Karaops ngarluma Crews, 2013

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 ngarluma Crews, 2013

Fig. 66G , Maps 1 , 9A, B

Karaops ngarluma Crews, 2013: 459, figs 23, 24 (♂, examined).

Additional probable record

(see discussion below). Western Australia • 6 imm.; Harding Dam, S of Roebourne; 20°58.621'S, 117°16.238'E; 12 May 2016; ~ 57 m; S. Crews, J. DeJong leg.; under rocks; rocky hill; sel_1153-1158; SCC16_023; (WAM T155529-155534).

Diagnosis.

Karaops ngarluma is most similar to K. forteyi by the long, narrow, pointed dRTA. They can be differentiated by the indentation along the apical margin of the tegular lobe in K. ngarluma ( Crews 2013: figs 17, 18, 23, 24).

Description.

The description of the male can be found in Crews (2013).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

This species is known only from two nearby localities in the northeastern Pilbara, Western Australia (Map 9A, B ).

Natural history.

This species was collected in pitfall traps left for 15 months, so it is unclear when adults are present.

Discussion.

Karaops ngarluma is only known from four males (Fig. 66G ), all of which were collected in pitfall traps left out for more than a year or up to 15 months. They occur in the extremely Karaops species rich Chichester subregion of the Pilbara bioregion. Although the female is unknown, there are no unpaired females nearby. Molecular data indicate that juvenile specimens from Harding Dam may be K. ngarluma (Fig. 64A ) (Suppl. material 1). This record is provided above. (Suppl. material 2: table S1).

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 64. Karaops spp. from the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group A Karaops sp. Harding Dam B Karaops banyjima, adult male, palps not fully developed, Newman-Port Hedland Road (sel _ 1198, WAM T 155574) C Karaops durrantorum sp. nov., holotype male, Mandu Mandu Gorge, Cape Range National Park (sel _ 1136, WAM T 155512) D Karaops banyjima, adult male, Dale's Gorge, Karijini National Park (sel _ 1187, WAM T 155563). Scale bars: 2 mm.

Figure 66. Karaops spp. from the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group A Karaops durrantorum sp. nov., holotype male, Mandu Mandu Gorge, Cape Range National Park (sel _ 1136, WAM T 155512) B Karaops banyjima, adult male, face, palps not fully developed, Newman-Port Hedland Road (sel _ 1198, WAM T 155574) C Mandu Mandu Gorge, habitat of Karaops durrantorum sp. nov. D Karaops yurlburr, holotype female, Python Pool, Millstream-Chichester National Park (WAM T 79403) E Karaops banyjima, holotype female, NW of Newman (WAM T 101159) F Karaops yurlburr, holotype male, Python Pool, Millstream-Chichester National Park (WAM T 79403) G Karaops ngarluma, holotype male, SW of Roebourne (WAM T 79396). Scale bar: 1 mm.