Karaops karrawarla Crews & Harvey, 2011

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 karrawarla Crews & Harvey, 2011

Figs 55D, E , 58A-F , Maps 1 , 9A

Karaops karrawarla Crews & Harvey, 2011: 51, figs 39-42 (♂♀, examined).

Diagnosis.

This species can be differentiated from other similar species by the genitalia. The copulatory openings are located in the middle of the epigynal plate beneath an m-shaped margin. The lateral lobes can be easily discerned (Fig. 55B, C ). The male can be distinguished by the embolus that widens slightly at the tip and the position of the conductor and median apophysis after expansion (Fig. 58A, D-F ).

Description.

The description of the male and female can be found in Crews and Harvey (2011).

Distribution.

This species is only known from the type locality, Bush Bay in the Gascoyne Region, Western Australia (Map 9A ).

Natural history.

This species is known from the Carnarvon bioregion, Wooramel subregion of the Gascoyne, as is Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov. For additional information about the bioregion and subregion, see discussion for K. joehaeneri sp. nov. above.

Discussion.

The genitalia of both the male and the female of Karaops karrawarla (Figs 55D, E , 58A-F ) are re-figured for ease of comparison with K. joehaeneri sp. nov. and K. morganoconnelli sp. nov. as they closely resemble these species (Figs 55D, E , 58A, D-F , 59B, C ). The types were collected in a pitfall trap set in January and collected in May, so there is no way to pinpoint the time of year adults are present other than in the first five months of the year. January-May begins at the hottest and wettest time in the area, but by April and May, temperatures begin to drop, yet rainfall remains at the highest (Suppl. material 2: table S1).

Upon visiting the type locality, it does not appear to be good habitat for selenopid species, as there are no rocks and no trees at the locality or in the vicinity. The collection data have been confirmed to be correct. It has been suggested (J. Waldock, pers. comm.) that the specimens could have washed down to the area from further inland.

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 55. Members of the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group, Western Australia A Karaops joehaeneri sp. nov., paratype male, Escarpment Trail, Kennedy Range National Park (sel _ 1131, WAM T 155507) B same, holotype female, epigyne (sel _ 1130 WAM T 155506) C same, endogyne D Karaops karrawarla, female paratype, epigyne, Bush Bay, Western Australia (WAM T 76700) E same, endogyne. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 58. Karaops karrawarla, Bush Bay, Western Australia A male holotype, palp, ventral (WAM T 55001) B female paratype (WAM T 76700) C male holotype (WAM T 55001) D close up of embolus tip as indicated by arrow in E, below E palp, retrolateral F palp, expanded, light gray = tip of conductor, dark gray = median apophysis. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A, E, F); 2 mm (B, C).

Figure 59. Karaops morganoconnelli sp. nov. and Karaops nyamal from the Pilbara-Gascoyne species group A Karaops morganoconnelli sp. nov., paratype male, Cathedral Gorge, ~ 40 km from Newman (sel _ 1207, WAM T 155583) B same, holotype female, epigyne, Orebody 24, ~ 7 km N of Newman (WAM T 131095) C same, endogyne D same, paratype male Cathedral Gorge, ~ 40 km from Newman (sel _ 1207, WAM T 155583) E same, holotype female, Orebody 24, ~ 7 km N of Newman (WAM T 131095) F Karaops nyamal, paratype female, Mt. Webber (WAM T 107698). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (B, C); 1 mm (D); 2 mm (F); 5 mm (E).