Parahelpis wandae, Patoleta & Żabka, 2020

Patoleta, Barbara M. & Żabka, Marek, 2020, New record of Gelotia Thorell, 1890 and a new species of Parahelpis Gardzińska & Żabka, 2010 (Araneae: Salticidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4899 (1), pp. 280-286 : 284

Parahelpis wandae sp. nov.

Figs 18–26 , 28

Etymology. The species is named after Professor Wanda Wesołowska (Wrocław University), in recognition of her outstanding contribution to salticid taxonomy, biogeography and evolution.

Diagnosis. Compared with the two other congeners, the tegulum is narrower and straighter. The retrolateral tibial apophysis is hooked as in P. abnormis , but more slender and not forked.

Description. Male (Holotype, QMB S90804 ). Total length ca. 5.0 mm. Carapace moderately high, pear shaped, widest behind PLE, with gentle thoracic slope. Colouration brown, eye surroundings and lower margin darker. Whole surface covered with white scales, especially dense on the sides and near fovea. Eye field trapezoid, wider than long. Fovea located behind PLE. Clypeus very low, brown. Chelicerae brown, with 4 promarginal and 6 retromarginal teeth and with rugose frontal surfaces. Endites moderately long, labium short, both brown with lighter tips. Sternum greyish brown. Legs long and slender, greyish brown, tarsi I and II and coxae II–IV much lighter. Opisthosoma elongate, dorsally greyish brown with light chevron-like pattern. Ventral opisthosoma grey-brown, with lines of light dots. Spinnerets greyish brown, with lighter tips, indistinct.

Palp ( Figs 23–26 ) with single, robust, ventrally hooked retrolateral tibial apophysis. Ventral tibial apophysis in form of small outgrowth. Cymbium with flange, tegulum prolaterally bent with large posterior lobe. Embolus dagger-like, a continuation of anterior part of tegulum, slightly bent prolaterally.

Dimensions: CL 2.30, CW 1.87, CH 1.28. clypeus height 0.06, EFL 1.07, AEW 1.72, AME diameter 0.58, PEW 1.29, OL 2.45, OW 1.32, leg I 7.85 (0.51, 2.11, 1.09, 1.98, 1.48, 0.68), leg II 6.19 (0.35, 1.83, 0.91, 1.52, 1.13, 0.45), leg III 6.04 (0.33, 1.70, 0.77, 1.35, 1.37, 0.52), leg IV 7.50 (0.42, 2.03, 0.89, 1.85, 1.75, 0.56).

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ³: AUSTRALIA: Queensland: first road on right of road to Calliope, leg. J.A. Gallon & G. Chezura, 14.XII.1984 (open forest) ( QMB S90804 ).

Distribution. Recorded only from the type locality ( Fig. 28 ).

Figures

FIGURES 18–26. Male holotype of Parahelpis wandae sp. nov. 18–20 Habitus, dorsal, lateral and ventral; 21 Prosoma, frontal; 22 Chelicerae, endites and labium, ventral; 23–24 Palp, ventral; 25–26 Same, retrolateral. Abbreviations: cf—cymbial flange; e—embolus; rta—retrolateral tibial apophysis; sd—sperm duct; t—tegulum; tl—tegular lobe. Scales = 1 mm, 24, 26 as in fig.

FIGURE 27–28. Distributional GPS records. 27 Gelotia robusta Wanless, 1984 (blue circle); 28 Parahelpis abnormis (Żabka, 2002) (green circle), P. smithi Gardzińska & Żabka, 2010 (yellow square) and P. wandae sp. nov. (red triangle).