Poecilipta contorqua, 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 : 207-209

Poecilipta contorqua sp. nov.

( Figs 115e , 117a–h . Map 74)

Material. New South Wales: holotype ♂, Barrington Tops State Forest , 31°56'S, 151°21'E, M. Gray, G. Cassis, AM KS40124 . Paratypes : New South Wales: 1♀ (allotype) 1♂, Enfield State Forest, Mummel Forest Road, 8.8 km N of junction with Enfield Forest Road , 31°16'S, 151°50'E, 1350m, 4 Feb–9 Apr 1993, M. Gray, G. Cassis ( NPWS Survey), AM KS40123 ; 1♂, same data as holotype, AM KS40124 ; 1♂, same data but 31°53'S, 151°31'E, 1200m, 20–22 Feb 2002, C. Reid, AM KS79707 ; 1♀, Mt Kosciusko , [36°27'S, 148°15'E], 1968–1969, T. Wood, SAMA NN28488 .

Diagnosis. Males differ those of other species in the combination of fine blue green iridescence on carapace, brown dorsal scute and contorted embolus distally flared ( Fig. 117b ). Females differ from those of P. zbigniewi sp. nov. in the smaller head of spermathecae and CO relatively closer to the genital fold ( Fig. 117g ).

Etymology. The species epithet alludes to the strongly twisted cymbial tip.

Description Holotype male AM KS40124

Carapace 2.84 long, 1.80 wide. Abdomen 2.96 long, 1.44 wide. Total length 6.0.

Colour: carapace very dark brown with fine blue green iridescence and band of white hair in each of two posterior striae; abdomen with dark brown scute with transverse band of hair anteriorly and medially; tuft of white hair above anal tubercle; sternum red brown, coxae yellow brown; legs I and II dark brown with pallid tarsi and probasal femora red brown; femora to tibiae III and IV red brown, darkening along metatarsi; tarsi pallid. Carapace: with cover of fine hair. Sternum: margins sloped, fine hairs over surface; ventral coxae smooth; distinct intercoxal extensions. Legs: III directed forward; all covered with fine black hairs; femur IV and less so III with slight subdistal constriction. Spines: I: fe p1d2; ti v2.2; me p1v2.2. II: fe p1d2; ti v2.2; me v2.2. III: fe p2d3r1; pa d1 apical ti p2r2v2.2; me p2r2v2.2.2. IV: fe p1d3r1; pa d1; ti p2d1r2v1.2.2; me p3r3v2.2.1. Palp: fe p1d2; ti p1d1. Abdomen: dorsal scute for 0.9 of length; ventral scute fused to tracheal scute; post-epigastric sclerite loops back, closed; pedicel collar very short, no neck. Palp: cymbium dorsally asymmetrical, basally wider on retromargin, twisted apically into narrow apex; paracymbial spine blunt, truncate, distally of which is concavity on cymbium; bulb a large basal spheroid, deeply incised retromedially; embolus origin narrow, then widens in wide spiral, second loop about size widening into wide folded apex curving into cymbial groove.

Allotype female AM KS40124 . Like ♂ but

Carapace 2.40 long, 1.53 wide. Abdomen 3.09 long, 1.87 wide. Totally, 5.6.

Abdomen: dorsal scute a rounded square, mostly on anterior face with short dorsal component. Epigyne: copulatory openings large, ovoid, less than a diameter apart; internally, copulatory duct anteriorly, quickly recurves diagonally to midline then folds anteriorly to small head, then duct recurves posteriorly.

Distribution. Known only from Barrington Tops and Enfield State Forest, New South Wales.

Remarks. Evidently, the closest relative to this species is P. zbigniewi sp. nov. fom Tasmania. These are thus the only eastern representatives of the otherwise western P. carnarvon group; significantly, P. contorqua is here recorded from some of the highest mountains in eastern Australia, with altitudes of 1200m for Barrington Tops and 2228 m (the highest is Australia) for Mt Kosciusko. The Tasmanian material does not come from high elevations.

Figures

FIGURE 115. Poecilipta carnarvon species group, habitus, males. a, P. carnarvon sp. nov. holotype male; b, P. harveyi sp. nov., holotype male; c, P. smaragdinea (Simon, 1909), male; d, P. rawlinsonae sp. nov., holotype male; e, P. contorqua sp. nov., allotype female; f, P. micaelae sp. nov., holotype male; g, h, P.davidisp. nov., female (g) and male (h).

FIGURE 117. Poecilipta contorqua sp. nov.: a–c, scanning electron micrographs; a–f, male palpal bulb, ventral view (a); b, d, embolus tip, ventral view; c, paracymbial spine, ventral view; with tibia and cymbium, ventral (e) and retrolateral (f) views; g, h, allotype female, AM KS40123: epigyne, external (g), and internal (h).