Revision of eastern Australian ant-mimicking spiders of the genus Myrmarachne (Araneae, Salticidae) reveals a complex of species and forms
Author
Tripathi, Rishikesh
Author
Jose, Athira
Author
Nafin, Karunnappilli Shamsudheen
Author
Babu, Nishi
Author
Sudhikumar, Ambalaparambil Vasu
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2017
179
3
642
676
http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7542028
journal article
10.1111/zoj.12439
0024-4082
14805998
MYRMARACHNE
MACLEAYANA
(
BRADLEY
, 1876
)
Salticus macleayanus
Bradley, 1876: 220
; pl. 2, fig. 1 (D
♂
)
– forma
foreli
.
Myrmarachne macleayana
Rainbow (1911)
: 283
.
Salticus jugularis
Simon, 1900: 404
–
syn. nov.
Myrmarachne jugularis
Simon, 1901: 499
; fig. 593 (D
♂
);
Myrmarachne jugularis
Zabka
_
(1991b): 42 (
type
locality specified as Australian).
Type
material
Australia
.
QLD
:
1♂
neotype
,
forma
foreli
(
QMB
,
S100103
) (
7 March 2012
;
I. Macaulay
)
Ingham (18
°
39
0
18.39
″
S
, 146
°
9
0
12.67
″
E
).
Material examined
Australia
.
Forma
foreli
:
QLD
:
1♀
(
QMB
,
S73291
) (
10 June 1993
; B.
Baehr
)
Einasleigh River
,
33 km
west of
Mount Surprise
(18
°
15
0
33.8
″
S
, 144
°
02
0
45.1
″
E
);
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100102
) (
16 November 2013
; I.
Macaulay
)
Barron Gorge National Park
, car park (16
°
50
0
10.55
″
S
, 145
°
38
0
34.20
″
E
);
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100100
) (
25 December 2011
; I.
Macaulay
)
same locality;
1♀
(
MUB
) (
4 January 2012
; I.
Macaulay
)
same locality;
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100101
) (
28 November 2012
; I.
Macaulay
)
same locality;
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100140
) (
28 November 2014
; I.
Macaulay
)
same locality.
2♂♂
(
MUB
) (
10 January 2012
; I.
Macaulay
)
Cairns
,
Cattana Wetlands
, near
Uni
campus (
16
°
49
0
S
,
145
°
42
0
E
)
;
1♂
(
MUB
) (
17 November 2012
; I.
Macaulay
)
same locality;
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100104
) (
14 March 2013
; I.
Macaulay
)
Marcheeba
(17
°
0
0
36.84S
″
, 145
°
25
0
30.09
″
E
);
1♀
(
QMB
,
S100142
) (
8 November 2014
; I.
Macaulay
)
same locality;
1♂
(
AMS
,
KS
.81334) (
15 October 2002
; M.
Zabka
_
)
Babinda
(
17
°
21
0
S
,
145
°
56
0
E
)
;
1♀
(
QMB
,
S100099
) (
6 May 2014
; I.
Macaulay
)
Dimbulah
(17
°
08
0
56.3
″
S
, 145
°
06
0
22.4
″
E
);
1♀
(
MUB
) (
16 November 2013
; I.
Macaulay
)
Crystal Cascades
(16
°
57
0
49.06
″
S
, 145
°
40
0
4.99
″
E
)
.
4♂♂
,
2♀♀
,
2 juv.
(
MUB
) (20
�
24 March 2014
; G.
Corcobado
, S.
Pek
ar
�
)
Cairns
,
Cairns Botanic Gardens
(16
°
53
0
57.563
″
S
, 145
°
44
0
59.953
″
E
)
.
Forma
robsoni
:
QLD
:
1♂
(
AMS
,
KS
.51675) (
6 January 1976
;
G. Daniels
)
Blackdown Tableland Expedition Range
(
23
°
48
0
S
,
149
°
08
0
E
);
1♂
(
AMS
,
KS
.70331) (
J. Child
)
Homestead
, in ranges (
20
°
21
0
S
,
145
°
39
0
E
);
1♀
(
AMS
,
KS
.97227) (
16 March 1997
)
Trinity Park
(
16
°
48
0
S
,
145
°
42
0
E
);
1 juv.
(
AMS
,
KS
.12788) (
March 1975
;
C. Horseman
)
Eurimbula
, south-east of
Gladstone
(
24
°
11
0
S
,
151
°
50
0
E
);
1 juv.
(
AMS
,
KS
.18225) (
10 January 1972
;
N.C. Coleman
)
Marcheeba
(
17
°
00
0
S
,
145
°
26
0
E
);
1♂
(
AMS
,
KS
.5766) (
3 January 1972
;
N.C. Coleman
)
Aloomba
(
17
°
07
0
S
,
145
°
50
0
E
);
1♀
(
AMS
,
KS
.5767) (
6 January 1972
;
N.C. Coleman
) same locality;
1♀
(
QMB
,
S100110
) (
22 April 2014
;
I. Macaulay
)
Barron Gorge National Park
(16
°
50
0
10.55
″
S
, 145
°
38
0
34.20 E
);
1 juv.
(
QMB
,
S100106
) (
25 April 2014
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1 juv.
(
QMB
,
S100108
) (
4 May 2014
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♀
(
QMB
,
S100141
) (
6 November 2014
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♂
(
MUB
) (
26 March 2013
;
I. Macaulay
)
Barron Gorge National Park
, car park (16
°
50
0
11.40
″
S
, 145
°
38
0
35.59 E
);
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100109
) (
3 March 2012
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100105
) (
16 November 2012
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100114
) (
25 November 2013
;
I. Macaulay
)
Cairns
,
Copperlode Dam
(16
°
58
0
47.14
″
S
, 145
°
40
0
26.96
″
E
);
1 juv.
(
CRW
) (
28 November 2013
;
I. Macaulay
)
Cairns
(16
°
54
0
49.72
″
S
, 145
°
46
0
0.45
″
E
);
1♀
(
QMB
,
S100115
) (
28 November 2013
;
I. Macaulay
)
Crystal Cascades
, near
Cairns
(16
°
57
0
49.06
″
S
, 145
°
40
0
4.99
″
E
);
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100138
) (
6 November 2014
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
15♂♂
,
20♀♀
,
9 juv.
(
MUB
) (22
�
25 March 2014
;
G. Corcobado
,
S. Pek
ar
�
)
Cairns
,
Cairns Botanic Gardens
(16
°
53
0
57.563
″
S
, 145
°
44
0
59.953
″
E
);
1♀
(
MUB
) (
27 March 2014
;
G. Corcobado
)
Townsville
,
Townsville Botanic Gardens
(19
°
17
0
31.263
″
S
, 146
°
47
0
9.301
″
E
);
1 juv.
(
QMB
,
S100112
) (
30 November 2013
;
I. Macaulay
)
Daintree National Park
(
16
°
22
0
S
,
145
°
15
0
E
);
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100113
) (
30 November 2013
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100117
) (
16 November 2012
;
I. Macaulay
)
Cattana Wetlands
, near
Uni
campus in
Cairns
(16
°
49
0
48.27
″
S
, 145
°
42
0
6.14
″
E
);
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100135
) (
13 November 2014
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♀
(
QMB
,
S100116
) (
23 February 2013
;
I. Macaulay
)
Barron Gorge National Park
, car park (16
°
50
0
11.39
″
S
, 145
°
38
0
35.28
″
E
);
1♀
(
QMB
,
S100111
) (
3 January 2012
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♂
(
QMB
,
S100107
) (
4 January 2012
;
I. Macaulay
) same locality;
1♂
,
2 juv.
(
QMB
,
S41396
) (
3 January 1972
;
N. Clyde
,
N. Coleman
) Gordonvale (17
°
10
0
59.988
″
S
, 145
°
49
0
59.88
″
E
);
1♀
(
QMB
, 62) (
2 April 1975
;
R
. Kohout) Homevale, semi-evergreen vine thicket (
21
°
24
0
S
,
148
°
33
0
E
);
1♂
,
1♀
(
QMB
) (
30 November 2002
;
R
. Raven)
Stradbroke Island
(
27
°
31
0
S
,
153
°
27
0
E
);
1♂
,
1♀
,
1 juv.
(
QMB
,
S401
) Iron Ra, Cape
York
, rainforest (12
°
43
0
59.988
″
S
, 143
°
16
0
59.88
″
E
);
1♂
,
1♀
(
QMB
,
S67
) (
25 March 1975
;
R
. Kohout)
Rundle Ra SF
, semi-evergreen vine thicket (
23
°
39
0
S
, 150
°
58
0
59.88
″
E
);
1♂
(
AMS
,
KS
.5763) (
25 August 1970
;
R
.
E. Mascord
)
Edmonton area
(
17
°
01
0
S
,
145
°
45
0
E
);
1♀
(
AMS
,
KS
.110634) (
April 1975
;
M. Gray
) Helenvale, south of
Cooktown
(
15
°
43
0
S
,
145
°
14
0
E
);
1♂
(
QMB
,
S77
) (
23 June
–
7 July 1976
;
R
.
J. Raven
,
V
.
E. Davies
)
Iron Ra NP
, Lamond Hill, summit, rainforest (
12
°
43
0
S
,
143
°
18
0
E
).
Etymology
The
forma
names are derived from the species name of the ant species that they imitate (see Natural history).
Diagnosis
Most similar to
M. bicolor
. Both sexes differ from this species by dark-brown to black body coloration, and larger body size. Males of
M. macleayana
further differ in the presence of apophysis on chelicera, thinner and longer RTA, short straight embolus, and females differ in the shape of copulatory ducts. This species is not diagnosable using DNA data (see below).
Description
Male:
Measurements (
N
= 18): total body length
8.1 mm
(
5.3
–
9.8 mm
), carapace length 3.0 mm (
2.2
–
3.6 mm
), carapace width
1.6 mm
(
1.2
–
1.9 mm
), chelicera length
2.8 mm
(
1.5
–
3.3 mm
), abdomen length
2.2 mm
(
1.7
–
2.8 mm
), PTB = 0.48. Colour (
forma
foreli
) (
Fig. S1O
): overall body colour brown to black, covered with dense white or golden hairs; chelicerae dorsally metallic, covered with white hairs; endites, labium, sternum, and palpal segments brown to dark brown; leg segments dark brown, excepting: Cx I, Mt II, Ta II, and Tr IV, pale; Pt I and IV, ventrally pale; Tr I and II, Ti II, pale with longitudinal dark-brown stripes on sides. Morphology: chelicerae long, protruding, laterodorsally with an apophysis at one-third of their length (
Fig. 10F, H
); cheliceral prolateral margin anteriorly with five or six strong teeth, retrolateral margin posteriorly with six tiny teeth (
Fig. 10I
); fangs lightly sinuous, with curved tip (
Fig. 10I
); prosoma elongate (
Fig. 10A,B
), cephalic part of carapace convex, higher than thoracic, separated from thoracic part by a deep constriction; Cx I
–
IV with a process on the inner margin; leg spines: Mt I and II, and Ti I and II each with two ventral pairs; abdomen spherical with a shallow constriction, and two dorsal scuta (
Fig. 10F
); palpal cymbium oval, with two apical spines; tegulum large, round, embolus coiled twice, sinusoid (
Figs 2I, J
,
10J
); RTA slender, sinusoid, curved outwards, wider at base, flange of RTA developed (
Fig. 10K
).
Female:
Measurements (
N
= 14): total body length
5.9 mm
(4.8
–
7.0 mm), carapace length
2.7 mm
(
1.1
–
3.1 mm
), carapace width
1.3 mm
(
1.1
–
1.6 mm
), chelicera length
0.8 mm
(0.7
–
1.0 mm), abdomen length
2.5 mm
(1.8
–
3.0 mm). Colour (
forma
foreli
) (
Fig. S1P
): as in males, but chelicerae dorsally reticulated, shiny golden, carapace with wedge of white hairs laterally at the constriction; palpal Pt and Ta flattened and dorsally metallic; leg segments as in males, but Fe I and Ti I stripped; constriction on carapace with wedge-shaped patch of white hairs laterally; abdomen with white transverse stripe laterally at the constriction, posteriorly with a small yellow patch (
Fig. 10C, E, G
). Morphology: as in males, but chelicerae small, cheliceral prolateral margin with seven or eight teeth, retrolateral margin with eight teeth; cephalic part of carapace as high as thoracic part (
Fig. 10D, G
); epigyne with two large round atria separated by septum, atria two times wider than septum (
Figs 3E
,
10L
); spermathecae large, elongate, situated in upper part of septum, copulatory ducts not twisted, median pocket wide (
Fig. 10M
).
Variation
Males of
forma
robsoni
(
Fig. S1M
) have carapace and abdomen dark brown to black, bold and shiny, except for chelicerae, which have white hairs at the anterior third of their length, clypeus with white hairs, abdomen with a patch of white hairs dorsally at the constriction, leg segments brown, but Cx I, Ta III and IV, Tr IV, pale, Fe I, Mt I, Pt II and IV, Ta II, with pale longitudinal bands on the dorsal side. Females of
forma
robsoni
(
Fig. S1N
) have coloration as in males, but abdomen dorsally with transverse tiny patch of white hairs. Furthermore, carapace laterally with wedge-shaped patch of white hairs at constriction. The two forms do not differ significantly in size in any measured parameter (ANOVA,
P
> 0.07).
Natural history
The species is found foraging on many broad-leaf plants, such as palms, on sunny days. The
forma
foreli
occurs in the vicinity of the ants
Polyrhachis foreli
Kohout, 1989
(grey colour) or
Polyrhachis cupreata
Emery, 1895
(golden colour), whereas the
forma
robsoni
occurs in the vicinity of the ant
Polyrhachis robsoni
Kohout, 2006
, which they imitate. Silken retreats are built on the undersides of leaves. The forms occur sympatrically.
Distribution
Australia
: QLD (
Fig. 4G
).
Remarks
Bradley’s type material should be at the University of Sydney but has not been found (H. Smith, pers. commun.). For stability, we designated a
neotype
. Bradley’s description (verbal and drawings) is detailed enough (even though it lacks a proper description of the palp) to use for identification: specifically, the coloration, size, and shape of chelicera. Furthermore, Bradley collected the specimen near Cooktown, which is near to places where we collected our specimens. The type material of
M. jugularis
was not available. Simon’s verbal description most closely matches
M. macleayana
: therefore, we consider
M. jugularis
a junior synonym.