Gippsicola robusta, Giroti, André Marsola & Brescovit, Antonio Domingos, 2017

Giroti, André Marsola & Brescovit, Antonio Domingos, 2017, Revision of the spider genus Gippsicola Hogg, 1900 (Araneae: Segestriidae), Zootaxa 4227 (3), pp. 390-406 : 397-400

Gippsicola robusta new species

Figures 6–7 , 11

Type material. Male holotype from Mount Glorious [27°20'5”S; 152°46'2”E], Queensland, Australia, 1.VII.1983, B. Cowell leg., deposited in (QM S 90985 ) . Paratypes: ♀ from Mount Superbus , rain forest [28°12'59”S; 152°27'59”E], Queensland, Australia, 8.II.1990, T. B. Churchill leg. (QM S 15809 ) ; ♂ and ♀ from Koonawarra Picnic ground near Mount Kiangarow , Bunya Mountains National Park [26°49'31.1”S; 151°32'59.4”E], Queensland, Australia, 3.IX.1974, R. Raven leg. (QM S 91015 ) ; ♂ from Crediton ( CNVF) [21°12'03.8”S; 148°33'32.7”E], Queensland, Australia, 16.IV.1975, R. Raven & V. E. D. leg. ( IBSP 168325 , ex-QM S 91021 ) ; ♀ from Dandabah [26°52'50.5”S; 151°35'50.5”E], Bunya National Park, Queensland, Australia, 3.III.1976, V. E. D. leg. ( IBSP 168326 , ex-QM S 91019 ) .

Additional material examined. AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Mount Glorious [27°20'5”S; 152°46'2”E], 1♂, 6.VI.1982, B. Cowell leg. (QM S 90989 ) ; same locality, 1♂, 21.X.1982 – 13.I.1983, A. Hiller leg. (QM S 91030 ); Double Island Port [22°15'05.8”S; 149°25'11.4”E], south of Freshwater Creek , 1♀, 3.VIII.1994, J. Gallon, K. Sadler & R. Krobb leg. (QM S 90997 ) ; Bulburin State Forest [24°30'39.5”S; 151°28'21.51”E], 1♀, 25–28.III.1977, R. Raven & V. E. D. leg. (QM S 90987 ) ; Wratten's Camp , via Widgee [26°10'06.2”S; 152°25'34.6”E], 1♂, 10.XI– 29.XII.1974 (QM S 90988 ) ; Nanlaybrook [26°49'31.1”S; 151°32'59.4”E], Bunya National Park, 1♂ 1♀, 5.III.1976, R. Raven & V. E. D. leg. (QM S 91013 ) ; Dandabah [26°52'50.5”S; 151°35'50.5”E], Bunya National Park, 1♀ 14 imm., 3.III.1976, V. E. D. leg. (QM S 91019 ) ; Mount Glorious State Forest [27°20'5”S; 152°46'2”E], 30km WNW Brisbane, 1 imm., 14.X.1988, F. R. Wylie & M. De Baar leg. (QM S 6882) ; Mount Nebo [27°23'49.7”S; 152°47'1.3”E], 1♀, 20.VIII.2000, T. Smith leg. (QM S 53415 ) ; Mount Hobwee Lamington National Park [28°8'32”S; 153°6'55”E], 3 imm., 3.VIII.1976, R. Raven & V. E. D. leg. (QM S 91016 ) ; Lamington [28°8'32”S; 153°6'55”E], 1♀, 1.I.1973, R. Raven leg. (QM S 91029 ) ; Mount Asplenium (28°09'S; 152°26'E), 1♀, 20.XII.1992 – III.1993, G. Monteith leg. (QM S 2 7462); New South Wales: Nothofagus Mountain , via Woodenber [28°16'48”S; 152°37'12”E], 2 imm, 4–6.II.1982, G. Monteith & D. Yeates leg. (QM S 91028 ) .

Etymology. The specific name is an adjective referring to the robust appearance of this species.

Diagnosis. Males of Gippsicola robusta n. sp. differ from G. raleighi and G. minuta n. sp. by the presence of a sperm duct with one and a half convolutions, and from G. lineata n. sp. by having a sub-rectangular bulb with a more thickened embolus ( Figs 7 A–B). Females present the anterior receptaculum shorter than G. lineata n. sp. and with the glandular ducts area swollen in frontal view and elongated ventral entapophyses ( Figs 7 C–E). This species also presents a whitish abdomen, with an anterior dorsal dark cross-shaped spot followed by pairs of dorsal dark spots not or partially fused fused with lateral dark marks, forming interrupted dorso-lateral dark lines ( Figs 6 A–D).

Description. Male (Holotype). Carapace and chelicerae orange, with cephalic region slightly darker ( Figs 6 A). Endites brownish orange; labium dark brownish orange. Sternum orange, with darker margins and marbled with dark pigment ( Figs 6 B). Legs orange, with pairs I–II darker. Abdomen greyish ventrally ( Fig. 6 B). Total length 10.08; carapace 4.96 long, 3.2 wide. Palps: tibia with the dorso-ventral diameter shorter than the bulb; embolus tubular with a twisted tip ( Figs 7 A–B). Legs robust and covered with setae. Leg formula: II-I-III-IV. Leg measurements: I, femur 4.24, patella 1.68, tibia 4.28, metatarsus 4.2, tarsus 1.2, total 15.6; II, 4.2, 1.84, 4.4, 4.2, 1.08, 15.72; III, 3.76, 1.72, 3.64, 3.64, 1.08, 13.84; IV, 3.6, 1.64, 2.96, 2.88, 1.0, 12.08. Leg macrosetae: I femur d0- 1-0-2-0-2-0-2-0, p0-0-0-0-1-1-0-1-0; patella p1-0-1; tibia p1-1-0-1-0-1-0, vp1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1, v0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0, vr1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1, r1-1-0-1-0-1-0; metatarsus p0-1-0-0-0-0-0, vp0-1-0-1-0-0-0, v0-0-1-0-0-0-0, vr0-1-0-1-0-0-1, r0-1-0-0-0-0-0; II femur d0-1-1/0-2/1-0-2-0-2-0, p0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0; patella p1-0-1; tibia p1-1-0-1-0-1-0, vp0-1-0- 1-0-1-0-1, v0-0-0-1-0-1-0-0, vr1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1, r1-1-0-1-0-1-0; metatarsus p0-1-0-0-0-0-0, vp0-1-0-1-0-0-0, v0-0- 1-0-0-0-0, vr0-1-0-1-0-0-1, r0-1-0-0/1-0-0-0; IV d0/1-1-1-1-0-1-0-0, p0-0-1-1-1-0-0-0, r0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0; tibia vp0- 0-0-0-0-0-1, v1-1 -0-1-0-0-0, vr0-0-0-0-0-0-1, r1-1-0-0-0-1-0; metatarsus p0-0-1-0-0-1-0, vp0-1-0-0-1-0-0-2, v0-1- 0-0-0-0-0-0, vr metatarsal comb with 12 macrosetae, r0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0. Abdomen uniformly clothed with setae ( Figs 6 A–B).

Female (Paratype —QM S 15809 ). Coloration as in male ( Figs 6 C–D). Total length 14.8; carapace 6.8 long, 4.4 wide. Leg formula: II-I-III-IV. Leg measurements: I, femur 5.56, patella 2.4, tibia 5.0, metatarsus 5.0, tarsus 1.44, total 19.4; II, 5.48, 2.64, 5.32, 5.0, 1.28, 19.72; III, 4.84, 2.44, 4.56, 4.36, 1.2, 17.4; IV, 4.8, 2.24, 4.16, 3.72, 1.24, 16.16. Leg macrosetae: I femur d0-1-0-2-0-2-0-2-0, p0-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0; patella p0-0-1; tibia p1-1-0-1-0-1-0, vp1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1, v0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0, vr1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1, r1-1-0-1-0-1-0; metatarsus p0-1-0-0-0-0-0, vp0-1-0-1-0- 0-0, v0-0-1-0-0-0-0, vr0-1-0-1-0-0-1, r0-1-0-0-0-0-0; II femur d0-1-0/1-2-0-2-0-2-0, p0-0-0-0-1-1-0-1-0; patella p0-0-1; tibia p1-1-0-1-0-1-0, vp0-0-0-1-0-1-0-1, v0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0, vr1-1-0-1-0-1-0-1, r1-1-0-1-0-1-0; metatarsus p0-1-0-0-0-0-0, vp0-1-0-1-0-0-0, v0-0-1-0-0-0-0, vr0-1-0-1-0-0-1, r0-1-0-1-0-0-0; IV, femur D1-1-1-1-1-1-1-0, p1-0-1-1-1-1-1/0-0, r0-0-0-0-0-1-1-0; tibia vp0-0-0-0-0-0-1, v1-1 -0-1-0-0-0, vr0-0-0-0-0-0-1, r1-1-0-1-0-1-0; metatarsus p0-0-0-0-0-1-0, vp0-1-0-0-1-0-0-2, v0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0, vr metatarsal comb with 12 macrosetae, r0-1-0-0- 0-0-0-0. Abdomen as in male ( Figs 6 C–D).

Variation. Males (n=7): total length 6.64–11.12; carapace 3.04–5.52 long, 2.28–3.68 wide; femur I 3.12–5.28. Females (n=10): total length 8.0–17.48; carapace 3.92–7.12 long, 2.56–4.8 wide; femur I 3.24–5.76.

Natural history. G. robusta n. sp. can be found in silk tubes with radiating threads in trunks and rotten logs of mountain rainforests found in the east and northeast of Queensland (Department of he Environment and Water Resources 2007).

Distribution. Northeast of Australia ( Fig. 11 )

Figures

FIGURE 6. Gippsicola robusta n. sp., holotype (A – B, E), and female paratype from Mount Superbus, Queensland (QM S 15809) (C – D, F). (A, C) habitus, dorsal; (B, D) habitus, ventral; (E) eyes, dorsal; (F) spinnerets, ventral. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Gippsicola robusta n. sp., holotype (A – B), and female paratype from Bunya Mountains National Park, Queensland (QM S 91015) (C – E). (A) left palp, prolateral; (B) same, retrolateral; (C) internal female genitalia, lateral; (D) same, frontal; (E) same, illustrated, lateral. Scale bars without indicated measurements: 1 mm. Abbreviations: AR—anterior receptaculum; gda—glandular ducts of the anterior receptaculum; gdp—gladular ducts of the posterior receptaculum; IFinterpulmonary fold; PR—posterior receptaculum; UE—uterus externus.

FIGURE 11. Locality of the specimens of Gippsicola examined in the present study.