Salsa gen. nov.

Type species.

Epeira fuliginata L. Koch, 1872. Designated here.

Etymology.

The genus-group name refers to the Latin dance style Salsa, associated with the music genre of the same name. It is the favourite dance style of the senior author, but also a very popular dance style in Latin America, from where the junior author is. The name also refers to the Spanish/Italian word “salsa”, which means “sauce” or “gravy” . The gender of the genus-group name is feminine.

Diagnosis.

Salsa gen. nov. can only be properly diagnosed against the six backobourkiine genera that have been formally revised using modern taxonomic methods: Backobourkia Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010, Hortophora, Lariniophora Framenau, 2011, Novakiella Court & Forster, 1993, Plebs and more recently Socca (Framenau et al. 2010; Framenau 2011; Joseph and Framenau 2012; Framenau et al. 2021a, c, 2022). Other established backobourkiine genera such as Acroaspis, Carepalxis L. Koch, 1872, and possibly Singa C.L. Koch, 1836 (see Scharff et al. 2020) are still awaiting revisions in Australia and without a modern circumscription of these genera, Salsa gen. nov. cannot be diagnosed from these.

We here identify the following synapomorphies to diagnose species in Salsa gen. nov. within the backobourkiines: single posterior abdominal tubercle (e.g., Figs 12A, 18A); venter with lateral pale elongate, ovoid, or spindle-shaped bands (e.g., Figs 6B, 7B, 9B, 10B); male pedipalp with C-shaped median apophysis and teeth-like tubercles inside its basal arch (e.g., Figs 2B, 3A-D, 4, 6C); female epigyne scape transparent and generally shorter than the epigyne plate (e.g., Figs 7C, D, 10C, 13C-E).

Salsa gen. nov. species differ from those of Backobourkia by the lack of a distinctive anterior triangular or comma-shaped white marking and the lack of strong spine-like setae found on the dorsum of the abdomen. Males of Salsa gen. nov. can be identified from those of Backobourkia by the absence of a basal flange on the median apophysis of the male pedipalp and females by the generally much wider atrium and central division on the epigyne (Framenau et al. 2010).

Salsa gen. nov. species differ from those of Hortophora in the generally smaller size (although sizes can sometimes overlap in smaller specimens of Hortophora); the shape of the median apophysis (C-shaped in Salsa gen. nov. but elongate transverse in Hortophora and generally with two apical tips), and the comparatively much shorter scape of the female epigyne (Framenau et al. 2021a).

The subtriangular to ovoid abdomen of Salsa gen. nov. greatly differs from the elongate abdomen of Lariniophora . Salsa gen. nov. males lack the bilobed outgrowth on the median apophysis characteristic for Lariniophora, and females lack the elevated epigyne base (Framenau 2011).

Male Salsa gen. nov. differ from those of Novakiella by the more elongate and curved median apophysis of the male pedipalp (shorter and pointing basally in Novakiella) and an inconspicuous conductor lobe (prominent in Novakiella) (Framenau et al. 2021c). The epigyne base in female Novakiella is triangular (Framenau et al. 2021c), whereas it is subquadrate in Salsa gen. nov.

Species of Salsa gen. nov. differ from those of Plebs by the less elongate abdomen and its ventral colouration, that has lateral bands in Salsa gen. nov. but an inverted Ü-shaped pattern in Plebs (Joseph and Framenau 2012). The median apophysis of male Plebs is elongate transverse with two apical tips (C-shaped with a single tip in Salsa gen. nov. males) and the female epigyne has a wider atrium and the scape is comparatively shorter in Salsa gen. nov. than it is in Plebs .

Species of Salsa gen. nov. differ from those of Socca by the number of posterior abdominal humps (one in Salsa gen. nov. and usually five in Socca), the shape of the terminal apophysis (distinctly tri-partite with central lamellar appendix in Socca but entire in Salsa gen. nov. sometimes with prong and process) (Framenau et al. 2022).

Description.

Median-sized orb-weaving spiders, males (ca. total length 3.2-6.1) smaller than females (ca. total length 6.5-10.5). Carapace longer than wide, pear-shaped and with cephalic region considerably narrower in males than in females; colouration variable from yellowish brown to reddish brown, normally covered with yellowish white setae (e.g., Figs 6A, 7A, 9A, 10A, 12A). Fovea longitudinal in males and transversal in females (e.g., Figs 6A, 7A, 9A, 10A, 12A). Anterior median eyes largest, row of posterior eyes slightly recurved, lateral eyes almost touching, posterior lateral eyes apart from posterior median eyes by more than their diameter; anterior median eyes slightly protruding from the carapace (e.g., Figs 6A, 7A, 9A, 10A, 12A). Sternum longer than wide (except on females of S. canalae comb. nov., in which it is as long as wide), comparatively narrower in males than females, with a sparse to dense cover of setae (e.g., Figs 6B, 7B, 9B, 10B, 12B). Labium wider than long, with anterior glabrous pale edge. Endites with glabrous paler antero-mesal section, that of males with lateral tooth. Chelicerae fangs with four promarginal teeth, of which the second-basal and/or apical are generally largest (reduced to three in S. brisbanae comb. nov. male and S. fuliginata comb. nov. male and female, with median largest), three retromarginal teeth with basal often largest. Legs (e.g., Figs 6A, B, 7A, B 9A, B): Leg formula I> II> IV> III. Abdomen slightly longer than wide, varying in shape from oval to sub-triangular, normally with inconspicuous humeral humps, abdomen otherwise without specialised setae, sigillae, condyles or other specific structures; colour dorsally with pale brown to beige background with variable darker folium pattern (Fig. 1A, B). Venter of variable colour, centrally generally darkest and generally with pale lateral ovoid, elongate or spindle-shaped bands (e.g., Figs 6A, B, 7A, B, 9A, B).

Male pedipalp patella with a single macroseta (e.g., Figs 2A-D, 3A-D, 4, 6C, D), except in S. canalae comb. nov. and S. tartara sp. nov. (Figs 12C, D, 22C, D); paracymbium of variable length, hook-like (e.g., Figs 6D, 9D, 12D, 17D); median apophysis C-shaped, generally with numerous tubercles in the basal arch (e.g., Figs 2A-D, 3A-D, 4, 6C); radix elongate (e.g., Figs 2A-C, 3A-D, 4, 6C); basal conductor lobe conspicuous, very wide anteriorly (e.g., Figs 6C, 9C, 12C); terminal apophysis slightly inflated, sub-rectangular and sometimes bearing a basal prong and/or an apical process varying in length (e.g., Figs 6C, 9C, 12C); distal haematodocha sometimes with an inflated apical section, but always inconspicuous (e.g., Figs 6C, 9C, 12C); conductor inflated and bilobed with a median dent and rounded borders (e.g., Figs 2A-D, 3A-D, 4, 6C); embolus compact and short, generally hidden by terminal apophysis in ventral view (e.g., Figs 2A-D, 3A-D, 4, 6C).

Epigyne base oval (rectangular in S. rueda sp. nov.), partially to strongly sclerotised with very wide atrium and central division, sometimes bearing a conspicuous ridge (e.g., Figs 7C, E, F, 10C, 13C, D); scape with wide base, transparent and generally curved apically, without or with just a few short setae, and in all but S. canalae comb. nov. shorter than the epigyne length (e.g., Figs 7C, E, F, 10C, 13C, D); spermathecae ovoid to spherical and very wide (Fig. 5A-F).

Included species.

See Table 1.

Distribution.

Salsa gen. nov. is mostly known from Australia. However, S. canalae comb. nov. occurs only in New Caledonia, S. neneba sp. nov. only in Papua New Guinea, and S. fuliginata comb. nov. can also be found in New Zealand (Figs 8; 11; 14; 16; 21).