Maratus kiwirrkurra Baehr & Whyte

Baehr, Barbara C. & Whyte, Robert, 2016, The Peacock Spiders (Araneae: Salticidae: Maratus) of the Queensland Museum, including six new species, Zootaxa 4154 (5), pp. 501-525 : 503-504

Maratus kiwirrkurra Baehr & Whyte , sp. nov.

( FIGURES 1 A, D, G, 2A‒K, 3)

Material examined. MALE HOLOTYPE (WAM-T138587) from Australia, Western Australia, Bush Blitz, Kiwirkurra indigenous protected area, S03, Lake Mackay , salt lake, 22°29'S, 128°22'E, 367 m, B. Baehr, 8‒18 Sep. 2015, pitfall traps.

Etymology. The specific name in apposition refers to the type locality and recognises the community of the Kiwirrkurra indigenous protected area.

Diagnosis. This small species belongs to the Maratus chrysomelas group, having a wide rimmed embolic disc covered with frontal ridges. There is no retrolateral process of the embolic disc. M. kiwirrkurra can be separated from other species of this group by the prosoma and opisthosoma being covered with cinnamon and white setae in a mottled manner, an adaptation for crypsis in the sand of the Gibson Desert ( Fig. 2 C).

Description. Male (Holotype, WAM-T138587). Total length 2.84. Prosoma 1.49 long, 1.13 wide, pl/pw 1.11; sternum 0.63 long, 0.47 wide, sl/sw 1.34; opisthosoma 1.35 long, 1.06 wide; opisthosoma longer than wide, ol/ ow1.27. Ocular quadrangle 0.67 long. Anterior eye row 0.95, posterior eye row 1.01 wide. AME largest; posterior eye group width 0.99 of caput width; AME 0.31; ALE 0.19; PME 0.16; PLE 0.06; AME‒AME 0.03; AME‒ALE 0.04; PME‒PME 0.91; PME‒PLE 0.14; ALE‒PLE 0.16. Clypeus 0.21 high. Paturon with no promarginal teeth and one retromarginal tooth. Length of leg III, femur: 1.08, patella: 0.45, tibia: 0.70, metatarsus: 0.61, tarsus: 0.43, length of metatarsus III 0.87 the length of tibia III. Leg formula: 3421. Dorsal part and sides of prosoma cinnamon brown, with faint reticular pattern, margin black. Ocular quadrangle darker around eyes black, covered with white and cinnamon setae. AME and ALE with cinnamon fringe ( Figs 2 A, C, E, F). Endites, labium, chelicerae pale and sternum pale; opisthosoma cinnamon with darker patches, covered with white and cinnamon setae, with longer white setae posteriorly; venter cinnamon with darker brown book-lung covers, covered with white setae. Leg III pale cinnamon covered with white setae. Male palp ( Figs 1 A, D, G, 2H‒K): cymbium short, 1.6 times longer than wide, covered with long black setae at prolateral margin and white setae dorsally, tip stout with distal scopula. Embolic disc longer than wide ( Fig. 1 D), with narrow retrolateral groove ( Fig. 1 G), frontally a few half-moon shaped ridges at anterior part and longitudinal ridges at posterior part reaching the end of the embolus ( Fig. 1 D); embolus broad, flattened, embolus tip twisted, opening at frontal part ( Fig. 1 A); retrobasal tegular lobe (TL) broad ( Fig. 2 I); retrolateral tibial apophysis broadly conical ( Fig. 2 K).

Female. Unknown

Distribution. Known only from Lake Mackay ( Fig. 3 ) at Kiwirrkurra indigenous protected area, in the Gibson Desert, Eastern Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 1 (A ‒ I). Maratus species groups males: A, D, G, M. kiwirrkurra Baehr & Whyte, sp. nov. holotype (WAM-T 138587); B, E, H, M. chrysomelas (QM-S 96329); C, F, I, Maratus licunxini Baehr & Whyte, sp. nov. holotype (QM-S 96330); A ‒ C, palpal tip with embolic disc; D ‒ F, embolic disc frontal view; G, I, embolic disc retrolateral view; H, embolus tip.

FIGURE 2 (A ‒ K). Maratus kiwirrkurra Baehr & Whyte, sp. nov. male holotype (WAM-T 138587): A, prosoma, lateral view (dry); B, opisthosoma, dorsal view (dry); C, habitus, dorsal view; D, opisthosoma, ventral view; E, prosoma, anterior view; F, habitus, lateral view; G, right III leg, prolateral view; H, male palp (expanded), prolateral view; I, same, ventral view; J, embolus dorsal view; K, male palp, retrolateral view.

FIGURE 3. Lake Mackay: 22 ° 29 ' 25.0 " S, 128 ° 22 ' 53.0 " E, 367 m, salt lake.