Miturgopelma minderoo, 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 : 54-55

Miturgopelma minderoo sp. nov.

Figs 42–43

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of Miturgopelma bungabiddy sp. nov. in the RTA only about as long as the palpal tibia width, the median apophysis is shorter, pickaxe-like ( Fig. 43a ). Female unknown.

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

Type Material. Western Australia: male holotype, Minderoo , 22°00”S 115°03”E, 10 Feb 1990, V . Long , WAM T74060 .

Description. Male, holotype WAM T74090

Carapace 4.40 long, 4.00 wide. Opisthosoma 4.96 long, 2.24 wide. Total, 9.4.

I: 4.00; 2.00; 3.76; 3.76; 2.48; 16.00. II: 4.32; 1.60; 3.28; 3.76; 2.24; 15.20. III: missing. IV: 5.36; 1.76; 4.40; 5.76; 2.24; 19.52. Palp: 1.60; 1.20; 1.20; -; 2.71; 6.40.

Colour: Carapace with two moderately dark shell-like areas laterally and posterior band; opisthosoma, dorsally pallid with black anterior face and 4–6 dark spots, 4 forming crescentic areas intermixed with light mottling; ventrally none, pallid.

Eyes: All similar, small; ALE clearly smallest. Sternum: Hairs all similar, coxae I–IV with short thick blunt setae laterally, possibly also dorsally but surface rubbed. Legs moderately long.

Palp: Tibia smaller and shorter than patella; cymbial hairs all similar, but with dense cluster of thicker hairs apically; retrobasally with unmodified, narrow edge. RTA apex of fleshy ventral lobe short with pair of conical processes basally; dorsal lobe broadly trianguloid, apically truncate with reverse barb. Embolus origin at mid-length or just distal of it, base curves broadly and slowly. MA area subquadrate, small unsclerotised band basal of short beak-like hook.

Distribution. Known only from Minderoo, Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 42. Miturgopelma minderoo sp. nov., male holotype, WAM T74060: a, habitus, dorsal view. b, c, coxae showing thick bristles, ventral view.

FIGURE 43. Miturgopelma minderoo sp. nov., male holotype, WAM T74060: palpal tibia, cymbium and bulb: a, ventral view, inset of median apophysis; b, dorsal view; c, ventral view.