Artoria maroota, Framenau, Volker W. & Baehr, Barbara C., 2018

Framenau, Volker W. & Baehr, Barbara C., 2018, The wolf spider genus Artoria in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia (Araneae, Lycosidae, Artoriinae), Evolutionary Systematics 2 (2), pp. 169-241 : 169

Artoria maroota sp. n. Figs 29 A–D, 30, 48B Maroota Forest Runner

Material examined.

Holotype male, Maroota State Forest (33°31'S, 150°59'E, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA), 26 October 1979, G.A. Webb, pitfall trap (AM KS128075). Paratypes: 3 males, data as holotype (AM KS73455).

Other material examined.

8 males in 7 records (all NSW). AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 1 male, Beecroft Peninsula, northern headland of Jervis Bay, 35°03 ’03” S, 150°47 ’21” E (AM KS63443); 1 male, 1 juv., Hazelbrook, Railway Parade, 33°43 ’55” S, 150°27 ’00” E (AM KS51828); 6 males, Maroota State Forest, 33°31'S, 150°59'E (AM KS73302, KS73337, KS73352, KS73387, KS84094).

Etymology.

The specific name is a noun in apposition referring to the type locality, Maroota State Forest.

Diagnosis.

Males of Artoria maroota sp. n. are able to be distinguished from all other species of the genus by the black setal brushes on the tibia of leg I and the inverted L-shaped tegular apophysis (Fig. 29C).

Description.

Male (based on holotype, AM KS128075).

Total length 2.5.

Prosoma. Length 1.4, width 1.0; carapace shiny, light dark grey with darker radial pattern and black V-shaped pattern between cephalic and thoracic region; indistinct and irregular lighter central and marginal band (Fig. 29A); sternum pale, margin darker (Fig. 29B).

Eye. Diameter of AME: 0.06; ALE: 0.08; PME: 0.17; PLE: 0.14.

Anterior eye row. Slightly procurved, evenly spaced.

Chelicerae. Medium brown.

Labium. Dark brown, with lighter anterior rim (Fig. 29B).

Pedipalp coxae. Dark brown, with lighter anterior rim (Fig. 29B).

Legs. Distal part of femora and tibiae dark; other legs brown, femora and tibiae with darker annulations; tarsi and metatarsi less annulated (Fig. 29A).

Opisthosoma. Length 1.1, width 0.8; dark grey with pale anterior cardiac mark and pale irregular pattern (Fig. 29A). Venter pale with darker pattern around spinnerets (Fig. 29B); spinnerets pale.

Pedipalps. Tibia as long as broad; cymbium tip with cluster of macrosetae (Fig. 29C, D); dorsal scopula patch present; tegular apophysis inverted L-shaped with distal protuberance, scooped, basally narrowed to 1/3, retrolateral tip pointed and reaching margin of cymbium (Fig. 29C); palea about twice as long as wide; basoembolic apophysis triangular, tip broadly rounded; embolus broad, nearly straight; terminal apophysis broad, tip triangular (Fig. 48B).

Female unknown.

Life history and habitat preferences.

No detailed habitat data were available from the locality labels. As the species was mainly collected during a forest survey it appears to be a forest dweller.

Mature males were collected from October to December suggesting it is spring/summer mature.

Distribution.

This species was found in the Sydney Basin (SYB) IBRA region in eastern central NSW (Fig. 30).