Gippsicola Hogg, 1900

Giroti, André Marsola & Brescovit, Antonio Domingos, 2017, Revision of the spider genus Gippsicola Hogg, 1900 (Araneae: Segestriidae), Zootaxa 4227 (3), pp. 390-406 : 391-392

Genus Gippsicola Hogg, 1900

Gippsicola Hogg, 1900: 85 (Type species by monotypy: Gippsicola raleighi Hogg, 1900 ), in Oonopidae .— Davies (1985) (gen. reval.).— Forster & Platnick (1985) —World Spider Catalog (2016).

Segestria — Simon (1908: 380) (Syn. and transf. to Dysderidae ).— Rainbow (1911: 135) in Segestriinae.— Roewer (1942: 310).— Bonnet (1958: 4004).

Note. Forster & Platnick (1985: 213, 227, fig. 827) presented a SEM figure of a male palp, identified as a Gippsicola specimen. During our study, we examined a male specimen from New Zealand which presents the same palp morphology of the one presented by the latter authors. After the examination of the female holotype and some non-type male and female specimens from New Zealand, we concluded that this specimen is an undescribed male of Segestria saeva Walckenaer, 1837 . Further, we discuss its possible taxonomic position.

Diagnosis. The genus Gippsicola differ from the other Segestriidae genera, except Segestria , by the presence of a strongly recurved posterior eye row ( Figs 1 A–B), elongated labium, with both margins almost parallel ( Figs 1 C, 6D; Giroti & Brescovit 2015, fig. 9B), and three promarginal and two retromarginal cheliceral teeth, all triagular-shaped ( Figs 1 D, G). It is distinguished from Segestria (see Giroti & Brescovit 2011, figs 15–23), by the male palp with a cymbium as wide as long, with the prolateral region conical and with a dorso-prolateral chemosensory patch ( Figs 3 A–B, D, 5C–D, 7A–B, 9A–B, 10C–D), and females with an unilobed anterior receptaculum, strongly sclerotized, and with isolated glandular ducts ( Figs 3 C, E–G, 7C–E, 9C–E).

Composition/Species. Gippsicola raleighi Hogg, 1900 ; Gippsicola robusta n. sp.; Gippsicola lineata n. sp.; Gippsicola minuta n. sp.

Description. Medium-sized synspermiata spiders. Total length 3.25–17.48, carapace 1.45–7.76 long, 1.2–5.44 wide. Carapace and chelicerae ranging from light orange to dark reddish brown; cephalic region with a smooth dark pattern of longitudinal irregular lines, and thoracic region with dark transverse bands, related to the internal muscles of the prosoma. Six eyes, anterior median eyes lost, bounded by dark outlines ( Figs 5 A–B, 6A–E, 8A–D, 10A–B). Carapace oblong with cephalic region narrower than thoracic, coated with light and fine setae, and with sparse longer dark setae mainly on the cephalic region ( Figs 1 A, 5A, 6A, C, E, 8A, C, 10A); females with cephalic region elevated. Labium: longer than wide, 2/3 of the endites length, with anterior margin convex and posterior margin concave, separated from the sternum by a partially membranous suture ( Fig. 1 C; Giroti & Brescovit 2015, fig. 9B). Endites: long, with a median oblique depression; pointed apex; presence of an internal depression, where the lateral margin of the labium fits and an elbow-like basal portion ( Figs 1 C, 6D; Giroti & Brescovit 2015, fig. 9B); serrula with one line of teeth ( Fig. 1 E); apical tuft with flattened setae, with ramifications on both sides ( Fig. 1 E–F); white region restrict to the pointed apex ( Fig. 1 C; Giroti & Brescovit 2015, fig. 9B). Sternum: longer than wide, with anterior margin truncated and convex ( Figs 5 B, 6B, D, 8B, D, 10B). Chelicerae: robust ( Figs 1 D, 6A–D, 8A–D), with frontal margin wavy, in lateral view. Male palp: tibiae usually cylindrical or swollen; cymbium with apical thickened setae ( Figs 7 A, 10C–E); piriform or sub-rectangular bulb, with an abrupt transition to the embolus; sperm duct with one ( Figs 5 C–D, 10C–D) or one and a half ( Figs 7 A–B, 9A–B) convolutions; embolus usually tubular, with a flattened tip ( Figs 3 A–B, 5C–D, 7A–B, 9A–B, 10C–D). Female palp: tibiae with two distal ventro-prolateral spines; tarsus with one or two prolateral spines, surrounded almost entirely by tactile setae (see Ramírez (2014: 122, 124, fig. 84A), with the ventral ones stronger and gradually decreasing in size in distal direction; terminal claw without tooth. Legs: robust and covered with setae; dense scopula of tenent setae (see Ramírez (2004: 122, 131, fig. 91C)) (reduced to a few setae in G. minuta n. sp.) on ventral and ventro-prolateral region of tarsi, metatarsi, and distal region of the tibia, of legs I–II, and only tarsi and metatarsi of leg III ( Figs 4 A– C); legs IV with tarsi and distal region of metatarsi with thickened and serrated ventral setae; metatarsi IV with a ventro-retrolateral preening comb conspicuous, with 5–12 macrosetae, in a diagonal line, compared to the metatarsus-tarsus articulation ( Fig. 4 G); macrosetae almost with the same size in all legs and position almost the same between species. Tarsal organ exposed with rounded edges, and peripherical ridges, with one rimmed sensilla ( Figs 4 D–E). Trichobothria on the dorsal subdistal region of metatarsi and tibia I-IV; trichobothrial bases without a well-delimitation between proximal and distal plate, and with a transverse ridge curved inwards ( Fig. 4 H). Three tarsal claws, superior claws pectinated, inferior one with one small tooth ( Fig. 4 F). Abdomen: longer than wide, uniformly covered with pale hair, longer than wide, with the genital plate weakly distinct in females ( Figs 5 A–B, 6A–D, 8A–D, 10A–B); ventral anterior sigillae conspicuously distinct, with slit sensilla. Spinnerets: ALS with three segments, the basal one crossed by a diagonal membranous area ( Fig. 2 A), and one MAP spigot with 14–15 PI, both fields separated from each other ( Fig. 2 B); PMS with one mAP and four AC spigots ( Fig. 2 C); PLS with eight AC spigots, and the distal lateral sclerite strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 6 F), with thickened setae ( Figs 2 D–E). Colulus conical and pilose ( Fig. 2 A). Internal female genitalia: anterior receptaculum without a well-delimited plate of glandular ducts, and with ventral entapophyses; interpulmonary fold strongly and entirely sclerotized ( Figs 3 C, E–G); posterior receptaculum membranous, with glandular ducts grouped in rounded sclerotized plates in the membranous cuticle ( Figs 3 C, E, H).

Figures

FIGURE 1. SEM images of Gippsicola lineata n. sp., male from Mount Lewis, Queensland (QM S 91014). (A) cephalothorax, dorsal; (B) eyes in detail, dorsal; (C) endites and labium, ventral, white arrows showing the internal depression; (D) right chelicera, ventro-prolateral; (E) right endite, frontal; (F) detail of the endite apical tuft setae; (G) one of the cheliceral retromarginal teeth, in detail.

FIGURE 2. SEM images of Gippsicola lineata n. sp., male from Mount Lewis, Queensland (QM S 91014). (A) Spinnerets, ventro-posterior; (B) left ALS, posterior; (C) right PMS, posterior; (D) right PLS, posterior, white arrows indicates the thickened setae; (E) ditto, lateral.

FIGURE 3. SEM images of Gippsicola lineata n. sp., male from Mount Lewis, Queensland (QM S 91014) (A – B, D), and female from Bellender Ker Range, Queensland (QM S 30617) (C, E – H). (A) right palp, retrolateral, insets showing the embolus tip in frontal (left) and retrolateral (right); (B) cymbium, frontal; (C) internal genitalia, frontal; (D) detail of the patch of chemosensory setae on the cymbium, inset indicates one broken setae showing the central canal that conducts dendrites through the seate; (E) internal genitalia, lateral; (F) detail of the anterior receptaculum, frontal; (G) detail of a glandular duct of the anterior receptaculum; (H) detail of a group of glandular ducts of the posterior receptaculum. Abbreviations: AR—anterior receptaculum; b—bulb; cc—central canal; e—embolus; gda—glandular ducts of the anterior receptaculum; gdp—gladular ducts of the posterior receptaculum; hw – hair wall; IF—interpulmonary fold; PR—posterior receptaculum; UE—uterus externus.

FIGURE 4. SEM images of Gippsicola lineata n. sp., male from Mount Lewis, Queensland (QM S 91014). (A) right leg I, showing the distal part of the tibia, metatarsi and tarsi, ventro-prolateral; (B-C) detail of tenent setae, ventral and lateral, respectively; (D) tarsal organ occurrence near a slit sensilla; (E) detail of the tarsal organ, white arrow indicates rimmed sensilla; (F) right leg I, tarsal claws, prolateral; (G) right metatarsi IV, retrolateral; (H) right metatarsi I, trichobothrial base. Abbreviations: ss—slit sensila; to—tarsal organ.

FIGURE 5. Gippsicola raleighi Hogg, 1900, male from Bordertown, South Australia (WAM T 122927). (A) habitus, dorsal; (B) habitus, ventral; (C) left palp, prolateral; (D) same, retrolateral. Scale bars: 1 mm.

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.