Salsa tartara sp. nov.

Figs 5F, 21, 22A-D, 23A-E

Type specimen.

Holotype male, Lord Howe Island, Goat House Cave area (31°33'50"S, 159°05'11"E, New South Wales, Australia), 23 February 2001, G. Milledge (AM KS.70737).

Other material examined.

1 male, 5 females (in 6 records) (see Suppl. material 1).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the tartar sauce, "salsa Salsa tartara " in Spanish, one of the favourite salsas of the junior author’s wife.

Diagnosis.

Like S. canalae comb. nov. males, those of S. Salsa tartara sp. nov. have two patellar setae on the pedipalp; however, can be separated by the strong curved conductor (Fig. 22C) that is absent in S. canalae comb. nov. Female epigynes are much longer than wide, similar to those of S. rueda sp. nov., but they lack the longitudinal central ridge of that species (Fig. 20C vs. Fig. 23C).

Description.

Male (based on holotype, AM KS.70737) Total length 4.0. Carapace 2.1 long, 1.7 wide, brown, slightly paler in cephalic area (Fig. 22A). Eye diameter AME 0.14, ALE 0.13, PME 0.09, PLE 0.09; row of eyes: AME 0.43, PME 0.38, PLE 1.40. Chelicerae orange-brown; with four promarginal teeth (second basal largest) and three retromarginal teeth (basal largest). Legs yellowish brown mottled in grey on joints; femora I and II basally orange-brown (Fig. 22A, B). Leg formula I> II> IV> III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 2.4 + 1.1 + 1.9 + 1.9 + 0.8 = 8.1, II - 2.0 + 0.9 + 1.6 + 1.7 + 0.7 = 6.9, III - 1.2 + 0.6 + 0.7 + 0.7 + 0.45 = 3.65, IV - 1.6 + 0.7 + 1.2 + 1.2 + 0.6 = 5.3. Labium 0.31 long, 0.45, brown; endites orange-brown (Fig. 22B). Sternum 1.0 long, 0.8 wide, orange-brown with dusky discolourations (Fig. 22B). Abdomen 2.2 long, 1.9 wide, dorsum with beige background and olive-grey, irregular folium, laterally dark olive-grey with dark streaks (Fig. 22A); venter olive-brown, laterally with thin, irregular white lines (Fig. 22B). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + cymbium = total length): 0.4 + 0.15 + 0.15 + 0.6 = 1.3; paracymbium short with pronounced base and slightly curved apically (Fig. 22D); median apophysis C-shaped, basally pronounced and with an acute and apically curved pointed tip (Fig. 22C); conductor lobe spatulate (Fig. 22C); terminal apophysis sub-rectangular; conductor strongly sclerotised and curved basally (Fig. 22C); embolus short and strongly sclerotised.

Female (based on AM KS.70661): Total length 6.5. Carapace 2.5 long, 2.1 wide; colouration and setae largely as in male (Fig. 23A). Eye diameter AME 0.16, ALE 0.14, PME 0.11, PLE 0.10; row of eyes: AME 0.47, PME 0.45, PLE 1.92. Chelicerae colour hue as in male, four promarginal teeth (apical and second basal largest) and three retromarginal (basal largest). Legs similar to male but leg I femora basally not orange (Fig. 23A, B). Pedipalp length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + tarsus = total length): 0.7 + 0.3 + 0.4 + 0.8 = 2.2. Leg formula I> II> IV> III; length of segments (femur + patella + tibia + metatarsus + tarsus = total length): I - 2.4 + 1.1 + 1.9 + 2.0 + 0.8 = 8.2, II - 2.0 + 1.0 + 1.7 + 1.6 + 0.7 = 7.0, III - 1.4 + 0.6 + 0.7 + 0.7 + 0.5 = 3.9, IV - 1.9 + 0.9 + 1.3 + 1.4 + 0.7 = 6.2. Labium 0.18 long, 0.29 wide, brown; endites dark brown (Fig. 23B). Sternum 1.2 long, 1.0 wide, dark brown (Fig. 23B). Abdomen 4.0 long, 4.2 wide, sub-triangular with distinct humeral humps, dorsally mottled olive-grey and white, with darker spots anteriorly and postero-laterally; folium pattern indistinct (Fig. 23A); venter as in male (Fig. 23B). Epigyne plate longer than wide and composed of two separate sections; borders thin and atrium wide; scape slightly longer than half of epigyne base, sinuous in lateral view (Fig. 23C, D); central division almost sub-rectangular, somewhat wider ventrally (Fig. 23E). Spermathecae enlarged, occupying most of the epigyne area (Fig. 5F).

Variation.

Only one additional male was measured, total length 5.1; females 5.2-7.2 (n = 5). Four of the five specimens we analysed had broken-off scapes. There is little colour variation in the specimens examined for this study, although most females have a more prominent folium, similar to the male examined here.

Life history and habitat preferences.

All mature specimens of S. tartara sp. nov. were collected in February and March, but collection numbers are too low to interpret the phenology of this species and may reflect a collection bias of expeditions to Lord Howe Island. But it appears that the species is (late) summer-mature to autumn-mature. There is no habitat information on the labels of any of the specimens collected, with the exception of one specimen collected in ‘litter’ .

Distribution.

Salsa tartara sp. nov. is currently only known from Lord Howe Island and should be considered endemic to this island (Fig. 21).