Nyssus pseudomaculatus, Raven, 2015

Raven, Robert J., 2015, & lt; strong & gt; A revision of ant-mimicking spiders of the family Corinnidae (Araneae) in the Western Pacific & lt; / strong & gt;, Zootaxa 3958 (1), pp. 1-258 : 144-146

Nyssus pseudomaculatus sp. nov.

( Fig. 81a–e . Map 41)

Material. Queensland: holotype ♂, Nob Ck , 22°52'S, 150°37'E, pitfall, Jan 1994, D. Wallace, P. Healy, QM S39570 . Paratypes: Queensland: 1♂, Gayndah , summit, 25°36'S, 151°32'E, open forest, pitfall, 18 Dec 1998 – 27 Jan 1999, G. Monteith, C. Gough, QM S50357 ; 1♂, Gurgeena Plateau , 25°27'S 151°22'E, open forest, pitfall, 10 Oct–19 Dec 1998, G. Monteith, C. Gough, QM S51385 ; 1♂ 1♀, Humphery Racetrack , 25°38'S 151°30'E, open forest, pitfall, 18 Dec 1998 – 27 Jan 1999, G. Monteith, C. Gough, QM S51306 ; 1♂, Illaweena Street, Drewvale ( BCC1 ) , 27°38'S, 153°03'E, scribbly gum, heath, pitfall, 1 Dec 2003 – 2 Jan 2004, QMP, QM S79641 ; 1♂ 1♀, same data but, 2–30 Jan 2004, QMP, QM S79642 ; 1♂ 1♀ (allotype), Lake Broadwater ( Site 7), 27°21'S, 151°06'E, pitfall, 24 Nov 1985 – 3 Jan 1986, QMP & M. Bennie , QM S79928 ; 1♂, Nipping Gully ( Site 4), 25°40'S, 151°26'E, open forest, pitfall, 9 Oct–18 Dec 1998, G. Monteith, C. Gough, QM S51384 ; 1♂ 1♀, Nob Ck , 22°52'S, 150°37'E, pitfall, Jan 1994, D. Wallace, Healy, QM S32623 ; 1♂, Taroom district, Boggomoss No 3, 25°26'S, 150°01'E, baited flight trap, 12 Nov 1996 – 12 Jan 1997, G. Monteith, D. Cook, QM S43689 ; 1♂ 1♀, Taroom , Boggomoss No. 3, near, 25°26'S, 150°01'E, pitfall, 11 Nov 1996 – 12 Jan 1997, P. Lawless, QM S36631 . New South Wales: 1♂, Sugarloaf Rd on ridge, Drake , 28°51'S, 152°26"E, 246m, 1 Dec 2009 – 9 Feb 2010, I. Gray, QM S97592 .

Diagnosis. Males differ from those of N. jonraveni sp. nov. in the much shorter embolus apex ( Fig. 81a ) and from other species in the group in the absence of a paracymbial spine; females differ from those of N. albopunctatus in the smaller C-shaped (left) CO ( Fig. 81c ) and smaller spermathecal head ( Fig. 81d ).

Etymology. The species epithet alludes to the similar dorsal abdominal pattern of this species to the maculate N. albopunctatus .

Description holotype male QM S39570

Carapace 3.44 long, 2.48 wide. Abdomen 3.28 long, 2.00 wide. Total length 6.7.

Colour: carapace dark red brown darkened by uniform cover of large black feathery hairs; wide broken band laterally and two narrow diagonal bands on slope behind fovea. Femora dark red brown with cover of black feathery hairs; white areas formed by large white feathery hairs. White areas: coxae distodorsally; retrolaterally on femora I–IV, basally on femora III and IV; a spot prodistally on patellae III and IV. Tibiae brown, metatarsi I and II and tarsi I–IV orange; abdomen dorsally dark red brown with pair of white spots on anterior face, on anterior 1/6, at anterior third (and on other material a small pair at 2/3); laterally but not on flanks, a pair of white spots at anterior third, another pair of ovoid patches at three-quarters length; white spot terminally. Venter, coxae, sternum, all scutes red brown, flanks black. Carapace: posteriorly almost vertical, concave; fovea set well anterior to slope. Line of anteromedial setae and 10–15 around and in eye group. Margins smooth. Submarginal zone pustulose. Eyes: all small, similar in size. Chelicerae: fang setae small; dentition: 2R, 3P, smallest in middle. Sternum margin grooved with slight intercoxal triangles covered with long black hairs. Legs: femur IV and, to lesser extent, III with strong predistal constriction. Scopula on metatarsi and tarsi I and II. RCH absent. Spines: strong except on tibiae and metatarsi I, II. I: fe p1d3; ti v2.2; me v2.2. II: fe p1d3; ti v1.1; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r2; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d3r1; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2; pa p1d1; ti p2d1; cymbium p2 basally. Palp: tibia short with deep diagonal trough ventrally, cluster of five long bristles along retrolateral edge of trough; cymbium slender, with large glabrous area where paracymbial spine is absent; two long spines on probasal edge, and one small subdistal also prolaterally; bulb large with small subtegular indent, remaining broad and straight to very short dark embolus. Spermatic duct passes prolaterally and folds three times on ventral face. Embolus tip constricts pre-apically to short narrow darkly sclerotised conical spike with slight shallow transverse ribbing. Abdomen: dorsal scute extends for 0.9 of length, covered with thick black hairs; ventrally, genital scute strong with short collar ventrally; ventral scute ca. 1.5 times longer than wide, sides convex, posteriorly indented and narrowly separated from small coniform tracheal scute with numerous papillae in interspace between adjacent scute.

Allotype Female QM S79928

Carapace 3.28 long, 2.42 wide. Abdomen 3.08 long, 2.33 wide. Total, 6.8.

Colour: carapace dark brown with broken submarginal bands of white hair; legs brown with patches of white hairs on prolateral and retrolateral femora; abdomen dorsally black with paired patches of white hairs on anterior “shoulders”, three large pairs on dorsolateral edges, with one large patch above spinnerets, and three smaller pairs medially in front of that; venter brown. Chelicerae: fang shield low but distinct with irregular line of ca. 15 long black sinuous and externally dentate hairs overlying base of fang. Legs: coxae I–IV dorsally convex; femora III, IV strongly constricted distally. Spines: none on pedal patellae; very weak on tibiae I, II; femoral spines strong. I, II: fe p1d3; ti v2.2.0; v2.2.0. III: fe p2d3r1; ti p2r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. IV: fe p2d2r1; ti p2d1r2v2.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.3. Palp: fe p1d2; pa p1d1; ti p2d1; ta p2r1v 2w. Abdomen: dorsally with uniform cover of dark feathery hairs. Scutes: dorsal small, triangular, slightly on anterior face and only for 0.3 of length; no ventral; tracheal scute small with broad ridge; genital scute like male. Epigyne: small crescentic C-shaped (left) ridge externally; small spermathecal head without accessory lobes.

Distribution and Habitat. Known from open eucalypt forests from Rockhampton to Lake Broadwater and Taroom, mid-eastern Queensland and in northern New South Wales.

Remarks. The setal line on the male palpal tibia is in a similar position and direction to the spines on the tibial apophysis of N. paradoxus sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 81. Nyssus spp. nov. a–e, N. pseudomaculatus sp. nov.: a, b, holotype male, QM S79928, palpal tibia, bulb and cymbium, ventral (a) and retrolateral (b) views; c, d, allotype female QM SS79928, epigyne, external (c), and internal (d); e, female habitus. f–h, N. jonraveni sp. nov., holotype male, QM S39575: f, habitus; g, h, palpal tibia, bulb and cymbium, ventral (g) and retrolateral (h) views.