Aname lawrenceae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3879AB1F-3A73-4E09-A75B-B00C4EECA937

Figs 14, 113

Diagnosis

Males of A. lawrenceae sp. nov. can be distinguished from all species for which males are known by a moderate to large body size (carapace length>4.0 mm), the presence of a long embolus (embolus length / bulb length>1.5) that curves gradually to a point, a short asetose depression on the palp tibia (depression length/ palp tibia length <0.5), a slight indentation below the asetose depression, and a digitiform tibial spur (Fig. 113J–Q).

Females of A. lawrenceae sp. nov. are unknown.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ lawrenceae ’ honours Melinda Lawrence, for the friendship and support she provided to the authors in her role as Project Manager of Project DIG. Project DIG, a collaboration between the Queensland Museum Network and Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited, provided funding that allowed the authors to conduct fieldwork throughout Queensland, which led to the collection of many new specimens and a wealth of natural history information on eastern Aname .

Type material

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • ♂; Hutton Creek, “ Oak Wells ”; 25°48′ S, 148°16′ E; 600 m a.s.l.; 15 Dec. 2001 – 7 Mar. 2002; D.J. Cook and G.B. Monteith leg.; pitfall trap, vine scrub; QMB S58049.

Other material examined

AUSTRALIA – Queensland • 2 ♂♂; Carnarvon Station, Swers Lookout; 24°50′ S, 147°46′ E; 870 m a.s.l.; 1 Dec. 2012 – 17 Jan. 2013; G.B. Monteith and C. Wilson leg.; gutter trap, Acacia scrub; QMB S50874 .

Description

Male (holotype, QMB S58049)

GENERAL (Fig. 113A–Q). Body length 22.17, in good condition, colour presumably faded due to preservation.

DORSAL PROSOMA (Fig. 113A, E–F). Carapace length 8.74, width 7.27, length/width 1.20, clypeus to fovea length/carapace length 0.69, caput width/carapace width 0.74, carapace red-brown, reflective setae present, light on caput, light on thorax, fovea procurved, fovea width/carapace length 0.13 (Fig. 113A, F); chelicerae red, rastellum absent or inconspicuous, chelicerae length/carapace length 0.51 (Fig. 113A); eye group rectangular, width/length 1.79, eye tubercle present (Fig. 113E).

ABDOMEN (Fig. 113B, D). Abdomen length 8.91, grey-brown, dorsal pattern absent, with consistent cover of short setae.

VENTRAL PROSOMA (Fig. 113C, G–I). Labium cuspules absent (Fig. 113H); maxillae heel distinct, cuspules present, count =about 129, extending posteriorly onto heel, extending laterally about 40% of maxillae length (Fig. 113C, I); coxae cuspules absent, thorn-like setae on prolateral face present (Fig. 113C, I); sternum length/width 1.14, central sternum with consistent covering of short setae, row of longer setae around posterior edges, setae at higher density around anterior edges (Fig. 113G–H); posterior sigilla elongate, central sternum to posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.24, posterior sigilla length/sternum length 0.18 (Fig. 113G–H); other sigilla small and lateral, medial sigilla semi-elongate, anterior sigilla round (Fig. 113G–H).

LEG I (Fig. 113N–Q). Leg I orange-brown, femur length 6.47, patella length 4.10, tibia length 4.64, metatarsus length 4.44, tarsus length 3.01, total length 22.65, leg I length/carapace length 2.59 (Fig. 113N–O); scopulae on distal metatarsus and tarsus (Fig. 113N–O); spine count Fe D 2, Fe PL 2, Pa PL 2, Ti PL 0, Ti RL 0, Me PL 0, Me RL 0, Ta 0 (Fig. 113N–O); tibia length/width [TIL/TID] 2.93, even width along length, spur present, intermediate triangular/digitiform, knuckle absent, megaspine angled at 6 degrees, length to distal face of spur/tibia length [TIS/TIL] 0.56, spur height/tibia width [TISH/TID] 0.43, megaspine length/tibia length 0.20 (Fig. 113N–P); metatarsus slightly sinuous, proximal excavation present, excavation concave with pronounced heel, heel rounded, excavation length/metatarsus length [MIPEL/MIL] 0.46, metatarsus length/width [MIL/MID] 3.77 (Fig. 113N–O, Q).

PEDIPALP (Fig. 113J–M). Tibia length 3.25, width 1.07, length/width [PTL/PTD] 3.05, asetose depression present, depression length/palp tibia length [PDL/PTL] 0.47, retrolateral face with consistent covering of light setae, ventral face with two elongate bristle-like setae below depression, prolateral face with patch of spines on distal half, disto-medial spine present (Fig. 113J–K); patella prolateral face with 2 spines (Fig. 113J–K); cymbium with scopulae present distally (Fig. 113J–K); copulatory organ total length 1.65, length/palp tibia length 0.51 (Fig. 113L–M); bulb length/width 0.99 (Fig. 113L–M); embolus tapering from bulb, attenuate, tapering and curving relatively evenly to point, width at base/bulb width 0.34, embolus length/bulb length 1.77 (Fig. 113L–M).

Distribution and natural history

Aname lawrenceae sp. nov. occurs in central Queensland, in the northern part of the Brigalow Belt South bioregion. It is known from two locations, a southern location near Hutton Creek, and a northern location in the Upper Warrego region of the Carnarvon Station Reserve (Fig. 14). The form of burrows constructed by spiders of this species is unknown.