Miturgopelma maningrida, Raven & Hebron & Williams, 2023

Raven, Robert J., Hebron, Wendy & Williams, Kylie, 2023, Revisions of Australian ground-hunting spiders VI: five new stripe-less miturgid genera and 48 new species (Miturgidae: Miturginae), Zootaxa 5358 (1), pp. 1-117 : 52-53

Miturgopelma maningrida sp. nov.

Figs 39–41

Diagnosis. Males most closely resemble those of Miturgopelma rar sp. nov. in the overall shape of the palpal bulb, from which it differs in the lobular (vs trianguloid) form of RTA viewed ventrally, and in the small/normal sized AME. Female unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in apposition from the type locality.

Type Material. Northern Territory: male holotype, Maningrida airstrip, 12.0552° S, 134.2314° E, Maningrida CEC, MAGNT A004620 .

Description. Male, holotype MAGNT A004620

Carapace 5.75 long, 4.60 wide. Opisthosoma 6.60 long, 3.40 wide. Total, 12.6.

I: 6.40, 2.25, 6.00, 6.10, 4.25, 25.00. II: 6.15, 2.30, 5.30, 5.80, 3.80, 23.35. III: 6.25, 2.30, 5.00, 6.70, 4.10, 24.35. IV: 8.10, 2.20, 6.10, 5.10, -, --. Palp: 4.41, 2.16, 1.96, -, 4.41, 12.94.

Colour: Carapace pattern: dark bands along caput edge, dark scallops laterally on carapace; opisthosoma, dorsally pallid with 3–4 pair dark crescents medially. Eyes: AME clearly but only slightly bigger than PME.

Palp: Tibia clearly smaller and shorter than patella; cymbium entire dorsal surface with hairs uniformly interspersed with distinctly thicker spine-like setae; retrobasally with unmodified, narrow edge; Embolus fused to basal median apophysis; base smooth; origin distal at 10 o’clock; embolus central, directed transversely prolateral. Median apophysis longer than wide with long, wide unsclerotised zone almost to small spiniform tip.

Distribution. Known only from Maningrida, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.

Figures

FIGURE 39. Miturgopelma maningrida sp. nov., male holotype, MAGNT A004620: a, habitus, dorsal view; b, palpal tibia, cymbium and bulb, ventral view; c, eyes, dorsal view; d, median apophysis, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 40. Miturgopelma maningrida sp. nov., male holotype, MAGNT A004620: a, palpal tibia, cymbium and bulb, retrolateral view; b, c, RTA, ventral (b) and retroventral (c) views, showing bifid dorsal lobe.

FIGURE 41. Miturgopelma maningrida sp. nov., male holotype, MAGNT A004620: palpal tibia, cymbium and bulb: a, ventral view; b, retrolateral view.