Nuisiana arboris ( Marples 1959 )

Vink, Cor J., Fitzgerald, Brian M., Sirvid, Phil J. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2011, Reuniting males and females: redescriptions of Nuisiana arboris (Marples 1959) and Cambridgea reinga Forster & Wilton 1973 (Araneae: Desidae, Stiphidiidae), Zootaxa 2739, pp. 41-50 : 43-45

Nuisiana arboris ( Marples 1959)

( Figs 1–6 )

Maniho arboris Marples 1959: 352 , fig. III.6 (description of female).

Forsterina arboris (Marples) ; Lehtinen 1967: 235 (transfer to Forsterina ).

Matachia magna Forster 1970: 32 , figs 53, 56 (description of male). NEW SYNONYMY. Nuisiana arboris (Marples) ; Forster & Wilton 1973: 302, figs 1060–1062 (transfer to Nuisiana ).

Type specimens. Holotype Ψ, not examined, NEW ZEALAND: Southland: Tuatapere [46°07'S, 167°41'E], May 1956, R.R. Marples leg., Otago Museum, New Zealand.

Holotype ɗ, Matachia magna . Not examined. NEW ZEALAND: Coromandel: Cuvier Island [36°26'S, 175°46'E], 22 June 1943, R.R. Forster leg., Otago Museum, New Zealand.

We did not examine the types of Maniho arboris and Matachia magna ; the illustrations and descriptions in Forster (1970) and Forster & Wilton (1973) are clear enough to be sure of the species identity.

Other material examined. NEW ZEALAND: Mid Canterbury: Orton Bradley Park [43°40.22'S, 172°42.90'E], 13 June 2001, M.H. Bowie, C.J. Vink & J.C. Banks leg., 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ ( LUNZ). North Canterbury: View Hill (43°17.20'S, 172°04.53'E) 6 June 2001, M.H. Bowie & J.C. Banks leg., 1 Ψ ( LUNZ). Coromandel: Korapuki Island [36°39.5'S, 175°51'E], 5 December 1995, C.J. Green leg., 1 ɗ ( MONZ AS.001618); 4 December 1996, B.M. Fitzgerald, 1 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001626); 5 December 1996, B.M. Fitzgerald leg., 1 Ψ + spiderlings ( MONZ AS.001625); 5 December 1996, B.M. Fitzgerald leg., 1 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001622); 5 December 1996, B.M. Fitzgerald leg., 2 immatures ( MONZ AS.001624); 26–28 November 1997, C.J. Green leg., 8 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001619); 26 November 1997, C.J. Green leg., 1 Ψ with spiderlings ( MONZ AS.001620); 27 November 1997, B.M. Fitzgerald leg., 1 ɗ, 2 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001621); 25 February 1998, C.J. Green leg., 1 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001627); 1 March 1998, B.M. Fitzgerald leg., 1 penultimate ɗ ( MONZ AS.001628); 25 February & 2 March 1999, C.J. Green leg., 1 Ψ, 1 penultimate ɗ ( MONZ AS.001617); 28 November 2000, C.J. Green leg., 1 Ψ, 164 eggs ( MONZ AS.001639); 29 November 2000, C.J. Green leg., 1 Ψ, 146 eggs ( MONZ AS.001638); 30 November 2000, B.M. Fitzgerald leg., 1 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001623); 30 November 2000, C.J. Green leg., 1 Ψ, 135 spiderlings ( MONZ AS.001637); 1 Ψ, 146 eggs ( MONZ AS.001636); 4 December 2000, C.J. Green leg., 1 Ψ, 186 eggs ( MONZ AS.001634); 1 Ψ, egg sac ( MONZ AS.001635); 1 Ψ, 214 eggs ( MONZ AS.001633). Northland: Peach Cove [35°51.4'S, 174°33.9'E], 17 October 2001, B.M. Fitzgerald leg., 1 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001616). Mas Olivier [35°51.84'S, 174°10.15'E], 6 April 2010, O.J.-P. Ball leg., 1 ɗ ( MONZ AS.001597) (GenBank HM439085 ); 21 April 2010, O.J.-P. Ball leg., 1 Ψ ( MONZ AS.001598) (GenBank HM439086 ); 21 April 2010, O.J.-P. Ball leg., 1 ɗ, 1 subadult Ψ ( MONZ AS.001599) (GenBank HM439087 , HM439088 ).

Other locality records. NEW ZEALAND: Mid Canterbury: Ahuriri Scenic Reserve [43°39.97'S, 172°37.44'E] ( Bowie & Frampton 2004). Hoods Bush [43°28.4'S, 171°48.5'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973). North Canterbury: Foxs Creek [43°12'S, 172°36'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973). Nelson: Nelson [41°16'S, 173°18'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973). Wairarapa: Waituna [41°19'S, 175°10'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973). Solway [40°58'S, 175°37'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973). Coromandel: Little Barrier Island [36°12'S, 175°05'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973). Auckland: Algies Bay [36°26'S, 174°44'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973). Northland: Hen Island [35°57.8'S, 174°43.3'E] ( Forster & Wilton 1973).

Diagnosis. Nuisiana arboris can be distinguished from other New Zealand Desidae , particularly Matachia Forster 1970 , by features of the male pedipalp ( Figs 1, 2 ), especially the the shape of the retrolateral tibial apophysis. In Matachia the tibiae are comparatively short and bulbous (see Forster 1970: figs 55–60). The internal genitalia are less convoluted and with much broader ducts than in Matachia ( Figs 4–6 , c.f. Forster 1970: figs 61–65). The third pair of legs in female of N. arboris is directed rearwards, while in females of Matachia it is directed forwards.

Redescription. Colour: carapace yellow-brown, darker around eyes and cephalic region; sternum yellowbrown; abdomen light grey-brown with darker median folium on dorsal surface, widest medially; legs yellowbrown.

Chelicerae of male porrect, with two retromarginal teeth, one at mid-point, and other basal, opposite four or five promarginal teeth. Chelicerae of female not porrect, with two widely-spaced retromarginal teeth and five or six promarginal teeth. Eyes subequal in size, posterior row procurved. Cribellum present in females and males, wider than long, spinning field present in female but reduced or absent in male. Calamistrum well developed in female but vestigial or absent in male. Male pedipalp ( Figs 1, 2 ) with elongate retrolateral tibial apophysis with spinous lobe and distal plate forming single process ( Fig. 2 ); cymbium tip longer than bulb and distal spinous portion of conductor extending almost to tip of cymbium; median apophysis long and bent back on itself. Epigynum with median lobe extending to epigastric furrow, flanked by pair of strong, blunt projections ( Fig. 3 ); internal genitalia relatively simple with broad, thin-walled copulatory ducts that are sclerotised prior to spermathecae ( Figs 4–6 ). Legs 1243; first three pairs of legs directed forwards in males but only first two pairs directed forwards in females.

Dimensions. Female Coromandel, Korapuki Island (MONZ AS.001621) (male Coromandel, Korapuki Island (MONZ AS.001618)): total length 9.75 (9.99); carapace length 4.18 (4.64), width 2.94 (3.41), height 2.01 (1.70); abdomen length 5.57 (5.42), width 4.03 (2.79); sternum length 2.32 (2.48), width 1.78 (1.86). Size range: female body length 9.1–11.0 (mean 10.4, n=12), male body length 8.3–11.6 (mean 10.1, n=5).

DNA sequences. Mitochondrial COI (GenBank accession numbers HM439085 – HM439088 ). The four sequences varied by only 0.9%, which is well within intraspecific variation observed in other spiders ( Robinson et al. 2009). We observed nine variable nucleotide positions; eight transitions and one non-synonymous transversion.

Biology. Nuisiana arboris have been found living beneath the bark of large totara trees ( Podocarpus totara G. Benn. ex D. Don ) where they build a small web ( Marples 1959). On Korapuki Island they were found under bark and in holes on large pohutukawa trees ( Metrosideros excelsa Gaertn. ). They have also been found under wooden disks on the ground ( Bowie & Frampton 2004) and in tree-mounted artificial refuges designed to shelter and monitor weta ( Orthoptera : Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae ) ( Green 2005; Bowie et al. 2006; Hodge et al. 2007). A female, with an egg sac containing 259 eggs, was found at Peach Cove, under a light web on the face of a large, undercut rock. Five egg sacs from Korapuki Island contained, on average, 171 eggs (range 146–214) and another two, 135 and 139 spiderlings. In contrast, the egg sacs of species of Matachia contain, on average, ten or twelve eggs ( Forster & Forster 1999). Adults of N. arboris have been found throughout the year.

Distribution. Throughout New Zealand (Southland, Mid Canterbury, North Canterbury, Nelson, Wairarapa, Coromandel, Auckland, Northland).

Remarks. Forster & Wilton (1973) noted that it was “probable” Matachia magna was the male of N. arboris . After examining males and females from Korapuki Island, Mercury Group, Forster (in litt. 23 July 1997) concluded “that the Cuvier Island Matachia is the male of Nuisiana ” and that the two genera were valid. Male and female specimens found together at different localities, the same colour pattern in both sexes, and COI sequences that vary by only 0.9%, lead us to conclude that M. magna is a junior synonym of N. arboris . Female N. arboris does not have the morphological adaptations (an elongated cephalothorax and the third pair of legs directed forward) that Matachia has for living in holes. However, most of our specimens were obtained from natural holes or artificial shelters, indicating that Nuisiana is just as much a hole-dweller, as are species of Matachia . There are many similarities between N. arboris and Matachia species. Forster & Wilton (1973: 301) thought that they were “very closely related” and that the rather simple genitalia of female N. arboris were “readily derived from those of Matachia ”. The male pedipalp of N. arboris is very close to that of some Matachia species, except for the elongate tibia of the pedipalp. Despite these similarities, we have retained the monotypic genus Nuisiana . A proper assessment of the validity of the genus Nuisiana is beyond the scope of this study, but could be resolved by a phylogenetic analysis of New Zealand Desidae that includes Nuisiana , Matachia and other similar genera ( Desis Walckenaer 1837 , Goyenia Forster 1970 , Helsonia Forster 1970 , Notomatachia Forster 1970 , Panoa Forster 1970 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Nuisiana arboris (Marples 1959). 1. Male pedipalp, ventral view; 2. Male pedipalp, retrolateral view; 3. Epigynum, ventral view; 4. Internal genitalia, ventral view; 5. Internal genitalia, dorsal view; 6. Schematic course of internal ducts. Scale bars for figures 1, 2 = 1.0 mm, 3 – 5 = 0.5 mm. Abbreviations used: C, cymbium; E, embolus; MA, median apophysis; RTA, retrolateral tibial apophysis; ML, median lobe.