Helpis tasmanica, Żabka, 2002

Żabka, Marek, 2002, Salticidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from the Oriental, Australian and Pacific Regions, XV. New Species of Astieae from Australia, Records of the Australian Museum 54, pp. 257-268 : 261-262

Helpis tasmanica n.sp.

Fig. 6

Type material. HOLOTYPE Australia: Tasmania: ♀, Cummings Range , 41°41'S 145°43'E, under flat rocks on summit, 30 Jan 1930, W. Hickman, AMS KS30940 . PARATYPES: Australia, Tasmania: ♀, same data as holotype, AMS KS67500 ; ♀, Mt Wellington , 42°54'S 147°14'E, near summit, 27 Oct 1990, M. Gray, C. Horseman, J. Thompson, AMS KS34436 .

Diagnosis. Closely related to H. gracilis Gardzińska ( Gardzińska, 1996) but body much darker, cheliceral

dentition different and abdomen with contrasting light pattern. In comparison to H. minitabunda Simon (Wanless, 1988) the accessory glands are located more proximally.

Description

Female holotype (Fig. 6A). Eye field anteriorly light brown, posteriorly with orange butterfly-shape patch, eye surrounding black with dark, rather long hairs. Abdomen brownish to dark-grey with light pattern of yellowish and white guanine spots. Hairiness moderately numerous, brown, anterior margin also with white hairs. Anterior and median spinnerets yellowish-grey, posterior ones brownish- grey. Clypeus orange with numerous yellowish and white hairs, longer of them overhanging towards chelicerae. Chelicerae red-brown with 4 teeth on both margins (Fig. 6B). Pedipalps brown, lighter distally with a flag of light hairs. Maxillae and labium brown with lighter apices. Sternum smudgy orange. Venter brownish to dark-grey,

laterally with longitudinal light pattern. Dorsal and ventral parts of femora I yellowish, sides brown, other podomeres lighter—especially joint areas, tarsi orange. Tibiae and metatarsi I with 3 and 2 pairs of spines, respectively. Other legs brown, femora with light dorsal and ventral sides and orange bands around other podomeres. All legs with contrasting dark spots around the bases of femoral spines. Epigyne (Fig. 6C,D) with a distinctive bell-like posterior pocket and with two lateral grooves leading to anterior copulatory openings. Insemination ducts long, curved, rather narrow, spermathecae oval. Dimensions: CL 2.70, EFL 1.14, AEW 1.82, PEW 1.61, AW 2.23, AL 3.64.

Distribution (Fig. 7). Known only from localities in Tasmania.