Aname fossoria sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: D2C300AB-2A63-426B-8047-D0FFCBE21985

Figs 1, 12, 83

Diagnosis

Males of A. fossoria sp. nov. are unknown.

Females of A. fossoria sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which females are known except A. fuscochelicera sp. nov., A. nigrochelicera sp. nov., A. nigrotarsa sp. nov., A. rubrochelicera sp. nov., and A. savannensis sp. nov. by the presence of spermathecae with two vesicles, with very short, wide lateral vesicles (lateral vesicle length/genitalia width <0.25) and thinner medial vesicles projecting from the ventral face of the lateral vesicles (Fig. 83A–L). Females of A. fossoria can be distinguished from those of A. nigrochelicera, A. rubrochelicera, and A. savannensis by the presence of spermathecae with tightly undulating medial vesicles (Fig. 83L; cf. Figs 88, 91, 93). Females of A. fossoria can be distinguished from those of A. fuscochelicera by the presence of lighter red chelicerae (Fig. 83A, C; cf. Fig. 85). Females of A. fossoria can be distinguished from those of A. nigrotarsa by the presence of spermathecae with less elongate medial vesicles (medial vesicle length/ width <5) and anterior legs without dark tarsi and distal metatarsi (Fig. 83J–L; cf. Fig. 89).

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ fossoria ’ is a Latin adjective meaning ‘digger’ or ‘burrower’, in reference to both the collection locality of the holotype female, at the Richmond Fossil Site, and to the fossorial nature of the spider.

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♀; Richmond fossil site; 20°39′ S, 143°06′ E; 199 m a.s.l.; 9 Apr. 2021; E.J. Briggs and V. O. Garcia leg.; excavated, open burrow on ground; QMB S118213.

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 1 ♀; Jesmond Road, SW of Charters Towers; 20°10′ S, 146°09′ E; 365 m a.s.l.; 16 May 2023; J.D. Wilson and M.G. Rix leg.; open burrow with little silk and no wishbone; QMB S118351 .

Description

Female (holotype, QMB S118213)

GENERAL (Fig. 83A–L). Body length 21.86, in good condition.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 83A, E–F). Carapace length 8.43, width 7.19, length/width 1.17, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.71, caput width/carapace width 0.75, carapace pallid-orange, reflective setae absent or inconspicuous, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.15 (Fig. 83A, F); chelicerae orange, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.45 (Fig. 83A); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.92, eye tubercle present (Fig. 83E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 83B, D). Abdomen length 9.60, tan-brown, darker dorsally and lighter laterally, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 83C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 83H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 80, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 30% of maxillae length (Fig. 83C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 83C, I); sternum length/width 1.26, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges, setae at higher density around anterior edges (Fig. 83G–H); posterior sigilla elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.26, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.15 (Fig. 83G–H); other sigilla small, round and lateral (Fig. 83G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 83J–K). Leg I pallid, reflective setae on dorsal femur, femur length 6.40, patella length 4.11, tibia length 4.64, metatarsus length 4.55, tarsus length 2.53, total length 22.23, leg I length/carapace length 2.64; scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus; spine count Fe D 3, Fe PL 1, Pa PL 4 (proximal sweak, medial rubbed off), Ti PL 5, Ti RL 5, Me PL 4, Me RL 5, Ta 0; tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 3.22.

GENITALIA (Fig. 83D, L). Epigastric furrow unmodified (Fig. 83D); spermathecae with two vesicles each (Fig. 83L); lateral vesicle very wide, short and roughly triangular, length 0.21, lateral vesicle length/ genitalia width 0.12, length/width at base 0.34, crown distinct and narrow (Fig. 83L); medial vesicle short, undulating, and projecting postero-ventrally, medial vesicle length/genitalia width 0.25, length/ width 4.93, medial vesicle length/lateral vesicle length 2.14 (Fig. 83L).

Distribution and natural history

Aname fossoria sp. nov. occurs in central-northern Queensland, near the border of the Mitchell Grass Downs and Gulf Plains bioregions, and further east in the Desert Uplands bioregion. It is known from two locations: the type location near the Richmond Fossil Site, and much further east, just west of Charters Towers, where a female has been tentatively linked to this species (Fig. 12). The form of burrows constructed by spiders of this species is unknown, but is likely to be similar to that of other rubrochelicera -complex species (Fig. 12).