Karaops julianneae Crews & Harvey, 2011

Crews, Sarah C., 2023, But wait, there's more! Descriptions of new species and undescribed sexes of flattie spiders (Araneae, Selenopidae, Karaops) from Australia, ZooKeys 1150, pp. 1-189 : 1

Karaops julianneae Crews & Harvey, 2011

Figs 50F , 51A, C-F , Maps 1 , 9A

Karaops julianneae Crews & Harvey, 2011: 53, figs 43, 44 (♀, examined).

Diagnosis.

This species can be differentiated from the other members of the Pilbara/Gascoyne species group by the genitalia. There is one copulatory opening, and the copulatory ducts aren’t fully separated at the opening, then are split into two separate ducts. The ducts that connect the accessory bulb and the spermathecae are much longer than in any of the other species (Fig. 51E, F ).

Description.

The description of the female can be found in Crews and Harvey (2011).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

This species is known only from the type locality, Lorna Glen Station in the Gascoyne Region, Western Australia (Map 9A ).

Natural history.

This species remains only known from a few specimens from the type locality, located in the Gascoyne bioregion, Carnegie subregion. This area has a desert climate, hummock grassland and shrub steppe, and succulent steppe/low woodland with mulga ( Cowan 2001; Bastin et al. 2008). It is known for several rare animal species and is a center of endemism for a gecko and a skink. It is coolest in the drier months and warmer in the wetter months. Rainfall begins to increase in December, is highest January-March, and begins to decrease in April, with the lowest amount occurring from August-October. Adult females and immatures have been collected in November (dry, cooler, beginning to get wetter/warmer) and April (beginning to get drier/cooler). Only an immature was collected in March (wettest/warmest); however, it is likely females were around as they were collected the previous month (Suppl. material 2: table S1).

Discussion.

The epigyne and endogyne of the holotype (WAM T64748) have been re-figured for easier comparison with other group members (Fig. 51C-F ). Additionally, images of the holotype and another specimen (WAM T107714) are provided (Figs 50F , 51A ). There is no variation in the genitalia or habitus of the two specimens. Total length variation: 6.54-6.77.

Figures

Map 1. Map of Australia showing areas that are expanded in subsequent figures. CD = Central Desert group, D = Karaops dawara group, F = Karaops francesae group, K = Kimberley group, UA = species that are not assigned to a group, PG = Pilbara-Gascoyne group.

Map 9. Species of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group A diamonds (juveniles): blue = Erawandoo Hill, orange = Mt. Augustus, red = Nammuldi, yellow = Hillside-Corunna-Glenn Herring, black = Marble Bar-Glacier Valley, pink = Orebody 19, 31, teal = Wheelara North, orange with thick outline = Harding Dam (maybe Karaops ngarluma, see text); Circles: dark blue = Karaops julianneae, dark green = Karaops badgeradda, red = Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., teal = Karaops karrawarla, blue = Karaops durrantorum sp. nov., brown = Karaops burbidgei, green = Karaops martamarta, purple = Karaops nyangumarta, black = Karaops banyjima, yellow = Karaops morganoconnelli sp. nov., gray = Karaops nyiyaparli, red-brown = Karaops feedtime, bright pink = Karaops nyamal (probably, see text), white = Karaops kariyarra, bright green = Karaops yurlburr, orange = Karaops ngarluma, tan = Karaops jaburrara, peach = Karaops forteyi, teal = new species yet undescribed; small white diamonds are unidentifiable immatures for which no molecular data are available B boxed area expanded for clarity.

Figure 50. Members of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group, Western Australia A Karaops martamarta, adult male, 8 km NW of Mt. Berry (WAM T 79413) B habitat of Karaops martamarta, Robe Valley C Karaops martamarta, palp ventral, vic. Mt. Berry (WAM T 79411) D same, retrolateral E Karaops sp., Mundee, Mt. Augustus National Park (photo: J. DeJong) F Karaops julianneae, adult female, Lorna Glen Station (WAM T 107714). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (C, D); 1 mm (A); 2 mm (F).

Figure 51. Karaops julianneae and Karaops badgeradda of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group, Western Australia A Karaops julianneae, holotype female, Lorna Glen Station (WAM T 64748) B Karaops badgeradda, adult female, Badgeradda Range (WAM T 97213) C Karaops julianneae, holotype female, epigyne, Lorna Glen Station; red = copulatory opening, pink = median field, yellow = lateral lobes D same, endogyne; blue = spermathecae, yellow = accessory bulbs, red = fertilization ducts, green = posterodorsal fold E same, epigyne F same, endogyne. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (C-F); 2 mm (A, B).