Karaops pilkingtoni, Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011

Crews, Sarah C. & Harvey, Mark S., 2011, The spider family Selenopidae (Arachnida, Araneae) in Australasia and the Oriental Region, ZooKeys 99, pp. 1-104 : 49-50

Karaops pilkingtoni sp. n. Figs 55-58Map 9

Type material.

Holotype male (WAM T76590): base of Trig Hill, Old Telegraph Station, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, 23°40'S, 134°14'E, 3.V.1986, B.J. Scott, under rocks. Paratype. Alice Springs, Grid reference 2741.1000, 1:250,000 sheet [23°16'15"S, 134°52'50"E], 25.VI.1978, F. and J. Aslin, 1♀ (SAM N199359).

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of Karl Pilkington.

Diagnosis.

The male has a thick and short embolus that bisects the bulb (Fig. 55). The female has a wrinkled median septum and huge, round spermathecae that almost touch medially (Figs 57-58).

Description.

Male (holotype):Color: carapace uniformly yellow-brown; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with red-brown markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with all segments clearly annulated. Cephalothorax:setae short, stout, rodlike; 0.92 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.21; eye diameters, AME 0.16, ALE 0.07, PME 0.20, PLE 0.23; interdistances AME-ALE 0.19, PME-PLE 0.17, ALE-PLE 0.25, AME-PME 0.03; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.42, PME-PME 0.66; clypeus 0.09 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.81 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:femur, spination dorsal 0 –1– 1; retrolateral tibial apophysis with 2 processes, dorsal apophysis directed laterally, blade like in ventral view, ventral apophysis flattened at tip; retrolateral basal cymbial process present; cymbial scopulae absent, cymbium triangular, conductor pointed, blade like; embolus short and stout, beginning at 6 o’clock, directed distally through center of bulb, toward 12 o’clock; MA long, with a wide base that tapers to a small hook, directed distally (Figs 55-56). Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula unknown (at least one leg missing); scopulae absent on all legs; tarsi with strong claw tufts; claws without teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0 –1– 1; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0 –1– 1; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, F pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:terminal setal tufts present. Dimensions: Total length 3.89. Cephalothorax length 2.31, width 2.51. Sternum length 1.13, width 1.39. Abdomen length 1.59, width 1.79. Pedipalp: Fm 0.65, Pt 0.55, Ti 0.29, Ta 0.65, (total) 2.14. Leg II: Missing. Leg III: Fm 4.52, Pt 1.22, Ti 3.88, Mt 3.36, Ta 1.38, (total) 14.36. Leg IV: Fm 4.32, Pt 1.15, Ti 3.51, Mt 3.27, Ta 1.55, (total) 13.80.

Female (paratype):Color: carapace yellow-brown, with slightly darker marks medially; sternum pale yellow-brown; chelicerae pale yellow with darker infuscations anteriorly and laterally; maxillae pale yellow-brown; labium pale brown; abdomen dorsally yellow-brown with red-brown markings; ventrally pale yellow-brown; legs with all segments clearly annulated. Cephalothorax:setae short stout and rodlike; 0.83 times longer than broad; fovea longitudinal, broad, very shallow. Eyes:AER nearly straight; PER slightly recurved; PME larger than AME, PLE largest, ALE smallest; eye group width 1.62; eye diameters, AME 0.20, ALE 0.12, PME 0.25, PLE 0.28; interdistances AME-ALE 0.32, PME-PLE 0.30 ALE-PLE 0.29, AME-PME 0.07; ocular quadrangle AME-AME 0.50, PME-PME 0.92; clypeus 0.16 high. Mouthparts:chelicerae with a few stout setae medially and anteriorly; lateral boss present, smooth; promargin with 3 teeth, retromargin with 2 teeth; maxillae longer than broad, with tuft of conspicuous setae distally; labium distally rounded. Sternum:0.78 times longer than broad, posteriorly indented. Pedipalp:tarsus slightly swollen, claw present, without teeth. Legs:leg I only slightly shorter than legs II, III and IV; leg formula 3241; scopulae absent on all legs; tarsus I–IV with strong claw tufts; claws without teeth; spination: leg I, Fm pr 1 –1– 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti d 0, v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2– 2; Ti and Mt I and II with strong spines; leg II, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti v 2 –2–2–2– 2; Mt v 2 –2–2– 2; leg III, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0; leg IV, Fm pr 0, d 1 –1– 1, rl 0; Ti 0; Mt 0. Abdomen:possible setal tufts, hairs worn off. Epigyne:lateral lobes separated by slightly wrinkled, unsclerotized, quadrate fleshy median area, copulatory openings located anterolaterally, epigynal pockets absent; internally, small ducts lead to extremely large round spermathecae, fertilization ducts located posteriorly, posterodorsal fold absent (Figs 57-58). Dimensions: Total length 5.25. Cephalothorax length 2.68, width 3.22. Sternum length 1.35, width 1.72. Abdomen length 3.02, width 2.81. Pedipalp: Fm 0.73, Pt 0.60, Ti 0.67, Ta 0.81, (total) 2.81. Leg I: Fm 3.12, Pt 1.35, Ti 2.80, Mt 2.24, Ta 1.08, (total) 10.59. Leg II: Fm 3.96, Pt 1.46, Ti 3.30, Mt 2.65, Ta 1.25, (total) 12.62. Leg III: Fm 4.84, Pt 1.40, Ti 3.54, Mt 2.90, Ta 1.31, (total) 13.99. Leg IV: Fm 4.06, Pt 1.36, Ti 3.12, Mt 2.72, Ta 1.24, (total) 12.50.

Natural history.

Collected from under rocks.

Distribution.

Only from Alice Springs (Map 9).