 4.09; 5.18; 2.64; 17.55. Palp: 1.64; 0.73; 0.64; -; 2.71; 5.72.

Colour: Carapace with distinct dark anterolateral shoulders; two moderately dark shell-like areas laterally; opisthosoma, dorsally dark, mottled with long ovoid paired pallid regions flanking poorly defined medial dark band. Legs moderately long. AME smaller than PME.

Palp: Cymbium entire dorsal surface with hairs uniformly interspersed with distinctly thicker spine-like setae; retrobasally with unmodified, narrow edge; ventral plate a short lobe apically with short rounded hook, dorsal plate acute with small predistal process on distal edge; RTA distal; short, directed laterally; two plates sandwiching unsclerotised zone; ventral plate a short lobe apically with short rounded hook, dorsal plate acute with small predistal process on distal edge; embolus central, directed transversely prolateral.

Distribution. Known only from Corackerup and nearby Cocanarup, Jerramungup and Jarrahdale, southwestern Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Miturgopelma harveyi sp. nov., paratype male WAM 98/748: a–c, palpal bulb, cymbium and tibia: a, ventral view; b, median apophysis, retrolateral view; c, retrodorsal view; d, carapace; e, opisthosoma, dorsal view.