Artoria inversa, Do Prado & Baptista & Framenau, 2024

Do Prado, André W., Baptista, Renner Luiz Cerqueira & Framenau, Volker W., 2024, Taxonomy of the wolf spider genus Artoria in Western Australia (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae), Zootaxa 5547 (1), pp. 1-81 : 41-43

Artoria inversa sp. nov.

Figs 17 , 20

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7FE54C3E-B6CE-4C54-9B20-7FD7D2EF283A

Type material. Holotype male, E of Fields Road, SE of Lake King , Western Australia, AUSTRALIA, 33º06’46’’S, 121º11’35’’E, 15 October 1999 – 1 November 2000 ( WAM T67774 ).

Other material examined (12 males in 9 records). AUSTRALIA: Western Australia : 4 males, 2 juv., Elashgin Nature Reserve , granite (hill) site, 31º20’07’’S, 117º26’10’’E ( WAM T99226 ) ; 1 male, same locality ( WAM T68429 ) ; 2 males, Lake King-Norseman Road , 33º04’13’’S, 119º59’53’’E ( WAM T67775 ) ; 1 male, Sandplains Nature Reserve, West , 31º35’48’’S, 118º45’24’’E ( WAM T67773 ) ; 1 male, Silver Wattle Hill Nature Reserve , 33º08’56’’S, 118º49’46’’E ( WAM T67777 ) ; 1 male, E of Vermin Proof Fence, E of Lake King , 33º02’31’’S, 119º59’28’’E ( WAM T67776 ) ; 1 male, Wamenusking Nature Reserve , 32º07’34’’S, 117º30’31’’E ( WAM T67772 ) ; 1 male, Wyalkatchem Nature Reserve , 31º10’16’’S, 117º24’29’’E ( WAM T70653 ) .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ inversa ” is a Latin adjective meaning ‘inverted’ or ‘reversed’ and refers to the tegular apophysis of the male, which has a reversed orientation in comparison to other species, crossing over the basoembolic apophysis and pointing to the prolateral side of the pedipalp.

Diagnosis: Artoria inversa sp. nov. is easily distinguished from other currently known Artoria species by their male pedipalp bearing a long tegular apophysis directed prolaterally, crossing over the basoembolic apophysis ( Fig. 20C, D ). The female of this species is unknown.

Description. Male (holotype, WAM T67774).

Total length, 2.80. Carapace, length 1.50, width 1.12, reddish-brown, with paler broad median longitudinal band and narrow marginal bands, and dark brown broad lateral bands ( Fig. 20A ). Sternum, reddish-brown ( Fig. 20B ). Eyes, diameter of AME: 0.05; ALE: 0.05; PME: 0.18; PLE: 0.17, anterior eye row procurved, evenly spaced. Chelicerae, pale reddish-brown, darker at their distal half, two retromarginal and two promarginal teeth, apical largest. Labium, dark brown, with pale anterior rim ( Fig. 20B ). Legs, background colour yellowish-brown, with ringed dark grey stains throughout ( Fig. 20A, B ). Opisthosoma, length 1.12, width 0.81. Dorsum mostly dark grey, with a pale-brown cardiac mark covered by white setae ⅔ as long as opisthosoma, and a large V-shaped greyish-brown patch from the sides of cardiac mark converging to the posterior margin of opisthosoma ( Fig. 20A ). Venter greyish-brown, with irregular dark grey spots ( Fig. 20B ).

Pedipalp ( Fig. 20C–E ), tibia globular, cymbium free tip slightly longer than ⅓ of the cymbium in ventral view; subtegulum sclerotized, large and conspicuous in ventral view. Tegular apophysis a long stalk, directed apico-prolaterally, crossing over the basoembolic apophysis. Basoembolic apophysis wider than long, small, and sclerotized. Embolus comma-like, slightly tapering to its acute apex. Terminal apophysis heavily sclerotized, wider than embolus, and with a slightly acute retrolateral apex.

Variation. Body length: Males (n=5): 2.31–3.38.

Life history and habitat preferences. This species is only known from males, which were collected in pitfall traps that were exposed for too long to interpret the species’ reproductive activity.

Distribution. Eastern Western Australian Wheatbelt consistent with the range of the Great Western Woodlands ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Distribution of Artoria impedita (Simon, 1909), Artoria incrassata sp. nov., Artoria inversa sp. nov., Artoria lamellata sp. nov., and Artoria linnaei Framenau, 2008.

FIGURE 20. Artoria inversa sp. nov., male: A, dorsal habitus; B, ventral habitus; C–E, left pedipalp (C, ventral view; D, retrolateral view; E, embolic division, ventral view). A–D, holotype (WAM T67774); E, (WAM T67772). Scale bars: A, B, 2.0 mm; C–E 0.2 mm.